Green Human Resource Management and Organizational Outcomes: An Exploratory Meta-Analytic Synthesis of Correlational Evidence

Abstract

Background: This study provides a preliminary meta-analytic synthesis of the relationship between green human resource management (GHRM) and organizational outcomes from 15 empirical studies using 16 effect sizes from 16 independent samples (N = 6,823). Conceptual heterogeneity required grouping the outcomes into three families.

Methods: Random-effects models were estimated by REML with Hartung-Knapp adjustment. Leave-one-out analysis was conducted to assess stability. Funnel plot asymmetry was assessed using Egger's test, and trim-and-fill was used to estimate potentially missing studies.

Results: Environmental performance showed the most robust association with GHRM (k = 7, r = .372, 95% CI [.295, .445], I² = 60.1%). Organizational/financial performance showed a stronger but highly heterogeneous association (k = 4, r = .528, 95% CI [.063, .804], I² = 97.3%), while employee/behavioral outcomes showed a no significant association (k = 4, r = .370, 95% CI [−.188, .747], I² = 99.2%). The differences between the outcome families were statistically significant, Q (2) = 53.79, p < .001. Leave-one-out analysis showed good stability. The funnel plot asymmetry analysis results for Egger's test were p = .001, and the estimated number of potentially missing studies was three from trim-and-fill, with an adjusted estimate of r = .459.

Conclusion: For the small number of studies, publication bias cannot be confirmed. The results reveal that GHRM is positively related to organizational outcomes, specifically with environmental performance, but causal and universal statements are still not appropriate.

Novelty: This study presents a preliminary meta-analytic synthesis of GHRM relationships by dividing the outcomes into three outcome families and clarifying the differences in associations between the EO families.