MEDIATING ROLE OF EMPLOYEE ECO-FRIENDLY BEHAVIOR ON IMPACT OF GREEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ON EMPLOYEE AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT: A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO EMPLOYEES FROM APPAREL INDUSTRY IN VAVUNIYA DISTRICT

Abstract

Many organizations today face challenges with low affective commitment, where employees show weak emotional attachment and a limited sense of belonging to their workplace. This concern is particularly significant in Sri Lanka’s apparel industry, where sustaining a loyal and engaged workforce remains a critical yet under-addressed issue. In response to increasing global environmental demands, Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) has emerged as a strategic tool, incorporating practices such as green recruitment, green training, green rewards, and green empowerment. While GHRM is widely recognized for promoting sustainability, its influence on employee affective commitment, especially through the mediating role of eco-friendly behaviour, remains underexplored in regions like Vavuniya. This study aims to examine the impact of GHRM on affective commitment and to identify whether employee eco-friendly behaviours strengthen this impact. A quantitative approach was adopted, using a structured questionnaire to collect data from 150 employees in the apparel sector, selected through convenience sampling. The anticipated results, based on regression and correlation analyses, are expected to confirm that GHRM significantly enhances both eco-friendly behaviour and affective commitment. Furthermore, it is expected that employees who actively engage in environmentally responsible actions such as reducing waste or supporting green initiatives will report stronger emotional connections with their organizations. These expected results help to offer valuable theoretical and practical insights for HR professionals, supporting the development of sustainable and emotionally engaging work environments within Sri Lanka’s apparel industry.