Green Human Resource Management and Employee Green Work Behavior: The Mediating Roles of Green Work Engagement and Green Psychological Climate in Chinese Higher Education Institutions
Main Article Content
Abstract
Aim/Purpose: Amid mounting environmental challenges, such as climate change, resource depletion, and ecological degradation, organizations are increasingly emphasizing sustainable operations. Within this paradigm, Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) has emerged as a strategic tool to cultivate employees’ environmental awareness and promote pro-environmental behaviors. This research aimed to examine the influence of GHRM initiatives on employees’ green work behaviors, including both mandatory in-role and voluntary extra-role behaviors, within the context of Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs). Moreover, it investigated the mediation effects of Green Work Engagement (GWE) and Green Psychological Climate (GPC) in converting GHRM policies into workplace sustainability outcomes.
Introduction/Background: Sustainability has become a critical consideration in organizational strategy, requiring HRM practices to integrate environmentally responsible principles. Previous research has indicated that green human resource management (GHRM) can shape employee attitudes, awareness, and behaviors toward environmental responsibility, thereby supporting organizational sustainability objectives. Employee green behaviors, including task-specific and voluntary eco-friendly actions, are essential for achieving sustainability performance. GHRM facilitates these outcomes through green recruitment, training, performance evaluation, and reward systems that foster an environmentally focused organizational culture. Green work engagement (GWE) further mediates this process by reflecting employees’ psychological commitment, energy, and absorption in environmental activities. Higher education institutions (HEIs), as knowledge-intensive organizations, are uniquely positioned to promote sustainability through academic instruction and environmentally conscious management practices. In China, HEIs play a strategic role in advancing sustainability in line with national carbon neutrality goals and educational policies. However, the mechanisms through which GHRM translates these into green behaviors, particularly the roles of GWE and green psychological climate (GPC), remain underexplored, highlighting the need for this research.
Methodology: Data were gathered from academic and administrative personnel at higher education institutions in Shenyang, China, selected due to their industrial history and ongoing environmental initiatives. A minimum sample of 399 was determined using Yamane’s formula (1973), and 420 valid responses were obtained through an online questionnaire distributed via email and WeChat. Measurement scales were adapted from prior studies: GHRM (Dumont et al., 2017), GWE (Schaufeli et al., 2006), GPC (Norton et al., 2014), and green work behavior (Bissing-Olson et al., 2013). The survey instrument underwent translation and back-translation to ensure linguistic accuracy. Statistical analyses included assessments of normality, reliability, validity, multicollinearity, and common method bias, followed by structural equation modeling and mediation analysis using SPSS and AMOS. Control variables such as gender, age, and educational background were included to account for potential influences on green work behaviors.
Findings: The results indicated significant positive relationships between GHRM and both in-role and extra-role green behaviors, supporting the theoretical underpinnings of Social Exchange Theory (SET), which postulates that employees reciprocate organizational commitment with engagement in sustainability initiatives. GHRM also positively influenced GWE, consistent with the Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model, indicating that green HR practices serve as motivational resources enhancing employee engagement in sustainability-related tasks. Moreover, GWE was found to mediate the relationship between GHRM and green behaviors, suggesting that employee engagement plays a critical role in translating HR-driven environmental strategies into both mandatory and discretionary eco-friendly workplace actions. However, GPC did not demonstrate a significant mediating effect, suggesting that employees’ perceptions of an organization’s sustainability climate alone may not be sufficient to drive green behaviors without associated structural and managerial support.
Contribution/Impact on Society: This research extends the GHRM literature by simultaneously examining both in-role and extra-role green behaviors, incorporating dual mediators, GWE and GPC, within the underexplored context of Chinese HEIs. The study provides theoretical insights by integrating SET, JDR, Broaden-and-Build Theory, and Social Cognitive Theory to explain the processes linking GHRM to employee green behaviors. Practically, the findings inform HEI management on effective strategies to cultivate sustainable workplace practices. By implementing sustainability into HR policies, institutions can enhance employee participation in eco-friendly initiatives, thereby improving institutional environmental performance and promoting broader societal sustainability outcomes.
Recommendations: HEIs should integrate GHRM into their core HR policies by implementing green recruitment, sustainability training, performance evaluation, and incentive schemes to foster both mandatory and voluntary green behaviors. Institutions should cultivate a culture that promotes GWE through collaborative spaces, recognition of sustainability initiatives, and participatory decision-making. Partnerships with government and industry can support knowledge sharing and sustainability innovation. Behavioral nudges, such as environmental reminders and infrastructure adjustments, can reinforce engagement while reducing ecological footprints. Continuous monitoring of GHRM initiatives, together with green infrastructure investments, can ensure employees are psychologically motivated and practically equipped to engage in sustainable actions.
Research Limitations: The research was limited by self-reported data, the focus on a single Chinese city, and a cross-sectional design, which constrain generalizability and causal inference. Only two mediating variables were examined, and findings were confined to HEIs in China, limiting applicability to other sectors and cultural contexts.
Future Research: Future studies should employ longitudinal designs, multiple data sources, and cross-cultural comparisons to enhance validity and generalizability. Additional mediators and moderators, such as individual green values, leadership styles, and organizational culture, should be investigated. Research should also extend beyond HEIs to explore industry-specific issues and opportunities in implementing GHRM measures, thereby contributing to a more comprehensive knowledge of sustainability strategies across diverse organizational contexts.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright: Asia-Pacific International University reserve exclusive rights to publish, reproduce and distribute the manuscript and all contents therein.
References
Ababneh, O. M. A. (2021). How do green HRM practices affect employees’ green behaviors? The role of employee engagement and personality attributes. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 64(7), 1204–1226. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2020.1814708
Aboramadan, M. (2022). The effect of green HRM on employee green behaviors in higher education: The mediating mechanism of green work engagement. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 30(1), 7–23. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-05-2020-2190
Abualigah, A., Koburtay, T., Bourini, I., Badar, K., & Gerged, A. M. (2023). Towards sustainable development in the hospitality sector: Does green human resource management stimulate green creativity? A moderated mediation model. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(6), 3217–3232. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3296
Adu Sarfo, P., Zhang, J., Nyantakyi, G., Lassey, F. A., Bruce, E., & Amankwah, O. (2024). Influence of green human resource management on firm’s environmental performance: Green employee empowerment as a mediating factor. Plos One, 19(4), e0293957. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293957
Albrecht, S. L., Donnelly, T., Frenkiel, M., Rajic, S. K., Kavadas, V., & Leiter, M. P. (2023). Pro-environmental employee engagement: The influence of pro-environmental psychological capital, pro-environmental job resources, and perceived corporate environmental responsibility. Frontiers in Sustainability, 4, 1117892. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1117892
Amah, O. E. (2020). Innovative work behaviors: Role of employee engagement and organizational citizenship behaviors. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 56(2), 356–373. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27199331
Ba, Y., & Cao, L. (2023). Assessing the impact of green human resource management practices on environmental performance in China: Role of higher education. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(41), 94386–94400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28523-8
Bissing‐Olson, M. J., Iyer, A., Fielding, K. S., & Zacher, H. (2013). Relationships between daily affect and pro‐environmental behavior at work: The moderating role of pro‐environmental attitude. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(2), 156–175. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1788
Bui, H. T. M., Bui, T., & Pham, B. T. (2024). The role of higher education in achieving sustainable development goals: An evaluation of motivation and capacity of Vietnamese institutions. The International Journal of Management Education, 22(3), 101088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.101088
CEIC. (2023). Air quality: PM2.5 concentration: Monthly average: Shenyang. https://www.ceicdata.com/en/china/ air-quality-pm25-concentration-city/air-quality-pm25-concentration-monthly-average-shenyang
Chatelain, G., Hille, S. L., Sander, D., Patel, M., Hahnel, U. J. J., & Brosch, T. (2018). Feel good, stay green: Positive affect promotes pro-environmental behaviors and mitigates compensatory “mental bookkeeping” effects. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 56, 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2018.02.002
Chen, S., Jiang, W., Li, X., & Gao, H. (2021). Effect of employees’ perceived green HRM on their workplace green behaviors in oil and mining industries: Based on cognitive-affective system theory. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), 4056. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084056
Chen, T., & Wu, Z. (2022). How to facilitate employees’ green behavior? The joint role of green human resource management practice and green transformational leadership. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 906869. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906869
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., De Jonge, J., Janssen, P. P., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). Burnout and engagement at work as a function of demands and control. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 27(4), 279–286. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.615
Dumont, J., Shen, J., & Deng, X. (2017). Effects of green HRM practices on employee workplace green behavior: The role of psychological green climate and employee green values. Human Resource Management, 56(4), 613–627. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21792
Ercantan, O., & Eyupoglu, S. (2022). How do green human resource management practices encourage employees to engage in green behavior? Perceptions of university students as prospective employees. Sustainability, 14(3), 1718. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031718
Fawehinmi, O., Yusliza, M. Y., Wan Kasim, W. Z., Mohamad, Z., & Sofian Abdul Halim, M. A. (2020). Exploring the interplay of green human resource management, employee green behavior, and personal moral norms. Sage Open, 10(4), 2158244020982292. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020982292
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218
Gomes, J. F., Sabino, A., & Antunes, V. (2023). The effect of green human resources management practices on employees’ affective commitment and work engagement: The moderating role of employees’ biospheric value. Sustainability, 15(3), 2190. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032190
Haque, M. A., Islam, M. A., & Soh, S. (2024). Green HRM practices and green work engagement: The roles of green knowledge sharing and green group cohesion. Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 44(1), 16–36. https://doi.org/10.1002/joe.22266
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Islam, M. A., Hossain, M. S., Hoque, M. E., Khan, T., & Hassan, M. M. (2023). The moderating role of gender and employee championing behaviour in the relationship between green human resource management practices and sustainable organisational performance: Evidence from Bangladesh. In O. D. Adekoya, C. Mordi, & H. A. Ajombadi (Eds.) Global perspectives on green HRM: Highlighting practices across the world. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35795-4_6
Islam, T., Khan, M. M., Ahmed, I., & Mahmood, K. (2021). Promoting in-role and extra-role green behavior through ethical leadership: Mediating role of green HRM and moderating role of individual green values. International Journal of Manpower, 42(6), 1102–1123. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-01-2020-0036
Jiang, Y., Jackson, S. E., Shim, H., Budhwar, P., Renwick, D. W. S., Jabbour, C. J. C., de Sousa Jabbour, A. B. L., Tang, G., Müller-Camen, M., Wagner, M.& Kim, A. (2022). Culture as context: A five-country study of discretionary green workplace behavior. Organization & Environment, 35(4), 499–522. https://doi.org/10.1177/10860266 221104039
Khan, M. A. S., Jianguo, D., Ali, M., Saleem, S., & Usman, M. (2019). Interrelations between ethical leadership, green psychological climate, and organizational environmental citizenship behavior: A moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1977. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01977
Kline, R. B. (2012). Assumptions in structural equation modeling. In R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Handbook of structural equation modeling (pp. 111–125). The Guilford Press.
Lashari, I. A., Li, Q., Maitlo, Q., Bughio, F. A., Jhatial, A. A., & Rashidi Syed, O. (2022). Environmental sustainability through green HRM: Measuring the perception of university managers. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1007710. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1007710
Lu, F. (2025). Investigating the mediating effect of green work engagement on the relationship between green human resource management and employee green work behavior: A study of Chinese higher education industry. Creative Business and Sustainability Journal, 47(2), 1–20. https://so01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/CBSReview/ article/view/281680
Marini, M., Handoyo, S., & Sukadiono, S. (2023). Green work engagement: A literature review. RSF Conference Series: Business, Management and Social Sciences, 3(3), 179–185. https://doi.org/10.31098/bmss.v3i3.662
Nabi, T., Joshi, A., Malik, S. H., Siddiqui, M. A., & Yetgin, M. A. (2023). Nexus between green human resource management and environmental practices: An empirical study using structural equation modelling. [Preprint (Version 1)] Research Square, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3394470/v1
Naz, S., Jamshed, S., Nisar, Q. A., & Nasir, N. (2023). Green HRM, psychological green climate and pro-environmental behaviors: An efficacious drive towards environmental performance in China. Current Psychology, 42(2), 1346–1361. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01412-4
Norton, T. A., Zacher, H., & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2014). Organisational sustainability policies and employee green behaviour: The mediating role of work climate perceptions. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 38, 49–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.12.008
Norton, T. A., Zacher, H., Parker, S. L., & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2017). Bridging the gap between green behavioral intentions and employee green behavior: The role of green psychological climate. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(7), 996–1015. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2178
Ojo, A. O., Tan, C. N. L., & Alias, M. (2022). Linking green HRM practices to environmental performance through pro-environment behaviour in the information technology sector. Social Responsibility Journal, 18(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-12-2019-0403
Oliveira, M. C., & Proença, J. (2025). Sustainable campus operations in higher education institutions: A systematic literature review. Sustainability, 17(2), 607. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020607
Petter, S., Straub, D., & Rai, A. (2007). Specifying formative constructs in information systems research. MIS Quarterly, 31(4), 623–656. https://doi.org/10.2307/25148814
Purnomo, A. K., Asri, Y. N., & Marditama, T. (2024). Implementation of green human resource management towards green employee behavior mediated by top management commitment in higher education. International Journal of Economics Development Research, 5(3), 1474–1485. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/ 387933512_Implementation_of_Green_Human_Resource_Management_Towards_Green_Employee_Behavior_Mediated_by_Top_Management_Commitment_in_Higher_Education
Renwick, D. W., Redman, T., & Maguire, S. (2013). Green human resource management: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 15(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2011. 00328.x
Saeed, B. B., Afsar, B., Hafeez, S., Khan, I., Tahir, M., & Afridi, M. A. (2019). Promoting employee's proenvironmental behavior through green human resource management practices. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 26(2), 424–438. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1694
Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B. & Salanova, M. (2006). The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire: A cross-national study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66(4), 701–716. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164405282471
Shenyang Municipal Education Bureau (SMEB). (2025). Shenyang municipal education development statistical bulletin of 2024. https://jyj.shenyang.gov.cn/zwgkzdgz/fdzdgknr/tjxx/202509/t20250917_4908109.html
Shenyang Municipal Government Office (SMGO). (2025). Notice of the Shenyang Municipal People's Government on Issuing the Shenyang Municipal Territorial Spatial Master Plan (2021–2035) (Shenzhengfa [2025] No. 4). https://www.shenyang.gov.cn/zt/jjlwlb/zcyjd/qbsxtpgjmbcjnnmzsyfs/202510/t20251023_4924214.html
Susanto, A. (2023). The role of green human resources management (GHRM) on job satisfaction and green work engagement (GWE): An empirical study on manufacturing industries. Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Studies, 6(03), 1123–1131. https://doi.org/10.47191/jefms/v6-i3-11
Tirno, R. R., Islam, N., & Happy, K. (2023). Green HRM and ecofriendly behavior of employees: Relevance of proecological climate and environmental knowledge. Heliyon, 9(4), e14632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14632
Veerasamy, U., Joseph, M. S., & Parayitam, S. (2024). Green human resource management and employee green behaviour: Participation and involvement, and training and development as moderators. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, 11(2), 277–309. https://doi.org/10.1177/23220937221144361
Wang, R., & Hu, Y. (2025). Green behaviors among employees in Chinese e-commerce companies: Impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Sustainability, 17(3), 940. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030940
Xuemin, M., Kelana, B. W. B. Y., Jie, C., & Mahmod, A. (2024). Linking GHRM to environmental performance through green behaviour in private Chinese universities. Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (HRMARS), 14(12), 4419–4439. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i12/24412
Yadate, D. A. (2025). The effect of green human resource management on employee green behavior. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 32(1), 404–418. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2956
Yamane, T. (1973). Statistics: An introductory analysis (3rd ed.). Harper & Row.
Yang, C., Chen, C.-S., & Wei, L.-W. (2024). The influence of green human resource management on environmental performance: Exploring the differential effects of green work engagement and moral reflection. Environment and Social Psychology, 9(10), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v9i10.3040
Yong, J. Y., Yusliza, M. Y., & Fawehinmi, O. O. (2020). Green human resource management: A systematic literature review from 2007 to 2019. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 27(7), 2005–2027. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-12-2018-0438
Zhang, S., Chen, M., & Tang, G. (2024). How green human resource management can promote green competitive advantage: The role of green innovation. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(5), 4613–4625. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3715
Zhou, S., Zhang, D., Lyu, C., & Zhang, H. (2018). Does seeing “mind acts upon mind” affect green psychological climate and green product development performance? The role of matching between green transformational leadership and individual green values. Sustainability, 10(9), 3206. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093206.
