Greening of oil and gas companies in Kurdistan: exploring the effect of green human resource management practices on sustainability performance

Abstract Sustainability is a primary concern for ensuring that businesses remain ongoing and that resource costs are reduced for future generations. In this regard, green human resource management (GHRM) has considerable potential for business development. However, organizations must align past practices with today’s green practices to achieve that end. The research objectives of this study are to explore the dimensions of GHRM, study the sustainability of oil and gas companies in Kurdistan, and assess the impacts of green human resource management (GHRM) on sustainability. The research questions framed to find answers are as follows: What are the different dimensions of GHRM, and how can oil and gas companies be sustainable? A survey questionnaire was used for quantitative data analysis. A sample of 196 respondents provided data. The data collected were analyzed via SPSS and PLS-SEM to test the relationship between green human resource management practices and the sustainability performance of oil and gas in Kurdistan. The findings show that green human resource management (GHRM) is a strong predictor of sustainability performance, particularly through dimensions such as green recruitment (GHR), green learning, training and development (GTD), green employee relations (GERs), and green rewards and compensation (GRCs). The findings offer helpful pointers for policymakers in the oil and gas industry so that they can encourage stakeholders toward greener practices. By prioritizing these GHRM dimensions, organizations are able to motivate employees to be environmentally active, raise green awareness, and learn sustainable behaviors that contribute to higher sustainability performance.