Influence of sustainability culture on engagement of millennials and Gen-Z employees: mediating role of green human resource management (GHRM)

Purpose This study aims to examine the role of sustainability culture on employee engagement of millennials and Gen Z employees. The study divides employee engagement into job engagement and organization engagement. The study also investigates the mediating role of green human resource management (GHRM) in the relationship between sustainability culture and employee engagement. Design/methodology/approach The authors proposed a set of hypotheses based on a thorough review of the extant literature on the concept and the identified constructs. The data was collected through a primary survey questionnaire. Based on 222 responses from millennials and Gen Z employees in India, partial least square structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings Sustainability culture positively influenced both organization and job engagement among millennials and Gen Z employees. GHRM successfully mediated the relationships between sustainability culture and job engagement and between sustainability culture and organization engagement. Practical implications Two major challenges that today’s business organizations face are promoting a sustainable culture and retaining millennials and Gen Z employees. This often compromises their competitive advantage. This study offers valuable insights for addressing these challenges simultaneously. Originality/value This empirical study is possibly the first of its kind to integrate two critical business issues concerning sustainability promotion and the engagement of the emerging new generational workforce, underpinning the bridging role of HRM therein.