Human Resource Management and Sustainable Leadership
A Systematic Literature Review of Integrative Practices and Future Research Directions
Keywords:
Green Human Resource Management;, Sustainable Leadership;, Organizational SustainabilityAbstract
The development of the global organisational paradigm has shifted towards sustainability, encompassing economic, social, and environmental aspects. The integration of Human Resource Management (HRM) and Sustainable Leadership has emerged as a strategic driver of organisational transformation, but studies examining the integrative relationship between the two remain fragmented. This Systematic Literature Review aims to analyse the conceptual and practical relationship between HRM and Sustainable Leadership, as well as identify research gaps and future research directions. This study follows a strict SLR protocol with searches in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. From 16,500 initial documents (2021-2025), a stepwise screening process yielded 10 final documents analysed using thematic analysis and narrative synthesis. Findings reveal that the integration of Green HRM and Sustainable Leadership creates a cascade effect through the formation of a green organisational culture and increased green employee behaviour, which ultimately drives organisational sustainable performance. However, this research field faces three major challenges: methodological limitations (dominance of cross-sectional designs and self-report data), narrow contextual scope, and conceptual models that have not yet integrated key mediation and moderation variables. It is concluded that the integration of HRM and Sustainable Leadership is a fundamental driver of sustainable organisational performance. Future research agendas need to focus on methodological transformation through longitudinal approaches and multi-source data, contextual expansion across industries and cultures, and enrichment of theoretical models with key variables. The implementation of this agenda will strengthen the theoretical foundation while providing significant practical contributions to the development of sustainable organisations.
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