Analyzing barriers in green human resources adoption using DEMATEL-GBWM: A Case Study of the Petrochemical Industry
saeed razeghi
1
(
Associate, shiraz, Branch, Islamic Azad university, shiraz, Iran.
)
Mahnaz Zarei
2
(
)
Keywords: Human Resource Management, Green HR, Barriers, DEMATEL-BWM Approach, Petrochemical Industry,
Abstract :
Today, organizations aiming to effectively implement Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practices face various strategic and tactical challenges and barriers. Identifying and prioritizing these barriers plays a crucial role in successfully deploying GHRM and advancing toward sustainable development. This study aims to identify and rank the barriers to implementing GHRM in Shiraz Petrochemical Industry. The research is applied in purpose and descriptive-survey in method, using a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making approach combining DEMATEL and Best–Worst Method (BWM) for data analysis. First, through literature review and expert input, the main barriers were identified in three dimensions: managerial, technical, and cultural–educational. Then, using DEMATEL, the causal relationships among the barriers were determined, and finally, BWM was applied to calculate the final weights. The results showed that the cultural–educational dimension, with an importance coefficient of 0.663, is the most significant barrier to GHRM implementation. Managerial barriers (0.246) and technical barriers (0.091) ranked second and third, respectively. Among the sub-barriers, “absence or inadequacy of training courses related to the green concept” had the highest weight (0.3786). This was followed by “lack of knowledge in environmental management”, “absence of a comprehensive plan for implementing green human resource management”, “lack of an environmental organizational culture” and “inability to engage with employees regarding environmental issues”. Overall, the findings can help petrochemical industry managers better identify barriers and focus on cultural and educational aspects to successfully implement GHRM.
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