The Ethics of Green Transformation: A Business Resilience-Focused Approach

Abstract

This chapter delves into the ethical complexities of the green transformation, specifically examining it through the critical lens of business resilience. It moves beyond the purely environmental and economic considerations, delving into the ethical minefield arising from skill gaps and potential injustices during this significant shift. The study hopes to explore how a focus on business resilience can pave the way for a more ethical transition. This includes strategies for reskilling and upskilling workforces, promoting diversity and inclusion within green industries, and ensuring responsible supply chains. This involves fostering flexible work arrangements, embracing lifelong learning, and prioritizing human-centric approaches to technology adoption. Overall, this chapter aims to equip businesses with a nuanced understanding of the ethical considerations inherent in the green transformation and provides practical road maps for businesses to navigate these ethical challenges while building resilience and spark a dialog on the ethical responsibilities of businesses in shaping a sustainable and equitable future. In essence, this chapter is a call for businesses to embrace a holistic approach to the green transformation, one that prioritizes not just environmental and economic considerations but also the ethical dimensions of shaping a new work culture that benefits all.

1. Introduction

The industrial revolution ushered in an era of unprecedented progress, but at a steep cost to the environment. Greenhouse gas emissions have skyrocketed, jeopardizing the delicate balance of our planet’s ecosystems [1]. The Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) paints a stark picture, highlighting a 90% increase in CO₂ emissions since the 1970s, with fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes being the primary culprits contributing 78% of the total emissions [2]. This looming crisis has spurred international action. Governments, multi-governmental conventions, and global assemblies recognize the urgency of controlling emissions and temperature rise. However, the gap between policy and implementation remains significant. Boden et al. report a staggering 9.5 billion metric tons of CO₂ released in 2011 alone, emphasizing the immense challenge we face [3]. This heightened focus on environmental concerns transcends national boundaries. As a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, industry is finding itself at the center of this transformation. Integrating green initiatives into business practices is no longer just about regulatory compliance; it is a driving force for global financing mechanisms, risk and business continuity assessments, and public discourse [4]. The path towards a sustainable future necessitates significant improvements in production methods and supply chain eco-efficiency. Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) has emerged as a crucial strategy in today’s globalized business environment [5]. However, implementing environmentally conscious practices poses a challenge, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which make up over 95% of all private sector firms globally [6]. While regulatory pressure plays a role, a growing number of industrialists, business owners, and entrepreneurs are recognizing the intrinsic value of environmental responsibility beyond mere compliance. Businesses are responding to these pressures in diverse ways. Some take a proactive stance, anticipating market demands for sustainability. Others adopt a reactive approach, adapting only when forced to. Similarly, some businesses integrate green practices as core elements of their overall strategy, while others prioritize greenwashing for marketing purposes [7, 8]. The contemporary discourse increasingly recognizes that environmental sustainability and business success are not mutually exclusive. Businesses can contribute to ecological equilibrium while participating in a green economy encompassing sectors from alternative energy to waste management [9]. Integrating green practices into a company’s DNA is a promising strategy for proactive environmental responsibility. A truly ethical green transformation goes beyond just emissions and environmental impact. It must consider the human element. This means being able to successfully address issues like reskilling the workforce for new, sustainable technologies. By providing training and support for transitioning employees, businesses can ensure a just transition and maintain a skilled workforce aligned to the emerging technologies, boosting resilience. Furthermore, embracing diversity in hiring and fostering inclusive workplaces attracts a wider talent pool, bringing a range of perspectives to the table. This diversity of thought is crucial for navigating the complexities of the green transformation and ensuring long-term business success. In essence, a focus on reskilling and diversity strengthens human development while simultaneously building a more resilient and adaptable business. This “inside-out” approach, encompassing training, capacity optimization, and low-carbon governance structures, can not only deliver environmental benefits but also enhance economic performance and stakeholder trust thus leading to business resilience [10].

2. Objectives of the study

This chapter delves into the prevalent practices and ethical dilemma faced by organizations in their efforts to integrate environmental sustainability into an organization’s core. The study explores the challenges involved in this transformation at organizational, cultural, and individual employee levels. By identifying these barriers, the way for a more integrated solution may be paved, ensuring a future where ethical business practices aligned to the challenges of the green transformation go hand in hand. The primary objective of the study is to explore the ethical complexities of the green transformation that when addressed will lead to greater business resilience, more specifically:

1. To analyze the ethical implications of the green transformation on the workforce, considering issues like job displacement, skill gaps, and equitable access to new green jobs.

2. To develop a road map for business resilience that fosters a smooth transition to the green economy by aligning workforce skills and ethical business practices to drive this transition.

The first objective focuses on the human cost of the transition and aims to identify potential ethical concerns that businesses should address. The second objective takes a solution-oriented approach, aiming to provide businesses with practical strategies to navigate the ethical challenges while ensuring their long-term success in the green economy. In order to do so, the study has involved the inspection of both primary and secondary research based on publicly available company records and studies by practitioners and academics and interviews of HR practitioners to collate the various HR practices that are currently followed by companies as greening measures keeping the ethical framework in mind. In order to evaluate the challenges for integrating green practices and ethical considerations, primary data have been collected from interviews with key functionaries within companies with a sustainability plan and the data analysis following the same have been used for identification of established organizational best practices that allow the implementation of integrated solutions.

3. Global green business best practices: a brief review

Integrating green practices into an organization’s core strategy is gaining traction as a key driver of sustainable business practices [11]. However, implementing these strategies presents significant ethical challenges to industries. There is a growing interest in overcoming these challenges, evident in both practitioner and academic circles.

This section presents a comprehensive review of both practitioner sources and academic literature on the green transformation best practices. The review encompasses academic articles and reports on green policies, practices, and implementation challenges from the JSTOR database. Practitioner sources including industry reports, governmental mandates, and intergovernmental reports have also been looked into in this section. This holistic approach aims to provide a clear picture of the current state of green business practices and identify existing gaps between compliance requirements, theoretical frameworks, and actual implementation. The review also explores ongoing scientific advancements and technological innovations that hold promise for further reducing resource consumption and eliminating or significantly diminishing waste and harmful emissions and how these can affect the labor market in terms of new skills needed to actionize these changed directions. Finally, the section examines the growing body of environmental regulations that are transforming the legal landscape towards a more environmentally responsible approach to business governance across all sectors. This includes stricter enforcement mechanisms for environmental accountability, with a focus on integrating ecological considerations into financial reporting practices.

Companies are now facing pressure to account for environmental damage within their financial statements, moving green auditing and financial management from voluntary measures to enforceable requirements [12]. In response to this evolving legal landscape, companies are implementing various green practices like transitioning to renewable energy sources for manufacturing and operations, adopting environmentally friendly transportation solutions, investing in research and development for designing products that minimize material and energy consumption, and implementing comprehensive recycling initiatives throughout the product life cycle. These internal measures are complemented by actions that extend beyond the organization’s boundaries like selecting suppliers with strong environmental practices (green supplier selection) and collaborating with customers to develop green product specifications and implement extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs. The OECD defines EPR as an environmental policy approach that extends a producer’s responsibility for a product to its postconsumer stage [13].

Green human resource management (GHRM), which is a strong driver of this green transformation, incorporates a set of approaches and practices to help the organizational workforce to preserve and have access to enough knowledge capital through ecologically inviting and cost-effective strategies [14, 15]. According to Khan, GHRM uses human resource management strategies to encourage the sustainable use of resources inside organizations and foster a secure workplace. In this way, organizations have adopted a green culture that reorients not just all staff members’ attitudes, habits, and behaviors but also their entire operating method [16]. By influencing the mental and behavioral states of employees, culture can be improved in terms of representative mindfulness, skills, and environmentally friendly behavior [17].

Lee defined green management as the process by which companies create environmental management strategies to take control of the environment [18]. To conserve the environment for future generations, businesses must find a balance between inescapable economic expansion and environmental protection but not at the cost of the human capital [19].

The concept of green human resource management incorporates behavioral components to achieve a lower carbon footprint. Apart from the personnel being committed to implementing the greening measures from a technological innovation point of view as well as incorporating green measures in their personal choices related to the workspace like carpooling, job sharing, teleconferencing, video interviews, recycling, telecommuting, online training, and maximizing the use of energy-efficient office equipment, GHRM focuses on greening organizations by finding new approaches and methods that involve “people.” Green initiatives are challenging to launch since they call for organization-wide changes, and GHRM ensures that any new change is implemented, enforced, and approved by “people” [20].

Four significant and effective green human resource management practices can be identified from the review of recent relevant literature [21]. The first is Green Recruitment and Selection (GRS). At the moment, organizations are recognizing the value of GRS, and HR experts are focusing heavily on hiring and keeping skilled workers [22]. By skilled workers in the context of greening an enterprise, employers look for candidates that share their organizations’ values and are sensitive to the environment. Employees must, from their initial engagement within the organization, be ready to participate in eco-friendly activities to boost their own performance as well as the organizations impact in sustainability [23]. Activities and companies that promote sustainability focus on drawing their candidates from a competent, educated, and trained workforce [24]. Employers can share adequate information about their environmental accomplishments through online recruiting and selection, which aligns employee and employer values with environmental preservation issues and boosts staff engagement and motivation. Organizations today understand that establishing a reputation as a green employer is one of the finest methods for attraction of new talent, claims Muisyo [25].

The second emergent area of focus is Green Training and Development (GTD). The literature that is currently available suggests that GTD plays a significant role in achieving environmental goals and improving environmental performance (ibid). In addition, training and development are practices intended to develop employee knowledge, perspectives, and skills [26]. Training adds value to employee skills and is crucial to retaining and motivating employees. As a result, organizations who have received good results with their greening efforts spend a lot of time and money educating their staff on environmental issues and trying to provide them with the tools they need to do their jobs. Moreover, preparing on how to decrease energy usage and waste as well as raising awareness of environmental and climate change issues have been effective in empowering workers to take an interest in engaging with natural issues [27]. The engagement with green aspects has been shown to create momentum for workers to be more productive in green activities [28]. Giving training to help promote reusing and waste treatment, supporting adaptable hours and telework, and minimizing long-distance commerce travel [29] are exceptionally valuable for minimizing adverse natural impacts of organizational activity. Making the workforce mindful of the environment through classes and workshops at the organizational level is additionally a basic step for accomplishing great ecological implementation success [30]. Ahmad explained in a study of supervisors that the finest administration practices that encourage the accomplishment of environmental objectives are environmental training and making a favorable green culture for representatives, where they accept that they are part of the environmental results [31].

The third area of intervention according to the review of literature is Green Rewards and Compensation (GRC). Rewards and compensations are considered important GHRM processes as it is through rewards and incentives that employees receive recognition; it is the fuel to motivate and empower employees towards green responsibility [32]. It is considered one of the most powerful processes through which individual interests are linked to the organization’s interests [33]. Within the framework of GHRM, green rewards are increasingly being used to support environmental activities in organizations to encourage pro-environmental behavior, practices, and their practical application to track impact [34].

The last human resource practice found to be effective for producing good environmental outcome for companies is that of incorporating green performance measures into the appraisal system. This is also known as Green Performance Appraisal (GPA). To achieve the defined performance indicators and close the performance gap as identified through ongoing evaluation of not just individual employees but the cumulative organizational performance, management and alignment of individual employee performance with the expected optimal organizational performance is needed [35]. Since, the reliability, validity, and fairness of performance appraisal criteria converge to impact the employee’s career path, previous studies have emphasized that standards for measuring green employee job performance should carefully align with the organization’s standards for environmental performance [36].

It is a known fact that businesses have increasingly become aware of the needed focus on product innovation for environmental sustainability, leading to process improvements particularly focused on green human resource management. However, in many real-world situations, there are still many areas for improvement and research opportunities to identify the gaps globally. The growth of green human resource management within organizations is not just restricted there. Research has found that it is also linked to the spread of awareness and augmentation of civil society’s understanding of environmental sustainability. This awareness not only encompasses environmental consciousness but also extends to the social and economic well-being of both the company and its workers in a wider context involving the triple bottom line [37].

The various identified human resource practices that may prove successful in greening an enterprise, that is, recruiting, hiring, educating, and compensating that the literature review has pointed towards, allows anticipation of the fact that GHRM needs to take direct responsibility for building a green workforce that not only recognizes the critical requirements in this context but is also able to appreciate and get the systems in place to practice these green initiatives at an individual level to reach the green objectives of the enterprise [38]. Hence, the idea is that only one department following a set of practices is not adequate to meet the green objectives of the organization. GHRM hence may be said to refer to a comprehensive understanding and engagement of all employees in not just the implementation of policies, procedures, and systems cascaded down from the top but also the involvement of employees in a meaningful way that ensures the good of the worker, as well as the community and of course the company [39]. However, while organizations ought to take into account and involve their unique characteristics and strive towards achieving optimal impacts, it is equally true that it is not just the efforts of human resource administration through high-performance work practices that may continuously have the same affect in totally different national settings [40].

4. Theoretical framework

Based on the literature review conducted, the researcher has come to an understanding that for individual measures or companywide strategies to be successful, be it in ethically greening an enterprise or whatever change management is attempted, the employee behavior (and corresponding supporting organizational culture) has to be the prime focus of such activities. So, essentially, a people focus combined with a process focus is mandatory for long-term success in this context. However, the shift to green technologies renders some existing jobs obsolete. Companies have an ethical responsibility to offer reskilling and upskilling opportunities to their current workforce, but this can be expensive and time-consuming. There is a risk of leaving some workers behind, creating unemployment and economic hardship. This study proposes a theoretical framework that examines the ethical considerations surrounding the green transformation, focusing on business resilience. For this, the study draws on several key theoretical concepts. The first one of this is the Stakeholder Theory [41], which serves as the foundation, recognizing that businesses have a responsibility not just to shareholders but to all stakeholders impacted by their actions. In the context of the green transformation, stakeholders include employees, vendors, communities, future generations, and the environment itself. According to Hameed et al. [42], the stakeholder theory, which is used in management to efficiently organize and structure organizational concerns in a variety of scenarios, can form the theoretical basis to unpack the root cause of the success of green implementation in organizations. According to Freeman [41], credited with originally detailing and extensively using the stakeholder theory in his research, administrators and decision makers inside a company should be able to create enough value for stakeholders in any change management initiative to get them involved. The success of companies in enduring largely depends on managing to get stakeholders aligned to the core belief of the enterprise. When this theory is used to explore the possible road map of integrating ethical considerations within the green way of doing business, the focus falls on mapping behavioral change of the employees (internal stakeholder of the company) through sensitization efforts to environmental and ethical standards adopted by the company, the maturity of the company culture in integrating supply chain associates and distributors (external stakeholders) into the green ethos of the company, whether and how the effectiveness of these measures are evaluated and monitored, looking at the impact of these measures on the employees and the company, and the associated challenges involved. Based on the application of the stakeholder theory, Hörisch, et al. [43] identified three areas of possible intervention for managing the greening efforts of a company: education and awareness creation, regulation and norms institution, and creation of value for identified stakeholders. These concepts from prior research have been adapted into the theoretical framework used for this study. The caselets that form the research findings were based on the level of sensitization achieved in the organization and the challenges faced, the ethical consideration of the green measures navigated or compliances already adopted, the effectiveness of the present ethical practices articulated in policy and praxis (operations as well as governance), the monitoring instituted to measure the efficacy of the emergent practices in various HR functions in the organization, the integration of external stakeholders (vendors, off roll associates, etc.) into the process, and the value creation achieved by exploring the impact of the activity. The second theoretical construct adopted was the Just Transition Framework proposed by the International Labour Organization, 2015 [44], which provides a road map for a fair and equitable shift towards a green economy. This framework emphasizes decent work opportunities, social protection mechanisms, and skills development for workers potentially displaced by the transition and helped in analyzing ethical dilemmas arising from job displacement, reskilling, and access to green jobs. The next theoretical framework used was that of Technological Determinism versus Social Shaping of Technology (SST). This debate is relevant for examining how technological advancements in the green economy shape the future of work. While technological determinism suggests technology dictates social change, SST emphasizes the social and ethical factors that influence the design and implementation of technologies [45]. Understanding this relationship is crucial for ensuring technology serves human needs and promotes a sustainable future. The study has integrated these frameworks to analyze the ethical challenges associated with the green transformation. By considering stakeholder interests, ensuring a just transition for workers, applying ethical principles to business decisions, addressing technological implications, and promoting individual capabilities, the study hopes to explore strategies for businesses to navigate the ethical complexities while fostering resilience and aligning with the future of work.

Figure 1 depicts a framework for studying a road map for an ethical green transformation, incorporating three key theoretical lenses: Stakeholder Theory, Just Transition Framework, and the debate between Technological Determinism and Social Shaping of Technology (SST).

Figure 1.

Theoretical framework. Source: Author’s own.

At the center of the figure is the box representing the green transformation roadmap. Box A represents the Stakeholder Theory, which identifies key stakeholders impacted by the green transformation (employees, customers, communities, investors, and environment) and sustainable as well as ethical transformations demand enterprises to prioritize stakeholder needs in decision-making. Box B represents the Just Transition Framework, which focuses on ensuring a fair and equitable transition to a green economy. It focuses on addressing issues like job displacement and reskilling, social safety nets for affected workers, and community development in regions impacted by shifts in industries. The arrow from box A and box B towards the central box signifies that these two theories influence the green transformation roadmap. Box C represents Technological Determinism. Technological Determinism assumes technology drives societal change. An arrow points from box C to road map, meaning technology influences the road map. Box D represents SST, which argues that society shapes and directs technological development. An arrow similarly points to the road map, signifying that it also influences the ethical road map for green transformation.

5. Research questions

This theoretical framework guided the development of research questions that explore specific ethical choices adopted by businesses in their greening journey to ensure a just transition for workers and whether this factor can contribute to developing resilience for the enterprise.

• What are the processes to ensure a just transition for workers negatively affected by the green transformation?

• How can businesses promote equitable access to green jobs, considering diversity and inclusion?

• How can businesses effectively green the supply chain and source materials minimizing environmental and social harm?

• How can technology be harnessed in the green transformation to enhance human capabilities and promote a sustainable future of work?

Analyzing the data, following the theoretical framework, the study hopes to explore the interplay between people, policy, and the technology to arrive at a nuanced understanding of the ethical dimensions of the green transformation and offer practical recommendations for businesses to navigate the green transformation. This will be contributing to a dialog on the ethical responsibilities of businesses in shaping a sustainable and equitable future and a possible road map in that direction.

6. Research methodology

6.1 Research protocol

In this section, the research methodology and methods that were used to collect and analyze the empirical data are presented and discussed. First, the chosen research approach is laid out. This research is mainly exploratory in its attempt to investigate the circumstances under which ethical green practices are currently implemented in multinationals and enterprises, what are the dilemmas faced by enterprises to ethical greening, and how companies can follow a pathway for better performance in their implementation, keeping the ethics of the green transformation in mind. The chosen approach is an inductive one. Its focus is on gathering data through in-depth interviews conducted with senior HR personnel of identified companies. Successful best practices, from multinationals and Indian enterprises, have been collected as part of the primary data to meet the research objectives. The sample of people approached for insights into company practices comprises key personnel from multinationals and Indian enterprises where organizational level greening measures have been initiated at various levels. The objective of our study is to explore ethical greening measures. For achieving this objective, a live caselet writing exercise was used, applying the principles of the case study method [46] to analyze the capacity building, effectiveness of integration of green measures and impact of the same, and ethical challenges therein. The analysis of the findings has led to generation of common themes, which has led to a proposed ethical road map for ethical green transformation. On an epistemological level, this research is undertaken with an interpretive approach, based on the belief that the world can be best understood through an examination of its interpretation by its participants. The ontological assumptions underlying this research are based on the belief that reality is a socially constructed phenomenon. There is not one unitary reality but a multitude of realities depending on each individual’s own experiences [47]. So, any knowledge that is achieved through this research has to be interpreted as observation, subject to the viewpoint of multiple interpretive communities. The selection of an appropriate research methodology for this research is, to a large extent, determined by the fact that it touches relatively novel ground. This study applies a qualitative research approach, making an attempt to understand the issues at hand within their individual context. Therefore, the best approach for this research appears to be exploratory. Case studies seem to be the most suitable method to apply. The answers found through examination of the case studies were compared with the findings from the literature review. A qualitative approach seems appropriate for this study as it seeks to understand how the processes of ethical green practices are implemented, experienced, interpreted, and their impacts evaluated by actors within the complex social environment of an enterprise. Although there is more than one definition of qualitative research, the common view holds that its focus is on studying processes and social realities [48].

6.2 Sample design

For this study, a non-probability convenience sampling method was employed, with the population being all known multinationals and companies of Indian origin in the state of West Bengal that employ over 1000 workers where some greening measures have been introduced. West Bengal was chosen due to the knowledge of the researcher about the particular state and for cost considerations. Business email addresses were gathered from publicly available data on websites of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and SEBI, India. The data of registered companies in the MCA database are an authentic and reliable method to access extensive business records and other information [49]. Ancillary data such as address and employee count were also subsequently gathered from the SEBI website. Then, this list was sorted by employee count, and the list included businesses with over 1000 employees to meet our criteria. These businesses were contacted for conducting interviews. Emails were sent to them introducing the researcher, the topic of research, and the requirements from the enterprises for this study. These emails were followed up with telephone calls to the numbers provided on the website with a request to connect to the concerned person. Neither telephone number nor email contact could be established for some of them. A few of them responded to the emails or phone calls but declined to participate in the study citing a variety of reasons, which they deemed inadvisable or sensitive to their operations and business. The remaining enterprises responded positively, but 3 of these did not turn out to be focusing currently in the specific area this research was looking at. Overall, 15 participants were interviewed of which only 5 in number were considered as participants in the study based on the quality of their responses. The interviews provided substantive narrations for qualitative analysis. These 5 enterprises belong to various sectors as follows: the first enterprise belongs to the mining and manufacturing sector, the second one belongs to steel manufacturing, the third one belongs to the automobiles sector, the fourth one belongs to the retail sector, and the fifth company is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India with eight Strategic Business Units—Industrial Packaging, Greases & Lubricants, Chemicals, Travel & Vacations, Logistics Infrastructure, Logistics Services, Cold Chain, and Refinery & Oil Field Services, with offices spread across the country and abroad. The names of the interviewees and organizations have been substituted by a number in order to assure the participants of the anonymity of the sources of data, wherever it is required. This assemblage of sectors is thought to be sufficient enough to derive data that can achieve the theoretical sampling logic and also provide replication of findings. Further, heterogeneity in the sample invites chances of diversity to be explored through the qualitative research paradigm that has been adopted in the present research. The respondents were chief human resource officers or senior personnel managers of the enterprises, and a total of 9 interviews were conducted for the 5 cases.

6.3 Data collection

Data from the participants were obtained with informed consent through in-depth interviews and document collection. In-depth interviews were conducted with each participant to obtain their perspective on the greening practices and ethical challenges faced by multinationals and Indian enterprises in integrating green processes within the company keeping in mind not just compliance measures but also the company’s ethos and commitment towards following a more sustainable business practice and commitment towards their employee welfare, with each interview lasting from 20 to 45 min (or 35 min each on average). An interview guide was developed focusing on ethical dilemmas and choices that may arise keeping the entire stakeholder map in mind, the challenges faced, and the prospective solutions and best practices.

The interviews were all conducted in English. All the interviews were audio-recorded with the consent of the participants and later transcribed. Interview extracts with some native expressions were translated into English when presented in this study. Relevant documents, including company ESG policies, processes, internal meetings for cascading the scorecards related to integrating green measures, all publicly available procedures, and corporate social responsibility policy and implementation-related documents, were also collected from the participants and analyzed for data triangulation [50]. The participants were also contacted during the data analysis process for additional information or clarification of their views.

6.4 Data analysis

Miles and Huberman [50] had suggested a method for theory building from case studies. This method comes close to the paradigm of social constructionism used for data analysis [48]. A critical aspect of ethical sustainability initiatives involves ensuring “just transitions” for workers [51]. This means acknowledging the social impacts of these initiatives and prioritizing support for those potentially negatively impacted by this transition. For this, it is important to explore how all possible stakeholders are being integrated to the green ethos keeping their interests in mind. The analysis will try to map if stakeholder concerns and the principles of a Just Transition inform the direction of technological adaptation within organizations and how technological advancements influence stakeholders and necessitate adjustments to the ethical greening road map for successful green transformation. The challenges and impact of implementation were also explored keeping this perspective and theoretical framework in mind.

Narrative analysis of each case and across the cases led to emerging themes exploring the possible relationships between the various factors informed by the theoretical framework. The interplay of the themes points to the ethical choices in a green transformative journey. After the transcription of the interviews verbatim, and following thorough examination of the same, meaningful clusters of words emerged as themes having relevance to the ethical integration of green paradigms, which formed the objective of the study. The relevant literature and terminology used by interviewees also informed this clustering of relevant units of meaning. After units of relevant meaning were clustered, themes emerged from these clusters of meaning based on narrative analysis. The identification of general and as well unique themes from the interviews was determined, which led to the subsequent recommendations. A comprehensive, focused caselet write-up helped summarize the key directions adopted by the enterprises in their green journey. The following section attempts to focus on the major research findings and discuss them in the light of literature review.

7. Caselets

In this section, the findings from the 5 case studies are presented. The outcomes of the various interviews, triangulated with secondary research and the findings from publicly available company reports and other relevant publications, are presented in relation to the identified main themes that emerged from the analysis. It is worth mentioning at this juncture that the process of triangulation adds to the validation of the obtained findings, thereby calling forth its application in the current study. While building the cases, data collected from the interviews and other secondary sources were all collated together. The cases captured the unique context, the driver and challenges for integrating ethical sustainability measures within the company, and the best practices described by the interviewees during the interview were also collated. The interviewees were asked to narrate the story of the successful green journey of the enterprise and its stakeholders, what challenges they faced on the way, and how the direction of technological development informed or influenced the social aspects of the green transformation roadmap.

7.1 Company 1

Company 1 is a mining and manufacturing company set up in the 1950s, which functions in an arena that is highly polluting by default. As a result, even prior to the articulation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), anti-polluting measures had to be integrated into the policy and governance structure. This made it possible for the organization to conceptually accept, and to a certain extent integrate, SDGs into its policy framework. The company is still not in an absolutely environmentally green space, but with a fairly strong sustainability portal in place, it is on its way.

As mentioned, this company has been on a greening journey for several decades even before clarity in green governance came through either globally or in specific reference to India. Adherence to specific standards started rolling in as the standards started getting adopted in its business ecology.

This goes in tandem with participant A saying, “As a middle to broad gauge mining and extraction company which is listed, we have to comply to the new companies act and publish BRSR reports. Our sustainability portal is very strong. We are doing greening for last 30 years.”

This company not only provides to the domestic market but also has its fair share of exports and therefore needs to adhere to international norms and mandates as regards greening protocols all over the world. From the inception till a definitive portal was formed apropos the sustainability bill and the changes in the Indian Companies Act, the entire responsibility of this drive was borne by the personnel/HR department, which took it upon itself to hit the ground running and transfer the greening while acquiring the concepts and modalities themselves—this led to a fairly green compliant HR department, even though there were other challenges. The HR department did the initial skill and knowledge transfer, and when the sustainability department was formed, they were assigned the added task of recruiting, skilling up, and managing the requisite operations of trying to retain as many of the employees as could be possible and set up a comprehensive process to compensate the displaced workers within the financial limit permissible.

Participant A: “Letting go of our own trusted skilled workers was never an option, reskilling was a significant target we achieved with cost efficiency, keeping within time limits.”

The constraints were in the fact that there was a dearth of skilled manpower, issues of competence and hierarchy, and a lack of industry sector understanding in the new green recruits who found it difficult to take up the challenges of the new roles not only as compliance and governance officers but also as personnel allocated towards communication and rolling out of greening policies company wide. In fact, participant A reported, “We have end customers outside India and already have several ISO certifications which the HR team used to handle. Now we have passed it onto the separate sustainability team. Unfortunately, they do not report to us and the technological changes involved impacted the livelihood opportunities of an entire community surrounding the mines who found it hard to adopt to the rapidly shifting work force demands so at point in time we thought operations had to be stopped totally so difficult we found it to integrate the technological changes.”

His statement reverberates with some of the challenges faced by the company till date. Investing in diversity and inclusiveness, technology enablement within the employees helped meet the challenges. Apart from the direct employees, the company has been responsibly dealing with the communities surrounding the mines for a long time. Such vendors who are involved in direct mining, extraction, and manufacturing processes in either the field or provision of specific industrial supplies are generally compliant to all minimum mandates, which is ensconced in the basic governance mandated for provision of such supplies. However, a wide scope integration of all the vendors in the entirety of their processes has not yet been possible due to multifarious circumstances. However, most of the transformation has happened organically.

Participant A: “We extended as much help as was possible to our venders so that they were part of the greening efforts of the company. It was not forced upon them.”

There is no articulated governance framework or strategy that clearly integrates HR with green measures; this may be as there is a gap in either the perception of the company promoters or knowledge inputs received from the greater ecology. The company has invested in research that promotes green technology adapted to the needs of the ecology where the mines are situated, which has to a great extent helped the transformation.

7.2 Company 2

The second company from which data was collected is a steel manufacturing company. High level of sensitization efforts to the greening process were instituted within the company from very early on. It was possible to institute this massive effort thanks to this being the largest mature steel firm in India, which is also a multinational corporation.

Sensitization and transparent communication regarding the greening initiative built trust in their workers which helped in technological adaptation by the existing work force and there was greater participation instead of major resistance which they had feared. In the recent past, the company has acquired multiple steel firms and steel producing companies in the United Kingdom and all over the world to keep up with the rapidly evolving technological changes that the company needs to invest in.

Participant B: “Even previously, before the SDGs or the MDGs had even been formed, this is a company which has been rolling out sustainability through innovative HR and personnel norms and recruitment practices which are considered best practices in the industry.”

Challenges faced in the sensitization process are because of a very large number of employees working across divisions and because this company also has subsidiaries, with many of them being international companies, which have been integrated into the mainframe, and consequently, there is a lot of silo effect that the company faces constantly in trying to bring everybody over to the one single all-encompassing policy that it has rolled out from the very beginning.

Participant B: “One tremendous strength of the entire company is that, from the purview of business excellence, which is an international norm, this company has formed a business excellence framework based on the European foundation for quality management. And this makes the entire functioning of all policies, even with specific focus on HR measures to be very effective.”

However, the personnel (participant B) representing the company was observed reporting, “We have a very small HR team in comparison to our entire team. This can be flagged as an area of concern, if you want to put it.”

However, the large company size and the number of direct subsidiaries fully owned by the company following certain norms is a problem in sensitization. Generically, the challenge faced is that of the number of resources to be allocated with the purpose of sensitizing the people who are lower in the organogram or in the hierarchy.

In fact, this may be elaborated where the interviewee (participant B) belonging to the company said, “Sensitisation across portals has been a sustained challenge that we have met especially with our UK based wholly owned subsidiaries who often conform to different set of management processes.”

Apart from a small number of issues, as far as maturity or calibration of the policy into governance or into actual implementation is concerned, there is not much of a problem. Compliance with green measures has already been adopted including measures followed all over the world and all kinds of relevant practices. This company, the largest in India, is the living encyclopedia of best practices that can be considered, for all other companies in the same sector. Even those companies that are not in the same sector can also consider their best practices, as companies approach this company for holding workshops or taking them through processes by lending out their HR and sustainability offices.

This may be reflected in the saying of the personnel (participant B) as, “Every time our company confirms to a new governance process and rolls it out, the India government adopts it one year later. If you are talking about process robustness and management systems, we are the market leader.”

So, as far as green measures and compliances to be adopted, the company is absolutely in place. For greening the entire supply chain and identified stakeholders, the company has invested in infrastructure to form a separate cluster of vendors and on and off role associates of all sorts who have to completely comply to each and every one of the green measures that the company follows in-house. And for this, the company pays a considerable amount of money for training every year to integrate it into the DNA of the vendors as well.

Participant B: “So, for the vendors at any point of time also acting as suppliers to other companies, this is an extreme value addition that is given by this company to all of the vendors which are enrolled with them. The research and development wing of the company is very strong and has facilitated the successful implementation of the greening measures.”

There has been immense government funding for this. The company has its core focus on responsible economic development and respect on public opinion about environmentally responsible business practices, which has always influenced the direction of its technological development.

7.3 Company 3

One of the largest players in the automobile sector, company 3, which is our next case, has moved into electrical vehicle manufacturing, for both national and international markets. It happens to be an MNC (multinational corporation) and is working according to international norms with great efficacy. However, its greening journey has faced certain problems and certain constraints, which are now being rolled out in the rest of the caselet.

In comparison to the companies previously discussed, this is a newer company. However, the company is just as committed to sensitization efforts about the SDGs and the other green norms that are regularly being carried out in the company.

Participant C: “Most of the people who are working in this company are sensitized to the green policies, governances and methodologies that are meant to be followed.”

The company manufactures not only automobiles but also electrical vehicles. They want to ensure a certain number of buyers all over the world. The company has to follow certain norms and mandates, which are adhering to the UN and the other sustainability principles.

This resonates with what participant C says, “Ever since we moved from producing only traditional automobiles to electric vehicles, there is a lot of knowledge gap that both the HR and sustainability teams are having to handle which includes sensitisation to newly emerging statutes as well as various independent market drivers.”

The company invested very early in technology transfer, not just responding to the concerns about air pollution and climate change but also as a well-devised technology transfer strategy. It has been the recipient of government funding for EV research, combined with pressure on car manufacturers for lower emissions, pushed for advancements in battery technology and electric vehicle design. Stricter emission regulations and government incentives for EV purchases further shaped the landscape in which the company operates. Growing consumer interest in sustainability and environmental awareness led to a rise in demand for EVs, encouraging the company to prioritize their development and production.

Participant C: “We promptly responded very to market conditions.”

Participant C reported that “diversity management and setting up inclusive training facilities has enriched the recruitment process to help drive this transition.”

This is a company that has moved from the traditional manufacture of automobiles to the manufacture of electrical vehicles. Yet there are a lot of gray areas that are emerging. For example, electrical vehicles are, as yet, a very highly polluting manufacturing process, while the ultimate effect on the greenhouse gases and on the sustainability canvas worldwide is still not very clear. These are being touted all over the world as the replacement of fossil fuel-powered cars.

In fact, the personnel (participant C) from the company was observed saying, “We have to remember that in our line of work, certain pollution will always happen”. Participant C further said, “while we always give best in class solutions from the ESG or human capital perspectives, we cannot offer such solutions which can negatively impact the company’s revenue map. What many people who are even part of the United Nation and other policy dictating fora do not understand, is that in the creation of the process, there is a major amount of non-sustainable processes involved, which ensure that the entire creation of the vehicle, which comes out into the field or into the market to be sold is the direct sum total of certain processes, which are not very sustainable. Now, in this gray area, to be able to instruct, to be able to train, and to be able to sensitize each of the personnel in all of their integrities, and make sure that they adhere to the entire governance map, is a major challenge which is being faced by both the human resources and learning and development personnel. Our green compliances are regularly and optimally mapped to the market- it is one of our major pride points.”

It is also to be noted that there are many emergent measures that are not being considered, which are emerging as post-Paris protocol mandates, a number of which are also governing how this specific industry unfolds in the process. A lot of the compliances that are being adhered to are changing, and this emergence is being mapped to the governance, while the corresponding market can also be observed to emerge in its own way.

7.4 Company 4

Company 4 is a large-scale retail hypermarket, a private limited company working in India. There are around 500 people working in the human resources department, and it is a pretty advanced set of skills that they come with, because HR for retail requires very specialized skills. There are a lot of specialized people, but then, there is a very high attrition rate. This retail company is not really sensitized to the UN SDGs, but since it is a listed company and one of the larger companies in India, it is under the guidelines of the Indian government to comply to corporate social responsibility mandates and other non-polluting policy measures.

This resonates with the participant D saying, “We are a very large company offering employment to a really large number of people – this is a high turnover, high function workplace which has to conform to the personnel planning methods of our industry. We cannot focus only on green just because it sounds good.”

As far as sustainability plans or sustainability aspects of the government are considered, they are mandated.

“We have a sustainability officer who looks at publishing all required reports,” as quoted by the personnel (participant D) from the said company.

But as far as triple bottom line or sustainability principles is concerned, this is not an organization that is green as much as it can be. Green transformation is not very high on its priority.

In fact, the interviewee (participant D) was observed saying, “A retail store chain is a different animal than other industries – since, we deal with a lot of FMCG and fresh goods as well as direct consumables, we are very careful about our anti-pollution systems. But seriously anything else cannot be integrated as it will use a lot of executive time which would not be a value-added activity. Managing the entire supply chain of farm to store is impossible currently because of so many market constraints, unless those factors change, our processes cannot.”

Challenges in integrating the sustainability practices are very high because where the integration challenge lies, even the knowledge or the concept is not there culturally.

Participant D: “Technology alone cannot drive this change; it has to be integrated into social forces as well”.

For an organization as large as this to have an HR process, which is mostly transactional, is in itself a non-value addition to the entire workforce and also to the entire operational strategy.

According to participant D, “to be able to take it to the next level, first they have to do a clear assessment of the operations strategy and integrate all of these aspects of green HR into it, which should become a little less transactional and a little more oriented towards the kind of future that the company is trying to look at when it seeks to envision green as a practice.”

7.5 Company 5

Company 5 is an Indian central public sector undertaking owned by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India with eight Strategic Business Units—Industrial Packaging, Greases & Lubricants, Chemicals, Travel & Vacations, Logistics Infrastructure, Logistics Services, Cold Chain, and Refinery & Oil Field Services, with offices spread across the country and abroad. Resources who work in the HR Department and are currently on direct rolls and contract are 890 in number. High turnover rate is unfortunately a problem that the HR department regularly faces, but essentially, the senior people have high continuance. Training the entire workforce in green technology and processes with this challenge has proved a problem. Senior HR professionals working for any of its various subsidiaries or even for the main company are people who have very high knowledge of HR systems and also help in rolling them out, apropos the government norms. Sensitization to the UN SDGs and Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting principle is very high because it is completely a wholly owned subsidiary of the government.

Participant E: “It has to conform to the laws and rules of the land to the utmost degree and there can be no violation of the standardization, which is done internally as well as ratified externally by certifications and also by the Bureau of Indian Standards, so there cannot be any kind of violations with which they can keep on functioning.”

Challenges faced in the sensitization process, however, are not low.

Participant E: “…because it happens to be a very prestigious company or group of companies to work in and there is a lot of recruitment which keeps on happening every year. Now the people who come in come from either engineering institutions or management institutions of note, are not necessarily sensitized to green HRM or green systems per se. They have a basic knowledge that they pick up from the ecology of their own business schools or engineering colleges or from the previous industry or the previous company where they had worked provided there had been robust processes at such places. In such cases they come with robust knowledge but otherwise, since this specific company and group of companies have to adhere to all the governmental norms, therefore sometimes sensitization is a problem.” as the chief HR officer clarified.

As a leading government sector undertaking, all kinds of national and international relevant systems are running, and most of this comes under the HR department. This is a very large company with a very good HR function, and all clean, green principles are followed as government mandates.

Participant E: “There is no mandate about green HR and till that happens I do not see such a policy or system coming up in this company. However, I have experienced the benefits of hiring practices adhering to inclusive and diversity norms for change management initiative to succeed. New blood is infused into the processes but the new recruits need to be handheld rigorously to induct them into the green ethos.”

This may be explained by a study by Rozar et al. [8] who were of the opinion that firms may come up with mixed reactions to adapt green policies into their systems. While some may succeed to follow a proactive approach to foresee market demands, others are content to react to the demands once they are inevitably forced upon them, while some businesses succeed to include the green perspective as a major element in their overall business strategy, while others are satisfied to only appear green for marketing purposes. This has also been supported by Baresel-Bofinger [9] and Zhu et al. [7].

Participant E further clarified that “the company has already adopted many green measures and compliance and maturity of green measures are very high because the company is a PSU which is of the status of a ‘Miniratna’ company in India. All of these types of companies have to have all the systems and processes, statutes and mandates rolled out in entirety. We also try to induct our vendors into the green ethos and green the value steam.”

While the HR is a very large division, there is a marked lack of understanding between those who come with a complete and clear picture of the big canvas of the SDGs and the sustainability principles and those who are perhaps a little older in the system, not necessarily more senior, who are not willing to perhaps go all the way and institute all the measures. The consequent impact of this on human resources is that even inside the department of HR, there are some silos that require to be worked at, and better negotiation and better conflict management requires to be done, which is one of the concerns that the government is facing. A lot of government processes that might have helped in greening the processes like mandatory green public procurement are not in place, so the entire supply chain is not integrated. Participant E: “Greening cannot be done in isolation.” Since it is a large company and its liabilities are taken care of by the government, the annual report generally shows a good result even though all subsidiaries do not perform the same way, but none of the companies are sick. So, all of them are producing enough to take care of their own employees and at the same time assure a certain amount of revenue to the government as referred to already. The major challenge in integration is that for the integration to happen, there has to be first a clarity in the department itself and the sustainability, HR, and the older HR people who are the personal managers all require to be absolutely in sync with a policy or all the policies that are rolled out and that would make integrating or rolling out green HRM much easier for the entire group of companies.

8. Discussion

To operationalize the objectives of the study, a select sample of organizations with greening measures instituted in their workplaces has been interviewed to examine to what extent their journey integrates or otherwise with the theoretical framework designed for the study. In-depth questions have been asked in light of their understanding of just transition; processes instituted to promote equitable access to green jobs, considering diversity and inclusion; the knowledge dissemination and sensitization efforts instituted internally as well as externally including all stakeholders; and how the technology has been harnessed in the green transformation to enhance human capabilities and promote a sustainable future or if technology has influenced completely the greening processes. Semi-structured interviews have been identified in numerous studies as the most effective for qualitative research, because despite the prior literature-based understanding of these complex interactions, there is possibility for the participants to identify issues that the researcher has not anticipated. Detailed analysis of the interview transcripts was done using narrative analysis identifying common issues, processes, as well as challenges within the 5 micro narratives studied. This enabled the researchers to converge upon some learnings. The in-depth interviews revealed a compelling need for a future-proofed approach to workforce development in the energy-intensive industry. Four key themes emerged that participants felt helped in rolling out green measures within companies. Overall, the key findings of the present research in the form of varied emergent themes are explained as follows:

9. Age-centric segmentation of labor force learning challenges and ethical precepts

Recognizing that learning styles and preferences differ across age groups, training programs must be tailored to effectively engage all generations. Ethical considerations are paramount, ensuring equitable access to learning opportunities that bridge skill gaps without age bias.

10. Embracing diversity without compromising on skill quality

Diversity in the workforce is not just an ethical imperative but also a strategic advantage. However, prioritizing diversity must not come at the expense of skill quality. Effective recruitment strategies should attract a wider talent pool while upholding rigorous skill assessments.

11. Demographic agnostic labor force allocation aligning market force demands to priority frameworks

Moving beyond demographic quotas, future workforce allocation should be based on a skills-first approach. By aligning market demands with established frameworks that prioritize factors like gender equality, a truly inclusive talent pipeline can be ensured. Both themes 2 and 3 bring out the fact that social factors shape the principles of a fair transition.

12. The dynamic interplay between technology and the greening road map

Technological advancements influence the green road map, indicating that while companies acknowledge that technology drives change, similarly stakeholders necessitate adjustments to the green road map rolled out by the company to ensure success. Stakeholders’ concerns inform the social shaping of technology. Social factors like government funding, public pressure on corporations, and scientific expertise all influence the direction of technological development. Research and development efforts are more likely to focus on areas with social backing including laws and regulations that shape how technologies are used and deployed.

By embracing these interconnected themes, industry can build a more resilient, dynamic, and inclusive workforce. This will be critical for navigating the complex challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The green transformation presents a complex ethical landscape with significant implications for the future of work. This study, guided by a multifaceted theoretical framework, has explored the ethical considerations surrounding reskilling needs, access to green jobs, responsible sourcing practices, and the ethical implications of technology adoption in the green economy. Our analysis highlights the importance of a “just transition” approach, ensuring social protection and reskilling opportunities for workers potentially displaced by the green shift. Businesses must prioritize ethical considerations in their decision-making processes, applying principles from stakeholder theory and business ethics frameworks (e.g., Utilitarianism) to navigate dilemmas surrounding workforce disruption. Furthermore, fostering social shaping of technology (SST) is crucial. By prioritizing human-centric design and responsible sourcing practices, businesses can contribute to a sustainable future of work that benefits all stakeholders. Based on the narrative analysis of the data, a visual representation of the green transformation roadmap based on the theoretical framework shown in Figure 1 is given in Figure 2.

Figure 2.

Green transformation roadmap. Source: Author’s own.

13. Conclusion

The energy-intensive industry is undergoing rapid transformation. Companies must adopt a Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) approach to skills planning. By mapping emerging skill needs to industry changes, organizations can proactively cultivate a workforce equipped for the future. This study serves as a springboard for further research and dialog. Businesses, policymakers, and educators must collaborate to develop comprehensive strategies that address the ethical challenges of the green transformation. By prioritizing ethical considerations alongside environmental goals, we can pave the way for a more resilient and equitable future of work for generations to come. The present research has the following limitations:

This research is limited by geography as all the interviews were done in a specific part of the country. This may be expanded if further research is conducted with the present work being considered a point of departure.

Scope of the research might be expanded as well—if all aspects of administration are considered within the present framework, then the HRM centricity may well extend to research outcomes including to enrichment and optimization of all systems and companywide strategy, which might lead to exponential growth for the company holistically.

There was a “boundaries of disclosure” aspect to data sharing that sometimes made data collection a little prohibitive—since the physical location was inside India, and the data protection bill was still in the offing when the interviews were conducted, therefore the collection in all of the companies were not of the same degree (the interviewer/researcher felt) of transparency.

This research, while brief, has opened the door to many possibilities that emerged in its course. The primary way forward seems a deeper and more extensively designed research across more diverse and extended geographies. The scope must have greater inclusivity in industry type, sector, and span. A secondary observation that emerges is that this can also help advocate and facilitate bringing the Just Transition narrative into the corporate mainstream, which in turn would have far-reaching effects on the paradigms associated with sustainability and sustainable practices.