Do Green Motivations Matter in the Relationship Between Green Human Resource Management and Sustainable Performance? Insights from Logistic SMEs in an Emerging Economy

Despite the growing importance of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) and sustainable performance in the current context, research in this field still reveals certain gaps, notably the underexplored mediating role of green motivation. Grounded in the Ability - Motivation - Opportunity (AMO) theory and the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework, this study investigates the impact of GHRM practices on sustainable performance through the mediating effect of green motivation. Data were collected from 336 employees working in small and medium-sized logistics enterprises in Vietnam, and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that green motivation has a strong and positive influence on sustainable performance. Regarding direct relationships, GHRM practices that significantly affect green motivation, in descending order of impact, are green training and development, green performance appraisal, and green employee engagement. Similarly, in terms of indirect relationships (mediated by green motivation), the descending order of influence is as follows: green training and development, green performance appraisal, and green employee engagement. This study makes meaningful contributions, potentially as one of the first to explore the mediating role of green motivation. It also integrates and extends the theoretical understanding of both the AMO and TBL frameworks, and enhances scholarly knowledge of sustainability-related motivation in the workplace - a topic that remains relatively underexplored.