Sustainability and Human Resource Management: Developing Sustainable Business Organizations

The role of HRM in developing sustainable business organizations is increasingly attracting attention. Sustainability can be used as a principle for HRM itself and the tasks of Sustainable HRM are twofold. On the one hand it fosters the conditions for individual employee sustainability and develops the ability of HRM systems to continuously attract, regenerate and develop motivated and engaged employees by making the HRM system itself sustainable. On the other hand Sustainable HRM contributes to the sustainability of the business organizations through cooperation with the top management, key stakeholders and NGOs and by realising economic, ecological, social and human sustainability goals. This book provides a comprehensive review of the new area of Sustainable HRM and of research from different disciplines like sustainable work systems, ergonomics, HRM, linking sustainability and HRM. It brings together the views of academics and practitioners and provides many ideas for conceptual development, empirical exploration and practical implementation. This publication intends to advance the international academic and practice-based debates on the potential of sustainability for HRM and vice versa. In 19 chapters, 26 authors from five continents explore the role of HRM in developing economically, socially and ecologically sustainable organizations, the concept of Sustainable HRM and the role of HRM in developing Sustainable HRM systems and how sustainability and HRM are conceptualized and perceived in different areas of the world.

Ina Ehnert is Professor of Human Resource Management with a specialization in Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability, Louvain School of Management, Belgium. Prof. Ehnert has published her PhD in 2009 on the topic 'Sustainable Human Resource Management: A conceptual and exploratory analysis from a paradox perspective. Together with Wes Harry she has edited a Special Issue on Sustainable HRM in management revue, September 2012. Prof. Ehnert is interested in research on Sustainable HRM, global leadership, paradoxes and tensions in HRM, and on international HRM. Prof. Ehnert has published extensively in academic books and journals.

Wes Harry is Visiting Professor at the University of Chester and Honorary Visiting Fellow at Cass Business School. Within an international management career of over 30 years Dr. Harry has held top management posts in Asian and Arab airlines and banks. He has been an adviser to important sectors of East Asian and Arab governments. Dr. Harry has a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Management, University of Strathclyde and publishes extensively in a range of academic and practitioner journals as well as academic books on topics of International HRM, Managing Across Cultures, Managing Sustainably, HRM and Human Rights and on regional specific issues.

Klaus J. Zink holds a Professorship for Industrial Management and Human Factors at the University of Kaiserslautern and is scientific director of the "Institute for Technology and Work" at the University of Kaiserslautern. In a great number of books, essays and articles Prof. Zink has discussed concepts for the development of work and organisations and impacts on the quality of work. He is member in numerous national and international committees and on the Editorial Board of several journals. 1994-2001 he was on the board of the German Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (GfA), 1997-1999 as President and 1999-2001 as Past-President. 1995-2000 and 2004-2009 he was amember of the Council, 2000-2003 a member of the Executive Committee and 2009-2012 Vice President of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA). He received the IEA Fellow Award in 2000, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) 2006 Distinguished International Colleague Award and in 2009 the IEA "Ergonomics Development Award".