Environmental Sustainability and Human Resource Management Initiatives

Abstract

The bottom line of sustainability is the economic, environmental and social performance of an organization. Among the three it is quite evident to see organizations focusing on the economic aspect with more rigors to increase economic performance. It is but obvious for organizations to maximize their profits rationally to help them carry on their operations without the threat of solvency. Environmental performance of any organization is seen on two fronts. Either on a voluntary basis or as an impact of policy, fee levied by Government agencies or regulatory boards.

Citizens are now aware of issues of environmental performance, thereby voluntary organizations, and forums' of environmentalist influence organizations to abide by the rule and also show initiatives of being environmentally sensitized. The most commonly used measures are to levy a Hefty fine on high level of emissions and incentive of subsidies on lower level of emissions. The focus is on emissions being a reactive action to the program of environmental performance, but, the shift had to be pro-active looking into the energy reductions as an opportunity of performance. During the past two decades, a worldwide consensus has been emerged around the need for proactive environmental management goals. The responses from organizations are seen to be involving strategic decisions and behavior modification for organizations employees. It is not only the management but also the employees who are benefited by the green practices in the organizations.

The paper would like to analyze the initiatives taken by the organizations towards environmental performance for sustainability. The study uses stratified sampling technique and has a sample of 66 organizations located in Bangalore. The data examines the human resource initiatives implemented by the organizations as understood by the employees of the organization.