Abstract
Human resource management (HRM) encompasses all aspects of managing the human resource (employee) in an organization in a systematic and scientific manner. The sustainability concept is widespread in many organizations, which have been keen enough to include sustainability as one of the key drivers of their business model. A process in which a business manages its components and activities so that the people, economy and the environment reaps the benefits. Implementation of the business model of this character ensures the positive contribution of an organization to the environment, society and economy at large.
Various companies have set out to manage the ‘triple bottom line of sustainability’ by seeking to simultaneously create economic, ecological and social values for the purpose of ensuring sustainability is the view of Arman (2017). Interestingly, the work Sustainable Human Resource Management by Senior Prof H. H. D. N. P. Opatha initiates a broader and comprehensive discussion on the triple bottom line by dividing the sustainable HRM into three subdivisions, namely green HRM (planet-related matters), social HRM (society-related matters) and economic HRM (profit-related matters). The author, by transforming the academic and scientific details into simple and easily comprehensible language, effectually disseminates the audience the information and knowledge on sustainable HRM.
The book consists of 12 chapters. The first chapter focuses on providing a fundamental background to sustainability and HRM. The author, making the chapter more stimulating, begins with the concept of sustainability by providing the essence of Sri Lankan cultural greeting Ayubowan which means ‘may you live longer’. Then the discussion of the book turns towards the definitions of sustainability and its importance. The chapter concludes discussing the impediments to sustainability. From a reviewer’s perspective, We believe that the author has succeeded in eliminating the myth that sustainability is equal to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and enhances the readers’ perception.
‘Green’ is synonymous with ‘environment’. The second chapter describes on green HRM, which is known as the planet under the triple bottom line, in detail. The planet-related matters include green roles of employees, green HRM functions, green attitude and behaviour, green job performance, etc. The four main roles of a green employee, which are preservationist, conservationist, non-polluter and maker, are also brought into the discussion. According to the author, converting a normal employee to an employee who achieves environmental sustainability is the green HRM. At this point, the author makes it a point to underline the fact that it is possible to ‘green’ all the HRM functions such as job analysis, performance evaluation, welfare management, etc. Green attitude of the employee, green behaviour of the employee, organizational policies and procedures will pave the way for greening all HRM functions. The author divides green behaviour of the employee into two components, namely green personal behaviour and green work behaviour. The author maintains that green organizational citizenship behaviour, green interpersonal citizenship behaviour and green official behaviour are the aspects of green work behaviour. According to Wright (2006) organizational citizenship behaviour is a work-related attitude. Yaghoubi et al. (2011) state that organizational citizenship behaviour because individuals assume conscious attitudes and develop proactive behaviour when facing different organizational situations. However, in my opinion, in this scholarly work, the author should have addressed this conceptual confusion.
The third chapter is about organizational ethics and HRM. Explaining normative ethics, the author emphasizes the significance of a good personnel character consisting of a high level of virtues. The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues in Birmingham University, UK, has also conducted an extensive range of projects that contribute to renewal of character and virtues in both the individual and the society. This is proof that the author maintains a good sense of both local and international research trends.
The fourth chapter is about work–family balance. Without the human resource, an organization does not exist. Therefore the ‘work’ done by an employee is very crucial. An employee spends, on average, 8 hours per day in his/her organization, and the rest of the day, approximately two-third of the day, with his/her family. The author of this book has identified the potential danger to sustainability of HRM unless the proper balance of work and family is maintained. The fifth chapter is about the quality of work life, which the author has emphasized, as the quality of work-life leads to reduce turnover and absenteeism while increasing customer satisfaction and the health and safety of the employee.
Employee counseling is discussed in the sixth chapter. Generally, HR practitioners have a huge role to play in terms of employee counseling. The author explains how the HR practitioner’s role as a counselor on the aspect of work-life balance. Happiness and human resource management is the title of the seventh chapter. Meaningful life has been recognized as a pathway to happiness. The level of happiness has been identified as one of the main roles of an HR practitioner. Social HRM includes organizational ethics, work-family balance, quality of work-life, employee counseling and happiness. In these chapters, the author has successfully portrayed the sequential linkage among these social HRM aspects. All the employees, including the administrative staff, should possess a good personal character that consists of high levels of virtues such as honesty, integrity and caring, which, in the book, has been described under organizational ethics. Then an employee should possess work-life balance which is explained in the next chapter. When the employee fails to maintain the balance between work-life and family-life HR practitioner is vested with a huge responsibility, which is explained under the chapter titled ‘Employee Counseling’. When all these aspects are fulfilled, the level the happiness of employees is increased, which is what the final chapter about social HRM points out.
Economic HRM can be identified as the third ‘P’ of the triple bottom line, that is, profit. Economic HRM encompass high-performance organization, employee retention, absenteeism and presenteeism, customer satisfaction, competitive business strategy and HR strategy. High-performance organization through HRM is brought into discussion in the eighth chapter; the author elaborates on high-performance work systems. In order to get a superior business position an organization is to maintain a competitive advantage. High-performance work practices (HPWPs) lead to increased productivity and profits, and thereby provide a competitive advantage for the organizations. In this book, the author uses the label ‘high-performance work systems’. Realistic job previews, multi-skill training and verbal recognition are some of the few examples of high-performance work practices. In my view, the best label is ‘high-performance work practices’, rather than ‘high-performance work systems’, since these actually include practices of the HRM, rather than any systems.
The ninth chapter is on the employee retention, which is vital to the success of any organization. The tenth chapter, in which absenteeism and presenteeism, is examined, the author claims that presenteeism is ‘employees have been recorded as present at work, but they are not genuinely at the due work’. The eleventh chapter is allocated for customer satisfaction. I am of the view that presenteeism is a synonym for employee disengagement. Gallup (2017) reports that specifically as to how disengaged employees cause the downfall of the company; having more on-the-job accidents, sleep walking through their workday, putting time but not energy or passion into their work and quitting at a higher rate than engaged employees do. Bulinska-Stangrecka and Iddagoda (2020) state that disengage employees often gossip and chat with their colleagues, play games and do not care as to whether the company succeeds or fails. It is clearly evident from the Aon Hewitt (2018) report the engaged employees lead the organizational financial performance, enhance customer satisfaction, high level of employee retention and report less absenteeism. In my view, it would have been more useful if the author could allocate a separate chapter for ‘employee engagement’, and elaborated on such positive aspects. Absenteeism and presenteeism could have been broadly investigated as a part of that chapter. Employee retention and customer satisfaction could have been explained under different chapters. Rana (2015) identified HPWPs as a driver of employee engagement. I maintain that the author should first explain high-performance organization as explained in the eighth chapter, under economic HRM, since HPWPs are drives of employee engagement. Then a chapter about employee engagement, employee retention and customer satisfaction which are the consequences of employee engagement should explain after that.
Almarzooqi et al. (2019) maintains that the HRM role in terms of creation and sustainability of competitive advantage is realized by developing employees’ skills and capabilities, aligned with a business strategy. In the twelveth chapter, titled ‘Competitive Business Strategy and HRM’, competitive business strategy, which is a long-term plan of action that an organization takes with competitive advantages, which leads to organizational sustainability as a whole, is thoroughly analysed. The author provides several indices to measure sustainable HRM aspects as well as frameworks, that are exemplary. Similarly, real-life examples, glossary review questions, activities such as skill builders, cases and critical incidents are also included in the discussion. Hence, considering the aspects and features of sustainable HRM, Sustainable Human Resource Management: Expanding Horizons of HRM is a highly recommendable book for students as well as professionals and university lecturers, who fall within the intended target audience of this book.