Green human resource management and Emotional Wage as predictors of Employee Well-Being in dark-store supply chains

Abstract The rapid expansion of dark-store supply chains has intensified work demands, making Employee Well-Being a critical priority for sustaining workforce performance and organizational resilience. However, limited evidence explains how environmentally sustainable human resource practices improve Employee Well-Being through psychosocial rewards in high-intensity fulfillment environments. This study examines the influence of Green Human Resource Management practices on Emotional Wage and Employee Well-Being, while investigating the mediating role of Emotional Wage among employees working in leading dark-store supply chains. Data were collected from 400 employees representing Blinkit, BigBasket, Swiggy Instamart, DMart Ready, and Zepto. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling, and mediation analysis were employed to validate the proposed relationships. The findings indicate positive employee perceptions of Green Human Resource Management practices and Emotional Wage. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability, with a Comparative Fit Index of 0.93 and a Root Mean Square Error of Approximation of 0.056. Green Human Resource Management significantly influenced Emotional Wage (β = 0.470) and Employee Well-Being (β = 0.333), while Emotional Wage positively affected Employee Well-Being (β = 0.472) and partially mediated the relationship (indirect effect β = 0.41). The study extends the understanding of sustainable human resource management by establishing Emotional Wage as a key explanatory mechanism and provides practical evidence that integrating environmentally responsible human resource practices with meaningful psychosocial rewards enhances Employee Well-Being, engagement, and organizational effectiveness in high-intensity fulfillment operations.