Challenges in Transforming Traditional HRM to Green HRM

As regional and international environmental activists exert pressure on firms to adopt sustainable initiatives, the implementation of green policies faces significant obstacles. While Green Human Resource Management (Green HRM) has gained considerable attention for its potential to drive sustainability, the transformation from traditional HRM practices to environmentally conscious systems presents multifaceted challenges that organizations must navigate strategically.

This comprehensive guide explores the critical barriers organizations encounter when implementing Green HRM and provides evidence-based strategies for overcoming these obstacles.

Understanding the Transformation Challenge

The shift from traditional to Green HRM involves more than policy adjustments it demands fundamental changes in organizational mindset, culture, and operational systems. This transformation involves more than policy tweaks; it demands a shift in mindset, systems, and culture, often facing internal friction, logistical hurdles, and strategic complexity.

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Major Barriers to Green HRM Implementation

1. Economic and Financial Barriers

Economic barriers account for 23.33% of Green HRM hindrances, making them the most significant obstacle organizations face.

Key Financial Challenges:

• High Initial Investment Costs: Transitioning to eco-friendly technologies, renewable energy systems, and sustainable infrastructure requires substantial upfront capital that many organizations, especially SMEs, struggle to allocate
• Technology Adoption Expenses: Difficulty and complexity in green technology adoption represents a critical barrier, as green technology needs several practices for adoption and it is challenging to implement green practices
• Budget Constraints: Budget and cost remain an issue for top management, particularly in developing economies where financial resources are limited
• ROI Uncertainty: Organizations struggle to quantify immediate financial returns on green investments, making it difficult to justify expenditures to stakeholders focused on short-term profitability

Real-World Impact: The financial burden associated with adopting environmentally friendly practices poses a significant barrier for many SMEs, particularly those in their early stages.

2. Resistance to Change

One of the first and most persistent barriers to Green HRM adoption is psychological: people resist change, especially when it disrupts long-standing routines or demands new ways of thinking.

Forms of Resistance:

From Employees:

• Skepticism about the relevance of sustainability to their daily roles
• Fear that green initiatives will increase workload without compensation
• Comfort with existing routines and reluctance to learn new processes
• Perception that environmental responsibility isn't part of their job description

From Management:

• Green initiatives may be perceived as costly, unnecessary, or purely symbolic unless their value is clearly linked to performance, innovation, or compliance
• Concerns about disrupting productive workflows
• Doubts about the business case for sustainability
• Fear of competitive disadvantage during transition periods

Regional Variations: Employee resistance and lack of culture and knowledge of individuals represent critical barriers to implementation, particularly in organizations without strong sustainability traditions.

3. Lack of Knowledge, Awareness, and Training

Without a clear understanding of why Green HRM matters or how it functions, employees are unlikely to engage. This challenge is especially prevalent in industries where environmental concerns aren't seen as central to operations.

Knowledge Gaps Include:

• Limited Understanding of Green HRM Scope: A study conducted in Malaysian SMEs found that employees often equated sustainability solely with recycling, missing the broader strategic implications tied to procurement, travel policies, or digital systems
• Inadequate Management Skills: Managers might lack the tools to implement green HR practices, like integrating sustainability into performance appraisals or developing eco-focused learning modules
• Employee Role Confusion: Employees may not know how their roles contribute to environmental impact, leading to disengagement from green initiatives
• Insufficient Technical Training: Lack of specialized training on environmental management systems, green auditing, carbon footprint measurement, and sustainable resource management

The Broader Impact: Lack of knowledge, orientation and awareness represents a highly significant challenge that must be addressed through comprehensive training programs.

4. Organizational and Leadership Barriers

Top Management Commitment Issues: Lack of organizational support for Green HRM implementation represents a critical barrier. Without strong leadership commitment, green initiatives often fail to gain traction.

Organizational Challenges:

• Misalignment with Strategic Goals: Corporate social responsibility as an integral part of the organization strategy remains a challenge when sustainability isn't embedded in core business objectives
• Inadequate Resources Allocation: HR departments struggle when given sustainability responsibilities without corresponding budget, staff, or authority
• Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Tensions: Environmental concerns internally required from top-bottom and bottom-top approach highlight the need for alignment at all organizational levels
• Short-Term Focus: Traditional performance metrics emphasizing quarterly results conflict with long-term sustainability investments
• Siloed Departments: Environmental initiatives require cross-functional collaboration, but organizational silos prevent effective coordination

HR Department Capacity: HR department's responsibility to build competencies for their entire team represents a significant challenge when HR professionals lack environmental expertise.

5. Measurement and Evaluation Challenges

Difficulties in Quantification:

• Lack of Standardized Metrics: Organizations struggle to develop consistent ways to measure green behaviors and environmental performance
• Attribution Problems: Developing effective monetary incentives can be challenging due to the difficulty of accurately and fairly evaluating environmental behaviors and performance
• Long-Term vs. Short-Term Assessment: Environmental impacts often manifest over extended periods, making immediate performance evaluation difficult
• Data Collection Challenges: Tracking carbon footprints, waste reduction, and resource consumption across diverse operations requires sophisticated systems
• Behavioral Measurement: Quantifying individual employee contributions to sustainability goals presents both technical and ethical challenges

6. Cultural and Contextual Barriers

Industry-Specific Challenges: This challenge is especially prevalent in industries where environmental concerns aren't seen as central to operations – like finance, law, or administrative services.

Developing Country Contexts:

Research in Ghana and other developing nations reveals unique challenges:

• Limited regulatory frameworks for environmental compliance
• Competing priorities between economic development and environmental protection
• Lower environmental awareness among workforce
• Inadequate green infrastructure and technology availability

Cultural Resistance: Organizations in regions without strong environmental traditions face additional hurdles in building a sustainability culture from the ground up.

Strategic Solutions and Best Practices

Overcoming Financial Barriers

Phase Implementation Approach:

Start with low-cost, high-impact initiatives:

• Paperless operations and digital workflows
• Energy-efficient lighting and equipment
• Waste reduction and recycling programs
• Remote work policies to reduce commuting emissions

ROI Communication: Green HR initiatives help companies find alternative ways to cut costs without losing their top talent, demonstrating both environmental and financial benefits.

Building Awareness and Capability

Comprehensive Training Programs:

• Environmental awareness sessions for all employees
• Specialized Green HRM training for HR professionals
• Leadership development in sustainable management
• Technical training on environmental management systems

Communication Strategies: Regular updates on environmental goals, progress metrics, and success stories help maintain engagement and demonstrate impact.

Securing Leadership Commitment

Executive Engagement:

• Integrate sustainability into executive compensation and performance metrics
• Create dedicated sustainability leadership roles
• Establish green committees with C-suite representation
• Regular board-level sustainability reporting

Cross-Functional Integration: Cross-functional "green task forces" may develop recycling programs or eliminate single-use plastics, driving organization-wide involvement.

Developing Measurement Frameworks

Key Performance Indicators:

• Carbon footprint per employee
• Waste reduction percentages
• Energy consumption metrics
• Green procurement ratios
• Employee participation rates in sustainability programs

Balanced Scorecards: Integrate environmental metrics alongside traditional financial and operational measures to demonstrate comprehensive organizational performance.

Case Study: Successful Transformation

Unilever's Green HRM Journey

Unilever implemented a broad suite of Green HRM practices including green onboarding programs where new hires are introduced to the company's sustainability vision from day one, and performance management tied to ESG goals where sustainability is integrated into employee evaluations.

Results Achieved:

• Sustainable brands grew 69% faster than traditional portfolio
• 10% annualized stock returns outperforming competitors
• Ranked top 3 most sought-after employer globally on LinkedIn
• 50% of graduates cite sustainability credentials as main reason for joining

HCL Technologies' Implementation

HCL Technologies implemented green job design where HR restructured job descriptions to include environmental accountability, digital HR systems by moving all employee records online, and eco-leadership programs training high-potential employees as champions of green initiatives.

Emerging Trends and Future Outlook

Technology Integration:

• AI-powered sustainability analytics
• Blockchain for supply chain transparency
• IoT sensors for real-time environmental monitoring
• Digital platforms for employee green behavior tracking

Regulatory Landscape: Increasing governmental pressure and ESG reporting requirements are making Green HRM transformation less optional and more mandatory.

Talent Market Dynamics: Millennial and Gen Z employees increasingly prioritize environmental responsibility when choosing employers, making Green HRM a competitive advantage in talent acquisition.

Conclusion

While transforming traditional HRM to Green HRM presents significant challenges—from economic barriers and resistance to change, to knowledge gaps and measurement difficulties—these obstacles are not insurmountable. Organizations that approach the transformation strategically, with strong leadership commitment, comprehensive training, and phased implementation, can successfully navigate these challenges.

The evidence is clear: Organizations that implement Green HRM successfully report lower resource consumption and waste, higher employee satisfaction and retention, and stronger brand equity as consumers and investors increasingly evaluate companies based on environmental performance.

As environmental pressures intensify and stakeholder expectations evolve, Green HRM is transitioning from a competitive advantage to a business imperative. Organizations that proactively address implementation barriers today will be better positioned for sustainable success tomorrow.

Take Action Today

Start Your Green HRM Journey:

1. Assess Current State: Conduct an environmental audit of your HR practices
2. Build the Business Case: Calculate potential cost savings and employee engagement benefits
3. Start Small: Implement pilot programs in specific departments
4. Measure and Communicate: Track metrics and share successes
5. Scale Up: Expand successful initiatives organization-wide

Remember: Every journey begins with a single step. Your organization's transformation to Green HRM starts today.

References

Barriers and Challenges Research:

• Kodua, L. T., & Xiao, Y. (2022). Barriers to green human resources management (GHRM) implementation in developing countries: Evidence from Ghana. Journal of Cleaner Production, 340, 130671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.130671
• Ahmad, H. A., Tamyez, P. F. M., & Fauzi, M. A. (2025). The paradoxes of sustainable HRM: Insights through the perspective of common good, green, social responsibility, and triple bottom line. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management. https://doi.org/10.1177/01672533251320795
• Sugiharto, V., & Ardiansyah, M. (2025). Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing Green HRM in Management Source Human Resources in Higher Education. Journal of Educational Management Research, 4(6), 2095–2106. https://doi.org/10.61987/jemr.v4i6.1222
• Qasim, M., Ashfaq, M., Razzaq, A., & Watto, W. A. (2023). Resolution of barriers to Green Human Resources Management through its drivers in the textile sector of an emerging economy. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(11), 30022-30038. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24290-2
• Aboelmaged, M., & Hashem, G. (2023). Green HRM and hospitality industry: challenges and barriers in adopting environmentally friendly practices. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 6(2), 795-813. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-08-2022-0389
• De Haas, R., Martin, R., Muûls, M., & Schweiger, H. (2024). Managerial and Financial Barriers to the Green Transition. Management Science, 71(4), 2890-2921. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.00772
• WINS Solutions. (2025). 5 Key Factors to Achieve Green HRM and Sustainable Growth. https://www.winssolutions.org/green-hrm-driving-sustainable-growth/
• Qandle. (2024). What is Green HRM? A Comprehensive Guide. https://www.qandle.com/blog/what-is-green-hrm-a-comprehensive-guide/
• ARTS. (2025). Green HRM - The future of HR work. https://arts.eu/en/insights/article/green-hrm-the-future-of-hr-work/
• Fernández, E., Junquera, B., & Ordiz, M. (2003). Organizational culture and human resources in the environmental issue: a review of the literature. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(4), 634-656.
• Renwick, D. W., Redman, T., & Maguire, S. (2013). Green Human Resource Management: A Review and Research Agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 15(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2011.00328.x