Green human resource management and employee retention: the roles of innovative climate, knowledge sharing, and mindfulness in Vietnamese luxury hotels

Employee retention remains a persistent challenge in Vietnam’s luxury hotel sector, where high turnover undermines service quality and organizational stability. Amid rising sustainability expectations in the hospitality industry, Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) may play an important role not only in supporting environmental objectives but also in shaping employee retention, particularly in emerging market contexts such as Vietnam. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory and the Job Demands-Resources framework, this study examines how GHRM shapes employee retention through knowledge sharing, mindfulness, and Innovative Climate. Data were collected from 298 employees working in four-star and five-star hotels in Vietnam, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine both direct and indirect relationships among the constructs. The findings indicate that GHRM is positively associated with employee retention and significantly enhances knowledge sharing, mindfulness, and perceptions of Innovative Climate. Innovative Climate, in turn, positively predicts employee retention and partially mediates the relationship between GHRM and retention. While knowledge sharing does not exert a direct effect on retention, it contributes indirectly through its influence on Innovative Climate. Mindfulness demonstrates both direct and indirect effects on retention via Innovative Climate. By identifying Innovative Climate as an important explanatory mechanism linking GHRM to employee retention, this study extends understanding of how green HR practices relate to employee outcomes in service-intensive settings. The findings contribute to the Green Human Resource Management literature in emerging markets and offer practical implications for employee retention strategies in Vietnam’s hospitality industry.