Sustainable HRM in the face of climate change: building organizational resilience through green human capital practices

https://doi.org/10.35912/ahrmr.v5i2.2966
Published: Jun 26, 2025

Abstract:

Purpose: As climate change continues to pose unprecedented challenges to organizational sustainability, the role of Human Resource Management (HRM) is undergoing a critical transformation.

Methodology/approach: This study investigates the integration of sustainable HRM practices particularly green human capital development as a strategic response to environmental uncertainty. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this research combines a systematic literature review with a survey of HR professionals across sectors vulnerable to climate-related disruptions.

Results/findings: Findings reveal that organizations adopting green HRM frameworks such as environmentally aligned recruitment, green training, eco-driven performance management, and sustainability-based leadership development are more likely to exhibit adaptive capacities and long-term resilience.

Conclusions: Furthermore, the study identifies key enablers and barriers in embedding green human capital practices into existing HR systems.

Limitations: The results underscore the need for HRM to evolve beyond administrative functions and actively contribute to ecological stewardship and strategic resilience.

Contribution: This research contributes to the growing discourse on sustainable organizational practices by positioning HRM as a pivotal agent in aligning human capital strategies with climate action imperatives.

Keywords:
1. Climate Change
2. Green Human Capital
3. Environmental Management
4. Organizational Resilience
5. Strategic HR Practices
6. Sustainable HRM
Authors:
1 . Siti Rosyafah
Bhayangkara University of Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
2 . Wanda Gema Prasadio Akbar Hidayat
Multimedia Nusantara University, Banten, Indonesia
3 . Elly Yuniar Nitawati
Bhayangkara University of Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
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How to Cite
Rosyafah, S., Wanda Gema Prasadio Akbar Hidayat, & Nitawati, E. Y. (2025). Sustainable HRM in the face of climate change: building organizational resilience through green human capital practices. Annals of Human Resource Management Research, 5(2), 323–333. https://doi.org/10.35912/ahrmr.v5i2.2966
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Issue & Section
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2025): June
Articles
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

References

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    Ahmad, S. (2015). Green Human Resource Management: Policies and Practices. Cogent Business & Management, 2(1), 1-13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2015.1030817

    Amrutha, V., & Geetha, S. (2020). A Systematic Review on Green Human Resource Management: Implications for Social Sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 247. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119131

    Asiaei, K., O'Connor, N. G., Barani, O., & Joshi, M. (2023). Green Intellectual Capital and Ambidextrous Green Innovation: The Impact on Environmental Performance. Business strategy and the Environment, 32(1), 369-386. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3136

    Bombiak, E., & Marciniuk-Kluska, A. (2018). Green Human Resource Management as a Tool for the Sustainable Development of Enterprises: Polish Young Company Experience. Sustainability, 10(6), 1-22. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061739

    Crifo, P., & Forget, V. D. (2013). Think Global, Invest Responsible: Why the Private Equity Industry Goes Green. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(1), 21-48. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1443-y

    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. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21792

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    Ferdian, B. B. (2024). The Significance of Brand Positioning to UX Design Business Growth. Jurnal Bisnis dan Pemasaran Digital, 3(2), 125-135. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jbpd.v3i2.4513

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    Mohamed, A. F. A., Ali, F. A. A., & Ahmed, E. A. A. (2024). Humble Leadership Style as Green Human Resource Management: Nurses’ Organizational Trust and Work Resilience. Tanta Scientific Nursing Journal, 32(1), 63-76. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.21608/tsnj.2024.346121

    Moraes, S. d. S., Chiappetta Jabbour, C. J., Battistelle, R. A., Rodrigues, J. M., Renwick, D. S., Foropon, C., & Roubaud, D. (2019). When Knowledge Management Matters: Interplay Between Green Human Resources and Eco-Efficiency in the Financial Service Industry. Journal of Knowledge Management, 23(9), 1691-1707. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-07-2018-0414

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    Renwick, D. W., Jabbour, C. J., Muller-Camen, M., Redman, T., & Wilkinson, A. (2016). Contemporary Developments in Green (Environmental) HRM Scholarship. The international journal of human resource management, 27(2), 114-128. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2015.1105844

    Safitri, V. C., Safitri, Z. I., & Emilisa, N. I. (2024). Pengaruh Green Innovation, Top Management Support, Green Human Resource Management, Green Intlectual Capital Terhadap Environmental Performance pada Karyawan Hokben Jakarta Barat. Jurnal Ilmiah Wahana Pendidikan, 10(15), 729-741. doi:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13834538

    Singh, S., Martins, A., & Tefera, O. (2025). Green Human Resource Management and Sustainable Development Goals in non-Profit Organisations. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(1).

    Soekotjo, S., Sosidah, Kuswanto, H., Setyadi, A., & Pawirosumarto, S. (2025). A Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Human Resource Management: Integrating Ecological and Inclusive Perspectives. Sustainability, 17(3), 1-30. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031241

    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. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-12-2018-0438

    Yusliza, M. Y., Yong, J. Y., Tanveer, M. I., Ramayah, T., Faezah, J. N., & Muhammad, Z. (2020). A Structural Model of the Impact of Green Intellectual Capital on Sustainable Performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 249. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119334

    Zahrotun, F., Windarti, R. A., Farleni, S., & Sanjaya, V. F. (2024). Pendekatan Resource-Based View (RBV) dalam Manajemen Bisnis: Strategi untuk Keunggulan Kompetitif yang Berkelanjutan. Al-A'mal: Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis Syariah, 1(2), 176-183.

  1. 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. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-05-2020-2190
  2. Ahmad, S. (2015). Green Human Resource Management: Policies and Practices. Cogent Business & Management, 2(1), 1-13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2015.1030817
  3. Amrutha, V., & Geetha, S. (2020). A Systematic Review on Green Human Resource Management: Implications for Social Sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 247. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119131
  4. Asiaei, K., O'Connor, N. G., Barani, O., & Joshi, M. (2023). Green Intellectual Capital and Ambidextrous Green Innovation: The Impact on Environmental Performance. Business strategy and the Environment, 32(1), 369-386. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3136
  5. Bombiak, E., & Marciniuk-Kluska, A. (2018). Green Human Resource Management as a Tool for the Sustainable Development of Enterprises: Polish Young Company Experience. Sustainability, 10(6), 1-22. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061739
  6. Crifo, P., & Forget, V. D. (2013). Think Global, Invest Responsible: Why the Private Equity Industry Goes Green. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(1), 21-48. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1443-y
  7. 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. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21792
  8. Ehnert, I., Parsa, S., Roper, I., Wagner, M., & Muller-Camen, M. (2016). Reporting on Sustainability and HRM: A Comparative Study of Sustainability Reporting Practices by the World's Largest Companies. The international journal of human resource management, 27(1), 88-108. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2015.1024157
  9. Ferdian, B. B. (2024). The Significance of Brand Positioning to UX Design Business Growth. Jurnal Bisnis dan Pemasaran Digital, 3(2), 125-135. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jbpd.v3i2.4513
  10. ILO. (2022). Jobs Globally are Highly Dependent on a Stable and Healthy Environment.
  11. IPCC. (2023). Anthropogenic Emissions and Unsustainable Industrial Practices.
  12. Jabbour, C. J. C., Sarkis, J., Jabbour, A. B. L. d. S., Renwick, D. W. S., Singh, S. K., Grebinevych, O., . . . Godinho Filho, M. (2019). Who is in Charge? A Review and a Research Agenda on the ‘Human Side’ of the Circular Economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 222, 793-801. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.03.038
  13. Jackson, T. (2011). Societal Transformations for a Sustainable Economy. Natural Resources Forum, 35(3), 155-164. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1477-8947.2011.01395.x
  14. Kurniawan, T. A., Meidiana, C., Goh, H. H., Zhang, D., Othman, M. H. D., Aziz, F., . . . Ali, I. (2024). Unlocking Synergies Between Waste Management and Climate Change Mitigation to Accelerate Decarbonization Through Circular-Economy Digitalization in Indonesia. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 46, 522-542. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.03.011
  15. Lengnick-Hall, C. A., Beck, T. E., & Lengnick-Hall, M. L. (2011). Developing a Capacity for Organizational Resilience Through Strategic Human Resource Management. Human resource management review, 21(3), 243-255. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2010.07.001
  16. Malik, S. Y., Cao, Y., Mughal, Y. H., Kundi, G. M., Mughal, M. H., & Ramayah, T. (2020). Pathways towards Sustainability in Organizations: Empirical Evidence on the Role of Green Human Resource Management Practices and Green Intellectual Capital. Sustainability, 12(8), 1-24. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083228
  17. Manners-Bell, J. (2017). Supply Chain Risk Management: Understanding Emerging Threats to Global Supply Chains. London: Kogan Page Publishers.
  18. Mochklas, M., Situngkir, T. L., Abidin, Z., Judijanto, L., Susilawati, M., & Purnomo, H. (2024). The Impact of Green Human Capital on Hotel Performance: The Mediating Role of Innovation Activity in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Journal of Logistics, Informatics and Service Science, 11(10), 383-395. doi:https://doi.org/10.33168/jliss.2024.1022
  19. Mohamed, A. F. A., Ali, F. A. A., & Ahmed, E. A. A. (2024). Humble Leadership Style as Green Human Resource Management: Nurses’ Organizational Trust and Work Resilience. Tanta Scientific Nursing Journal, 32(1), 63-76. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.21608/tsnj.2024.346121
  20. Moraes, S. d. S., Chiappetta Jabbour, C. J., Battistelle, R. A., Rodrigues, J. M., Renwick, D. S., Foropon, C., & Roubaud, D. (2019). When Knowledge Management Matters: Interplay Between Green Human Resources and Eco-Efficiency in the Financial Service Industry. Journal of Knowledge Management, 23(9), 1691-1707. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-07-2018-0414
  21. Nelson, A., Junaidi, & Sentoso, A. (2025). The Impact of Green Human Resource Management to Environmental Performance. Jurnal Akuntansi, Keuangan, dan Manajemen, 6(3), 603-617. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jakman.v6i3.3898
  22. Renwick, D. W., Jabbour, C. J., Muller-Camen, M., Redman, T., & Wilkinson, A. (2016). Contemporary Developments in Green (Environmental) HRM Scholarship. The international journal of human resource management, 27(2), 114-128. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2015.1105844
  23. Safitri, V. C., Safitri, Z. I., & Emilisa, N. I. (2024). Pengaruh Green Innovation, Top Management Support, Green Human Resource Management, Green Intlectual Capital Terhadap Environmental Performance pada Karyawan Hokben Jakarta Barat. Jurnal Ilmiah Wahana Pendidikan, 10(15), 729-741. doi:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13834538
  24. Singh, S., Martins, A., & Tefera, O. (2025). Green Human Resource Management and Sustainable Development Goals in non-Profit Organisations. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(1).
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  26. 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. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-12-2018-0438
  27. Yusliza, M. Y., Yong, J. Y., Tanveer, M. I., Ramayah, T., Faezah, J. N., & Muhammad, Z. (2020). A Structural Model of the Impact of Green Intellectual Capital on Sustainable Performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 249. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119334
  28. Zahrotun, F., Windarti, R. A., Farleni, S., & Sanjaya, V. F. (2024). Pendekatan Resource-Based View (RBV) dalam Manajemen Bisnis: Strategi untuk Keunggulan Kompetitif yang Berkelanjutan. Al-A'mal: Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis Syariah, 1(2), 176-183.