Integration Of Environment & Human Resource Management

Introduction

The concern of Environmental issues and sustained development have increased globally. The global warming and standardized environmental management visa a vis practices has forced the need of “Green HRM”. Due to these concerns organisations across the world working towards integration of Environment and Human Resource Management i.e. “Green HRM”. Therefore the involvement of Employees regarding endorsement for sustained development and awareness with commitment for Green HRM is increasing day by day.

Green HRM?

Green HRM is the use of Human Resource policies to encourage the effective use of resources in organisations and promotes the cause of sustainability of the environmental.

Components of Green HRM

Green HR has two essential elements:

(i) Eco - friendly HR practices.

(ii) Knowledge Capital preservation.

Definitions

• The environment friendly human resource practices and preservation of knowledge capital is considered as green human resource management elements. Opatha, 2013;
• Opatha and Anton Arulrajah, 2014 defines green HRM as transforming the usual employees to green employees to achieve the environmental organizational goal and as to solve the environmental issues. The green human resource management involves all the activities in the organization such as on-going maintenance that makes the employee green.
• Wehrmeyer 1996, Renwick et al, 2008 and 2013 states that the companies have introduced duties and responsibilities that incorporated environmental and social activities. Each employee will allot some duties relating to ecological protection wherever and whenever achievable.

Benefits of Green HRM

Green human resource efforts have resulted in

• Increased Efficiency
• Reduction in cost,
• Engagement and Retention of Employees
• Improvement of productivity
• Reduction in Carbon footprints

In fact Green HR policies is collective and individual capabilities to bring green behaviour. The Green HRM policies are aimed for developing an environmental corporate culture. Green HRM focuses on employees’ environmental behaviour in the organisation, which in turn, could be carried on to same culture in their personal life and society.

The green HR policies and practices involved in environment, social and economic balance (Yusliza, Ramayah & Othaman, 2015)

Industries today are operating in the global market. Competition is there between companies especially for small and medium industries with big and stabilised Industrial Giants. If these manufacturing industries will not perform with efficiency the will not be able to compete with other in terms of price and cost of manufacturing.

Green HRM helps in cost saving with reduction in consumptions of tangible assets that affects eco-system. This improves the performance and brand value of the Organisation. The Green HRM practices as a whole by majority of companies can improve the green culture in society, employees’ personal life and overall improves the environment with reduction of carbon footprints.

It is discussed above about the definition of Green HRM and need of HRM. Damodar River is a river flowing across the Indian states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Rich in mineral resources, the valley is home to large-scale mining and industrial activity. The Damodar Valley is spread (with a command area of 24,235 square kms) across following

(i) Districts of Jharkhand

• Hazaribagh,
• Ramgarh,
• Koderma,
• Giridih,
• Dhanbad,
• Bokaro and
• Chatra
• partially covers Palamu, Ranchi, Lohardaga and Dumka

(ii) District of West Bengal

• Bardhaman
• Hooghly
• Howrah,
• Bankura
• Purulia

The Damodar valley is rich in coal. It is considered as the prime centre of coking coal in the country. Massive deposits are found in the central basin spreading over 2,883 square kilometres.

The important coalfields in the basin are

• Jharia,
• Raniganj,
• West Bokaro,
• East Bokaro,
• Ramgarh,
• South Karanpura
• North Karanpura.

Damodar Valley Area

The factors that makes Damodar Valley unique from other industrial belts are as below:

(i) Mineral resource- Damodar Valley has reserve of following mineral

• Apatite
• Asbestos
• Barytes
• Bauxite
• China clay
• Chromite
• Coal
• Cobalt
• Copper Ore
• Dolomite
• Felspar
• Fireclay
• Garnet
• Gold Ore
• Granite
• Graphite
• Iron Ore
• Kyanite
• Limestone
• Manganese Ore
• Mica
• Nickel Ore
• Quartz (silica sand)
• Quarzite
• Talc/ Stealite/ Soapstone
• Tungsten
• Vermiculate(t)

The mineral resources makes the Damodar Valley an attractive destination for starting up manufacture based industries. In addition to that the Industries also get uninterrupted, reliable and competitive priced electricity from Damodar Valley Corporation for operating the Industries. These factor has made the Damodar Valley an Industrial Hub with more than 300 Small, Medium and Big Manufacturing Industries like DVC, Tata, SAIL etc. The Damodar Valley is one of the most industrialised parts of India.

(ii) Water resource-

(a) Damodar River flows within Jharkhand and West Bengal originating from Chotanagpur Plateau.and ends in Bay of Bengal, West Bengal.The tributaries and subtributaries of Damodar River are Barakar, Konar, Bokaro, Haharo, Jamunia, Ghari, Guaia, Khadia and Bhera. The area across the Damodar River is the Damodar valley, ideal place for stabilising industries with using the water resource of the Damodar River. Damodar River, which is 4th most polluted river after Ganga, Yamuna and Sabarmati River in country as per 2015 record.

(b) Barakar River is the tributary of Damodar river originating from Padma, Hazaribagh District, Jharkhand and joins Damodar near Dishergarh, Asansol District, West Bengal.

(c) Subarnarekha River originates from Piska/Nagri near Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand and travels through Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. Green HRM in the industries situated in Damodar Valley play key role in the quality of eco-system and green culture in the area. Green HRM practices and awareness will improve the Environment and Employees efficiency with overall life of the society. Damodar Valley is one of the best location for site of any type of small to big industries due to abundant mineral resource and water. That’s why the study of Green HRM in the area is of national importance.