Green Human Resource Management Practices and Environmental Sustainability Performance in Nigerian Cement Companies

This study investigates the relationship between green human resource management (Green HRM) practices and environmental sustainability performance in Nigerian cement manufacturing companies, with data collected from firms in Ogun, Edo, and Benue States. The Nigerian cement industry is one of the country's most significant sources of carbon emissions and environmental degradation, making workforce-level environmental management a pressing corporate sustainability concern. The study employs a quantitative cross-sectional design, with primary data from 180 HR managers, environmental health officers, and production directors collected through a validated Green HRM Scale and an Environmental Performance Index adapted for the Nigerian industrial context. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) is employed for data analysis. The Natural Resource-Based View and the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity Framework provide dual theoretical grounding. Findings reveal that green training and development, green performance appraisal criteria, and green reward systems are the Green HRM practices with the strongest direct associations with environmental sustainability performance. The study also establishes that employee green behaviour mediates the relationship between Green HRM and sustainability outcomes, confirming the centrality of individual behavioural change in organisational environmental impact. Cement companies with ISO 14001 certification demonstrate significantly higher Green HRM maturity. Recommendations include integrating environmental KPIs into all staff performance scorecards, developing green competency frameworks, and establishing environmental champions at production unit level. Keywords: Green HRM, Environmental Sustainability, Cement Industry, Nigeria, Green Behaviour.