Historically, management theory has ignored the constraints imposed by the biophysical (natural) environment. Building upon resource-based theory, this article attempts to fill this void by proposing a natural-resource-based view of the firm—a theory of competitive advantage based upon the firm's relationship to the natural environment. It is composed of three interconnected strategies: pollution prevention, product stewardship, and sustainable development. Propositions are advanced for each of these strategies regarding key resource requirements and their contributions to sustained competitive advantage.

A natural resource-based view of the firm

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. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of Green HRM Practices on Employee Workplace Green Behavior: The Role of Psychological Green Climate and Employee Green Values

We propose a conceptual model based on person–environment interaction, job performance, and motivational theories to structure a multilevel review of the employee green behavior (EGB) literature and agenda for future research. We differentiate between required EGB prescribed by the organization and voluntary EGB performed at the employees’ discretion. The review investigates institutional-, organizational-, leader-, team-, and employee-level antecedents and outcomes of EGB and factors that mediate and moderate these relationships. We offer suggestions to facilitate the development of the field, and call for future research to adopt a multilevel perspective and to investigate the outcomes of EGB.

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Employee Green Behavior: A Theoretical Framework, Multilevel Review, and Future Research Agenda

Success of organizational initiatives for environmental sustainability hinges upon employees' proenvironmental behaviors. One of the contemporary important challenges faced by HR professionals is to ensure proper integration of environmental sustainability into human resource policies. The green human resource management (green HRM) has emerged from organizations engaging in practices related to protection of environment and maintaining ecological balance. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of green HRM practices (green recruitment and selection, green training and development, green performance management and appraisal, green reward and compensation, and green empowerment) on employee's proenvironmental behavior. Moreover, this study is going to test the mediating effect of proenvironmental psychological capital and the moderating effect of environmental knowledge on green HRM practices–proenvironmental behavior. Data from 347 employees working in coal generating, power industry, food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries were collected. Results revealed that green HRM practices positively affected employee's proenvironmental behavior, and proenvironmental psychological capital mediated this link. Employee's environmental knowledge moderated the effect of green HRM practices on proenvironmental behavior.

Promoting employee's proenvironmental behavior through green human resource management practices

The growing awareness of and regulations related to environmental sustainability have invoked the concept of green human resource management (GHRM) in the search for effective environmental management (EM) within organizations. GHRM research raises new, increasingly salient questions not yet studied in the broader human resource management (HRM) literature. Despite an expansion in the research linking GHRM with various aspects of EM and overall environmental performance, GHRM’s theoretical foundations, measurement, and the factors that give rise to GHRM (including when and how it influences outcomes) are still under-specified. This paper, seeking to better understand research opportunities and advance theoretical and empirical development, evaluates the emergent academic field of GHRM with a narrative review. This review highlights an urgent need for refined conceptualization and measurement of GHRM and develops an integrated model of the antecedents, consequences and contingencies related to GHRM. Going beyond a function-based perspective that focuses on specific HRM practices and building on advances in the strategic HRM literature, we discuss possible multi-level applications, the importance of employee perceptions and experiences related to GHRM, contextual and cultural implications, and alternative theoretical approaches. The detailed and focused review provides a roadmap to stimulate the development of the GHRM field for scholars and practicing managers.

Green human resource management research in emergence: A review and future directions

Organisational sustainability policies and employee green behaviour: The mediating role of work climate perceptions

How do employees' perceptions and interpretations of organizational policies, practices, and procedures affect the enactment of their behavioral intentions? In a daily diary study, we examined the between-persons relationship of corporate environmental strategy and pro-environmental or “green” psychological climate; and whether green psychological climate moderates the within-person relationship of employees' daily green behavioral intentions and their green behavior on the following day. To test our hypotheses, we collected survey data from 74 employees across 10 workdays. Results showed that corporate environmental strategy is positively related to green psychological climate that, in turn, moderates the relationship between green behavioral intentions and next-day employee green behavior. Specifically, we found the relationship to be positive only when employees perceive a positive green psychological climate. We discuss implications of our findings for future research on employee green behavior and for organizations interested in encouraging employee green behavior.

Bridging the gap between green behavioral intentions and employee green behavior: The role of green psychological climate

In their call to action, Ones and Dilchert(2012) discuss several possible individual and some contextual determinants of employee green behavior that await examination by industrial and organizational I–O) psychologists. Although these authors briefly mentioned organizational climate, specifically ethical climate, as a potentially relevant predictor of green behaviors, they mostly emphasized the role of individual difference characteristics and traditional job performance determinants such as knowledge, skills, abilities, and other
person factors (KSAOs).

Thomas A. Norton

Papers

Employee Green Behavior: A Theoretical Framework, Multilevel Review, and Future Research Agenda

Organisational sustainability policies and employee green behaviour: The mediating role of work climate perceptions

Bridging the gap between green behavioral intentions and employee green behavior: The role of green psychological climate

On the Importance of Pro‐Environmental Organizational Climate for Employee Green Behavior

Employee green behavior: A theoretical framework, multilevel review, and future research agenda