From green intentions to financial performance: assessing the influence of green HRM within Turkish SMEs

Cevahir Uzkurt, Safa Arslan, Pawan Budhwar, Emre Burak Ekmekcioglu, Semih Ceyhan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (SciVal)

Abstract

Purpose:
This study aims to explore the effect of green human resource management (GHRM) on employees’ pro-environmental behaviors. Furthermore, it explores the mediating role of employees’ pro-environmental performance in the relationship between GHRM and firms’ social performance. Finally, it tests a sequential mediation model that presents the indirect effects of GHRM practices on firms’ financial performance via employees’ task-related and proactive pro-environmental behaviors and firms’ social performance.

Design/methodology/approach:
Data were collected from 945 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Türkiye. Structural equation modeling was conducted using MPlus software.

Findings:
The results confirmed that GHRM has a significant indirect effect on firms’ financial performance via employees’ task-related and proactive pro-environmental behaviors and firms’ social performance.

Practical implications:
The results imply that SMEs should invest in GHRM practices to appraise employees’ task-related and proactive pro-environmental behaviors and align their approach to pro-environmental behaviors. SMEs should provide a workplace environment that encourages and motivates employees to engage in green activities and contribute to environmental management.

Originality/value:
This study shows that employees’ task-related and proactive pro-environmental behaviors are critical to GHRM and firms’ social performance. Furthermore, the study brings new empirical evidence to the field of GHRM in the under-researched Turkish SMEs context.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1460-1481
Number of pages22
JournalInternational Journal of Manpower
Volume46
Issue number8
Early online date30 May 2025
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 19 Sept 2025

Keywords

  • Employees’ pro-environmental behaviors
  • Firms’ pro-environmental performance
  • Green human resource management
  • Resource-based theory
  • SMEs
  • Social exchange theory
  • Türkiye

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