Abstract

As an emerging concept, green human resource management (green HRM) has been conceptualized to influence employee workplace green behavior. This research empirically tested this link. We first developed measures for green HRM, and then drew on the behavioral HRM and psychological climate literature along with the supplies‐values fit theory, to test a conceptual model integrating the effects of psychological green climate and individual green values. Results revealed that green HRM both directly and indirectly influenced in‐role green behavior, but only indirectly influenced extra‐role green behavior, through the mediation of psychological green climate. Individual green values moderated the effect of psychological green climate on extra‐role green behavior, but it did not moderate the effect of either green HRM or psychological green climate on in‐role green behavior. These findings indicate that green HRM affects both employee in‐role and extra‐role workplace green behavior; however, this occurs through different social and psychological processes.

Companies that have strong green policies in place generally benefit from increasing sales and branding recognition (Wee & Quazi, 2005; Yang, Hong, & Modi, 2011) as well as desirable employee outcomes (Salem, Hasnan, & Osman, 2012). As it is employees who are the agents that implement organizational green policies, it is necessary for organizations to promote and ultimately change employee behavior so that such behavior is aligned with organizational green goals (Daily, Bishop & Govindarajulu, 2009; Ones & Dilchert, 2012; Ramus & Steger, 2000). Increasingly, organizations are adopting green human resource management (green HRM) practices, that is, “HRM aspects of green management,” to promote employee green behavior in the workplace (Renwick, Redman, & Maguire, 2013, p.1). Green HRM is defined by Kramar (2014) as “HRM activities, which enhance positive environmental outcomes” (p. 1075). However, despite increasing levels of academic literature conceptualizing the correlations between green HRM and employee workplace green behavior (e.g., Jackson & Seo, 2010; Kumari, 2012; Renwick et al., 2013), this linkage has thus far not been adequately empirically explored.