DOES GREEN EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT CATALYSE PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOUR? EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The study sought to examine the influence of green employee involvement on employee pro-environmental behaviour in public universities in Kenya.
Statement of the Problem: Universities are vast entities with a diverse range of stakeholders. They require significant resource consumption for administrative tasks, teaching materials, and research activities. As a result, they generate substantial carbon emissions, waste, and pollution. These institutions have been described as microcosms of the environmental problems facing society today. Consequently, they are under pressure to adopt eco-friendly practices. However, the effectiveness of these practices largely depends on the people working within these universities. As such, the true power to achieve sustainability lies in effecting human behaviour change.
Methodology: The study utilized the correlational research design and combined quantitative and qualitative research approaches. From three purposively selected public universities in Kenya, a sample of 123 respondents was drawn using stratified random sampling. Primary data was collected using an online questionnaire and was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools.
Findings: The study indicated a strong positive linear relationship between employee involvement and employee pro-environmental behaviour in public universities in Kenya. ANOVA results also revealed that the regression model was statistically significant. The null hypothesis was therefore rejected. Hence, green employee involvement has a significant influence on employee pro- environmental behaviour in Public Universities in Kenya.
Conclusion: Green employee involvement had a significant positive influence on employee pro-environmental behaviour in public universities in Kenya. A combination of strategies befitting each institution and the diverse employee preferences is necessary to enhance employee pro-environmental behaviour.
Recommendations: The study recommends that universities adopt consistent green engagement strategies, such as regular training and open forums on sustainability. Institutions should also amplify their green corporate social responsibility efforts and consider introducing roles like green champions to inspire active participation. Recognizing the varied responses of employees and the unique contexts of each university is crucial. Furthermore, establishing feedback mechanisms can foster a deeper sense of involvement, ensuring employees feel valued in their green efforts.
Keywords: Climate change, green employee involvement, pro-environmental behaviour, green human resource management.
References
Adelekan, I. O. (2016). Flood risk management in the coastal city of Lagos, Nigeria. Journal of Flood Risk Management, 9(3), 255–264. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12179
Appelbaum, E. (2000). Manufacturing Advantage: Why High-performance Work Systems Pay Off. Cornell University Press. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=WqfG1HDc3fsC
Awojobi, O. (2017). The Impacts Of Climate Change In Africa : A Review Of The. Journal of International Academic Research for Multidisciplinary Impact Factor.
Bartlett, D. (2011). Introduction: The Psychology of sustainability in the workplace. In Dean Bartlett (Ed.), Going Green: The Psychology of Sustainability in the Workplace (Issue February, pp. 1–5). British Psychological Society.
Beckage, B., Gross, L. J., Lacasse, K., Carr, E., Metcalf, S. S., Winter, J. M., Howe, P. D., Fefferman, N., Franck, T., Zia, A., Kinzig, A., & Hoffman, F. M. (2018). Linking models of human behaviour and climate alters projected climate change. Nature Climate Change, 8(1), 79–84. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-017-0031-7
Boiral, O., Paillé, P., & Raineri, N. (2015). The nature of employees’ pro-environmental behaviors. In J. L. . Robertson & J. Barling (Eds.), The psychology of green organizations. (pp. 12–32). Oxford University Press. http://ludwig.lub.lu.se/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2015-08003-002&site=eds-live&scope=site
Bratton, A., & Bratton, J. (2015). Human Resource Approaches. In J. L. Robertson & J. Barling (Eds.), The Psychology of Green Organizations (pp. 275–295). https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004
Brio, J. A. del, Fernandez, E., & Junquera, B. (2007). Management and employee involvement in achieving an environmental action-based competitive advantage: an empirical study. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(4), 491–522. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190601178687
Bryman, A. (2006). Integrating quantitative and qualitative research: how is it done? Qualitative Research, 6(1), 97–113. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794106058877
Cook, J. C., Nuccitelli, D., Green, S. A., Richardson, M., Winkler, B., Painting, R., Way, R., Jacobs, P., & Skuce, Andrew 2, 9. (2014). Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the literature. Energy Policy, 73, 709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.06.003
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (Fourth Edi). SAGE Publications, Inc. http://gen.lib.rus.ec/book/index.php?md5=4dd8ec34ba58a24704851167d8481ced
Cudmore, T. (2015). Delivering Workplace Pro-Environmental Behaviour Change Using Evidence-Based Practice (Issue September) [De Montfort University]. https://www.dmu.ac.uk/documents/technology-documents/research/iesd/dissertations/2015/tcudmore-tom-cudmore-dissertation-engt5304-2015-x.pdf
Dangelico, R. M. (2015). Improving Firm Environmental Performance and Reputation: The Role of Employee Green Teams. Business Strategy and the Environment, 24(8), 735–749. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1842
Dumitru, A. (2015). Sustainable behaviour in the workplace : the role of universities in promoting pro-environmental behaviour. Universidade da Coruña.
FAO. (2008). (Food and Agriculture Organization). Climate change and food security: A framework document. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 93.
IPCC. (2018). Summary for Policymakers. In: Global warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to. https://report.ipcc.ch/sr15/pdf/sr15_spm_final.pdf
IPCC, & Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report Summary Chapter for Policymakers. In Ipcc. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324
Jabbour, C. J. C., Santos, F. C. A., & Nagano, M. S. (2010). Contributions of HRM throughout the stages of environmental management: methodological triangulation applied to companies in Brazil. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21(March 2015), 1049–1089. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585191003783512
Jabbour, Charbel J. C. (2011). How green are HRM practices, organizational culture, learning and teamwork? A Brazilian study. Industrial and Commercial Training, 43(2), 98–105. https://doi.org/10.1108/00197851111108926
Kennedy, S., Whiteman, G., & Williams, A. (2015). Sustainable Innovation at Interface: Workplace Pro-Environmental Behavior as a Collective Driver for Continuous. In J. L. Robertson & J. Barling (Eds.), The Psychology of Green Organizations (pp. 351–377). Oxford University Press.
Kioko, M. J. B. (2013). WHO STOLE THE RAIN? THE CASE OF RECENT SEVERE DROUGHTS IN KENYA. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 9(5), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2013.v9n5p%p
Labella-Fernández, A., & Martínez-del-Río, J. (2019). Green Human Resource Management. In Leal Filho W., Azul A., Brandli L., Özuyar P., Wall T. (eds) Responsible Consumption and Production. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Living Edi, Issue September). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71062-4_113-1
Liebowitz, J. (2010). The Role of HR in Achieving a Sustainability Culture. Journal of Sustainable Development, 3(4), 50–57. https://doi.org/pow
Luqmani, A. (2017). Sustainability and Innovation: The Case of a Global Carpet Manufacturing Company. PQDT - Global.
Mandip, G. (2012). Green HRM : People Management Commitment to Environmental Sustainability. Research Journal of Recent Sciences, 1, 244–252.
Markey, R., McIvor, J., O’Brien, M., & Wright, C. F. (2019). Reducing carbon emissions through employee participation: evidence from Australia. Industrial Relations Journal, 50(1), 57–83. https://doi.org/10.1111/irj.12238
Meissner, H., Creswell, J., Klassen, A. C., Plano, V., & Smith, K. C. (2011). Best Practices for Mixed Methods Research in the Health Sciences. Methods, 29, 1–39. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12009.
Mohajan, H., & Mohajan, H. K. (2016). Sharing of Tacit Knowledge in Organizations: A Review Sharing of Tacit Knowledge in Organizations: A Review. American Journal of Computer Science and Engineering, 3(2), 6–19.
Mtembu, V. N. (2017). Green Human-Resource Management towards sustainable organizations : A case of KwaZulu-Natal higher education institutions. University of Kwazulu-Natal.
Norton, T. A. (2016). A multilevel perspective on employee green behaviour. The University of Queensland, Australia.
Rayner, J., & Morgan, D. (2018). An empirical study of ‘green’ workplace behaviours: ability, motivation and opportunity. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 56(1), 56–78. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7941.12151
Renwick, D. W. S., 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
Robertson, J. L., & Barling, J. (2015). The role of leadership in promoting workplace pro-environmental behaviors. In The psychology of green organizations. (pp. 164–186). http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=psyc11&NEWS=N&AN=2015-08003-008
Roscoe, S., Subramanian, N., Jabbour, C. J. C., & Chong, T. (2019). Green human resource management and the enablers of green organisational culture: Enhancing a firm’s environmental performance for sustainable development. Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(5), 737–749. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2277
Rossman, G. B., & Wilson, B. L. (1985). Numbers and words: Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in a Single Large-Scale Evaluation Study. Evaluation Review, 9(5), 627–643. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841X8500900505
Russell, S. V., & Hill, C. (2018). A case study of mater misericordiae limited. In D. W. S. Renwick (Ed.), Contemporary Developments in Green Human Resource Management Research: Towards Sustainability in Action? (pp. 57–72). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315768953
Sanyal, C., & Haddock-Millar, J. (2018). Employee engagement in managing environmental performance: A case study of the planet champion initiative, McDonalds UK and Sweden. In D. W. S. Renwick (Ed.), Contemporary Developments in Green Human Resource Management Research: Towards Sustainability in Action? (pp. 39–56). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315768953
Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2019). Chapter 4: Understanding research philosophy and approaches to theory development. In Research Methods for Business Studies (Issue March).
Stangor, C. (2011). RESEARCH METHODS for the Behavioural Sciences (J.-D. Hague, T. Tom, A. McLaughlin, & M. Noel (eds.); Fourth Edi). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Tang, G., Chen, Y., Jiang, Y., Paillé, P., & Jia, J. (2018). Green human resource management practices: scale development and validity. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 56(1), 31–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7941.12147
Thondhlana, G., & Hlatshwayo, T. N. (2018). Pro-environmental behaviour in student residences at Rhodes University, South Africa. Sustainability (Switzerland), 10(8), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082746
Unsworth, K. L., & Tian, A. (2018). Motivation and GHRM: Overcoming the paradox. In Douglas W.S. Renwick (Ed.), Contemporary Developments in Green Human Resource Management Research: Towards Sustainability in Action? (pp. 23–38). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315768953
Van Buskirk, J. (2019). Barriers Influencing the Success of Green Teams [University of Nebraska-Lincoln]. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/envstudtheses/221
Walton, A. A. (2016). Positive organizational leadership and pro-environmental behavior: The phenomenon of institutional fossil fuel divestment. In ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1825281647?accountid=135034%0Ahttps://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=antioch1464161682&disposition=inline
Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics : an introductory analysis - 2nd ed. In TA - TT -. Harper and Row New York. https://doi.org/LK - https://worldcat.org/title/299725866
Zhang, Y., Luo, Y., Zhang, X., & Zhao, J. (2019). How Green Human Resource Management Can Promote Green Employee Behavior in China : A Technology Acceptance Model Perspective.
Zibarras, L. D., & Coan, P. (2015). HRM practices used to promote pro-environmental behavior: a UK survey. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 26(16), 2121–2142. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2014.972429
Zoogah, D. B. (2011). The dynamics of green HRM behaviors: A cognitive social information processing approach. Zeitschrift Für Personalforschung (ZfP), 25, 117–139. https://doi.org/10.1688/1862-0000