GREEN HRM AND SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Abstract

Organizations are expected to create economic, social, and environmental value at the same time, yet the human-resource pathways through which this balance is achieved remain unevenly understood. This article integrates research on green human resource management (GHRM) and sustainable performance, conceptualized through the triple bottom line. Drawing on the ability–motivation–opportunity (AMO) framework, the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the natural-resource-based view (NRBV), and social exchange theory (SET), we examine four GHRM practices (green recruitment and selection, green training and development, green performance appraisal, and green compensation and benefits) and trace their effects on sustainable performance through two complementary mechanisms: green employee behavior, a behavioral pathway, and green innovation, a capability pathway. Perceived organizational support shapes how effectively green innovation is converted into sustainable outcomes. The review reveals three patterns. First, evidence linking GHRM practices to sustainable performance is largely positive but inconsistent, particularly for recruitment and training. Second, the mediating roles of employee behavior and innovation are well motivated theoretically but seldom tested together. Third, boundary conditions remain under-theorized, especially in resource-constrained small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies such as Pakistan. This offer an integrative framework and eight testable propositions, and outline implications for researchers, HR practitioners, and policymakers.