Fostering green competitive advantage through green human resource management: a structural equation modelling approach

Purpose This study aims to analyse the effects of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) on achieving a Green Competitive Advantage (GCA) in the context of Spanish wineries, focusing on how Employee Wellbeing (EW) serves as a mediating factor in this relationship. In addition, the winery’s age, size and its designation as a Protected Designation of Origin are used as control variables to refine the analysis of the relationships examined. Design/methodology/approach The research uses a conceptual framework derived from earlier studies, validated through the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), analyzing data gathered from 196 Spanish wineries from September 2022 to January 2023. Findings Results indicate that the implementation of GHRM practices has a significant positive influence on GCA among these wineries, with EW playing a key mediating role in this relationship. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature in several ways. First, it extends current knowledge on the benefits associated with the adoption of GHRM. Second, it provides empirical evidence on the role of GHRM in fostering GCA within the wine sector, a context that has received limited attention in prior research. Third, it examines the mediating role of EW in the GHRM–GCA relationship, offering additional insights into the underlying mechanisms linking human resource practices and sustainability-related competitive outcomes.