Sustainable Human Resource Management Practices
Summary
Sustainable Human Resource Management (HRM) encompasses the strategic integration of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and long-term economic viability into people management. It extends traditional HRM by emphasising the regeneration and renewal of human capital rather than mere consumption. Key objectives include fostering employee well-being, promoting equitable labour practices, and aligning workforce development with broader sustainability goals. Central features of sustainable HRM comprise long-term orientation, participatory decision-making, continuous learning, flexible work arrangements and care for both employees and the natural environment. This holistic approach responds to emerging challenges such as digitalisation, demographic shifts and post-pandemic uncertainty by equipping organisations with the dynamic capabilities needed to adapt, innovate and thrive. It also addresses grand challenges at a global scale, including the Sustainable Development Goals, by embedding human-centred values in organisational culture and promoting a common-good perspective on workforce governance.
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Sustainable Human Resource Management Practices publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainable human resource management practices across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sustainable HRM: An approach to people management that prioritises long-term human capital development, social equity and environmental care alongside organisational performance.
Dynamic capabilities: The firm’s ability to integrate, build and reconfigure internal competences to address rapidly changing environments.
Absorptive capacity: The capability of an organisation to recognise, assimilate and apply external knowledge for innovation.
Digitalisation: The transformation of work processes through digital technologies, affecting employment forms and skill requirements.
Work flexibility: Practices that allow variation in work time, location and modalities to enhance employee autonomy and well-being.
References
- Future of digital work: Challenges for sustainable human resources management. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge (2023).
- Operationalising employee capabilities post pandemic crisis: a sustainable HR approach. Review of Managerial Science (2024).
- Common Good HRM: A paradigm shift in Sustainable HRM?. Human Resource Management Review (2020).
- Designing Sustainable HRM: The Core Characteristics of Emerging Field. Sustainability (2018).
- Bridging Sustainable Human Resource Management and Corporate Sustainability. Sustainability (2020).
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