Sustainable Human Resource Management. The attempt of holistic approach

The concept of sustainability seems fundamental for companies operating worldwide. Human resources are acknowledged to be among the most valuable assets for them. Even though literature shows that Sustainable Human Resource Management is an upcoming topic there is still limited research on the concept due to its initial state. Previous literature reveals a lack in research on systematic links between sustainability and HRM. There are some studies that take this subject into account but they are widely dispersed across different HRM subfields, use diverse interpretation of sustainability and are barely interrelated with each other or with mainstream HRM literature. The purpose of the study is to present the four important approaches to Sustainable Human Resource Management – sociological, psychological, strategic and ‘green‘. The paper contributes to the literature linking sustainability to the HRM issues presented in the literature. In the introduction, it discusses how the notion of sustainability has emerged and developed. Then, the four approaches to Sustainable Human Resource Management are briefly depicted. Next, each of them – sociological, psychological, strategic and ‘green‘ – is widely described. Diversity of Management and Work-Life Balance programs is presented as the manifestations of societal and psychological approaches to Sustainable Human Resource Management. The strategic and ‘green’ approaches to SHRM are presented as the sources of sustained competitive advantage and increasing employer attractiveness. Finally, some concluding remarks are delivered.