Green HR – The New Face of Future Corporates

Abstract

The overall impact of our daily activities on the environment has increased significantly. So the desire to go green today is not only by individuals but by corporates too. The number of organizations that have pledged to work in a more environmentally responsible way has also increased many folds. Being green is gradually becoming the only way to survive and attain success. Talking about the Indian case, it is the fourth largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world so its contribution to the world global warming level is also significant. Thus its chances of being affected deeply by the greenhouse phenomenon are extremely bright given its vast coastline and the resulting rise in sea levels. It needs to balance the aspirations of its immense poor population who do not have access to proper electricity and so on and at the same time reduce pollution levels. The paper is an attempt to throw light on the green initiatives undertaken by companies all over the world. The issues like environmental sustainability, reducing carbon footprints and going green have assumed increased importance in the recent times. The growing environmental-consciousness among the educated youth exerts enormous pressure on the HR department. In their endeavour to go green, corporates are experimenting with novel concepts such as Green Marketing, Green IT, Green Production, Green HR, Green Accounting , etc. making their each and every operation environmentfriendly. Doing so also improves their profits thus adding significantly to their bottom-line. Through the extensive review of various studies, this paper concludes with a suggestive framework for linking Green HR and Organizational Excellence.