Building a Sustainable Workplace: The Role of Green Human Resource Management (Palgrave Advances in Work and Organizational Psychology)

This open access book offers an interdisciplinary examination of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM), presenting a psychologically informed framework for aligning people management with environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Bringing together insights from work and organizational psychology, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and environmental management (EM), it explains how organizations can embed sustainability into everyday work practices by leveraging employee motivation, leadership, culture, and social dynamics.Psychosocial mechanisms make GHRM effective, shaping employees’ pro environmental attitudes, voluntary green behaviours, and long-term commitment to organizational sustainability goals.

Drawing on meta-analytic evidence from 57 studies, the book shows the strong impact of GHRM on sustainable performance and financial outcomes and addresses persistent implementation challenges, such as the generalizability gap across sectors, lack of standardized metrics, post-pandemic work transformations, and the risk of greenwashing when cultural alignment is weak. Featuring theoretical insights, empirical evidence, case studies, and a practical diagnostic toolkit, the book provides actionable guidance on green recruitment, training, performance management, and employee engagement. An essential read for scholars and practitioners in HRM, organizational psychology, sustainability, environmental management, and leaders, this book positions GHRM as a critical lever for integrating people, planet, and performance.

Paula Benevene is Full Professor in Work and Organizational Psychology at LUMSA University in Rome, Italy. She published several studies on GHRM and is an expert on organizational wellbeing and management, with special reference to employees' generation of intangible assets, such as innovation and stakeholders' responsiveness.

Ilaria Buonomo is Researcher in Work and Organizational Psychology at LUMSA University, Italy, and a licensed psychologist working in the field of employee wellbeing and positive organizational psychology. Her research interests and publications span organizational greening processes and HR management-related issues, with a specific focus on employee retention and wellbeing.