Integrating Eco-HR Practices: Strategic Human Resource Management as a Framework for Sustainability Integration

The objective of this study is to argue transition from human resource management (HRM) to strategic human resource management (SHRM). In addition, this study also discusses the theory of SHRM. The research methodology of this study is based on arguments from SHRM literature. The significant of paper is a discussion of SHRM theory. Key terms are personnel, employee, and capital in management of human resources by firms. Practitioners call human resources as personnel in personnel management (PM); and call human resources as an employee in HRM. Practitioners do not clarify the term yet for human resources in SHRM. This paper suggests “capital” term for human resources in SHRM. Secondly, return on investment (ROI) of HRM might be positive organizational attitude and behaviours. HRM makes investment to employees, and ROI of HRM is important to SHRM because positive attitude and behaviours increase individual performance of employees. Thirdly, there is a triangular relation in SHRM theory. This is named as trigonometry of SHRM. There are dependent variables, independent variables, and moderators in this triangular. Finally, SHRM can be described with employee performance and firm performance relationship. In this relation, HRM practices lead to increased individual performance, and individual performance increases performance of business departments such as logistics, supply, finance, marketing, production etc. and performance of business departments has an impact on firm performance. In this SHRM model, HRM has an impact on firm performance through individual performance and business departments. All are described is SHRM theory in this study. For HRM case, HRM has two purposes in firm management. Those purposes are performance and recruitment. HRM aims to increase individual performance of employees. If HRM aims to increase firm performance through individual performance, it is description of SHRM. HRM has an impact on individual performance via HRM practices. HRM practices are keys to increase individual performance. Because employees implement business processes in firm management. Those processes are such as production, marketing, stock, supply, logistics, finance and others. Individual performance of employees increases performance of those business processes in firm management. Therefore, it is important to increase individual performance through HRM practices. This is a HRM theory in this study. Moreover, HRM does recruitment of employees for functioning these business processes. Because all needs human resources to effectively implement processes in firms.

Since the early 1990s, human resource management (HRM) scholars have sought to specify the link between high performing HRM practices and both individual and firm performance (Becker and Huselid, 2006; Huselid, 1995). This strategic HRM (SHRM) literature has found that organizations practicing SHRM not only increase performance but also decrease turnover (Arthur, 1994; Huselid, 1995; Lepak and Snell, 2002). At the organizational level, the dollars saved and earned through reduced turnover and increased productivity demonstrate the utility of SHRM systems (Ichniowski et al., 1997). When organizations utilize SHRM, integrating HRM systems, and aligning HRM systems with organizational (Huselid, 1995), they place a premium on developing cutting edge practices that retain employees with the best skills and highest levels of motivation (Barney, 1991). Arthur outlines differences between SHRM perspectives, finding that SHRM control systems, which are designed to enforce employee compliance with specified rules and procedures (1994: 671), lead to increased turnover and decreased performance. On the other hand, SHRM systems, which shape desired behaviors and attitudes by forging psychological links between organizational and goals (Arthur, 1994: 671), result in decreased turnover and increased performance. As further empirical research has bolstered these findings (i.e., Huselid, 1995; Ichniowski et al., 1997; Lepak and Snell, 2002), it becomes increasingly important to understand how SHRM effectiveness enhances the critical psychological links between employees and organizations. Moreover, several SHRM researchers have called for explicit examinations of these psychological links not only at the organization level but at the individual level (Becker and Huselid, 2006; Gerhart, 2005). One individual-level factor that can help to explain the psychological impact of SHRM practices is job embeddedness (JE), which Mitchell, Holtom, Lee, Sablynski, and Erez (2001b) validate and use to explain how employees become psychologically and socially enmeshed within the organization and community in which the organization operates. Hailed as an anti-withdrawal theory (Holtom et al., 2006; Mitchell et al., 2001b), JE describes the psychological forces that act like a net or a web in which an individual can become stuck (Mitchell et al., 2001b: 1104); moreover, the process of becoming embedded influences turnover intentions that lead to voluntary turnover (Allen, 2006). Importantly, JE explains unique variability of these important outcomes beyond the effects of job satisfaction and organizational commitment (Mitchell et al., 200lb; Lee et al., 2004). However, because JE has emerged as the most recent construct to explain turnover decisions, researchers have much to discover about the full potential of JE as an important variable in HRM. That is, HRM scholars have yet to determine how SHRM effectiveness can build JE as a means to develop the critical psychological links between employees and organizations. Although a direct relationship between H RM practices and J E appeals intuitively to many HRM scholars (Allen, 2006), proponents of social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) consistently demonstrate the important role that individual-to-individual interactions play in human behavior at work (Cropanzano and Mitchell, 2005). In terms of organizations, researchers consistently find that leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships more proximally predict turnover intentions (Gerstner and Day, 1997) than does support from the organization (e.g., HRM), which tends to predict job satisfaction and commitment (Settoon et al., 1996). In terms of understanding how HRM effectiveness influences JE, the inclusion of direct LMX relationships should either enhance or inhibit the effectiveness of an organization's HRM processes to capitalize on the benefits of JE. …

Abstract

The article emphasizes that many maritime accidents have been reported over the last few decades, due to the lack of skills of naval officers to control both resources and crisis. Consideration of human resources management is gradually seen as a core part of the human error management approach. The International Maritime Organization has raised the issue of the need to develop human resource management skills on board ships, but the standards of competence and criteria for their assessment have not been fully established. The article shows that most organizations recognize that their human resources are a source of competitive advantage. This recognition, coupled with increased environmental uncertainty, increased cost control and increased government regulation, have enhanced the strategic role of human resource management. It is emphasized that where human resources are a source of competitive advantage of the organization, their management plays a crucial role in providing "best practices" to the strategic planning process at the corporate level. Personnel planning provides another important link to organizational strategy, making critical work accessible and adding time to addressing staff shortages or redundancies. Another strategic value of the human resources function includes environmental scanning and competitive analysis to prove the role and importance of strategic human resource management for enterprise competitiveness. It has been proven that enterprise human resources are a source of competitive advantage and are proposed at the level of strategy development, aligning staff practices, policies and programs with organizational strategy so that desirable employee roles and behaviors support different strategies (eg innovation, quality improvement, cost reduction). The importance of human resources management in the formation of the organizational strategy of the company is established and the practice of strategic management of human resources of advanced enterprises is analyzed. The practical significance of the results obtained is to prove the role of human resources for strategic management. As a result, the involvement of human resources management in strategy formation has increased. It is recommended to use the appropriate components of the human resources planning procedure to address human resource shortages. The article underlines that another important aspect of strategy formulation is the international human resources strategy, which addresses the human resources issue of transferring them to the state as a result of international alliances. Consideration of the practice of applying international alliances has revealed the relationship between international company strategies and human resource planning, as there may be major differences in approaches to human resource management. Factors affecting the level of integration, which include industry differences, shifts in economic activity, technology change, and changing demographics, are considered. Finally, human resources managers must develop the personal skills necessary to participate in formulating a strategy.

In a rapidly changing competitive environment, human resources are one of the important sources of competitive advantage. Human resources tools can contribute to achieving a sustainable competitive advantage by facilitating the development of competencies for the organization. Strategic human resources management tools are concerned with finding a link between the overall strategic objectives of the business and the human resources strategy. And implemented in order to enhance the competencies of employees in the organization. The current research aims to demonstrate the impact of strategic human resources tools (strategic map, human resources management card, dashboard) in enhancing human competencies (knowledge, relationship management, work intelligence, capacity assessment) in the Salah al-Din Education Directorate. It includes variables and dimensions, according to the exploratory curriculum in the Salah al-Din Education Directorate, then formulating research hypotheses and testing them using appropriate statistical methods and using the statistical package (SPSS) program. In general, the descriptive approach was adopted in explaining the theoretical and analytical frameworks to test and analyze the research hypotheses, while the study community consisted of workers in the Salah al-Din Education Directorate at the three administrative levels, and the sample size was (85) individuals. The research reached several conclusions, the most important of which was the significant effect of the strategic human resources tools (strategic map, human resources management card, dashboard) in enhancing human competencies in the Salah al-Din Education Directorate. In conclusion, the researcher recommended the necessity of identifying the appropriate tools for strategic human resource management, by relying on academic research regarding the impact of strategic human resource management practices on the efficiency of human resource management in the directorate.

The field of strategic human resource (HR) management has shown an increasing focus on how employees perceive and react to their organization's HR practices. In this perspective, employees are not passive recipients of HR policies or mere observers of their managers' HR implementation strategies. Rather, their perceptions play a critical role in shaping organizational culture and fostering high‐performing workplaces. However, important questions remain regarding how line management roles shape not only employees' assessments of their work environment but also their perceptions of HR effectiveness. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory, we argue that line managers' compliance‐ versus commitment‐focused orientations influence employee appraisals of threats and challenges in their jobs. These appraisals, in turn, shape how employees evaluate the effectiveness of their organization's HR practices (i.e., perceived HR effectiveness). Using qualitative data from focus groups and a multilevel quantitative research design, we find evidence supporting our hypotheses, showing that line managers' HR orientations significantly influence employees' cognitive appraisals and subsequent perceptions of HR effectiveness. We conclude by discussing the theoretical contributions and offering practical recommendations for improving the implementation of HR practices.

Strategic human resource management and managerial practices directly link with the service design and delivery process. Recent studies and the based theories have discussed the interconnection of such human resource perspectives and service performance highlighting empirical and practice significance. However, studies found in the scope of strategic human resource management practices for service performance still suggest the need for further studies since service performance and strategic human resource management practices are transforming with different industrial dynamics. Having said, this paper also addresses the importance of reviewing strategic human resource management perspectives with the service performance by explaining related variables and concepts. Alongside, service performance, service climate, front line employee performance and service quality were reviewed to explain their interconnections. It has followed comprehensive literature review as the main research tool to produce a conceptual review. Alongside, journal articles, book chapters and case studies were mainly associated to explain the concepts, variables and key inputs of relevant theories as well to support for the conceptual review and discussions. This paper includes a discussion to navigate future research works by highlighting how service performance, particularly service quality, is influenced by the relevant variables found within the scope of strategic human resource management. In addition, the notion of internal marketing has also been reviewed and discussed to support the main insights presented in this paper. It has explained the relevant variables for the notions encouraging future researchers to steer empirical investigations. This study concludes the insights of new research avenues highlighting modern transformations that took place in the human resource management and market dynamics within the service sector. Additionally, the importance of revisiting the fundamental theories related to strategic human resource management, and the service management aspects were also posited as a conclusion remark.

This paper draws upon social exchange theory to examine the explanatory power of employees' trust in their employer as the mediating variable between an organization's human resources (HR) management interventions and performance outcomes at individual, work unit and organizational levels. We utilize two large‐scale survey studies in two different organizations, from the forestry and information and communications technology (ICT) industries in Finland: a forest company (411 respondents) and an ICT company (304 respondents) were analysed with confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results for the two studies validated all our hypotheses including the mediating role of trust in employer. The results do suggest that if HR management can be designed specifically to enhance employees' trust in their organization, its effect on performance is positive. In a practical point of view, our findings provide new insights into the nature of organizational trust, and particularly the impersonal dimension for practitioners, especially those in HR. The evidence from two studies is that HR policies can enhance employees' trust towards their employer and, through this, the performance of the organization. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The relevance of this research is conditioned by the ongoing development of the concept of strategic human resource management at the stage of maturity.In this connection, this paper is aimed at addressing the issues of efficiency of different human resource management systems at the territorial and institution level. The author considers it necessary to complement the measured types of effects (economic, technological, and social) with the effect of prevention of risks that are possible in the activity of any organization: commercial, financial, operational, and personal risk factors. All the noted types of effects have an immediate impact on each other. The leading approach to researching the issue of management efficiency is a complex of various theoretical and empirical methods that allows to consider human resource management through structuring as a type of such management. The analysis of the structural levels of human resource management clearly illustrates that it is only possible to influence the qualitative characteristics of individual human resource management at the regional level. The paper describes the situation in the area of reproduction of human resources in Ulyanovsk Oblast on the basis of calculation of individual indicators. The materials of this study have practical value for human resources service specialists and heads of organizations and can be useful for territorial human resource management institutions as well as present scientific interest to researchers of the strategic management of human resources

This study investigates the development of academic human resources (HR) as a critical factor in realizing excellent and competitive higher education institutions. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the research was conducted in selected universities in Indonesia that implement strategic HR development. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with university leaders, academic staff, and HR managers, supported by document analysis and observation. The findings highlight four key themes: institutional commitment, strategic academic leadership, digital technology integration, and structural and cultural barriers. Institutional commitment ensures strategic direction, funding, and policies supporting sustainable HR development. Strategic academic leadership fosters an innovative and collaborative academic culture. The integration of digital tools, such as online training and performance management systems, acts as an effective enabler for academic HR development. However, challenges including administrative workload, limited funding, and cultural resistance hinder optimal development. This study contributes a comprehensive understanding of how strategic human resource management and digitalization drive institutional excellence and competitiveness. Policy reforms and continuous leadership support are recommended to overcome existing challenges. The research suggests that universities adopt an integrated approach combining strategic leadership, digital adoption, and cultural transformation to sustainably enhance academic HR and institutional competitiveness in the global era.

Due to the competitiveness of many service industries, service organizations have turned to agility in order to survive and remain in the competitive arena, and human resource agility is one of the appropriate solutions for agility of the entire organization and overcoming the organization's inertia, laziness, and low efficiency. The purpose of the present study was to design an agility model for service organizations with a human resources approach in Aseman Airlines. The research method was qualitative, and the statistical population in the model design section was professors of public administration, organizational behavior, and human resource management in higher education centers, and senior managers and senior experts in the field of human resource management in Aseman Airlines, and in the accreditation section, senior and middle managers of Aseman Airlines, and specialists and experts knowledgeable about the research topic. In the qualitative section, 19 experts were selected using the snowball sampling method, and in the accreditation section, 17 experts were selected using the purposive sampling method. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview in the qualitative section and an expert assessment checklist in the validation section. For data analysis, the qualitative section used the content analysis method with primary, axial, and secondary coding in Atlas software, and the validation section used the Delphi method in three stages in SPSS software. To determine validity and reliability in the qualitative section, the necessary studies including acceptability (expert review) and confirmability (expert review) were used, and in the validation stage, the content of the expert assessment checklist was approved by several academic and organizational experts in terms of its understandability and clarity, and its reliability was calculated and confirmed by the test-retest method as 0.88. According to the results of the qualitative section, the final model had 6 main themes: 1. Human capital leadership, 2. Agile culture of human resources, 3. Agile strategic management of human resources, 4. Flexible human resources structure design, 5. New technologies in agile human resources management, and 6. Agile performance management and human capital development, 24 sub-themes and 115 criteria. The results of the validation section indicated the confirmation of the main and sub-themes identified in the qualitative section.

Very little systematic research today has examined synergistic relationships of human capital (HC), strategic human resource management (SHRM) and human resource management (HRM) in relation to the development, utilization, and dissemination of knowledge and learning capabilities in organizations. Findings from a series of in-depth qualitative interviews with 35 nonprofit executives from 22 Australian nonprofit organizations revealed that synergistic relationships of HC, SHRM and HRM created value that was larger than the total sum of all three concepts, and that relationships acted as catalysts in developing, utilizing and diffusing organizational knowledge and learning capabilities. The paper helps to build a nascent body of literature arguing that synergistic relationships exist among the three salient concepts and resources should be invested in the three concepts not only separately, but also synergistically. Also, it assists to clarify the three seemingly very similar and yet different concepts. The paper is considered as a starting point and serves as a milestone for understanding the significance of synergistic relationships of the three concepts in nonprofit organizations. The increased awareness of the synergistic relationships likely generates further research both within and outside the nonprofit sector. Research limitations and future research directions will be discussed.

Startups are important drivers of innovation and economic transformation. Biotech and DeepTech sectors are particularly significant, requiring deep scientific insight, advanced education, and robust support systems to translate high-tech breakthroughs into market-ready applications. Unlike established corporations, startups operate under conditions of high uncertainty, limited resources, and rapid development. Their success depends not only on technological advancement and access to capital but also on effective human resource (HR) management tailored to early-stage dynamics. This paper presents a structured review of academic literature, reports, and case studies from the past fifteen years (2010–2025), complemented by a pilot consultation reflecting the Czech and broader Central and Eastern European (CEE) context. It analyses key dimensions of HR management in Biotech and DeepTech startups, including leadership, talent acquisition and retention, interim management, and the role of support infrastructures such as incubators and accelerators. Particular attention is given to the challenges of attracting specialized talent, building interdisciplinary teams, and bridging cultural differences between science and business. The findings highlight the importance of visionary and adaptable leadership capable of navigating complex regulatory and organizational environments, as well as the contribution of interim managers, business angels, and early-stage investors who help fill strategic HR gaps and provide mentoring. Additionally, the study aligns with European policy frameworks promoting gender equality and HR capacity-building. Supported by literature-based evidence and region-specific insights, the paper offers recommendations for founders, investors, and policymakers, concluding that strategic HR management is a critical factor for long-term competitiveness of innovation-driven ventures.

Orientation: Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) are prone to failure primarily because of inadequate human resource (HR) procedures despite their reputation for flexibility, closeness to dependable clients, adaptability and adoption of new technologies. Research purpose: This study aims to explore strategic human resources management (SHRM) strategies for small businesses in South Africa to enhance survival rates. It investigates the pivotal role of HR in SMMEs, emphasising effective selection, recruitment, retention, and performance management for productivity and competitive advantage. Additionally, it elucidates the impact of SHRM practices on organisational efficacy and assesses the correlation between performance and training. Motivation for the study: The goals of SMMEs are to manage relationships, perform better and boost employee satisfaction through the effective use of HRs. This study’s interpretation of human resources management (HRM) is that it should be used to improve resource efficiency by applying HRM techniques. Further, performance management is another method that HRM shows up. Research approach/design and method: A desktop research on a PhD thesis published in 2014 used a positivist paradigm, descriptive research design, quantitative research approach and a survey research strategy, which included 50 respondents and was conducted in Polokwane in South Africa. The simple random probability sampling method employed a saturated sample technique as well as descriptive and path analytic tools. Main findings: The findings revealed that: (1) the results portray strong evidence between organisational capabilities (skills, knowledge) and organisational effectiveness and (2) business skills affect SMMEs’ profitability in South Africa. Practical/managerial implications: Through the advancement of a Resource-Based Entrepreneurship Theory (RBET), the study added to the body of knowledge. Contribution/value-add: This study makes a compelling case for the necessity of HRM procedures for the organisational efficacy of SMMEs.

PurposeThis article aims to explore how understanding the challenges faced by companies' attempts to create competitive advantage through their human resources and HRM practices can be enhanced by insights into the concept of strategic groups within industries. Based within the international hotel industry, this study identifies how strategic groups emerge in the analysis of HRM practices and approaches. It sheds light on the value of strategic groups as a way of readdressing the focus on firm and industry level analyses.Design/methodology/approachSenior human resource executives and their teams across eight international hotel companies (IHCs) were interviewed in corporate and regional headquarters, with observations and the collection of company documentation complementing the interviews.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that strategic groups emerge from analysis of the HRM practices and strategies used to develop hotel general managers (HGMs) as strategic human resources in the international hotel industry. The value of understanding industry structures and dynamics and intermediary levels of analysis are apparent where specific industries place occupational constraints on their managerial resources and limit the range of strategies and expansion modes companies can adopt.Research limitations/implicationsThis study indicates that further research on strategic groups will enhance the theoretical understanding of strategic human resource management and specifically the forces that act to constrain the achievement of competitive advantage through human resources. A limitation of this study is the dependence on the human resource divisions' perspectives on realising international expansion ambitions in the hotel industry.Practical implicationsThis study has implications for companies' engagement with their executives' perceptions of opportunities and threats, and suggests companies will struggle to achieve competitive advantage where such perceptions are consistent with their competitors.Originality/valueDevelopments in strategic human resource management have relied on the conceptual and theoretical developments in strategic management, however, an understanding of the impact of strategic groups and their shaping of SHRM has not been previously explored.