The Path of Green Human Resource Management and Innovation to Sustainable Business Performance: The Role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior for the Environment

Abstract

The study examines the mechanisms through which Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) and Green Innovation (GI) are associated with Sustainable Business Performance (SBP), with a particular focus on the mediating role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior for the Environment (OCBE). Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 500 employees and managers working in organizations participating in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) in Lebanon. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed relationships. The findings suggest that GHRM is positively associated with OCBE and SBP. OCBE was found to be a partial mediator and a key behavioral mechanism linking GHRM systems to sustainability outcomes. While GI shows a positive association with SBP in the initial direct models, this relationship became non-significant in the full structural model, indicating that its contribution largely depends on employee involvement and the presence of GHRM initiatives. The study’s findings position OCBE as a central mechanism that links HRM and sustainability and clarify the conditions under which GI predicts performance. This study extends sustainability research in emerging economies and addresses the necessity of investing in HR practices that actively motivate voluntary OCBE and provides empirical evidence, along with practical and theoretical insights, from a crisis-affected institutional context.