Assessing the green behaviour of academics: The role of green human resource management and environmental knowledge

Abstract

Purpose

Studies have highlighted concerns about the role of knowledge creation between human resource management practices and employee behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of green human resource management (green HRM) on employee green behaviour (EGB) through the mediation of environmental knowledge of lecturers in public research universities in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study examines the mechanism in which green HRM affects the EGB of lecturers through environmental knowledge in Malaysian public research universities. Smart PLS was used to analyse the relationships from 425 valid responses.

Findings

The findings of the study show that green HRM affects EGB through the full mediation of environmental knowledge. This finding gives a theoretical implication in terms of ability, motivation and opportunity theory.

Research limitations/implications

The scope of this study is limited to public research universities in Malaysia. Future studies may explore other variables that could expedite the relationship between green HRM and EGB. Implications include policy making that emphasises on enhancing environmental knowledge of lecturers.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has been conducted using environmental knowledge as a mediator between green HRM and EGB.

Citation

Fawehinmi, O., Yusliza, M.Y., Mohamad, Z., Noor Faezah, J. and Muhammad, Z. (2020), "Assessing the green behaviour of academics: The role of green human resource management and environmental knowledge", International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 41 No. 7, pp. 879-900. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-07-2019-0347