Sustainable HRM and organizational performance: new definitions, navigating tensions and global insights

This special issue bridges theory and practice by exploring the often-underexplored relationship between Sustainable Human Resource Management (HRM) and organizational performance. It addresses whether these practices merely correlate with or directly impact performance outcomes (Renwick et al., 2013; Kramar, 2014). Through a combination of comprehensive literature reviews and empirical research, this special issue contributes to understanding how Sustainable HRM practices can effectively support sustainability and organizational performance. Furthermore, this special issue examines the intersection of Sustainable HRM with High-Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), providing insights into how these frameworks can support sustainability initiatives. It introduces the 5E analytical framework as a critical lens for examining Sustainable HRM, addressing the inherent tensions between social, environmental, and economic objectives.