The Impact of Green Human Resource Management on Employee Performance in Public Sector Units: A Survey in Vietnam

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practices and employee performance within Vietnam’s public sector units an environment often seen as rigid and resistant to change. In particular, the research delves into the mediating role of employee motivation, a factor frequently overlooked in the bureaucratic structure of government institutions. Drawing on survey data from 287 civil servants and public employees across various state organizations, the study employs statistical tools such as ANOVA, t-tests, and regression analysis to examine both the direct and indirect effects of GHRM practices on performance outcomes. The findings clearly indicate that GHRM-when properly implemented through green recruitment, green training, and environmentally-oriented performance appraisal substantially improves employee performance. Crucially, employee motivation emerges as the linchpin that connects sustainable HR practices with tangible performance results. Public sector units that adopt a holistic GHRM approach report noticeable improvements in task performance, organizational citizenship behaviors, and a marked reduction in counterproductive work behaviors an issue that, though often swept under the rug, quietly erodes organizational effectiveness. Beyond academic inquiry, this study issues a compelling message to HR practitioners and policymakers in the public sector: bureaucratic control and administrative orders alone no longer suffice. If the public sector is to thrive in the era of green transition, it must learn to inspire and align its workforce through values-driven, environmentally responsible management. That, more than any top-down reform, is what will sustain meaningful performance in the long run.