Abstract
Literature on the relationship between sustainability and human resource management (HRM) is just emerging. This chapter examines the role of the HRM function in advancing the sustainability agenda in the hotel industry. Drawing on 18 interviews with human resource managers (specialists), managers and employees drawn from 12 large and medium hotels in the Netherlands, this chapter reveals that HR professionals perform five different roles - of a coach, facilitator, architect, leader and custodian of sustainability conscience. These roles are based on Ulrich and Beatty’s (2001) model of HRM. It further shows that the propensity of human resource professionals to perform such roles is influenced by two major organisational contextual factors such as: a.) the sophistication of the HRM function and its relative position within the hotel’s decision-making structures; and b.) the stage of development of the hotel’s sustainability agenda. The chapter then concludes by highlighting implications for theory and practice.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Handbook of sustainability-driven business strategies in practice. |
| Editors | S Markovic, C Sancha, A Lindgreen |
| Place of Publication | Cheltenham |
| Publisher | Edward Elgar Publishing Limited |
| Pages | 392-412 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781789908350 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781789908343 |
| Publication status | Published - 2021 |