Effects of green human resource management and managerial environmental concern on green innovation

Abstract

Purpose

Green human resource management (GHRM) is critical to enhancing the ability of the companies' green innovation, but this link is rarely explored or empirically tested in the literature. Drawing upon human capital theory, the study examines a conceptual model that incorporates the effects of green human capital and management environment concern.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 143 firms in China, and the regression analysis and bootstrapping test were used to assess the hypothesis.

Findings

Our findings indicate that GHRM can positively influence green innovation, and green human capital mediated the link between GHRM and green innovation. In addition, management environment concern moderates the effect of GHRM on green human capital. The results further explore that the indirect effect of GHRM on green innovation through green human capital is significant for the firms with a high management environment concern, but not for this relationship with a low management environment concern.

Originality/value

The findings further extend the scope of GHRM research, and theoretical and practical implications of GHRM are presented to enhance environment sustainability.

Citation

Song, W., Yu, H. and Xu, H. (2021), "Effects of green human resource management and managerial environmental concern on green innovation", European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 951-967. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-11-2019-0315