This conceptual paper examines the role of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practices in enhancing job performance within Saudi Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), considering organizational culture as a mediating factor. While previous studies have extensively explored GHRM and job performance, there remains a lack of contextualized research focusing on Saudi HEIs. This paper addresses this gap by integrating theoretical perspectives, particularly Social Exchange Theory (SET), to develop a conceptual framework explaining how GHRM fosters a culture of environmental sustainability, thereby influencing employee performance. Unlike existing studies, which primarily emphasize direct relationships, this paper highlights the indirect impact of GHRM through organizational culture, offering new theoretical and managerial insights. Methodologically, the study adopts a structured literature review approach, synthesizing recent research from 2022 to 2025 to ensure relevance. The findings provide significant implications for policymakers and HR professionals, advocating for sustainable HRM strategies that align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals. This paper serves as a foundation for future empirical validation, encouraging further exploration of GHRM’s long-term impact on organizational success.
Abid, M. (2024). The Influence of Organizational Culture and Job Satisfaction On Employee Performance. International Journal Multidisciplinary Science , 3(1), pp. 65-73.
Aboramadan, M., Kundi, Y. M. & Becker, A. A. (2022). Green human resource management in nonprofit organizations: effects on employee green behavior and the role of perceived green organizational support. Personnel Review, 51(7), pp. 1788-1806.
Aftab, J., Abid, N., Cucari, N. & Savastano, A. M. (2022). Green human resource management and environmental performance: The role of green innovation and environmental strategy in a developing country. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(4), pp. 1782-1798.
Aggarwal, P. & Agarwala, A. T. (2023). Relationship of green human resource management with environmental performance: mediating effect of green organizational culture. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 30(7), pp. 2351-2376.
Aggarwal, S. (2024). Impact of dimensions of organisational culture on employee satisfaction and performance level in select organisations. IIMB Management Review, 36(3), pp. 230-238.
Al-Ajlouni, M. M. (2023). Green Human Resource Practices and Organizational Performance at Saudi Arabia. Scientific Journal for Economic& Commerce , 53(2), pp. 129-150.
Al-Alawneh, R., Othman, M. & Zaid, A. A. A. (2024). Green HRM impact on environmental performance in higher education with mediating roles of management support and green culture. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 32(6), pp. 1141-1164.
Alam, M. N. et al., 2023. Green Training and Development Revolutionizing Organizational Performance: The Moderating Role of Green Employee Involvement in the Bangladeshi Pharmaceutical Industry. International Business Research, 16(9), pp. 36-49.
Alhashash, N. A. (2022). Green Human Resource Management: The Reality of the Saudi Context and Future Direction. Multi-Knowledge Electronic Comprehensive Journal For Education And Science Publications, Volume 56, pp. 1-32.
Alhazmi, R. (2023). Sustainable green practices among higher education employees. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 26(6), pp. 1-12.
Ali, M., Puah, C.-H., Anum Ali, S. A. R., & Ayob, A. N. (2022). Green intellectual capital, green HRM and green social identity toward sustainable environment: a new integrated framework for Islamic banks. International Journal of Manpower, 43(3), pp. 614-638.
Ali, Q. M., & Nisar, A. Q. A. (2023). Nexus between green human resource management and environmental performance: a green approach for higher education institutes. Kybernetes, 52(11), pp. 5706-5729.
AlKetbi, A., & Rice, A. J. (2024). The Impact of Green Human Resource Management Practices on Employees, Clients, and Organizational Performance: A Literature Review. Administrative Sciences, 14(4), pp. 1-19.
Alma'abreh, S., Zulkiffli, S. N. & Mat, A. N. H. N. (2024). The Link between Green Human Resource Management and Job Performance: Investigating the Mediating Role of Organizational Culture. Journal of System and Management Sciences, 14(12), pp. 114-128.
Alshuaibi, M. S. I., Alhebri, A., Khan, S. N. & Sheikh, A. A. A. (2024). Big data analytics, GHRM practices, and green digital learning paving the way towards green innovation and sustainable firm performance. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 10(4), pp. 1-11.
Alyahmadi, H., Al-Hadrami, A., & Al-Sinani, A. N. (2024). The Reality of Academics’ Practice of the Dimensions of Organizational Culture and Its Relationship to the Level of Job Performance Universities. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Systems and Informatics, Volume 1, p. 130–146.
Aukhoon, M. A., Iqbal, J., & Parray, A. Z. A. (2024). Corporate social responsibility supercharged: greening employee behavior through human resource management practices and green culture. Evidence-based HRM, 12(4), pp. 945-965.
Aukhoon, M. A., Iqbal, J., & Parray, A. Z. A. (2024). Impact of corporate social responsibility on employee green behavior: Role of green human resource management practices and employee green culture. orporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 31(5), pp. 3768-3778.
Ayana, I. D., & Wodajo, A. M. G. (2024). Green Human Resource Management and Organizational Performance: Structural Equation Model Evidence from Nekemte Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. International Journal of Management and Fuzzy Systems, 10(1), pp. 1-16.
Bahuguna, P. C., Srivastava, R., & Tiwari, A. S. (2023). Two-decade journey of green human resource management research: a bibliometric analysis. Benchmarking: An International Journal , 30(2), pp. 585-602.
Banga, C. M. & Gobind, A. J. (2025). Implementation of sustainability in human resource management: A literature review. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, Volume 23, pp. 1-15.
Bhatti, M. A., Alyahya, M., Juhari, A. S., & Alshiha, A. A. A. (2022). Green HRM Practices and Employee Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry of Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Operations and Quantitative Management, 28(2), pp. 1-9.
Bhatti, S. H., Saleem, F., Murtaza, G. & Haq, A. T. U. (2022). Exploring the impact of green human resource management on environmental performance: the roles of perceived organizational support and innovative environmental behavior. International Journal of Manpower, 43(3), pp. 742-762.
Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. 1st ed. New York : John Wiley & Sons.
Chen, F. H., Tsai, Y.-T. & Oen, A. A. W. A. (2022). Configurations of green human resource management practices on supply chain integration. nternational Journal of Engineering Business Management, Volume 14, p. 1–13.
Chong, Z., & Zeng, A. Z. (2024). Application of Green Management in the Teaching, Research, and Practice of Human Resource Management.. Sustainability, 16(16), pp. 1-17.
Das, S., & Dash, A. M. (2024). Green Compensation And Reward System: A Novel Approach Towards The Growth And Sustainability Of Organization.. Journal of Advanced Zoology, 45(2), pp. 1213-1219.
Doghan, M. A. A. (2024). Green HRM practices, green capability and green performance: the avenues towards greener economy. Cogent Business & Management , 11(1), pp. 1-20.
Doghan, M. A. A., Soomro, F. A., Bano, S., & Abdelwahed, A. N. A. A. (2024). Deciphering the connection between green HRM, culture and values and performance in higher educational institutes. Cogent Education , 11(1), pp. 1-19.
Eno, Jerry, E., Eze, F. O., & Orga, A. C. C. (2024). Effect of Green Reward Management Practices and Employee Performance in Food and Beverages Manufacturing Firms in South East Nigeria. European Journal of Finance and Management Sciences, 8(1), pp. 54-66.
Ercantan, O., & Eyupoglu, a. S. (2022). How Do Green Human Resource Management Practices Encourage Employees to Engage in Green Behavior? Perceptions of University Students as Prospective Employees. Sustainability, 14(3), pp. 1-21.
Esthi, R. B., & Setiawan, A. I. (2023). Green human resources management of the small and micro-enterprises in Indonesia. Journal of Management, 12(6), pp. 4877-4885.
Fang, L., Shi, S., Gao, J., & Li, A. X. (2022). The mediating role of green innovation and green culture in the relationship between green human resource management and environmental performance. PLOS ONE, 17(9), pp. 1-24.
Fridan, A. A. A., & Maamari, A. B. E. (2024). Impact of organizational positive and negative culture on employee performance. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 32(9), pp. 1850-1869.
Gupta, A., & Jang, A. S. (2024). Green human resource management and work engagement: Linking HRM performance attributions. Sustainable Futures, Volume 7, pp. 1-12.
Gupta, R., & Kaur, A. S. (2024). A 2-1-1 multi-level perspective of understanding the relationship between green human resource management practices, green psychological climate, and green employee behavior. Responsibility and Environmental Management , 31(5), pp. 4068-4084.
Gupta, V., & Arora, A. M. (2024). Green Human Resource Management and Its Sustainable Organizational Practices in Hospitality Industry in India. Journal of the Knowledge Economy , Volume 7, pp. 1-24.
Jamil, S., Zaman, S. I., Kayikci, Y., & Khan, A. S. A. (2023). The Role of Green Recruitment on Organizational Sustainability Performance: A Study within the Context of Green Human Resource Management. Sustainability , 15(21), pp. 1-31.
Kamboj, J. & Eronimus, a., 2024. Mapping the green human resource management practices: A systematic scoping review and its implications for employees’ well-being. Human Systems Management , Volume 43, p. 932–970.
Mardikaningsih, R. (2024). Organizational Effectiveness and Green Human Resources Management. Bulletin of Science, Technology andSociety, 3(1), pp. 6-13.
Marumbu, C., Egessa, R. K., Simiyu, E. J., & Otuya, A. W. (2024). Efficacy of Green Reward Management Practices on Workers’ Performance: Evidence from Public Universities in Western Kenya. African Journal of Empirical Research, 5(3), pp. 165-173 .
Mehak, S. S., & Batcha, A. H. M. (2024). Analyzing the influence of green human resource practices on organizational sustainability: the role of green attitudes and performance of employees’. Environment, Development and Sustainability, Volume 5, pp. 1-21.
Miao, Y., & Zhang, A. W. (2024). Big Data Analysis and Model Construction of the Correlation Between Organizational Culture and Employee Performance. Journal of Logistics, Informatics and Service Science, 11(1), pp. 416-428.
Mukherji, A., & Bhatnagar, A. J. (2022). Conceptualizing and theorizing green human resource management: a narrative review. International Journal of Manpower, 43(3), pp. 862-888.
Munawar, S., Yousaf, H. Q., Ahmed, M., & Rehman, A. S. (2022). Effects of green human resource management on green innovation through green human capital, environmental knowledge, and managerial environmental concern. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Volume 52, pp. 141-150.
Muthuswamy, V. V., & Esakki, A. S. (2023). Green HRM Practices and Sustainable Work Environment among Higher Educational Institutions of Saudi Arabia. Role of Knowledge Sharing and Life-long Learning. AgBioForum, 25(1), pp. 1-11.
Obeidat, S. M., Abdalla, S., & Bakri, A. A. A. K. A. (2023). Integrating green human resource management and circular economy to enhance sustainable performance: an empirical study from the Qatari service sector. Employee Relations, 45(2), pp. 535-563.
Okoroafor, Gloria, O., Orga, C. C., & Chigozie, A. P. (2024). Green Recruitment Management Practice and Performance of Food and Beverage Manufacturing Firms in Rivers State. Global Journal of Finance and Business Review , 7(1), pp. 71-88.
Palanivel, R. V., Sharma, C., Sharma, A., & Daudkhane, A. Y. (2024). The Role of Leadership in Driving Green HRM Initiative and Fostering an Environmentally Conscious Culture. Journal of Informatics Education and Research, 4(1), pp. 249-257.
Permadi, I. K. O., Fadah, I., & Rizki, A. V. L. (2024). Green HRM and Employee Performance: How Organizational Culture Plays A Mediating Role. Journal of Economics Finance and Management Studies , 07(10), pp. 6502-6509.
Pramesti, A. & Waskito, A. J. (2025). The Impact of Green Human Resource Management Practices on Employee Performance: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction Among Employees at PT POS Indonesia Surakarta Branch. Indonesian Interdisciplinary Journal of Sharia Economics , 8(1), pp. 2542-2564.
Purba, S. D., Wiranatha, H. D., & Sulistyaningsih, A. E. (2024). Increasing Commitment through the Effect of Green Training and Development and Green Behavior in State-Owned Bank Employees. Binus Business Review, 15(3), pp. 261-270.
Putra, D. M., & Nasution, A. (2024). The Role of Organizational Culture on Employee Performance through Job Satisfaction and Work Motivation. Journal of Entrepreneurship andBusiness, 05(01), pp. 55-68.
Ramachandaran, S. D., Vasudevan, A., & Balakrishnan, A. R. (2024). The impact of green human resource management practices on employee’s job performance. International Journal of Management and Sustainability , 13(3), pp. 506-522.
Raza, S. A., & Khan, A. K. A. (2022). Impact of green human resource practices on hotel environmental performance: the moderating effect of environmental knowledge and individual green values. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(6), pp. 2154-2175.
Sadek, K., & Karkoulian, S. (2025). Green performance appraisal impact on organizational sustainability: exploring the role of green knowledge and behavior in Lebanese firms. Social Responsibility Journal, 21(1), pp. 198-215.
Saebah, N., & Merthayasa, A. A. (2024). The Influence of Organizational Culture on Employee Performance with Organizational Commitment as an Intervening Variable. International Journal of Social Service and Research , Volume 4, pp. 744-755.
Sarwar, A., & Mustafa, A. A. (2024). Analysing the impact of green intellectual capital on environmental performance: the mediating role of green training and development. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management , 36(11), pp. 3357-3370.
Shah, N. & Soomro, A. B. A. (2023). Effects of green human resource management practices on green innovation and behavior. Management Decision, 61(1), pp. 290-312.
Shahzad, M. A., Jianguo, D., & Junaid, A. M. (2023). Impact of green HRM practices on sustainable performance: mediating role of green innovation, green culture, and green employees’ behavior. Environmental Science and Pollution Research , Volume 30, p. 88524–88547.
Siyambalapitiya, J., & Zhang, A. X. (2024). Evaluation of human resource management in the green revolution. Key constructs in the green human resource management. Green Human Resource Management , Volume 6, p. 93–119.
Sun, H., Bahizire, G. M., Pea-Assounga, J. B. B., & Chen, A. T. (2024). Enhancing Employee Green Performance through Green Training: The Mediating Influence of Organizational Green Culture and Work Ethic in the Mining Sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 449(3), pp. 1-15.
Tanova, C., & Bayighomog, A. S. W. (2022). Green human resource management in service industries: the construct, antecedents, consequences, and outlook. The Service Industries Journal , 42(5-6), pp. 412-452.
Tuan, L. T. (2022). Promoting employee green behavior in the Chinese and Vietnamese hospitality contexts: The roles of green human resource management practices and responsible leadership. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Volume 105, pp. 1-16.
Veerasamy, U., Joseph, M. S., & Parayitam, A. S. (2024). Green Human Resource Management and Employee Green Behaviour: Participation and Involvement, and Training and Development as Moderators. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, 11(2), pp. 277-309.
Veerasamy, U., Joseph, M. S., & Parayitam, A. S. (2024). Green human resource management practices and employee green behavior. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management , 76(12), pp. 2810-2836.
Xie, H., Ho, R. C., Ismail, N., & Lau, A. T. C. (2024). All gain and no pain? Impacts of different green human resource management practices on employee green behavior: Evidence from Chinese electric vehicle sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 478, pp. 1-17.
Yoo, D. Y. (2024). Eco-Leadership in Action: Integrating Green HRM and the New Ecological Paradigm to Foster Organizational Commitment and Environmental Citizenship in the Hospitality Industry. Sustainability , 16(20), pp. 1-15.
Zahrani, A. A. (2024). The influence of green human resource management on university sustainability in higher education: the role of mediating environmental performance and green commitment. PeerJ, Volume 1, pp. 1-26.
Zahrani, A. A. (2024). The influence of green human resource management practices on organizational environmental performance: mediating roles of green innovation and employee performance. Cogent Business & Management , 11(1), pp. 1-24.
Zaid, A. A., & Jaaron, A. A. A. (2023). The Impact of Green Human Resource Management Practices with Sustainable and Operational Performance: A Conceptual Model. Springer, Cham, Volume 23, pp. 583-610.
Alanazi, Y. Q., & Yusof, R. B. (2025). Nexus between GHRM Practices and Job Performance through Organizational Culture in Saudi Higher Education Institutions: A Conceptual Paper. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(5), 933-953.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode