The apparel industry has faced several challenges in applying sustainable HRM to the organizations. A major concern is the need for significant financial investment with no clear timeline for recovering that cost (Jabbour & de Sousa Jabbour, 2016; Kramar, 2014). Additionally, even if organizations provide proper training to employees, employees may not fully understand it or deliver the expected outcomes due to resistance to change or a lack of awareness about sustainability goals (Renwick, Redman & Maguire, 2013; Shen et al, 2020).
Also, at the same time, management will face difficulties in releasing people for that purpose due to limited cadre, high absenteeism, short lead times, and high production pressure (Jabbour & de Sousa Jabbour, 2016; Vickers et al., 2013). Additionally, employees are expected to participate in sustainable practices while performing their day-to-day duties, which creates additional pressure. As a result, this may lead to resistance toward participating in sustainable human resource management initiatives, and employees may lose trust in the sustainable work environment (Renwick, Redman & Maguire, 2013; Ehnert et al, 2016).
Further, when considering the Sri Lankan apparel industry, most companies are not economically sustainable. Even highly economically sustainable companies have struggled due to several reasons. The high inflation in the country, the COVID-19 pandemic, global economic inflation, and global political conflicts (World Bank, 2022; Wijayasiri & Dissanayake, 2008). Due to these reasons, many people have migrated from Sri Lanka, and many newcomers have entered the industry. As a result, they have limited knowledge about sustainable environments in the apparel industry, and some individuals do not believe in these practices, making it difficult to align who with a sustainable environment (Goger, 2013).
Another reason is the presence of senior ground-level employees who do not believe in the new sustainable trends in the apparel industry, creating further resistance. Additionally, the apparel sector has a huge workforce, which makes it difficult to manage and individually focus on sustainable improvements (Gunawardana, 2007).
Moreover, most senior HRM professionals lack adequate knowledge of sustainable HRM practices and often implement solely to achieve KPIs. Therefore, organizations may not receive the expected outcomes (Ehnert et al., 2016; Renwick, Redman & Maguire, 2013).
References
Ehnert, I., Parsa, S., Roper, I., Wagner, M. & Muller-Camen, M., (2016). Reporting on sustainability and HRM: A comparative study of sustainability reporting practices by the world's largest companies. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 27(1), pp.88–108.
Jabbour, C.J.C. & de Sousa Jabbour, A.B.L. (2016). Green human resource management and green supply chain management: Linking two emerging agendas. Journal of Cleaner Production, 112, pp.1824–1833.
Renwick, D.W.S., Redman, T. & Maguire, S. (2013). Green human resource management: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 15(1), pp.1–14.
Vickers, I., Lyon, F., Sepulveda, L. & McMullin, C. (2013). Public service innovation and multiple institutional logics: The case of hybrid social enterprise providers of health and wellbeing. Public Policy and Administration, 28(3), pp.290–311
Kramar, R. (2014). Beyond strategic human resource management: Is sustainable human resource management the next approach? International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(8), pp.1069–1089.
Shen, J., Dumont, J. & Deng, X. (2020). Employees’ perceptions of green HRM and non-green employee work outcomes: The social identity and stakeholder perspectives. Group & Organization Management, 45(4), pp. 415–448.
Implementing sustainable HRM in the apparel industry is challenging, especially with financial constraints, tight deadlines, and workforce limitations. In Sri Lanka, these issues are intensified by economic instability and a shifting workforce. While many companies introduce training and policies, resistance to change and lack of awareness often block real progress. HR leaders must go beyond ticking boxes and focus on meaningful, long-term transformation.
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DeleteYes, not only HR personnel but also employees in every department need to give their best to overcome the challenges of Sustainable HRM
DeleteReplied by Lahiru Randima
Not only the apparel industry but many other industries also face a major issue—how to help senior ground-level employees align with new practices like Sustainable HRM.
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DeleteYes, it is a big challenge. In my opinion, increasing training and personal development programs can help bring about change (Becker, 1964)
DeleteReplied by Lahiru Randima
You clearly explained the sustainable HRM challenges in the apparel industry. What are your suggestions to overcome the employee training challenge?
ReplyDeleteHR people and other department heads need to be aligned with one goal. Before conducting training, it is important to raise proper awareness among employees about the value of personal development programs (Armstrong & Taylor 2020). These are the main things we suggest.
ReplyDeleteReplied by Lahiru Randima