Forging a sustainable future: exploring the role of green HRM in the steel sector

Purpose This study explores the role of Green Human Resource Management (Green HRM) in enhancing environmental performance within a leading state-owned steel plant in India. It investigates how Green HRM practices influence employees’ voluntary pro-environmental behaviors, termed as Green Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCBG), and how these behaviors mediate the relationship between HR practices and environmental outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts quantitative research design, collecting primary data from 250 employees working in a major public-sector steel manufacturing unit. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the study evaluates the direct and indirect relationships among Green HRM, OCBG, and environmental performance. Findings The results confirm that Green HRM practices significantly and positively influence environmental performance, with Green OCB playing a substantial mediating role. Employees who perceive organizational support for environmental values are more likely to engage in discretionary, eco-friendly actions that ultimately enhance firm level sustainability metrics. Practical implications The findings offer actionable insights for HR and sustainability managers in high-emission sectors. Integrating environmental goals into HR practices such as recruitment, training, performance appraisal, and rewards can foster a pro-environmental workplace culture. Originality/value This study contributes to the emerging literature on sustainable HRM by empirically validating the role of Green OCB as a mechanism through which Green HRM enhances environmental performance in heavy industry contexts. It offers a simplified yet robust model that can be replicated or extended in other industrial sectors facing environmental challenges.