Effects of Green Human Resource Management on Green Innovation in the Ready-Made Garments Sector: Exploring the Mediating Role of Employee Motivation and Green Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Background: Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) is a new concept that could be beneficial in realizing positive environmental outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of GHRM on Green Innovation (GI) in the context of the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector of Bangladesh. In which it focuses on the mediating influence of Employee Motivation (EM) and Green Self-Efficacy (GSE). Method: A cross-sectional examination of a conceptual model informed by Social Cognitive Theory. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from 250 employees of 25 large-scale RMG factories. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in AMOS was used to test the hypothesized relationships between the variables. Result: The results of GHRM practices are considered to have a positive direct effect on Green Innovation with high emission levels. In addition, Employee Motivation and Green Self-Efficacy play a vital partial mediation role between GHRM and GI. Implications: The study offers actionable insights for RMG managers that GHRM systems are imperative for enhancing environmental innovation, through the motivation of employees as the latter serves as the main facilitator. These findings can be useful for policymakers and industry associations to formulate guidelines and carve out incentives that encourage firms to invest in such green training and motivational HR practices. Originality: This study provides a new insight about the psychological mechanisms of the link GHRM and innovation in a lesser-known field of study — the RMG industry in Bangladesh. It provides a novel approach to this issue by testing a dual-pathway model including not only mediating (Employee Motivation) but also (Green Self-Efficacy) variables, thus contributing to a more refined insight into the human resource antecedents of sustainability.