Impact of HR factors on employee attitudes: an empirical analysis of a sample of ISO14001 EMS companies in Malaysia

Abstract

Empirical research addressing employee attitudes as it relates to the implementation of an EMS/ISO14001 is currently lacking. The aim of this paper is to extend previous research by proposing and testing an integrative research model which links several HR factors to employee attitudes'. The HR factors identified include management commitment, empowerment, feedback and review, and rewards. In this study employee attitudes refer to job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Four hundred and seventy two middle and lower level employees in five multiple manufacturing companies currently certified to ISO 14001 were the focus of this exploratory empirical investigation. In addition four of these companies are winners of the Malaysian Prime Minister's Hibiscus Award (PMHA), Malaysia's premier private sector environmental award for business and industry. In the final data analysis two hundred and twenty three survey responses were analyzed using SPSS version 16. The research hypotheses were assessed by the multiple linear regression analysis. The results indicate that management commitment and empowerment were positively and significantly linked to employee attitudes. In addition a significant positive relationship was observed between feedback and review, and job satisfaction. Specifically management commitment was the most pivotal HR factor in fostering employee attitudes. From the survey results, some lessons are drawn for managers in effort to maximize employee motivation for successful EMS/ISO14001 implementation. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on environmental management in newly industrialized countries such as Malaysia.

Environmental management and the “soft side” of organisations: Discovering the most relevant behavioural factors in green supply chains

“…The study was conducted on a sample of 437 employees. Kaur () employed empirical analysis to scrutinise the influence of behavioural factors on the functioning of environment through ISO 14001 among manufacturing companies in Malaysia.…”

Employee green performance of job: a systematic attempt towards measurement

“…EMS) can only be effectively implemented if the organizations have the right people with the right skills and competencies. Several writers (Kaur, 2011;Renwick et al, 2013;Jackson et al, 2011;Zoogah, 2011;Rangarajan and Rahm, 2011;Jabbour, 2011;Jabbour et al, 2010a;Sharma et al, 2009;Strandberg, 2009;Wehrmeyer, 1996) accentuated the importance of integrating environmental management aspects into the employee performance evaluation system of the organizations. Different authors at different points of time have emphasized the critical importance of employee training for the proper implementation of EMS in the organizations and the role that environmental training can play in facilitating the process of environmental management activities of the organization (Renwick et al, 2013;Daily et al, 2012;Jackson et al, 2011;Wagner, 2011;Zoogah, 2011;Massoud et al, 2011;Rangarajan and Rahm, 2011;Jabbour, 2011;Jabbour et al, 2010a;Jabbour et al, 2010b;Strandberg, 2009;Sharma et al, 2009;Jabbour and Santos, 2008a;Jabbour and Santos, 2008b;Renwick et al, 2008;Perron et al, 2006;Zutshi and Sohal, 2004;Daily and Huang, 2001;Madsen and Ulhùi, 2001;Wehrmeyer, 1996).…”

“…Scholars in CEM and Green HRM (Kaur, 2011;Renwick et al, 2013;Jackson et al, 2011;Zoogah, 2011;Rangarajan andRahm, 2011, Jabbour, 2011;Jabbour et al, 2010a;Strandberg, 2009;Daily and Huang, 2001;Wehrmeyer, 1996) stressed the importance of integrating environmental management aspects into the employee reward and incentive management system of the organizations.…”

Çevre ve İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Yönetim Sistemlerine Yatırım Yapan Firmalarda Çalışan Memnuniyeti Tutumlarının İncelenmesi

“…Chan ve Hawkins'in (2010) literatürdeki bu eksikliği gidermek için yaptığı çalışmada ÇYS'nin kuruluşlara olan faydalarından birisinin de artan iş memnuniyeti olduğu ampirik olarak ortaya koyulmuştur. Ayrıca, literatürde çevre yönetim sistemi ile çalışan memnuniyeti arasındaki ilişkiyi inceleyen birkaç çalışma daha bulunmaktadır (Quazi ve ark., 2001;Kaur, 2011;Tarí ve ark., 2012). Quazi ve ark.…”

“…(2001) ISO 14000 standardına sahip olunması konusunda kuruluşları motive eden faktörlerden birinin çalışanların refahı (sağlıklı ve iyi olmaları) olduğunu ampirik olarak ortaya koymuştur. Kaur (2011) tarafından 14001 belgeli firmalar üzerinde gerçekleştirilen çalışmanın bulguları standardın maddelerinden yönetimin taahhüdü ve yetkilendirmesinin çalışanların tutumunu olumlu yönde etkilediğini ortaya koymakla birlikte ve bu çalışmada geri besleme, gözden geçirme ve iş memnuniyeti arasında da anlamlı pozitif ilişkiler tespit edilmiştir. Tarí ve ark.…”