Green HRM for business organisations

Veronika Murga
2 Apr 201908:35

Summary

TLDRThis podcast episode delves into the concept of Green Human Resource Management (HRM), outlining its definition, benefits, and implementation strategies for businesses. It highlights three key aspects: waste reduction, corporate culture improvement, and attracting eco-conscious customers. The episode showcases examples of companies like Google, Toyota, and IBM that have successfully integrated green practices, while also addressing potential challenges such as initial costs, knowledge gaps, and cultural shifts. The podcast concludes by emphasizing the importance of green initiatives in forward-thinking organizations, positioning them as both cost-effective and motivational.

Takeaways

  • 🌿 Green HRM is defined as a set of policies that encourage sustainable use of resources within business organizations to promote environmentalism and improve employee morale, satisfaction, and efficiency.
  • 💰 Benefits of implementing Green HRM include cost reduction through waste minimization, improved corporate culture, and attracting new customers by enhancing the company's reputation.
  • 📉 Reduction of waste is a key aspect of Green HRM, focusing on decreasing paper and plastic usage, which also helps in reducing contamination and pollution.
  • 👥 Improving corporate culture through Green HRM practices can lead to increased employee loyalty, job satisfaction, and a sense of belonging among employees.
  • 🌐 The third target of Green HRM is attracting new customers by creating a perception of eco-friendliness, which can lead to a better company reputation and higher sales.
  • 🚶‍♂️ Implementing Green HRM can start with simple steps like using eco-friendly transport, working from home, or reducing office visits to decrease pollution.
  • 📑 Reducing paper usage through emails, messengers, and double-sided photocopies, as well as recycling unwanted paper, is part of Green HRM practices.
  • 🔋 Energy conservation is encouraged through actions like powering down computers after inactivity and using energy-efficient light bulbs.
  • 🏢 Companies like Google, Toyota, and IBM have successfully adopted Green HRM practices, setting examples for other businesses to follow.
  • 🚧 Challenges in adopting Green HRM include initial costs for education and resources, lack of knowledge, potential stress on workers, and aligning with the company's vision.
  • 🌟 Despite challenges, the benefits of Green HRM practices outweigh the disadvantages, making it an essential strategy for forward-thinking businesses.

Q & A

  • What is the definition of green HRM according to the podcast?

    -Green HRM is a set of policies that encourage the sustainable use of resources within business organizations to promote environmentalism, improve employee morale, satisfaction, and efficiency, and promise stakeholders in the competitive market.

  • What are the three major aspects of green HRM mentioned in the script?

    -The three major aspects of green HRM are reduction of waste, improvement of corporate culture, and attraction of new customers.

  • How does the reduction of waste cut costs for a firm?

    -The reduction of waste cuts costs by decreasing garbage, which immediately reduces the expenses related to garbage removal and the need to purchase new stationery, tools, plastic dishes, cups, paper files, and so on.

  • What are the objectives of reducing wasted paper and plastic in a firm?

    -The objectives include reducing contamination and pollution, which contributes to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly business operation.

  • How does green HRM improve corporate culture?

    -Green HRM practices can improve corporate culture by adding responsibility to employees' everyday tasks, which in turn improves employee loyalty, job satisfaction, and reduces turnover.

  • What is the impact of green HRM on employee happiness?

    -On average, 70% of employees feel happier with their jobs after the business starts practicing green HRM because they sense importance and contribute to solving global problems.

  • How does a company's green HRM practices affect its reputation and sales?

    -Green HRM practices, combined with eco-friendly products, can lead to a better reputation for the firm, which induces higher sales and as a result, higher revenue.

  • What are some ways managers can implement green HRM in their firm?

    -Managers can implement green HRM by encouraging employees to use eco-friendly transport, work from home, reduce paper usage, communicate via emails and messengers, use tablets for meetings, recycle paper, use water dispensers, provide reusable shopping bags, and be mindful about electricity usage.

  • Can you provide examples of large firms that have adopted green HRM practices?

    -Examples of large firms that have adopted green HRM practices include Google, which coordinates business strategy with environmental efforts; Toyota, a car manufacturing firm that produces hybrid cars; and IBM, which has separated core HRM from non-core functions to save energy.

  • What are some challenges that may arise when adopting green HRM?

    -Challenges include the initial cost of educating employees and investing in organic materials and resources, lack of knowledge at the start of the journey, potential destabilization of organizational culture, and the need for advanced technology that may require additional investment.

  • Why is it important for forward-thinking business organizations to adopt green management initiatives?

    -Green management initiatives are important for forward-thinking business organizations because they encourage companies to find alternative ways to cut costs without losing talent and important resources, and they can also serve as a motivational and inspirational factor for employees.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Introduction to Green HRM

The first paragraph introduces the concept of green human resource management (HRM) for business organizations. It defines green HRM as a set of policies aimed at promoting sustainable use of resources, enhancing employee morale and satisfaction, and attracting new customers. The paragraph outlines the three main goals of green HRM: waste reduction, corporate culture improvement, and customer attraction. It also mentions the benefits of adopting green practices, such as cost savings, increased employee loyalty, job satisfaction, and a competitive advantage in the market. Examples of sustainable practices include eco-friendly transportation, reduced paper usage, and energy-efficient operations.

05:02

🚀 Implementing Green HRM and Industry Examples

The second paragraph delves into how managers can implement green HRM practices within their organizations. It suggests various strategies such as using eco-friendly transportation, promoting remote work, reducing paper and plastic waste, and encouraging energy conservation. The paragraph also highlights the importance of educating employees to be more environmentally conscious. Furthermore, it provides examples of large companies that have successfully adopted green practices, such as Google, Toyota, and IBM. These companies serve as models for others in the industry, demonstrating the benefits of integrating environmental efforts with business strategy. The paragraph concludes by addressing potential challenges in adopting green HRM, such as the initial cost of resources, lack of knowledge, and organizational culture, but emphasizes that these can be overcome with education and practice.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Green HRM

Green HRM, or Green Human Resource Management, refers to a set of policies and practices within an organization that promote sustainable use of resources and environmental responsibility. It is integral to the video's theme as it outlines the benefits and methods for businesses to adopt eco-friendly practices. The script mentions that Green HRM improves employee morale, satisfaction, and efficiency while also attracting new customers and reducing waste.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in the context of this video pertains to the ability of businesses to maintain operations without depleting resources or causing environmental harm. It is a core concept as it underpins the entire discussion on Green HRM. The script emphasizes the importance of sustainability in creating a competitive advantage and enhancing the company's reputation.

💡Employee Morale

Employee morale is the general level of happiness and satisfaction among employees. The video script highlights that Green HRM can improve employee morale by creating a sense of responsibility and importance, as employees feel they are contributing to global environmental issues.

💡Corporate Culture

Corporate culture refers to the values, beliefs, and practices that characterize a company. The script discusses how Green HRM can improve corporate culture by integrating environmental responsibility into everyday tasks, which in turn can increase employee loyalty and job satisfaction.

💡Waste Reduction

Waste reduction is a key aspect of Green HRM, focusing on minimizing the amount of waste generated by a company. The script provides examples such as reducing paper and plastic waste, which not only cuts costs but also decreases pollution and contamination.

💡Eco-friendly Products

Eco-friendly products are those that have a reduced environmental impact compared to traditional products. The video script mentions that companies can gain a competitive advantage by creating a perception of offering eco-friendly products, even if they are not yet fully sustainable, which can lead to increased sales and revenue.

💡Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars are vehicles that combine a traditional internal combustion engine with an electric propulsion system. The script uses Toyota as an example of a company that has embraced Green HRM and has motivated others by starting the production of hybrid cars, which function on both petrol and electricity, reducing their environmental impact.

💡Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency refers to the measures taken to reduce energy consumption without affecting productivity or performance. The script suggests practices such as using energy-efficient light bulbs and powering down computers after a few minutes of inactivity to save energy and reduce costs.

💡Work from Home

Working from home is a practice that allows employees to perform their work outside of a traditional office setting. The video script suggests this as a way to reduce pollution from commuting and is an example of how Green HRM can adapt to different working styles for environmental benefits.

💡Recycling

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The script mentions recycling as a part of Green HRM practices, such as making double-sided photocopies and using refillable bottles, which helps reduce waste and the use of new resources.

💡Organizational Vision

Organizational vision is the guiding set of principles and values that shape a company's long-term goals and strategies. The script discusses how the concept of sustainability or eco-friendly practices may not always align with a company's existing vision, which can be a challenge in adopting Green HRM.

Highlights

Green HRM is a set of policies encouraging sustainable use of resources within business organizations.

Green HRM aims to promote environmentalism, improve employee morale, satisfaction, and efficiency.

Three major aspects of Green HRM are reduction of waste, improvement of corporate culture, and attraction of new customers.

Reduction of waste can immediately cut costs associated with garbage removal and stationery.

Improving corporate culture through Green HRM can increase employee loyalty and job satisfaction by 70%.

Attracting new customers is achieved by implementing environmental management systems for competitive advantage.

Eco-friendly products and Green HRM practices contribute to a firm's good reputation and higher sales.

Adopting Green HRM can be done through various methods depending on the firm's willingness and size.

Using eco-friendly transport or sharing rights can reduce pollution from cars.

Allowing employees to work from home or reducing office visits can also contribute to Green HRM.

Reducing paper usage and promoting digital communication can decrease waste.

Using water dispensers and refillable bottles can lower plastic waste.

Providing reusable shopping bags and containers can minimize the use of non-reusable items.

Being mindful about electricity usage, such as powering down computers, can save energy.

Google coordinates business strategy with environmental efforts, setting an example for the industry.

Toyota has become a model of lean production and green certification, inspiring other businesses.

IBM separated core HRM from non-core functions, saving electrical energy and increasing IT capacity.

Challenges in adopting Green HRM include the need for education, lack of knowledge, and potential stress on workers.

Green management initiatives are crucial for forward-thinking business organizations.

Encouraging employees to be environmentally friendly is a top practice for organizations.

Transcripts

play00:01

[Music]

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hello and welcome to our podcast about

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green HRM we are a group of students

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that have come together to tell you

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about green human resource management

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for business organizations this video is

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going to cover all necessary aspects of

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dream human resource management firstly

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we will give you a definition then move

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on to benefits of going green after that

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stage possible ways for your firm to

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start practicing it tell you about well

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giants that are already functioning as

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sustainable businesses and explain some

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obstacles that may come along during the

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conversion into the green community we

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hope this video will encourage you to

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take action so let's roll on what is a

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green HR it is a set of policies that

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encouraged the sustainable use of

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resources within business organizations

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to promote the environmentalism in the

play01:01

process create improved employee morale

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satisfaction and efficiency by promising

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stakeholders in the competitive market

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there are three major aspects reduction

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of waste improvement of corporate

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culture attraction of new customers

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let's look at every single one in detail

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reduction of waste a decrease of garbage

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immediately cut the cost the firm would

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have to finance garbage removal fake

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tags buy as much new stationery or tools

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plastic dishes cups paper files and so

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on the main focus is of course on the

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reduction of contamination and pollution

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this leads to the following objectives

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like reduction of wasted paper and

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plastic the next focus area is the

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improvement of corporate culture green

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HRM practices and hand simply

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responsibility by adding a few more

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tasks to their everyday job it improves

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employee loyalty and lowers the to

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nowhere despite having sense of

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belonging

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job satisfaction and deficiencies also

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increase on average 70% employees feel

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happier with their jobs after the

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business starts to practice green HR

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because the employees sense importance

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and everyday nourish and idea of

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contributing to take actions relevant to

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the global problems and the third target

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of green HRM is the attraction of new

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customers nowadays companies are

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implementing environmental management

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system a strategic tool to gain

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competitive advantage this is achieved

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by creating a perception that the

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products offered are eco-friendly even

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if they aren't such yet this leads onto

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the firm having a better reputation

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green HRM practices plus eco-friendly

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products equals to good firm with a good

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reputation which induce higher sales and

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as a result higher revenue now the

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tricky part how to adopt green HRM

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how can managers implement it there are

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numerous ways the employees can take

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small steps or large ones it depends on

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the willingness and the size of the firm

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use eco-friendly transport or share

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rights this will allow to reduce

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pollution from cars more than that it is

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possible to let the employees work from

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home or come to the office less

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frequently reduce usage of paper as

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already mentioned use less people by

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communicating by emails messengers use

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tablets for meetings and presentations

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make double-sided photocopies and

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recycle unwanted paper use water

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dispensers and refillable bottles by

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which lower the amount of plastic waste

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provide reusable shopping bags and

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containers for lunch for example instead

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of constantly getting a plastic bag or a

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non reusable container the company can

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provide their own or at least educate

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employees

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be more conscious about it and lastly be

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mindful about the electricity power down

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computers after a few minutes of

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inactivity use energy efficient light

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bulbs in the initial stage of green

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nature organize a campaign and stop

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lightening up the offices at night times

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for advertisement reasons

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here are a few examples of the world's

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biggest firm that have already moved

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onto the green path Google we all know

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Google and walk up to its sizes and

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achievements in the technological world

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so here are the ways to go green their

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director coordinates business strategy

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and environmental efforts they publicist

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in the information to educate people

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from the outside and become a leader in

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the industry they were mainly the first

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ones to give the preference to a green

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HRM and maintain other firms to look up

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to them and strive to be associated with

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them second giant practices green

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interim is a car manufacturing firm

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Toyota they as acted as a model of lean

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production began to work was on the

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green certified companies which

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motivated other businesses to go green

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and start the production of hybrid cars

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hybrid cars function 60% on petrol and

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40% on electricity and the third example

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is an American multi-national

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technological company IBM they separated

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core HRM arose from the non core of

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back-office place business functions

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were the our best located based on the

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cost and skills and doubles their IT

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capacity which a result saved 1.3

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million dollars worth of electrical

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energy which is equivalent to burden

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three point

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and five million tons of coal was also

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organizations who have just decided to

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start to introduce the eco-friendly

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functioning there are some challenges

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first one cause at the beginning for

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education organic materials and other

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resources second one lack of knowledge

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only at the start of the journey due to

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the newness of the tendency third one

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organizational culture as well as the

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practice can improve it it can also

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destabilize it by putting more

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responsibility and as a result stress on

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workers also an organizational vision is

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a concept of sustainability or

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eco-friendly products may not be the

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main focus of the freedom and not be the

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aspects they are wanting to pay much

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attention to this one technology may be

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too advanced technology be required for

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example if all the notes are written by

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hand the employee will need to buy a

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computer but with the little education

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and practice those I easy to overcome

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there are surely more benefits than

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disadvantages in the conclusion we'll

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want to say that green management

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initiatives is an important factor in

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forward-thinking business organizations

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around the world green HR initiates

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companies to find alternative ways to

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cut costs without losing their talent

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and important resources HR professionals

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indicate that encouraging employees to

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be more environmentally friendly in the

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workplace is the top practice for their

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organizations matters like this one is

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more than just an act of kindness but it

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is also a motivational and inspirational

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toe

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we highly recommend the firm to practice

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it

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[Applause]

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[Music]

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you

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[Music]

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Related Tags
Green HRMSustainable BusinessEmployee MoraleCorporate CultureResource ManagementEco-friendly PracticesWaste ReductionStakeholder EngagementBusiness EfficiencyEnvironmentalism