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Green Transition in Workplaces: Assessing the Effects of Sustainable Human Resources Management on Workers’ Behaviors and Attitudes

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 22740

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Daniel Roque Gomes

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Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Portugal/Research Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society (CERNAS)/IPC, 3040-000 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: human resources management; organizational behavior; leadership; internal communication
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Prof. Dr. ‪Neuza Ribeiro

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Center of Applied Research on Management and Economics—CARME, School of Technology and Management, Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
Interests: human resources management; organizational behavior; leadership
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Prof. Dr. Sónia P. Gonçalves

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Centre for Administration and Public Policies (CAPP), Institute of Social and Political Sciences, Lisbon University (ISCSP-UL), Rua Almerindo Lessa, 1300-663 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: human resources management; organizational behavior; occupational health
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Prof. Dr. Maria João Santos

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1. ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics & Management, University of Lisbon, 1200-781 Lisboa, Portugal
2. SOCIUS – Research Centre in Economic and Organizational Sociology, 1200-781 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: human resources management; sustainability; corporate social responsibility
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Green transition is probably one the most relevant concerns of nowadays’ societies. The issue has been gathering consideration of the scientific field of human resources management (HRM), with the specific concern of understanding in what way may HR managers deal with the complexity of supporting efficient action towards the stimulation of workers’ green transition behaviors and attitudes in workplaces in alignment with productivity demands of business endeavors. Due to the relevance of the subject, the scientific research topic of sustainability in human resources management (SHRM) is significantly growing in the field of HRM literature. Nevertheless, the complete assessment of SHRM’s effects on workplaces is currently ongoing, especially regarding the influence of SHRM over relevant workers’ attitudes and behaviors characterizing the quality of the worker–organization relation.

This Special Issue is directed towards the gathering of scientific contributions aiming at clarifying and adding to existing research important clarifications regarding the nature of the influence of SHRM, green HRM, sustainable organizational cultures, or sustainability in Leadership over relevant workers’ attitudes and behaviors supporting green transition in workplaces.

Prof. Dr. Daniel Roque Gomes
Prof. Dr. ‪Neuza Ribeiro
Prof. Dr. Sónia P. Gonçalves
Prof. Dr. Maria João Santos
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable human resources management
green human resources management
sustainability and leadership
green transition in workplaces
attitudes and behaviour in workplaces
sustainable organizational culture

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

33 pages, 1451 KB

Open AccessArticle

Green Workplace Mindfulness and Employee Productivity in Healthcare: Unpacking the Roles of Work Engagement and Green Climate Perception

by Ryad Ehmouda Alghwail, Sami Mohammad and Ayse Arslan

Sustainability 2026, 18(8), 4144; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18084144 - 21 Apr 2026

Viewed by 267

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between green workplace mindfulness, employee productivity, green work engagement, and perceptions of a green workplace climate within healthcare organizations. Green workplace mindfulness (GWM) refers to employees’ awareness of how their daily work activities influence environmental sustainability and resource use. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) and Conservation of Resources (COR) theoretical perspectives, the study proposes that sustainability-oriented mindfulness may function as a personal resource associated with employee engagement and work outcomes. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of 473 employees working in public and private hospitals in Libya. The study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the relationships among the study variables. The findings indicate that green workplace mindfulness is positively associated with employee productivity, both directly and indirectly through green work engagement (GWE). In addition, perceptions of a supportive green work climate (GWC) perception strengthen the relationships between mindfulness, engagement, and productivity. Specifically, the indirect association between mindfulness and productivity through engagement becomes stronger when employees perceive stronger environmental support within their organizations. These findings contribute to sustainability and organizational behavior research by demonstrating how individual awareness of environmental responsibility and supportive workplace climates jointly relate to employee engagement and productivity in healthcare settings. From a practical perspective, the results suggest that healthcare organizations can encourage sustainable performance by promoting environmental awareness among employees and by developing workplace climates that support environmentally responsible practices. Such initiatives may help healthcare institutions improve operational effectiveness while contributing to broader sustainability goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Transition in Workplaces: Assessing the Effects of Sustainable Human Resources Management on Workers’ Behaviors and Attitudes)

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22 pages, 761 KB

Open AccessArticle

Crafting Your Employability: How Job Crafting Relates to Sustainable Employability Under the Self-Determination Theory and Role Theory

by Ramdan Afnek and Amir Khadem

Sustainability 2026, 18(2), 979; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18020979 - 18 Jan 2026

Viewed by 945

Abstract

Amid increasing job complexity and evolving career demands, understanding how employees can proactively sustain their employability has become a critical concern for organizations. Although prior research highlights the importance of job crafting for employability, the motivational mechanisms through which this relationship unfolds—and the contextual conditions under which it is strengthened or weakened—remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on self-determination theory and role theory, this study examines how job crafting influences sustainable employability through the mediating role of self-determination and the moderating role of role ambiguity. Using a two-wave, time-lagged survey design, data were collected from 989 employees across diverse industries in Türkiye. Job crafting and role ambiguity were measured at Time 1, while self-determination and sustainable employability were assessed one month later. The proposed relationships were tested using confirmatory factor analysis and conditional process analysis. The results show that job crafting is positively associated with both self-determination and sustainable employability. Self-determination partially mediates the relationship between job crafting and sustainable employability, indicating that proactive job redesign enhances employability by fostering autonomous motivation. Moreover, role ambiguity weakens the positive effects of job crafting on both self-determination and sustainable employability, highlighting the importance of role clarity as a boundary condition. This study advances the job crafting and sustainable employability literature by identifying self-determination as a key motivational mechanism and by demonstrating how role ambiguity constrains the benefits of proactive work behavior. By integrating self-determination theory with role theory, the findings offer nuanced insights into how employee agency and contextual clarity jointly support sustainable employability in dynamic work environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Transition in Workplaces: Assessing the Effects of Sustainable Human Resources Management on Workers’ Behaviors and Attitudes)

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31 pages, 1025 KB

Open AccessArticle

Leading with Green Ethics: How Environmentally Specific Ethical Leadership Enhances Employee Job Performance Through Communication and Engagement

by Moussa Elkhweildi, Benard Vetbuje, Ahmad Bassam Alzubi and Hasan Yousef Aljuhmani

Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7923; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177923 - 3 Sep 2025

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3607

Abstract

This study investigates how environmentally specific ethical leadership (ESEL) enhances employee job performance in public healthcare organizations by examining the sequential mediating roles of communication competence and work engagement. Grounded in Social Learning Theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model, this study further explores the moderating effect of emotional regulation in this green leadership–performance linkage. Data were collected from 384 healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and administrative staff, in public hospitals across Jordan using a cross-sectional survey design. Structural equation modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS was employed to test the hypothesized relationships. The results reveal that ESEL significantly improves job performance by fostering environmentally responsible communication and enhancing employee engagement. Specifically, the findings support a sequential mediation process: ESEL cultivates communication competence, which promotes work engagement, ultimately leading to higher performance. Furthermore, emotional regulation strengthens these relationships, suggesting that employees with greater self-regulatory capacity respond more positively to green ethical leadership. This study extends the literature on sustainable human resource management by uncovering how ESEL fosters pro-environmental behavior and high performance in ethically sensitive contexts such as healthcare. In practical terms, the findings emphasize the need for healthcare organizations to embed sustainability-focused communication and emotional regulation skills into leadership training to support green transition goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Transition in Workplaces: Assessing the Effects of Sustainable Human Resources Management on Workers’ Behaviors and Attitudes)

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20 pages, 757 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Green HRM in Promoting Green Innovation: Mediating Effects of Corporate Environmental Strategy and Green Work Climate, and the Moderating Role of Artificial Intelligence

by Nadin Housheya and Tolga Atikbay

Sustainability 2025, 17(16), 7238; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17167238 - 11 Aug 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2977

Abstract

This study aimed to discover how green human resource management (GHRM) practices influence green innovation, with a focus on the mediating roles of corporate environmental strategy and a green work climate and the moderating effect of artificial intelligence (AI). A quantitative method was used in this study. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized model. The findings indicate that GHRM positively influences green innovation and that the enhanced effect of artificial intelligence can serve as a major determinant of innovative outcomes. This study suggests that implementing GHRM can have a positive impact on environmental performance and organizational sustainability. This study significantly promotes green innovation and enhances overall organizational sustainability. GHRM practices focus on integrating environmental concerns into HR functions and promoting a culture of environmental responsibility among employees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Transition in Workplaces: Assessing the Effects of Sustainable Human Resources Management on Workers’ Behaviors and Attitudes)

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19 pages, 610 KB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Work–Life Balance, Social Support, and Workload: Exploring the Potential Dual Role of Flexible Work in a Moderated Mediation Model

by Diego Bellini, Barbara Barbieri, Marina Mondo, Silvia De Simone and Silvia Marocco

Sustainability 2025, 17(15), 7067; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157067 - 4 Aug 2025

Viewed by 3442

Abstract

Flexible work arrangements have the potential to enhance work–life balance and contribute to more sustainable work environments. However, they may also increase fatigue and lead to greater work–life conflict (WLC). This study offers a novel contribution by examining the relationship between flexible work arrangements—focusing in particular on the cognitive demands of flexible work (CDFW), which encompass the task structuring, scheduling of working times, planning of working place, and coordination with others—and WLC. Specifically, the study investigates the mediating role of workload in this relationship. Furthermore, it also explores whether perceived organizational support (POS) moderates the indirect relationships between CDFW and WLC, within the framework of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. Data were collected from a sample of 419 employees in the Italian public sector. The study also controls for potential confounding variables, such as age, gender, duration of employment in public administration, and weekly working hours, to account for their influence on work–life balance and workload. The results highlight a significant positive relationship between planning of the working place and WLC. Additionally, workload plays a mediating role between CDFW subdimensions and WLC. However, POS does not moderate the mediated relationship between CDFW and WLC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Transition in Workplaces: Assessing the Effects of Sustainable Human Resources Management on Workers’ Behaviors and Attitudes)

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19 pages, 555 KB

Open AccessArticle

Green Leadership and Environmental Performance in Hospitals: A Multi-Mediator Study

by Farida Saleem, Sheela Sundarasen and Muhammad Imran Malik

Sustainability 2025, 17(12), 5376; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125376 - 11 Jun 2025

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4408

Abstract

Green leadership is often praised for promoting sustainability, while hospitals in reactive or resource-constrained contexts lack the infrastructure to support leadership-led environmental change, indicating that leadership without operational capacity offers little impact. Moreover, the inconsistencies between green human resource practices and environmental performance suggest that green leadership might lead to symbolic gestures rather than real improvements without a robust environmental culture or internal accountability systems. Amid intensifying environmental regulations and sustainability mandates in healthcare, this study investigates how green transformational leadership addresses the contradiction between hospitals’ resource-intensive operations and environmental accountability. Drawing on Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT), the research highlights policy-driven imperatives for hospitals to build adaptive leadership models that meet sustainability goals. Using data from 312 junior doctors and nurses in private hospitals, analyzed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the study identifies green attitude, green empowerment, and green self-efficacy as key mediators in enhancing environmental performance. Contributions of this study include (1) applying DCT to healthcare sustainability, (2) integrating psychological drivers into leadership–performance models, and (3) emphasizing nurses’ pivotal roles. The results of the study indicate that leaders who prioritize sustainability inspire staff to adopt eco-friendly practices, aligning with SDG 3, i.e., good health and well-being; SDG 12, i.e., responsible consumption and production; and SDG 7, i.e., affordable and clean energy. The findings provide actionable insights for hospital administrators and policymakers striving for environmentally accountable healthcare delivery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Transition in Workplaces: Assessing the Effects of Sustainable Human Resources Management on Workers’ Behaviors and Attitudes)

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17 pages, 754 KB

Open AccessArticle

Green HRM’s Effect on Employees’ Eco-Friendly Behavior and Green Performance: A Study in the Portuguese Tourism Sector

by Daniel R. Gomes, Neuza Ribeiro, Gabriela Gomes, Eduardo Ortega and Ana Semedo

Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 10005; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162210005 - 16 Nov 2024

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5063

Abstract

This study examines how Green Human Resource Management practices improve employees’ eco-friendly behavior and green performance, and the mediator effect of affective commitment in these relationships. Our sample included 449 employees, from different Portuguese tourism organizations. The results demonstrate that the implementation of Green Human Resource Management practices produces a positive effect on eco-friendly behavior, green performance, and affective commitment, with commitment mediating the mentioned relationship. Therefore, when organizations apply greener Human Resources Management, they might influence positively the attitudes and behaviors of their employees, improving their affective commitment and, consequently, their eco-friendly behaviors and green performance. This research is innovative as it integrates Green Human Resource Management, eco-friendly behavior, green performance, and affective commitment in a single research model, expanding the knowledge over these topics, and suggesting that organizations should establish Green Human Resource Management policies, especially those that strengthen employees’ affective attachment and improve their eco-friendly behavior as well as the organization’s green performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Transition in Workplaces: Assessing the Effects of Sustainable Human Resources Management on Workers’ Behaviors and Attitudes)

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