Employee Readiness Level on Implementing Green Human Resource Management Practices in Public Sector Organizations

Abstract

Implementing green concept in Human Resource Management (HRM) functions may pose major challenge in public sector organizations in Sri Lanka due to lack of awareness on Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) concept of employees. This study was carried out to examine the employee perception on requirement of GHRM practices, to identify the employee green skills and behaviors and to analyze limitations of implementing GHRM practices in public sector organizations. This study was carried out at conveniently selected 8 Divisional Secretariat offices in Gampaha district interacting a sample of 82 HR practitioners who were randomly selected. Primary data was collected though field survey by using pre tested structured questionnaire. Five point Likert scale was used to examine employee perception on requirement of GHRM practices, employee green skills, behaviors and limitations of implementing GHRM practices. Wilcoxon Sign Rank Test and Correlation were used to test the hypothesized relationships. The results revealed that majority of HR practitioners were bachelor degree holding females. Analysis showed that employee’s perception level on requirement of green training and development practices within their organizations is high and it is positive and significantly related with their education level (r=+0.014, p=0.032) and work experience (r=+0.314, p=0.000). Similarly, employees have higher perception level on requirement of green employee relations within their organizations and it is positive and significantly related with employee age (r=+0.088, p=0.003) and employee working experience (r=+0.140, p=0.003). Further, public sector employees have high level of green skills and low level of green behavior. Education level of the employee is positive and significantly effecting on their green skills (r=+0.714, p=0.018) and green behaviors (r=+0.347, p=0.018). Lack of understanding in “Greening” concept, high cost for implementing green concept and difficulties of transfer employee attitudes were identified as the major limitations of implementing GHRM practices in public sector organizations. This study concluded that “Go Green” concept has not yet achieved by the public sector employees in Sri Lanka. The outcomes of this study suggested that it is important to enhance the awareness on green concept and change the attitudes of public sector employee through proper training and implement green policies on HRM practices within organizational constitution.