Critical Analysis of Green Human Resource Management in Indian Industries

INTRODUCTION

Green human resources refer to using every employee touch point / interface to promote sustainable practices and increase employee awareness and commitments on the issues of sustainability. It involves undertaking environment-friendly HR initiatives resulting in greater efficiencies, lower costs and better employee engagement and retention which in turn, help organizations to reduce employee carbon footprints by the likes of electronic filing, car sharing, job-sharing, tele-conferencing and virtual interviews, recycling, telecommuting, online training, energy-efficient office spaces etc. The HR function will become the driver of environmental sustainability within the organization by aligning its practices and policies with sustainability goals reflecting an eco-focus. It involves undertaking environment-friendly HR initiatives resulting in: 1) greater efficiencies, and 2) lower costs and better employee engagement and retention. Green management initiatives become an important factor in forward thinking business houses around the world. Green HR initiatives help companies find alternative ways to cut cost without losing their top talent; furloughs, part time work, etc. There is a growing need for strategic Green HRM – the integration of environmental management into HRM. HR professionals indicated that encouraging employees to be more environmentally friendly in the workplace was the top practice for their organizations. This means that organizations are encouraging their employees to perform activities such as making double-sided photocopies, powering down computers after a few minutes of inactivity, using energy-efficient bulbs for desk lamps, ensuring blinds are lowered in the summer to conserve energy, donating /discounting used office furniture / supplies to employees or local charity was the top environmentally responsible practice. Nowadays companies are implementing EMS (Environmental Management System) a strategic tool, to gain competitive advantage. This system provides better control of firm‟s environmental impacts. It includes commitment, policy, planning, implementation, measurement and evaluation, review and improvement of HR systems that fit with organization‘s culture and long-term goals.

The concept of GHRM is of recent origin. Lee (2009) elaborated that the green management was initiated as a part of business strategy during 1990s yet, became widely popular in 2000s. Though green management and greener initiatives were in existence from more than past two decades, yet not many elaborated researches in the area of GHRM are available. Literature surveys have highlighted the link of HR practices and organizational outcomes such as productivity, revealed that not much emphasis has been laid on relating these outcomes to innovation performance and environmental management initiatives (Renwick et al., 2008). Jabbour et al. (2013) studied the relationship between human resources and environmental management at 75 Brazilian companies and concluded that HRM relates positively to environmental management. Renwick et al. (2013) worked extensively in identifying literature gap in the area of EM and HRM. His work also discussed in literature on ability-motivation- opportunity (AMO) theory, revealing the role that GHRM processes play in people-management practice. The research also highlighted that some organisations limit their effectiveness in efforts to improve EM as most do not practice the wider initiatives of GHRM practices. GHRM practices have much wider scope than just implementing EM initiatives. HR function has been acclaimed as the driver of organisations green culture by aligning its practices and policies with sustainability goals reflecting an eco-focus (Mandip, 2012; Cherian and Jacob, 2012). Renwick et al. (2008) and Muller-Carmen et al. (2010) have explained that GHRM involves an integration of company‘s environmental management objectives to the HR processes of recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management and evaluation, rewards and recognition etc.

Today the need for green human resource management is important for all over the world. The ecological consciousness of each human drives the living style and environment. The general employees are interested in green human resource management because of its important and need in the current workplace. Our personal and professional lifestyle is affected due to many consequences. The corporate world is the most significant in enhancing the environment issues and the corporate has to give solution to this hazards.

The objective of this paper is to study: • To Provide with a basic understanding of green HRM to the readers, • To Highlight different significant works on green HRM by other workers, and • To elaborate on various green practices that can be incorporated for building a Green workplace.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

The research paper is an attempt of exploratory research, based on the secondary data sourced from websites, journals, magazines, articles, and media report. To study, Green practices in selected Indian companies & its impact from their websites.

1. Annual energy audit survey. 2. Recycling go through the trash for recycling glass, plastic, metal trash and any other waste materials. By recycling you will observe a new sense of how much it costs in purchasing, storing and disposing off stuff. Unnecessary photocopying should be eliminated and packaging should be reused for shipping. 3. Offering transit facilities Transit facilities should be encourage by providing transit passes to employees who take subway or bus and bike racks for cyclist and also by providing preferred parking for carpoolers. 4. Save natural resources for generation of electricity solar panels on the rooftop should be used. Toilets and sinks should be monitored regularly for leagues that lead to water wastage. Wastage of water should be eliminated to manufacturing processes and in watering the lawns. 5. Go paperless by encouraging emails. 6. Communicating inform customers and suppliers about your green initiatives and take help by the local regulatory agencies and keeping employees and shareholders/investors informed about your green campaign. 7. Save fuel reducing business travel and using teleconferencing should be encouraged. Consider the transportation cost of shipping and receiving products. Green Human Resource Activities: Green Recruitment: Green Recruitment means a paper-free recruitment process with a minimal environmental impact. Applications are invited through online mediums like e-mail, online application forms or the Global Talent Pool. If possible, telephone or video-based interviews are

Green Recruitment is active in the field of professional recruitment, with a view to meeting the growing needs for experts in the areas of renewable energy, climate change and sustainable development. Services range from contract recruitment to executive search. Whether one is looking for the brightest emerging talent or the most established industry leaders, Green Recruitment is long-term partner in environmental recruitment for recruiters. GREEN HR is a staffing services provider for Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) to the global markets. Green recruitment help to reduce recruitment cost and time by 80%. Green HR provides recruiting and staffing support services to clients includes resumes searching, candidates sourcing, and screening on leading job boards, short listing resumes for potential candidates, talk with candidates and route only interested candidate's resumes to executive or technical recruiters of client companies. Green HR work with companies throughout the process to define the talents, skills, knowledge and abilities of top performers and manage the process from start to finish. Why GREEN HR for Staffing Requirement: Company can find a large group of candidates meeting there requirement Regular status reporting Candidate quality and skill check before interview 24x7 support team Green Selection: Is the integration of Environmental Management with recruitment & selection, where HRM policies are used to promote environmental sustainability and the wise and judicious use (conservation) of resources within business organizations? Green recruiting is a system where the focus is given on importance of the environment and making it a major element within the organization. It provides the employer with an opportunity to stand ahead of the crowd and further increase their chance of attracting the candidates and retain them after induction.

There was a time when the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board indicted the IT solutions arm of Wipro Limited for dumping huge volumes of hazardous The eco eye: an initiative that had several goals to reduce the organization‘s carbon footprint, manage its water and energy efficiently, develop new benchmarks in recycling waste, minimize the use of hazardous substances, become ecologically sustainable, and motivate all employees to follow green practices in their professional and personal lives – They extended their green mission to physical infrastructure and substitute CRT monitors with LCD monitors The company also had a green testing lab, practiced a Carbon Disclosure Project (to report the internal carbon footprint), reduced employee travel,. Wipro was the first IT company in India to launch eco-friendly desktops and notebook computers that adhered to the RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) regulation specified by the European Union (EU)

The ―green banking‖ initiative: State Bank of India tied up with SUZLON to become the first Indian bank to take lead in harnessing wind energy. The Suzlon One Earth Campus, the corporate headquarter of Suzlon at Hadapsar, Pune, India is the most energy efficient building built ever in India with insulated green roof, energy efficient – lighting system, construction time, renewable energy based hot water system, reduced landscape and building water requirement, recycle, reuse and recharge of water, waste management and waste water treatment, health and energy of occupants, carpooling, zero waste management, green education etc. are policies practiced by the companies.

Ozone-treated elemental chlorine free‟ bleaching technology for the first time in India. An entire new range of top green products and solutions: the environmental friendly multi-purpose paper that is less polluting than its traditional counterpart.

―Go Green‖: a multi-layered corporate program running campaigns to initiate individual action towards environmental issues. It has designed and developed a comprehensive Green Edge They are active members of India Council for Sustainable Development First company in India to launch an Antimony & Beryllium Free laptop The company extends its take-back service to customers for disposing off their equipment through HCL Green Bag Campaign, and recycling collected E-waste in an environment-friendly manner.

Spotted 11th under Newsweek‘s annual rankings of the, World‘s Greenest Companies‟ with a Green Score of 80.4 globally They focus on improving the agricultural and community needs of the region, where its offices are located make it one of India‟s most environmentally proactive companies. Its 16 facilities do composting, some have bio-digesters turning waste into kitchen fuel.

ONGC is all set to lead the list of top 10 green Indian companies with energy-efficient, green crematoriums that will soon replace the traditional wooden pyre across the country. Mokshada Green Cremation: An initiative that will save 60 to 70% of wood and a fourth of the burning time per cremation.

Use Mobile, Save Paper‟ campaign Green Pledge campaign: at Indian cities where thousands came forward and pledged to save paper and trees Currently is working to set up bus shelters with potted plants and tendril climbers to convey the green message.

The bank is running ATMs on solar power and has pioneered an eco-savvy change in the Indian banking sector. Has been awarded the NASSCOM IT User Award 2012 for ―Environmental Sustainability‖ The bank is planning for more such initiatives in addressing the challenges of climate change. Own power generating facility to make it 100% self-sufficient: installation of 61.18 MW Power Generating equipment (TG Sets) at the paper mill site. The surplus power generated is being exported to the State Grid. The innovative bio – methanation project: This project contributes to the sustainable development in terms of generating in-house renewable energy and reducing green – house gases. Other initiatives: Eco – friendly technologies in process, its proactive role in reducing the use of fossil fuels, increasing the green cover, using energy efficient systems, recycling and reuse of solid and liquid wastes in the process.

Every day is Environment Day According to the company‘s policy, working on Saturdays at the corporate office is discouraged. Lights are also switched off during the day with the entire office depending on sunlight.

Conducting ―energy audit‖ Auditing the energy efficiency and energy conservation activities and initiatives in the organization on a regular basis. This will create a mandate sense of energy conservation within the organization helping in molding green employees.

Buying raw materials that has undergone recycling, or purchases to be made from green companies Computerized Human Resource Information System (HRIS): the use of computer software to manage data about movement of human resources in an organization E – signatures and biometrics for documents Maximum use of LED technology GREEN SIGMA: From the concept of lean, six sigma, it‘s time to move to green sigma now. Six – sigma is a data driven approach and methodology to eliminate defects. Leans six sigma is a managerial approach that combines six sigma methods & tools and the lean manufacturing to eliminate waste of physical

Green sigma is the adaption of Lean Six Sigma to environmental and climate protection. The principle of Green Sigma: 1. Combination of methods (outcomes and results are stronger when a combination of methods is applied rather than specific methods), 2. Continual improvement, 3. Fact based decision making (concentrate on the vital few things), 4. Accountability and responsibility, 5. Everybody can contribute. IBM‟s Green Sigma solution, which applies Lean Six Sigma principles and practices to energy, water, waste and greenhouse gas emissions throughout a company‟s operations. The solution combines real-time metering and monitoring with advanced analytics and dashboards that allow clients to make better decisions about energy and water usage, waste and greenhouse gas emissions to improve efficiency, lower costs and reduce environmental impact. Under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi‟s leadership, the state of Gujarat had brilliant idea to cover its canals with solar panels. The Andhra Pradesh state Cabinet has now gone paperless. It has conducted a meeting of what is being called ―eCabinet‖, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. This is expected to become a permanent feature of the Cabinet meetings.

CONCLUSION:

Based on this review, it is possible to conclude that by understanding and increasing the scope and depth of green HRM practices, organizations can improve their environmental performance in a more sustainable manner than before. The green HRM practices are more powerful tools in making organisations and their operations green. The green performance, green behaviours, green attitude, and green competencies of human resources can be shaped and reshaped through adaptation of green HRM practices. Hence, we suggest that organisations be required to give more priority to make each function of HRM green. only focused on a small sample of Indian companies and information were collected from print literature, websites of these companies and no primary data were collected.

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