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March 2012/ Volume 2/Issue 3/Article No-4/420-425 ISSN: 2249-7196

*Corresponding Author www.ijmrr.com 420

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT RESEARCH

AND REVIEW

EMPOWERING GREEN EMPLOYMENT: A MODULE FOR ORGANISATIONAL

SETTINGS

Sunny kohli*1

1Assistant Professor, Faculty of Management, B.R.D. College of Management & Sciences,

Roorkee

ABSTRACT

Green management initiatives require a great deal in forward- thinking businesses around the

world. Many researchers argued that in order to carry out green employment initiatives in the

organization; the employees need to be inspired, managed and technically fit. Thus, there is a

growing need to identify the integration of environmental culture with the employment so

that the latest and current opportunities for employment can be investigated.

This paper takes into account a latest and integrated view of literature in the field of Green

HRM, using it to classify the literature on the basis of employment processes in HRM (from

recruitment to exit). The article is also revealing the role of employer and employees in

maintaining and translating green HR policies into practices. The main contribution of this

paper lies in drawing a Tri- Signal proposed model of employment which is a new research

agenda in the green HRM.

The synthesized objective of this paper is also to indicate significant works on green HR

practices and their relationship with the integrating function of employment.

Keywords: Green HRM, Green Initiatives, Green Employment, Employment Management &

Corporate Green Environment.

INTRODUCTION

The new strategic issue, corporate environmentalism or green management emerged in 1990s

and became a popular slogan internationally in 2000s (Lee, 2009). Green management is

defined as the process whereby companies manage the environment by developing

environmental management strategies (Lee, 2009) in which companies need to balance

between industrial growth and safeguarding the natural environment so that future generation

may thrive (Daily and Huang, 2001). This concept becomes a strategic dominant issue for

businesses, especially multinational enterprises operating their business globally (Banerjee,

2001). In summary, green management refers to the management of corporate interactionwith, and impact upon, the environment (Lee and Ball, 2003).

Hence, this paper argues that to effectively implement green management initiatives through

the implementation of green employment requires strategic implementation of HR systems

that fit with organizations culture and long-term goals.


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Copyright 2012 Published by IJMRR. All rights reserved 421

LITERATURE REVIEW

During the past two decades, a worldwide consensus has begun to emerge around the need

for proactive environmental management. In response, scholars from management functions

as diverse as accounting, marketing and supply-chain management have been analyzing how

managerial practices in these areas can contribute to environmental management goals. In

contrast, with some exceptions, such as a very early 1996 edited book by Wehrmeyer(Greening People: Human Resources and Environmental Management), there is a scarcity

of research linking the field of human resource management (HRM) and environmental

management. This is surprising, as any organizational responses to environmental concerns

must involve decisions and behavior by an organizations employees.

Fortunately, the potential role of HRM practices is beginning to be recognized. For example,

at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, which had as its theme Green

Management Matters, papers were presented that, linked HR functions such as

performance management and recruitment to environmental management. Studies designed

to improve our understanding of environmentally-friendly employee attitudes and behaviors

also have begun to appear. A 2008 review from the University of Sheffield (Renwick et al,

Green HRM: A Review, Process Model and Research Agenda) as well as a Green HRM

AOM Connect Group established in 2009 suggest that the term Green HRM could become

the umbrella term for this research. The objective of this special issue is to draw together

scholars who are working at the forefront of this new research domain.

In the British public sector, the Environment Unit at Kent County Council (KCC) have

developed their own strategy for the training and development of staff, with Green teams

established in each department, producing general awareness and specific training in EM

(designed to increase personal ownership and shift staff to taking personal action).

PROPOSED RESEARCH FRAMEWORKChanging approach of HR practices has generated a great need of green HRM with the

progressive path of employment. Thus, the concept of Green Employment came into light

that needs to be highlighted for research agenda. The author of research paper has suggested a

tri- signal model of employment for current organizational settings.

Tri- Signal Model of Employment: - Tri- Signal Model is generated to counter the different

shades of employment. Each shade refers as a signal comprises organizational activities at

different levels. The model constituents are as follows: -

1) Signal Indicators

2) Employment Continuum

1) Signal Indicators: Signal indicators show tri- colour effect phenomenon.

A) Red Signal

B) Yellow Signal

C) Green Signal


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RED SIGNAL YELLOW SIGNAL GREEN SIGNAL

Employers Continuum

Performance Gap Termination Distress Layoff Lockouts/ Strike Misconduct Downward

Productivity

Unhealthy WorkEnvironment

Grievance Employee Fraud Politics at Work

Place

Absenteeism Communication Gap Low Morale

Goal Setting Formulating Policies Recruitment &Selection Performance

Appraisal

Training &Development

Job Analysis Resource Planning

System

CompensationManagement

Terms of Employment Exit Interview Redressal of

Grievance

Promotion

Competency Mapping MBO Ethical Leadership Integrated Counseling Human Capital

Management

PotentialManagement

Cultural TeamBuilding

Succession Planning Corporate Citizenship Corporate

Governance

Recycling Processes

Employees Continuum

EMPLOYMENT

Figure: Tri- Signal Model of Employment

A) Red Signal: - It is the stage where organizations activities and processes play an adverse

effect on organizational settings. These activities goes in adverse direction and result into less

productive upbringing. The red indicator of employment signifies the deficiencies of the

organizational functioning. Once the red signal of employment indicates, it is very difficult

for any organization to cope up with it.

Red signal activities comprises of Performance Gap, Termination, Distress, Layoff,

Lockouts/ Strike, Misconduct, Downward Productivity, Unhealthy Work Environment,

Grievance, Employee Fraud, Politics at Work Place, Absenteeism and Communication Gap,

etc.

B) Yellow Signal: - This signal is the initial stage of establishment of employment. Every

organization starts with this stage. This stage determines that whether the organizationalactivities and systems will lead to green signal or red signal.

Yellow signal also acts as a Junction between Green and Red signal. Organizations with

yellow signal have chance to lead to green signal by developing value- generated system.

The yellow signal generally incorporates the processes which are Goal Setting, Formulating

Policies, Recruitment & Selection, Performance Appraisal, Training & Development, Job


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Analysis; Resource based Planning System, Compensation Management, Terms of

Employment, Exit Interview and Redressal of Grievance, etc.

C) Green Signal: All the eco- friendly practices of employment come under green signal

indicator. Green signal signifies the advanced- integrated organizational settings which not

only comprise the high productivity but also provide the gateway to improve existing quality

system of the organization. The organization with green signal of employment can lead tohealthy employment conditions.

For any organization, it is not easy to directly develop the processes of green signal into

organizational culture but once these are developed, not easy to maintain them.

Green signal activities are Competency Mapping, Management by Objectives (MBO), Ethical

Leadership, Integrated Counseling, Human Capital Management, Potential Management,

Cultural Team Building, Succession Planning, Corporate Citizenship, Corporate Governance

and Recycling Processes, etc.

The above discussed three signal show various stages of employment, the organizations

generally operates in yellow signal lead to green signal with continuous efforts but can leadto red signal if entertained in correct direction.

2) Employment Continuum: Whenever we talk about employment, generally two terms

come first in our mind- First Employer and second is Employee. Employment Continuum is

an effort made by employer and employee in the direction of successful green employment

generation.

A) Employers Continuum: This continuum leads an employer to the direction of generating

healthy environment and growth. It is the employer who can transmit the red signal to yellow

signal & yellow signal to green signal, because employer is considered as employment

generator or facilitator and ultimately, he will be the creature of employer branding.

If any organization is in yellow zone, employer continuum can lead it into green zone & if an

organization is in red zone, the employer continuum will make an attempt to convert this

signal into yellow and green signal.

B) Employees Continuum: The kind of green employment opportunities is being provided

by the employer, the employee needs to maintain that environment as well. But, if he fails to

maintain that level, the presence of his insufficiency will lead him from green signal to red

signal.

Thus, an employee should put his maximum effort in maintaining the employers continuum

that will lead him towards attaining green HR practices but employees can be directed

towards red signal if he fails to maintain the green opportunities of his employment.

Applications of Tri- Signal Model in Business Organization: the model has its successful

implications in various dimensions of business modern organization in term of employment.

1.One can find out the stage of its business employment.2.With the help of this model, employers can direct themselves in attaining green HR

practices.


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3.It provides feedback to the employees to remain in the dimensions of green indication ofemployment and to refrain from red indication of employment.

4.Model clearly justifies the co-relation of employer and employee in acquiring andmaintaining the green environment HR- culture of employment.

5.All the organizational activities can be denoted by any one of the three signal of this modelwith their effect on employment.6.This model does not represent the machinery to tackle the organizational processseparately. But same kind of activities can be categorized into one signal that shows the

degree of employment in single situation.

CONCLUSION

Traditionally all those HR practices were the part of strategic Human Resource Management

which has become a challenge for todays modern organization. It gives rise a gap which

leads to the question, what are the dynamics of employment green decisions and behaviors?

Thus, all the organizations practices discussed in the model move around the employment

continuum which is a combined effort of Green HRM and integrated functions of

organization. Green employment depends on the unique and identifiable patterns of green

decisions and behavior of HR managers. Empowerment of green employment is not only

supported by employers efforts but it needs combined efforts of employer and employees.

The above proposed and discussed model is an attempt to make organizations an embedded-

cultural system that enables the employers to provide green opportunities at work place for

the employees. Green management initiatives are to be generated/ facilitated by employer but

it should be maintained and channelized by the efforts of employees.

REFERENCES

BOOKS

Aswathappa K. Human Resource Management, Fifth Edition, Tata McGraw-hill Publishing

Company Ltd, New Delhi, 2009; 416.

Chhabra TN. Human Resource Management, Fifth Edition, Dhanpat Rai & Co. (P) Ltd.,

Delhi, 2009; 725.

Lal M, Zaidi SQ. Human Resource Management, First Edition, Excel Books, New Delhi,

2008; 254-256.

Rao VSP. Human Resource Management, Second Edition, Excel Books, New Delhi, 2005;

661-666.

Sinha PRN. Industrial Relations, Trade Unions & Labour Legislation, Dorling Kindersley

(India) Pvt. Ltd. 2006.

JOURNALS

Aravamudhan. Green Recruiting: Is it a concept whose time has come?. HRM Review March

2010; 11- 12.

Christopher AD. Sustainability of Employee- Employer Relationship: A focus on mentoring

initiatives. HRM Review, Sep 2011; 36- 37.


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Renwick D, Redman T, Maquire S. Green HRM: A review, process model, and research

agenda, Discussion Paper Series, University of Sheffield Management School, The

University of Sheffield. 2008.

Rothman H. The Power of Empowerment. Nations Business, June 1993; 49- 52.

Story RM. The secret of successful Empowerment. National Productivity Review, 1995;

14,81- 90.WEBSITES

www.google.com

www.wikipedia.org

www.shef.ac.uk/content/1/c6/08/70/89/2008-01.pdf

publications.aomonline.org/newsletter/index.php?option...id

http://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/employment-empowerment

http://innovation.cc/scholarly-style/doughty-emp.pdf

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