Green Human Resource Management in Healthcare Facilities
Chapter from the book:
Karasu,
E.
(ed.)
2026.
Management and Organization in the Digital Age.
Synopsis
In recent years, environmental sustainability has become a critical strategic priority for organizations. Along with the process of globalization, organizations have increasingly shifted from traditional management approaches focused solely on financial performance toward green economic systems that integrate environmental and social responsibilities. Within this transformation, human resource management (HRM) plays a strategic role in embedding sustainability into organizational structures and practices. Green human resource management (Green HRM) refers to the integration of environmental considerations into HR policies and practices with the aim of promoting sustainable resource use, enhancing employees’ environmental awareness, and supporting organizational performance.
Healthcare organizations hold a distinctive position in terms of environmental sustainability due to their continuous service delivery, high energy and water consumption, and significant levels of waste generation. In this context, Green HRM practices contribute not only to reducing the environmental footprint of healthcare institutions but also to improving employee efficiency, strengthening organizational reputation, and supporting the delivery of sustainable healthcare services. This chapter addresses the concept of Green HRM within a theoretical framework and examines its core practices—such as green recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, compensation, and employee relations—specifically in healthcare organizations. The study emphasizes that effective implementation of Green HRM in healthcare settings requires strong managerial support, institutional awareness, and systematically designed HR policies aligned with sustainability goals.
