Nurturing green behaviour: Exploring managerial competencies for effective green human resource management in hotels

Global environmental concerns are intensifying, placing organizations under pressure to integrate sustainability into their operations. Businesses, particularly in resource-intensive industries such as hospitality, must adopt environmentally responsible practices to reduce their ecological footprint and align with regulatory, societal, and consumer expectations. Employees play a crucial role in achieving these sustainability goals; however, fostering employee green behavior requires more than policy mandates, it necessitates a strategic approach that develops competencies, enhances motivation, and creates opportunities for sustainable practices. This study examines the factors related to managerial competencies employed by a multinational hotel organization operating in Egypt to facilitate employee green behavior and enhance sustainable performance. Using the Ability, Motivation, and Opportunity (AMO) theory as a conceptual framework, this study adopts a qualitative research design with semi-structured interviews conducted with seven highly experienced Egyptian national hotel general managers. Thematic analysis was performed to identify key managerial competencies influencing employees’ green behavior. The findings propose a Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practices framework as a central mechanism for enhancing employees’ abilities, motivation, and opportunities to support sustainable performance. This framework is underpinned by three core managerial competencies, problem-solving, communication, and trust, developed through formal training, engagement strategies, knowledge-sharing, and trust-building initiatives. The research contributes to the conversations in the field by extending the AMO model to incorporate GHRM practices and highlighting the strategic importance of investing in managerial competencies and human resources to align employee development with corporate sustainability objectives.