Next-Gen Green HRM Practices and Sustainability Performance in Indian IT Services: A Study of Firms in Delhi-NCR

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Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) is progressively recognised being a strategic lever adding up as embedding environmental consciousness into HR systems and enhancing sustainability performance across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. In India’s IT services sector—characterised by intensive knowledge work, high energy use in digital infrastructure, and strong stakeholder expectations around responsible business—green HR practices can be particularly influential in shaping pro-environmental employee behaviour and firm-level sustainability outcomes. Focusing on IT service firms in the Delhi-NCR region, this paper examines how next-generation GHRM practices influence sustainability performance, structured around three core hypotheses: H1, GHRM Practices have a significant and positive impact on environmental performance; H2, GHRM practices significantly and positively affect economic performance; and H3, GHRM practices significantly and positively affect social performance.

Drawing on the AMO (Ability–Motivation–Opportunity) theoretical model and Triple Bottom Line sustainability framework, this research defines Green Human Resource Management as an integrated set of four fundamental strategies: environmentally focused recruitment, ecological skills development and training, staff participation in green initiatives, and sustainability-oriented performance evaluation. These strategies aim to develop workers’

environmental competencies, encourage their adoption of sustainable practices, and create pathways for contributing to ecological programs in technology-driven digital work environments. Sustainability performance is operationalised in line with TBL as a three-dimensional construct comprising organisational environmental performance (e.g., resource and energy efficiency), economic performance (e.g., cost savings and productivity), and social performance (e.g., employee well-being and community engagement). The overarching research model also examines environmental organizational citizenship behavior as an intermediary factor. This element reveals how sustainable HR initiatives encourage workers to engage in voluntary environmentally-friendly conduct, which subsequently enhances organizational environmental achievements.

A descriptive quantitative methodology was adopted for this investigation; wherein standardized questionnaires were distributed to management personnel and professionals employed at IT service organizations operating within Delhi NCR. Judgmental sampling is used to target respondents who are knowledgeable about HR and sustainability practices in their organisations, consistent with the sampling logic of the PhD study. The instrument comprises sections on demographics; validated scales for economic and environmental performance (adapted from Maletič and José & Molina-Azorín); items for social performance; and multi-item measures for GHRM practices and environment-related discretionary behaviours. A sample size of around 300 respondents from small, medium, and large IT service firms is planned to ensure adequate power for multivariate analysis. The research will employ IBM SPSS and R software for statistical examination. Internal consistency will be evaluated through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, while construct validity will be investigated via exploratory factor analysis combined with inter-item correlation techniques. To test hypotheses H1–H3, regression analysis and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), when applicable, will determine how GHRM directly influences environmental, economic, and social outcomes, alongside an investigation of mediating behavioral mechanisms.

The findings are expected to show that higher levels of GHRM adoption (across GH, GTD, GEI, and GPM) are significantly associated with stronger environmental, economic, and social performance in IT service firms, supporting H1, H2, and H3 and echoing prior empirical studies supporting GHRM to environmental & organisational outcomes. Environmental initiatives in talent acquisition, workforce education, and employee assessment are projected to show especially powerful correlations with lowered material consumption perceptions, strengthened economic and productivity indicators, and elevated staff satisfaction and organizational ethical

responsibility. The results may also highlight that IT service firms leveraging digital tools—such as e-HR systems, paperless processes, and remote or hybrid work models—display higher GHRM maturity and sustainability gains, reflecting “next-gen” HR practices that integrate technology and sustainability.

By focusing on IT services in a major Indian technology hub, the paper directly addresses MIC-2026’s track on “Next-Gen HR Practices” and its broader agenda of intelligent, sustainability-oriented management. Theoretically, it extends the AMO- and TBL-based GHRM framework from the wider service sector to a specific, high-impact industry, while empirically testing H1–H3 on environmental, economic, and social performance in the Delhi-NCR IT context. From a managerial standpoint, the study provides evidence-based guidance for HR leaders in Indian IT services on how to design and leverage green HR systems to achieve measurable sustainability performance improvements, thereby aligning competitive advantage with responsible and future-ready business practices.

Keywords: Green Human Resource Management; Sustainability performance; IT services; Delhi-NCR; Next-gen HR; AMO framework; Triple Bottom Line

Using industry-level data up to October 2025, the study analyses trends in Assets under Management (AUM), Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) inflows, fund category preferences, and redemption behaviour. The findings reveal that although AUM reached approximately Rs. 79.87 lakh crore and monthly SIP inflows surged to Rs. 29,529 crore, investor behaviour remains influenced by herding, recency bias, overconfidence, loss aversion, and panic-driven decision-making during periods of market volatility. The study integrates Prospect Theory and behavioural finance models to explain observed investment patterns. The research highlights the need for enhanced behavioural literacy, regulatory nudges, and simplified disclosures to promote long-term, disciplined mutual fund investing. The study contributes to behavioural finance literature by providing an India-specific, regulator-backed empirical perspective suitable for policy and academic discourse.

Keywords: Behavioral Finance, Mutual Funds, AMFI Data, SEBI Reports, Herding Behaviour, Recency Bias, Overconfidence, SIP Behaviour, Loss Aversion, Investor Psychology

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Hernández, B., Fernández, V., & Cantón, C. (2003). The role of environmental attitudes and social influence on corporate environmental behavior. Environment and Behavior, 35(1), 138–162.

José, J. F., & Molina-Azorín, J. F. (2015). Environmental management, performance and stakeholder engagement: A review from a triple bottom line perspective. Business Strategy and the Environment, 24(3), 1–15.

Maletič, M., Maletič, D., & Gomišček, B. (2015). The impact of sustainability exploration and exploitation on organizational performance: A study of the triple bottom line. Sustainable Development, 23(3), 1–14.

Malik, M., Ahmad, S., & Naseer, S. (2021). Green HRM and OCBE: A social identity and social exchange perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 290, 125–137.

Mandip, G. (2012). Green HRM: People management commitment to environmental sustainability. Research Journal of Recent Sciences, 1(ISC–2011), 244–252.

Margaretha, M., & Saragih, S. (2013). Developing new corporate culture through green human resource practice. International Conference on Business, Economics, and Accounting, 1–10.

Muster, V., & Schrader, U. (2011). Green work–life balance: A new perspective for green HRM. Zeitschrift für Personalforschung, 25(2), 140–156.

Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Paillé, P., Chen, Y., Boiral, O., & Jin, J. (2013). The impact of human resource management on environmental performance: An employee-level study. Journal of Business Ethics, 121(3), 451–466.

Pellegrini, C., Rizzi, F., & Frey, M. (2018). The role of sustainable HRM in sustainable organizations. Business Strategy and the Environment, 27(3), 1–12.

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.

Stojanoska, A. (2016). Green business and sustainable development. Journal of Sustainable Development, 9(4), 1–12.

Tuan, L. T. (2018). Catalyzing green performance via green human resource management practices and green innovation. European Management Review, 15(4), 1–15.

Wehrmeyer, W., & Vickerstaff, S. (1996). Managing employees in environmental management. Business Strategy and the Environment, 5(1), 1–11.

Zoogah, D. B. (2011). The dynamics of green HRM behaviors: A cognitive-social information processing approach. German Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(2), 117–139.

Aboramadan, M. (2020). Green human resource management and organizational citizenship behavior for the environment: The role of green work engagement and personality. Management of Environmental Quality, 31(3), 1–17.

Ali, M. (2020). Green hiring as a strategic tool for sustainable organizations. International Journal of Management, 11(6), 45–54.

Ansu, A. (2019). Green HRM practices in IT sector: A study of selected firms (Master’s dissertation). Loyola College, Kerala.

Anwar, N., Mahmood, N., & Yaseen, M. (2020). Green HRM practices and employees’ pro-environmental behavior: The mediating role of OCBE. Journal of Cleaner Production, 249, 119–125.

Boiral, O. (2009). Greening the corporation through organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment. Journal of Business Ethics, 87(2), 221–236.

Croston, G. (2009). Starting green: An eco-entrepreneur’s guide to starting a green business. Entrepreneur Press.

Daily, B. F., & Huang, S. (2011). Achieving sustainability through attention to human resource factors in environmental management. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 21(12), 1539–1552.

De Stefano, F., Bagdadli, S., & Camuffo, A. (2020). Beyond the triple bottom line: Sustainable HRM and the paradoxes of people management. Human Resource Management Review, 30(3), 100–104.

Dumont, J., Shen, J., & Deng, X. (2017). Effects of green HRM practices on employee workplace green behavior: The role of psychological green climate and employee green values. Human Resource Management, 56(4), 613–627.

Ehnert, I., Parsa, S., Roper, I., Wagner, M., & Muller-Camen, M. (2020). Reporting on sustainability and HRM: A comparative study of sustainability reporting practices by the world’s largest companies. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(1), 1–30.

Elkington, J. (1997). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st century business. Capstone.

Felin, T., Foss, N. J., & Ployhart, R. E. (2015). The microfoundations movement in strategy and organization theory. Academy of Management Annals, 9(1), 575–632.

Hernández, B., Fernández, V., & Cantón, C. (2003). The role of environmental attitudes and social influence on corporate environmental behavior. Environment and Behavior, 35(1), 138–162.

José, J. F., & Molina-Azorín, J. F. (2015). Environmental management, performance and stakeholder engagement: A review from a triple bottom line perspective. Business Strategy and the Environment, 24(3), 1–15.

Maletič, M., Maletič, D., & Gomišček, B. (2015). The impact of sustainability exploration and exploitation on organizational performance: A study of the triple bottom line. Sustainable Development, 23(3), 1–14.

Malik, M., Ahmad, S., & Naseer, S. (2021). Green HRM and OCBE: A social identity and social exchange perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 290, 125–137.

Mandip, G. (2012). Green HRM: People management commitment to environmental sustainability. Research Journal of Recent Sciences, 1(ISC–2011), 244–252.

Margaretha, M., & Saragih, S. (2013). Developing new corporate culture through green human resource practice. International Conference on Business, Economics, and Accounting, 1–10.

Muster, V., & Schrader, U. (2011). Green work–life balance: A new perspective for green HRM. Zeitschrift für Personalforschung, 25(2), 140–156.

Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Paillé, P., Chen, Y., Boiral, O., & Jin, J. (2013). The impact of human resource management on environmental performance: An employee-level study. Journal of Business Ethics, 121(3), 451–466.

Pellegrini, C., Rizzi, F., & Frey, M. (2018). The role of sustainable HRM in sustainable organizations. Business Strategy and the Environment, 27(3), 1–12.

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.

Stojanoska, A. (2016). Green business and sustainable development. Journal of Sustainable Development, 9(4), 1–12.

Tuan, L. T. (2018). Catalyzing green performance via green human resource management practices and green innovation. European Management Review, 15(4), 1–15.

Wehrmeyer, W., & Vickerstaff, S. (1996). Managing employees in environmental management. Business Strategy and the Environment, 5(1), 1–11.

Zoogah, D. B. (2011). The dynamics of green HRM behaviors: A cognitive-social information processing approach. German Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(2), 117–139.