STRATEGY, STAKEHOLDERS, AND BEHAVIOR: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF GREEN HRM, EMPLOYEE EMPOWERMENT, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The manufacturing industry around the world is facing increasing pressures related to environmental impacts. China's manufacturing sector is the country's largest energy consumer, operating under increasing pressure in line with national and global sustainability mandates. While previous studies have emphasized the role of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) in improving environmental performance, the behavioural mechanisms that enable GHRM to influence environmental outcomes are still not adequately understood. In particular, the mediation role of Green Worker Empowerment (GEE) has received limited conceptual attention. This conceptual paper proposes an integrated framework linking Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) with Environmental Performance (EP) through the Green Worker Empowerment (GEE) intermediate mechanism. The framework integrates Resource-Based Insights (RBVs), Stakeholder Theory, and Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) Theory to describe organizational capabilities, external stakeholder pressures, and employee behavior mechanisms. The proposed framework argues that GHRM practices specifically green recruitment and selection, green training and development, green performance evaluation, and green compensation management complement and motivate employees. However, through the empowerment of green workers, these fundamentals translate into tangible environmental outcomes. This framework proposes that the GHRM set organizational conditions for environmental sustainability, while the GEE serves as a behavioral mechanism through which green HR practices translate into better environmental performance. The proposed framework expands on the existing GHRM literature by incorporating employee empowerment as an intermediary mechanism that links green HR practices with environmental performance. The paper concludes by proposing four testable hypotheses and outlining implications for future empirical research, human resource management, and sustainable manufacturing practices.