Green human resource management, leader–member exchange, core self-evaluations and work engagement: the mediating role of human resource management performance attributions

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-05-2020-0255
• Published date: 17 August 2021
• Date: 17 August 2021
• Pages: 682-700
• Subject Matter: Economics,Labour economics
• Author: Gabriel C.W. Gim,Say Keat Ooi,Siau Teng Teoh,Hui Ling Lim,Jasmine A.L. Yeap

Green human resource

management, leader–member

exchange, core self-evaluations

and work engagement:

the mediating role of human

resource management

performance attributions

Gabriel C.W. Gim

School of Accountancy, Business, Travel and Tourism,

Peninsula College Georgetown (The Ship Campus), Penang, Malaysia

Say Keat Ooi

Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia,

Penang, Malaysia

Siau Teng Teoh

School of Business and Management,

Han Chiang University College of Communication, Penang, Malaysia

Hui Ling Lim

School of Accountancy, Business, Travel and Tourism,

Peninsula College Georgetown (The Ship Campus), Penang, Malaysia, and

Jasmine A.L. Yeap

School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

Abstract

Purpose –Sustainable development concern, coupled with changes in the talent landscape, has led to a

heightened focus on green human resource management (GHRM). Drawing on attribution theory and

conservation of resources theory, this study examined GHRM, leader–member exchange (LMX) and core self-

evaluations (CSE) in relation to work engagement together with human resource management (HRM)

performance attributions as a mediator.

Design/methodology/approach –Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used

to analyse the data collected from 110 respondents working in ISO 14001 certified organisations in Malaysia.

Findings –Results revealed that GHRM and LMX were positively related to HRM performance attributions

that were intended to improve employee performance. However, CSE was not found to be related to HRM

performance attributions. Consequently, HRM performance attributions were positively related to work

engagement. Furthermore, GHRM and LMX had positive indirect effects on work engagement through HRM

performance attributions as a mediator.

Research limitations/implications –Since the data collected were from Malaysia only, it limits the

generalisability of the results to other regions.

Practical implications –The findings suggest that organisations should adopt GHRM and train its leaders

to forge stronger social bonds with their subordinates to elicit higher work engagement by positively

influencing employee attributions on the motives of HRM practices.

Originality/value –This study contributes to the acknowledged gap on GHRM and HRM attributions by

examining the non-green employee outcomes of GHRM and the antecedents of HRM performance

attributions. This study also contributes by integratingattributiontheorywithconservationofresources

theory to provide the mediation mechanism in linking GHRM and LMX towards higher work engagement

IJM

43,3

682

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/0143-7720.htm

Received 30 May 2020

Revised 5 November 2020

30 December 2020

20 April 2021

13 July 2021

Accepted 23 July 2021

International Journal of Manpower

Vol. 43 No. 3, 2022

pp. 682-700

© Emerald Publishing Limited

0143-7720

DOI 10.1108/IJM-05-2020-0255

through HRM performance attributions as a mediator; thus empirically illustrating the resource gain

spirals.

Keywords Green human resource management, Leader–member exchange, Core self-evaluations,

Human resource management performance attributions, Work engagement, Partial least squares structural

equation modelling

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Global warming has unleashed its disastrous effects throughout the world in the past few

months alone such as the recent massive bushfires in Australia, unusual warm winters in the

Northern Hemisphere and Antarctica having reported the highest-record temperature of

20.75 C. Since business organisations were the main cause of environmental issues as a result

of their business operations, they were pressured to increase their roles in sustaining the

environment (Anwar et al., 2020;Saeed et al., 2018). Consequently, organisations begin

initiating sustainable activities to preserve the environment, and one of those initiatives is

green human resource management (GHRM) (Anwar et al., 2020;Renwick et al., 2013;Saeed

et al., 2018;Paulet et al., 2021).

GHRM refers to the human resource management (HRM) aspect of environmental

management (Renwick et al., 2013). GHRM activities include hiring eco-friendly employees,

providing green awareness and skills training and rewarding employees for their eco-friendly

behaviour (Kim et al., 2019;Renwick et al., 2013). GHRM plays an important role in facilitating

employees to execute eco-friendly and sustainable policies to create a green atmosphere, thus

making employees feeling dignified working for a socially responsible organisation

(Chaudhary, 2021;Shen et al., 2018).

Nonetheless, different employees respond differently to HRM practices by drawing their

own attributions on why those HRM practices exist (Nishii et al., 2008). HRM attributions

refer to the causal explanations that employees make regarding management’s motivations

behind the implementation of HRM practices (Nishii et al., 2008). HRM practices can be

attributed internally through the implementation of organisational policies by its leaders

(Hewett et al., 2018a). HRM performance attributions refer to the belief that HRM practices are

designed to maximise employee performance. HRM performance attributions help create a

positive work environment due to its positive interpretation (Nishii et al., 2008;Shantz et al.,

2016). Employees often infer the reasons behind why HRM practices exist and how

employees respond attitudinally and behaviourally based on these attributions. Hence, it is

important to identify the predictors of HRM performance attributions to help inform

organisations on how they should manage the perceptions of employees on the motives

behind the implementation of HRM practices (Beijer et al., 2019).

Despite its importance, there is a dearth of research examining the antecedents of HRM

performance attributions (Beijer et al., 2019;Hewett et al., 2018b). Additionally, the literature

on GHRM is still at its infancy with limited studies examining the consequences of GHRM on

attitudinal and behavioural outcomes not related to green issues (Chaudhary, 2021;Dumont

et al., 2017;Hameed et al., 2020;Shen et al., 2018). To help contribute to the scant literature on

GHRM, this study therefore aimed to heed the call to examine the consequences of GHRM on

HRM performance attributions based on the attribution theory and conservation of resources

(COR) theory (Hewett et al., 2018b;Hobfoll et al., 2018). Hence, the integration of attribution

theory and COR theory sought to explain the varying degrees of employees’performance

based on the assumption of resource gain, which then lead to higher work engagement.

Supervisors are critical organisational agents in implementing HRM practices (Agarwal

et al., 2012;Bos-Nehles and Meijerink, 2018). However, supervisors do not treat or support all

subordinates the same way, and they establish different distinct qualities of relationships

Green human

resource

management

683