Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Sustainability and Human Resource Management pp 297–314Cite as

Sustainable HRM in the US

The Influence of National Context

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance ((CSEG))

Abstract

This chapter examines the US research on Sustainable HRM and explores the extent to which it is shaped by its national context. The authors argue that the fundamental worldview that underpins US business models and conduct have resulted in three major impacts on US HRM research and practice, which influenced the subcategory of US Sustainable HRM: privileging the firm’s financial bottom line in evaluating effectiveness; the supremacy of managerial autonomy in decision making regarding HR matters; and the belief that what is positive for the firm is equally positive for its employees. The authors use Sustainable HRM research published in top-level US based management journals to illustrate these arguments. In conclusion, the authors discuss how by identifying these assumptions there is a clear path to re-evaluating the basic assumptions of US Sustainable HRM.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    CSR was defined using 46 different components divided into four indices, economic responsibility towards customers, social responsibility towards employees and community and environmental responsibility towards the environment.

References

  • Aiman-Smith L, Bauer TN, Cable DM (2001) Are you attracted? Do you intend to pursue? A recruiting policy-capturing study. J Bus Psychol 16(2):219–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arthur M (1994) The boundaryless career: a new perspective for organizational inquiry. J Organ Behav 14:295–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arthur MB, Khapova SN, Wilderom CPM (2005) Career success in a boundaryless career world. J Organ Behav 26:177–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bansal P, Roth K (2000) Why companies go green: a model of ecological responsiveness. Acad Manage J 43(4):717–736

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barney J (1991) Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. J Manage 17:99–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker B, Gerhart B (1996) The impact of human resource management on organizational performance: progress and prospects. Acad Manage J 39(4):779–801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Behrend TS, Baker B, Thompson LF (2009) Effects of pro-environmental recruiting messages: the role of organizational reputation. J Bus Psychol 24:341–350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berrone P, Gomez-Mejia LR (2009a) Environmental performance and exeutive compensation: an integrated agency-institutional perspective. Acad Manage J 52(1):103–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berrone P, Gomez-Mejia LR (2009b) The pros and cons of rewarding social responsibility at the top. Hum Resour Manage 48(6):959–971

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boiral O (2009) Greening the corporation through organizational citizenship behaviors. J Bus Ethics 87(2):221–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boudreau JW, Ramstad PM (2005) Talentship, talent segmentation, and sustainability: a new HR decision science paradigm for a new strategy definition. Hum Resour Manage 44(2):129–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brewster C, Croucher R, Wood G, Brookes M (2007) Collective and individual voice: convergence in Europe? Int J Hum Resour Manage 18(7):1246–1262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buysee K, Verbeke A (2003) Proactive environmental strategies: a stakeholder management perspective. Strateg Manage J 24:453–470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delery JE, Doty DH (1996) Modes of theorizing in strategic human resource management: tests of universalistic, contingency and configurational performance predictions. Acad Manage J 39(4):802–835

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobbin F, Sutton RC (1998) The strength of a weak state: the rights movement and the rise of the human resources management divisions. Am J Sociol 104(2):441–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dyer L, Holder GW (1988) Toward a strategic perspective of human resource management. In: Dyer L (ed) Human resource management: evolving roles and responsibilities. Bureau of National Affairs, Washington, DC, pp 1–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Egri CP, Herman S (2000) Leadership in the North American environmental sector: values, leadership styles, and contexts of environmental leaders and their organizations. Acad Manage J 43(4):371–604

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehnert I (2009) Sustainable human resource management: a conceptual and exploratory analysis from a paradox perspective. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman RB, Medoff JL (1984) What do unions do? Basic Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gooderham P, Nordhaug O (2011) One European model of HRM? Cranet empirical contributions. Hum Resour Manage Rev 21(1):27–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hart SL (1995) A natural-resource-based view of the firm. Acad Manage J 37:467–498

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart SL, Milstein MB (2003) Creating sustainable value. Acad Manage Exec 17(2):56–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haugh HM, Talwar A (2010) How do corporations embed sustainability across the organization? Acad Manage Learn Educ 9(3):384–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henriques I, Sadorsky P (1999) The relationship between environmental commitment and managerial perceptions of stakeholder importance. Acad Manage J 42:87–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede G (1980) Culture’s consequences: international differences in work-related values. Sage, Beverly Hills/London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hood JN, Logsdon JM (2002) Business ethics in the NAFTA countries: a cross-cultural comparison. J Bus Res 55(11):883–890

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huselid MA (1995) The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity and corporate financial performance. Acad Manage J 38:635–672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson SE, Schuler RS (1995) Understanding human resource management in the context of organizations and their environments. Annu Rev Psychol 46(1):237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keegan A, Boslie P (2006) The lack of impact of dissensus inspired analysis on developments in the field of human resource management. J Manage Stud 43(7):1491–1511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kristof AL (1996) Person–organization fit: an integrative review of its conceptualizations, measurement, and implications. Pers Psychol 49:1–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence AT, Morell D (1995) Leading-edge environmental management: motivation, opportunity, resources and processes. In: Collins D, Starik M (eds) Special research volume of research in corporate social performance and policy, sustaining the natural environment: empirical studies on the interface between nature and organizations. JAI Press, Greenwich, pp 99–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Legge K (1999) Representing people at work. Organization 6:247–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lockett A, Moon J, Visser W (2006) Corporate social responsibility in management research: focus, nature, salience and sources of influence. J Manage Stud 43(1):0022–2380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • London T, Rondinelli DA (2003) Partnerships for learning: managing tensions in nonprofit organizations’ alliances with corporations. Stanford Soc Innov Rev 1(3):28–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Maignan I, Ralston DA (2002) Corporate social responsibility in Europe and the U.S.: insights from businesses’ self-presentations. J Int Bus Stud 33(3):497–514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matten D, Moon J (2008) “Implicit” and “explicit” CSR: a conceptual framework for a comparative understanding of corporate social responsibility. Acad Manage Rev 33(2):404–424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matutinović I (2007) An institutional approach to sustainability: historical interplay of worldviews, institutions and technology. J Econ Issues 41(4):1109–1137

    Google Scholar 

  • Matutinović I (2008) Lifestyles, energy, and sustainability: the exploration of constraints. In: Barbir F, Ulgiati S (eds) Sustainable energy production and consumption: benefits, strategies and environmental costing, NATO science for peace and security series C: environmental security. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 199–211, Retrieved from EBSCOhost

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • McWilliams A, Siegel DS (2010) Creating and capturing value: strategic corporate social responsibility, resource-based theory, and sustainable competitive advantage. J Manage. Published online: http://jom.sagepub.com/content/early/2010/10/12/0149206310385696.full.pdf+html

  • Milliman J, Clair J (1996) Best environmental HRM practices in the US. In: Wehrmeyer W (ed) Greening people: human resources and environmental management. Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield, pp 49–73

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • NetImpact (2007) New leaders, new perspectives: a net impact survey of MBA student opinions on the relationship between business and social/environmental issues. Retrieved September 2010 from http://www.netimpact.org/associations/4342/files/MBA%20Perspectives.pdf

  • Nidumolu R, Prahalad CK, Rangaswami RM (2009) Why sustainability is now the key driver of innovation. Harv Bus Rev 87(9):56–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer J (2010) Building sustainable organizations: the human factor. Acad Manage Perspect 24(1):34–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter TB (2006). Inside greening: the role of middle managers’ strategic processes, attitudes, and behaviors in corporate environmentalism. Electronic Doctoral Dissertations for UMass Amherst, Paper AAI3215761

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter TB (2008) Managerial applications of corporate social responsibility and systems thinking for achieving sustainability outcomes. Syst Res Behav Sci 25(3):397–411

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter ME, Kramer MR (2006) Strategy and society: the link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility. Harv Bus Rev 84(12):78–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter ME, van der Linde C (1995) Green and competitive: ending the stalemate. Harv Bus Rev 73(5):120–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Pudelko M (2005) Cross-national learning from best practice and the convergence-divergence debate in HRM. Int J Hum Resour Manage 16(11):2045–2074

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramus CA, Steger U (2000) The roles of supervisory support behaviors and environmental policy in employee “ecoinitiatives” at leading-edge European companies. Acad Manage J 43(4):605–626

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramus C, Steger U (2001) Organizational support for employees: encouraging creative ideas for environmental sustainability. Calif Manage Rev 43(3):85–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rupp DE, Ganapathi J, Aguilera RV, Williams CA (2006) Employee reactions to corporate social responsibility: an organizational framework. J Organ Behav 27:537–543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schuler RS, Jackson SE (2005) A quarter-century review of human resource management in the U.S.: the growth in importance of the international perspective. Manage Revue 16(1):11–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma S, Henriques I (2005) Stakeholder influences on sustainability practices in the Canadian forest products industry. Strateg Manage J 26:159–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sotorrio LL, Fernandez Shanchez JL (2008) Corporate social responsibility of the most highly reputed European and North American firms. J Bus Ethics 82:379–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow PR, Hiltrop JM (1994) European human resource management in transition. Prentice Hall, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Spector B (2003) HRM at Enron: the unindicted co-conspirator. Organ Dyn 32(2):207–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steubs M, Sun L (2010) Business reputation and labor efficiency, productivity and cost. J Bus Ethics 96:265–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turban DB, Cable DM (2003) Firm reputation and applicant pool characteristics. J Organ Behav 24(6):733–751

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turban DB, Greening DW (1997) Corporate social performance and organizational attractiveness to prospective employees. Acad Manage J 40(3):658–672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vogel D (1992) The globalization of business ethics: why America remains distinctive. Calif Manage Rev 35(1):30–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh JP, Weber K, Margolis JD (2003) Social issues and management: our lost cause found. J Manage 29(6):859–881

    Google Scholar 

  • Wei-Chi T, Wen-Fen Yang I (2010) Does image matter to different job applicants? The influences of corporate image and applicant individual differences on organizational attractiveness. Int J Sel Assess 18(1):48–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willard B (2002) The sustainability advantage: seven business case benefits of a triple bottom line. New Society, Gabriola Island

    Google Scholar 

  • Winstanley D, Woodall J (2000) The ethical dimension of human resource management. Hum Resour Manage J 10(2):5–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wirtenberg J, Harmon J, Fairfield KD (2007) HR’s role in building a sustainable enterprise: insights from some of the world’s best companies. Hum Resour Plann 30(1):10–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright PM, McKinnon P, Antoine RL, Sartain E, Boudreau JW, Pace DA (2011) The evolving chief human resource officer role. In: The chief HR officer: defining the new role of human resource leaders. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, pp 1–11

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the invaluable assistance of Anna Abatzoglou.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business Administration, Portland State University, Portland, USA

    Sully Taylor

  2. Hitachi Consulting, Portland, OR, USA

    Caroline Lewis

Authors
  1. Sully Taylor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Caroline Lewis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sully Taylor .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Louvain School of Management, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place des Doyens 1, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Waals Brabant, Belgium

    Ina Ehnert

  2. , Cass Business School, University of Chester, Picts Lane 21, Princes Risborough, HP27 9DX, United Kingdom

    Wes Harry

  3. University of Kaiserslautern, Gottlieb-Daimler-Straße, Kaiserslautern, 67663, Germany

    Klaus J. Zink

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Taylor, S., Lewis, C. (2014). Sustainable HRM in the US. In: Ehnert, I., Harry, W., Zink, K. (eds) Sustainability and Human Resource Management. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37524-8_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation