Resourcing and Realigning human resources in the light of Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

 The SDG’S applicable in this call for papers will be no poverty; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities and climate action. When considering the poverty organizational effectiveness, management of corporate governance and ethics beyond financial success, and the realignment of the organization's future direction and vision for new methods of working are all aided by human resource management (Chams and García-Blandón, 2019; Jimenez et al., 2021). Businesses nowadays are increasingly realising the importance of social, ethical, and environmental goals (Chams and Garca-Blandón, 2019).
 
Organizations are expanding their objectives to include environmental sustainability, personal sustainability, and community sustainability in addition to financial success (Bag et al., 2020).
For example, through expanding prospects for self-sufficiency, business growth, and material wealth (Sheller and Urry 2009; Korten, 1998). Sustainable Human Resource Management (SHRM) is one of the fields pushed as part of the "green" movement (Chams and Garca-Blandón, 2019). New ecological methods and innovative sustainable strategies can help businesses reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Sheller and Urry 2009; Korten, 1998).

When considering inclusive and sustainable economic growth, decent work and economic growth will contribute to the SDG in many ways such as to reduce the unemployment (Iduseri et al., 2022), environmental degradation and the depletion of natural resources which has caused by human economic expansion (Sheller and Urry 2009; Korten, 1998). Despite this, social action is very limited to remedy this situation (Sheller and Urry 2009). Human factors play a critical role in resource preservation and sustainable development (Pfeffer, 2010; Speth, 2010). In response to the growing focus on social responsibility and sustainable performance, organizations have developed new goals beyond financial profit, such as achieving social and environmental objectives (Elkington, 1998).

According to a survey of 2800 global corporations, 70% include sustainability as a primary issue in their strategic plans and agendas (Flammer, 2015; Kiron et al., 2012). There are 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 targets included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that was presented by the UN General Assembly in 2015 (Kiron et al., 2012).  As part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), these targets are intended to complete the unfinished goals that were set out in the MDGs (Flamme, 2015; Speth, 2010). A sustainable development approach encompasses three dimensions: economic, social, and environmental (Adams et al., 2016). Among the five Ps, there are "people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership" (Ioannou and Serafeim, 2015). SDGs aim to ensure that appropriate conditions and settings are created to promote sustainable economic growth, efficient resource allocation, collective prosperity, and decent working conditions for people, in terms of "people" and "prosperity" (Flamme, 2015; Speth, 2010).

Additionally, this call for papers will also address decent work and economic growth for the reasons below. First, everyone should be afforded the chance to find gainful job that allows them to support themselves and their families with a living wage, safe working conditions, and adequate social safety nets (Chams and Garca-Blandón, 2019; Jiménez et al., 2021). Sustainable labour is an economic and social concept that values people and the environment. Examining how labour organisation (both productive and reproductive) contributes to environmental problems is an area of study central to degrowth, postwork, and ecofeminism (Littig 2002, 2018; UNDP 2015; Barth et al. 2016, 2018, 2019). In order to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one long-term objective is to create economies that are sustainable, innovative, and oriented towards people; these economies should also work to expand employment possibilities, particularly for young people and women (Ioannou and Serafeim, 2015). According to Chams and Garca-Blandón (2019), it is essential for enterprises to take measures to guarantee that their workforce is both healthy and educated in order to cultivate productive employees as well as citizens who are proactive and make a positive contribution to society.
To achieve SDGs, several actors are involved: the private and public sectors, governments, multinational corporations, non-governmental and philanthropic organizations, and individuals (Chams and García-Blandón,2019). Many scholars use the resource-based view (RBV) theory to connect SHRM and sustainability since both are directly related to resource-oriented strategies and management (Sheller and Urry 2009). Considering the operationalization of SHRM, the institutional theory provides a clear explanation of how HR functions are integrated into an organization's "greening" process (Arulrajah and Opatha, 2016). The current literature suggests that SHRM and sustainability are two paradigms that join towards a mutual structural benefit, by not only satisfying shareholders’ objectives but also operating in an accountable manner, with the collective welfare and the preservation of natural resources (Orlitzky et al., 2003).  Nevertheless, there are limited in-depth empirical studies that identify the types of individual behaviours that can promote specific sustainable performance toward others, organizations, or the ecosystem as a whole . Additionally, proactive behaviours toward society and proactive behaviours toward the environment should be differentiated to classify their different effects on sustainability (Pfeffer, 2010; Speth, 2010).

 This calls for exploring the pressing need of the hour to understand the intersection of SDG with HRM in the evolving nature of work in organizations. While technology transformations are often given importance and priority, it is also important to assess and improve the role of each stakeholder in making each of the 17 SDG better aligned with the mission and vision of the firm’s operations.
The special issues aims to reflect upon some critical research questions like
RQ1: To what degree firms align their human resource operations with SDG?
RQ2: How can firms and stakeholders assess the need and impact of SDG in transforming their human resource operations?
RQ3: How does future of work embed SDG as a practice and to what degree will be it successful in implementing it in various HR functions?

List of topic areas

• Talent management and sustainability as a paradigm shift
• Coexisting future of work with SDG goals - strategies, actions and transformation
• Practice to theory landscaping of SDG's in human resource management
• Humanizing SDG goals for firms - a collectivist approach
• Strategic implementations and implications of SDG for HRM.
• Measuring and rewarding individual, group and firm level contributions towards SDG
• Competition and Collaboration in developing and implementing SDG in cross border firms
• Grassroot innovation towards SDG and its linkages with organizational culture
• Measurable, effective, and transformable changes in SDG and HRM practices
• Training and development of human capital to align with future of SDG

The editorial team will conduct a “Paper Development Workshop (PDW)” in an online mode to attract diverse and effective research papers aligned to the theme of the Special issue. The guest editors will plan this in the month of June 2023. Expression of Interest will be called and the details will be shared in advance.

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijm

Author guidelines must be strictly followed: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/ijm

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”. 

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines