Organizational Greening: The Role of Transformational Green Leadership and Human Resource Management in Achieving Sustainability

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Zohreh Sharei
Mojtaba Mohebi Far
Faculty of Management, Economics, and Accounting, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/he.2025.508657.1067
Abstract
Given the water scarcity crisis and the necessity for sustainable resource management in arid regions, this study aimed to investigate the impact of green human resource management (GHRM) and transformational green leadership (TGL) on sustainable performance, mediated by employees' green behavior (EGB), in the Yazd City Water and Sewage Company. This applied research adopted a descriptive-correlational methodology. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires with a 5-point Likert scale. The statistical sample included 144 randomly selected employees of the Yazd City Water and Sewage Company. Data analysis was conducted through structural equation modeling (SEM) in PLS software and the Sobel test to assess mediation effects. The results revealed that GHRM did not have a direct and significant impact on sustainable performance. However, GHRM positively influenced EGB, while TGL significantly affected both sustainable performance and EGB. Employees’ green behavior acted as a mediating variable, strengthening the relationship between GHRM and sustainable performance, as well as between TGL and sustainable performance. The findings indicated that although GHRM alone is insufficient to improve sustainable performance, enhancing TGL and promoting employees’ green behaviors can serve as key levers for achieving sustainability goals in water resource management organizations. These results hold significant implications for policymakers in the water and sewage sector of arid regions like Yazd, emphasizing the need to redesign HR strategies and integrate green leadership approaches to address environmental challenges effectively.

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Human Ecology
Volume 4, Issue 11
Summer 2025
Pages 978-991