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The Green Dilemma: The Impact of Inconsistent Green Human Resource Management and Innovation on Employees’ Creative Performance

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  • Qiong Jia

    (School of Business, Hohai University, Nanjing 211106, China)

  • Yan Zhang

    (School of Business, Hohai University, Nanjing 211106, China)

  • Mengxin Liu

    (School of Business, Hohai University, Nanjing 211106, China)

Abstract

With increasing global attention on environmental sustainability, fostering employees’ green creativity has become crucial for organizations. However, the high costs and complexity of green initiatives frequently result in superficial measures rather than genuine innovation, creating a contradiction between corporate green rhetoric and actual practices. Drawing on cue consistency theory and social information processing theory, this study examines how the inconsistent implementation of green human resource management (GHRM) and organizational green innovation (OGI) impacts employees’ green creativity, with uncertainty perception as a critical psychological mediator. Data were collected from 410 employees across diverse industries using structured surveys and we validated the model through polynomial regression and response surface analysis. We found that both green human resource management and organizational green innovation were positively correlated with employees’ green creativity. Perceived uncertainty mediated the relationship between their synergistic effects and green creativity. Notably, alignment between green human resource management and organizational green innovation amplified their positive impact on green creativity. When the two were misaligned, their combined effect on employees’ green creativity exhibited a U−shaped relationship. This study demonstrates that organizations should implement coherent environmental strategies that align GHRM with OGI to foster sustainable innovation in practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Qiong Jia & Yan Zhang & Mengxin Liu, 2025. "The Green Dilemma: The Impact of Inconsistent Green Human Resource Management and Innovation on Employees’ Creative Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4831-:d:1663496
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Daniel R. Gomes & Neuza Ribeiro & Gabriela Gomes & Eduardo Ortega & Ana Semedo, 2024. "Green HRM’s Effect on Employees’ Eco-Friendly Behavior and Green Performance: A Study in the Portuguese Tourism Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-17, November.
    4. Tugba Nur & Emre E. Topaloglu & Sureyya Yilmaz-Ozekenci & Erol Koycu, 2025. "The Impact of Energy Intensity, Renewable Energy, and Financial Development on Green Growth in OECD Countries: Fresh Evidence Under Environmental Policy Stringency," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-28, April.
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