Sustainable human resource management: practitioners’ perspectivesGestión de recursos humanos sustentable: perspectiva de los profesionalesGestão sustentável de recursos humanos: perspectivas dos profissionais

Abstract

Purpose Identifying and analyzing aspects related to sustainable human resources (HRs) in an emerging, Iberoamerican location (Monterrey, Mexico). Documenting employee experiences regarding sustainable practices of HR in their companies to understand the enacted meaning of sustainable HR management (HRM). This study aims to seek answers to understand the ways environmental sustainability is present in HR subprocesses and the ways companies regard HRs from a sustainability perspective. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory research has a qualitative approach. The authors collected and summarized semi-structured interviews with 31 key informants that work fully or partially in HRs in a large, industrialized city in an Iberoamerican, emerging economy (Monterrey, Mexico). Findings The main findings based on responses from HR professionals are as follows: HR activities may contribute to the sustainability of the business and its physical environment; HR can create a culture of care for the resources, but training and development activities are not currently used optimally; and in addition to the economic sustainability of the employers, social and environmental sustainability are also within HR’s influence sphere. Originality/value This study contributes to the emerging literature on sustainability in HRM, due the dearth of information related to “green” or environmental practices in HRM. This study reports specifically on the ways this perspective adds value within Mexican enterprises, but the authors are confident that these findings also generalize across industries, enterprises and regions.