ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Organizational Psychology
Emotions in Green: Unveiling the Paradox of Green Human Resource Management in Shaping Employee Conduct
Provisionally accepted
- Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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The significance of green human resource management (GHRM) in shaping the business strategies of the hospitality sector is increasingly recognized. While prior comparative research has shed light on its positive impacts on organizations, the exploration of its potential adverse effects, particularly the reasons behind its paradoxical effects, is less developed. This study delves into the conditions under which GHRM can have both positive and negative effects on organizations, drawing on the cognitive appraisal theory of emotion. Through the analysis of 407 questionnaires from China, we discovered that GHRM enhances organizational green advocacy behaviors by triggering positive emotions in individuals with high green personal values, as opposed to those with lower green values. Conversely, it was observed that workplace cheating behaviors increase due to negative emotions in individuals with lower green values. This research contributes to the existing literature by providing a deeper understanding of the paradoxical effects of GHRM, specifically within the hospitality sector. These findings provide valuable insights for green management within the hospitality industry and broaden the understanding of corporate green practices in relation to employee values. These insights are crucial for enhancing green management in the hospitality sector and expand the comprehension of corporate green initiatives in relation to staff values. Such an approach allows the hospitality industry to seamlessly incorporate GHRM, thereby enhancing its environmental footprint and aligning with the growing environmental awareness of customers and stakeholders.
Keywords: Green human resource management, Emotions, cognitive appraisal theory, Green advocacy behaviour, Green value, Workplace cheating behaviour
Received: 08 Sep 2025; Accepted: 27 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Qingjin Wang
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