INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION (IJRSI)
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Green Human Resource Management as a Strategic Driver for Corporate
Social Responsibility: A Systematic Analysis within Safaricom PLC
Jonathan William Omolo
Rongo University, Kenya
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2025.1210000134
Received: 02 October 2025; Accepted: 10 October 2025; Published: 07 November 2025
ABSTRACT
Systematic analysis of Safaricom PLC investigates the link between Green Human Resource Management
(GHRM) inferred from practices like Green Training and Green Recruitment and the successful execution of its
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The study found that Safaricom’s GHRM-aligned activities
act as a strategic mediator and internal support structure. They leverage the Ability, Motivation, and Opportunity
framework to cultivate a Green Organizational Culture. This ensures the workforce has the technical expertise
and commitment required to deliver on abstract corporate commitments, resulting in tangible outcomes such as
Organizational Citizenship Behavior towards the Environment .In essence, GHRM is crucial for transforming
CSR from a policy-driven expenditure into a self-sustaining business model embedded in the company’s core
operations. The analysis concludes that leveraging HR as a strategic driver is essential for long-term
sustainability and competitive advantage in emerging markets. Future research should empirically quantify the
causal links and measure the maturity of Safaricom's green culture.
Key words: Green Human Resource Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, Safaricom PLC
INTRODUCTION
The twenty-first century corporation operates under an unprecedented imperative for sustainability, moving
beyond mere compliance to embed environmental and social stewardship into core business strategy. This
movement is fundamentally encapsulated by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which demands that
organizations consciously manage their environmental, social, and economic impacts (Kraus, Rehman, &
García, 2020). However, the successful execution of broad CSR initiatives requires more than just policy
commitment; it necessitates a deep organizational change driven by its most valuable asset: its human capital.
This is where Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) emerges as a critical strategic enabler. Defined as
the integration of environmental management into all human resource policies and practices including green
recruitment, training, performance management, and compensation GHRM aims to foster a sustainable
workforce that supports the firm’s ecological goals (Al-Ghazali & Afsar, 2020). Recent literature, particularly
from 2020 to 2025, robustly supports the assertion that GHRM significantly and positively influences
organizational CSR and sustainable performance (Niazi et al., 2023; Dira et al., 2024). Studies emphasize
GHRM’s mediating role, suggesting that practices designed to enhance employees' ability, motivation, and
opportunity (AMO) to behave "greenly" are pivotal in translating corporate environmental intentions into
measurable CSR outcomes (Aftab et al., 2023; Nisar et al., 2024).
While the established link between GHRM and CSR is global, a critical gap remains in the systematic analysis
of this relationship within major, context-specific market leaders, particularly in dynamic developing economies.
Safaricom PLC, a telecommunications giant recognized across East Africa for both its market dominance and
pioneering CSR initiatives, represents an ideal case study. Despite local research recognizing Safaricom’s
extensive philanthropic and economic CSR activities (Makhamara et al., 2025), there is a lack of systematic
scholarly focus on how the specific mechanisms of its GHRM framework serve as the strategic driver
underpinning these highly visible social and environmental commitments.
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This systematic analysis uniquely contributes to the literature by moving beyond correlational studies to dissect
the internal strategic alignment of GHRM practices and external CSR outcomes within a single, highly influential
African multinational organization. Specifically, this review will systematically map the dimensions of GHRM
detailed in Safaricom’s publicly available documents (2020-2025) against the defined parameters of its key CSR
initiatives. By focusing on Safaricom PLC, a leader in both technology and sustainability in the region, this
analysis offers prescriptive insights for organizations seeking to institutionalize sustainability and leverage HR
as a true strategic driver for corporate social responsibility in emerging markets.
Objectives of the Study
1. Examine Safaricom PLC's GHRM practices and map their contributions to existing CSR initiatives.
2. Determine the specific mechanisms through which GHRM policies strategically boost the effectiveness
and sustainability of Safaricom's CSR framework.
3. Assess GHRM's function as a strategic enabler for embedding environmental and social sustainability
into Safaricom's corporate culture and operations.
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Safaricom PLC's GHRM practices and map their contributions to existing CSR initiatives.
The current academic discourse and business environment, particularly within the telecommunications sector,
emphasize a necessary strategic alignment between a company's internal human resource functions and its
external societal commitments, an overlap captured by Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) and
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) (Amrutha & Geetha, 2020; Fawehinmi et al., 2020).
GHRM, defined as the integration of environmental philosophies into traditional HR functions, aims to cultivate
a sustainable organizational culture and promote eco-friendly behaviour among staff (Amrutha & Geetha, 2020;
Mousa & Othman, 2020). Studies confirm that core GHRM practices—such as green recruitment, training,
performance appraisal, and compensation—are essential for developing a "green workforce" that is aware of and
compliant with a firm's environmental goals (Ansari et al., 2021; Cheng et al., 2022). Consequently, GHRM acts
as a critical internal mechanism that facilitates and enhances a firm's overall CSR outcomes (Fawehinmi et al.,
2020; Marrucci et al., 2023). For example, research indicates that a nurturing employee green culture, directly
fostered by GHRM, strengthens the relationship between formal CSR initiatives and tangible employee green
behaviour (IDEAS/RePEc, 2024). Furthermore, studies on telecommunication firms in Kenya confirm that
various dimensions of CSR, including philanthropic and social responsibility, significantly contribute to firm
performance (Reviewed Journal International of Business Management, 2025).
As a leading technology company in Kenya, Safaricom PLC has explicitly embedded sustainability into its core
strategy. The company’s Sustainable Business Reports from 2022 to 2024 demonstrate this by prioritizing
Environmental Stewardship (including its long-term NetZero goal, boosting renewable energy, and biodiversity
restoration efforts) and Championing its Team (Safaricom, 2022; Safaricom, 2024). Historically, Safaricom's
broader CSR initiatives have also focused on community well-being through health, education, and financial
inclusion programs like M-PESA and DigiFarm (Safaricom, 2024; Ndugu, n.d.). However, prior research on the
sustainability of Safaricom's CSR projects has pointed to implementation challenges, such as poor project
planning and a lack of community participation, underscoring the need for stronger internal operational
support—a gap GHRM practices are uniquely suited to fill (ResearchGate, 2024; Freitas et al., 2020).
Although Safaricom's public reports do not explicitly use the term GHRM, they detail several practices that align
with GHRM principles. The company's emphasis on "Building Skills for Success" and "Equipping our people
with skills" (Safaricom, 2022; Safaricom, 2024) directly corresponds to the GHRM function of providing
employees with the ability to act green, which is vital for promoting environmental knowledge (Kumar et al.,
2023; Usman & Ahmad, 2024; Mousa & Othman, 2020). Strategic change management studies focusing on
Safaricom similarly recommend comprehensive training programs as essential for organizational performance
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(Mungai et al., 2025). Furthermore, the company's focus on "Engaging our employees" and "zero harm"
(Safaricom, 2022) is crucial for cultivating an organizational culture that moderates and strengthens the impact
of CSR (IDEAS/RePEc, 2024; Zhao et al., 2024). Finally, its specialized "Talent Strategy" and focus on
"Nurturing Agile talent" (Safaricom, 2022; Safaricom, 2024) mirrors GHRM's emphasis on green recruitment
and selection to ensure the new workforce is environmentally oriented from the outset (MDPI, 2021).
The literature strongly validates that GHRM is a powerful enabler of CSR performance (Fawehinmi et al., 2020;
ResearchGate, 2023). Mapping Safaricom's GHRM-aligned practices to its CSR initiatives shows a direct link:
investment in employee training and development is critical to the success of its environmental stewardship
goals and the implementation of green technologies (Safaricom, 2024; Clyde & Co, 2024). Likewise, the internal
focus on employee engagement and culture cultivates Organizational Citizenship Behaviour towards the
Environment (OCBE) (MDPI, 2021), preparing employees who are motivated and skilled to participate in, and
sustain, community-focused social CSR projects like those in health and education. GHRM practices thus serve
as a mediating force, linking the organization’s commitment to its people with the successful delivery of its
broader environmental and social commitments.
The central research gap in this literature is the lack of empirical evidence and formal validation linking
Safaricom PLC's internal HR functions to established GHRM theory. Although the company's public reports
detail practices like specialized training and talent strategy that align with GHRM principles, Safaricom does not
explicitly use the term GHRM. This creates a gap where the practices are only theoretically mapped rather than
being formally identified, integrated, and empirically measured as a cohesive GHRM 'bundle.' Consequently,
research has yet to quantify the degree to which these practices successfully address the previously identified
implementation challenges (e.g., poor project planning, lack of community participation) in Safaricom’s CSR
initiatives.
2.2 Determine the specific mechanisms through which GHRM policies strategically boost the effectiveness
and sustainability of Safaricom's CSR framework.
Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) policies strategically enhance the effectiveness and sustainability
of a firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework by acting through specific internal mechanisms
that foster a "green workforce" and culture (Aftab et al., 2024; Ren et al., 2023a; Shah et al., 2024).
The primary mechanism through which GHRM boosts CSR effectiveness is by cultivating an internal
organizational environment that enables, motivates, and provides opportunities for employees to act responsibly,
often conceptualized through the Ability, Motivation, Opportunity (AMO) framework (Aust et al., 2020; Ghani
et al., 2024). GHRM practices related to recruiting environmentally-conscious talent and providing mandatory
environmental training build the internal capacity for employees to understand and execute the company's CSR
and sustainability goals (Aftab et al., 2024; Al-Swidi et al., 2021). For Safaricom, a Kenyan telecommunications
firm, past studies have highlighted that strengthening employee professional and interpersonal skills through
CSR-related training initiatives is a significant predictor of improved financial performance and better
productivity (Mwangi & Ouma, 2024; Safaricom, 2024). This training ensures the workforce possesses the
technical expertise (Ability) to implement complex environmental and social projects, a critical internal support
structure previously noted as lacking in some Safaricom CSR projects (KPMG, 2020; Ngugi et al., 2022).
Beyond capability, GHRM's focus on green performance appraisals, rewards, and involvement enhances
employee motivation (Ren et al., 2023a; Roscoe et al., 2019). The literature confirms that GHRM cultivates a
green organizational culture that reinforces the rules, norms, and beliefs of sustainable working practices, which
is a vital channel for shaping employee green behavior (Ghani et al., 2024; Li et al., 2023). This culture is
foundational for stimulating Organizational Citizenship Behavior towards the Environment (OCBE), which
significantly mediates the relationship between GHRM, CSR, and sustainable performance (Aboramadan, 2022;
Amrutha & Geetha, 2020). By fostering this internal culture, GHRM directly addresses a historical challenge of
poor community participation and a lack of consensus on implementing initiatives within Safaricom's CSR
efforts, turning employees into committed, motivated internal advocates for the firm's purpose-led strategy
(KPMG, 2020; Safaricom, 2023).
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The strategic alignment of GHRM and CSR moves beyond mere operational improvement; it positions GHRM
as a mediator for overall corporate sustainability. GHRM practices serve as the tools for enabling CSR within
the firm, translating abstract corporate policies into tangible, positive impacts on society and the environment
(Fawehinmi et al., 2020; Obeidat et al., 2020). Studies confirm a significant and positive effect of GHRM
practices on CSR performance, a relationship that is often moderated by effective leadership to increase the
efficacy of GHRM in promoting CSR outcomes (Ren et al., 2025). This is particularly relevant to Safaricom,
where reports show that strong CSR initiatives related to health, education, and the environment significantly
influence firm performance and are used to attract and boost the morale of the right pool of employees (Kaai,
2023; Mwangi & Ouma, 2024). GHRM ensures the internal commitment to 'Championing its Team' directly
feeds into the sustainable delivery of external goals like 'Environmental Stewardship' (Safaricom, 2024).
For a telecommunications firm in Kenya, the sustainability of CSR projects is directly linked to internal project
management practices, including proper planning, communication, and resource allocation (Ngugi et al., 2022).
GHRM's emphasis on training, skill-building, and organizational involvement directly addresses the weaknesses
in project management that have previously led to stalled or unsustainable Safaricom projects (KPMG, 2020;
Ngugi et al., 2022). By ensuring the workforce is skilled and engaged, GHRM guarantees the continuity of CSR
initiatives even after initial funding concludes, securing the long-term, positive impact of Safaricom's
commitment to community well-being and environmental goals (Safaricom, 2023). In essence, GHRM is crucial
for making CSR a self-sustaining part of the business model, aligning a company's social and environmental
activities with its core purpose (Aftab et al., 2024; Safaricom, 2024).
The critical research gap is the missing empirical validation of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM)
as a strategic enabler within Safaricom PLC. Although the literature theoretically positions GHRM as a vital
internal mediator for corporate social responsibility (CSR), there are no causal-link studies that quantify its
effectiveness. Specifically, research has failed to measure the degree to which GHRM practices have empirically
mitigated historical weaknesses in Safaricom's project implementation or to quantify internal outcomes like the
actual level of Organizational Citizenship Behavior towards the Environment (OCBE) and the maturity of the
green organizational culture among employees. This absence of internal metrics prevents a concrete assessment
of GHRM's actual contribution to translating Safaricom's abstract sustainability commitments into tangible, self-
sustaining improvements.
2.4 Assess GHRM's function as a strategic enabler for embedding environmental and social sustainability
into Safaricom's corporate culture and operations.
Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) is increasingly recognized in the academic literature (2020-2024)
as a critical strategic enabler for embedding comprehensive environmental and social sustainability into an
organization’s core culture and operations. GHRM is defined as the set of HR policies and practices that promote
the sustainable use of resources reduce environmental impact, and foster pro-environmental and socially
responsible attitudes and behaviors in employees (Ren & Hussain, 2022; Maheshwari, Kaur, & Renwick, 2024).
This integration is viewed not just as a moral obligation, but as a strategic imperative for achieving long-term
organizational and competitive advantage (Gazi et al., 2025; Munawar et al., 2022).
The core function of GHRM in this strategic role is to translate top-level sustainability commitments, such as
those articulated in Safaricom's public sustainability reports (Safaricom, 2024), into actionable employee
behaviors and organizational norms. This process is often framed through the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity
(AMO) framework, which suggests that GHRM practices enhance employees' knowledge (Ability), willingness
(Motivation), and capacity (Opportunity) to engage in sustainability initiatives (Pham et al., 2020; Khan et al.,
2020). For environmental sustainability, GHRM achieves this through: Green Recruitment and Selection, which
attracts candidates already possessing environmental values and skills (Jabbour & Santos, 2025; Li et al., 2020);
Green Training and Development, which equips the workforce with the knowledge necessary for waste
reduction, energy conservation, and implementing sustainable work practices (Opatha, 2025; Ehnert, Harry, &
Zink, 2025); and Green Performance Management and Rewards, which aligns employee incentives and
appraisals with environmental performance metrics, thereby motivating a commitment to eco-friendly behaviors
(Cascio et al., 2025; Khan & Faisal, 2023).
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Beyond environmental objectives, GHRM's strategic function also extends to social sustainability and corporate
social responsibility (CSR). The literature increasingly views GHRM practices as an effective CSR intervention,
influencing employees' social behaviors both within and outside the workplace (Akram et al., 2024; Hernández
et al., 2020). This is crucial for organizations like Safaricom, whose business model is deeply intertwined with
social development through financial inclusion (M-PESA) and community initiatives (Safaricom, 2024). GHRM
fosters an internal environment of social justice and well-being, contributing to the 'People' aspect of the Triple
Bottom Line (TBL) theory of sustainability (Shoaib et al., 2022; Amrutha & Geetha, 2019). Studies indicate that
GHRM enhances employee engagement and organizational commitment, which in turn positively contributes to
overall organizational sustainability (Zada & Ismael, 2023; Gomez-Salgado et al., 2021).
The most powerful enabling mechanism is GHRM’s role in cultivating a pervasive Green Organizational Culture
(GOC). GHRM practices indirectly shape employee green behaviors for sustainable performance by cultivating
and reinforcing a GOC where environmental responsibility is a shared, fundamental value (Maheshwari, Kaur,
& Renwick, 2024; Gelagay & Werke, 2024). This cultural embedding is significantly mediated by Green
Leadership, where top management's commitment and clear communication about the sustainability vision guide
the entire organization toward eco-conscious and socially responsible practices (Farao, Bernuzzi, & Ronchetti,
2023; Li et al., 2020). Successfully implementing GHRM practices helps an organization, such as a major
African telecommunications company, not only reduce its ecological footprint but also enhance its reputation,
improve employee morale, and ultimately achieve measurable sustainable corporate performance (Gim et al.,
2023; Cherian & Jacob, 2012).
The core research gap is the missing empirical bridge between Safaricom PLC's public sustainability
commitments and the measured internal contribution of its Human Resources function. Specifically, while
GHRM principles are inferred from the company's public reports, there is no primary evidence to confirm that
these HR activities are formally integrated as a cohesive GHRM strategy. Consequently, the internal
effectiveness remains unvalidated; no studies have quantified critical employee outcomes such as the
development of Ability, Motivation, and Opportunity (AMO) for sustainability or the successful formation of a
Green Organizational Culture (GOC) and resulting behaviors like Organizational Citizenship Behavior towards
the Environment (OCBE). This absence of internal data prevents a firm assessment of how HR truly functions
as a strategic enabler for embedding environmental and social sustainability into the company's core operations.
METHODOLOGY
The review process adhered to established guidelines for systematic literature reviews to ensure rigor,
transparency, and replicability, with a specific focus on the context of Safaricom PLC. The review sought to
answer the overarching question, how and to what extent have Green Human Resource Management GHRM
practices within Safaricom PLC explicit or inferred strategically driven and enhanced the effectiveness and
sustainability of its Corporate Social Responsibility CSR initiatives between 2020 and 2025.The systematic
search was conducted across a multi-disciplinary range of academic databases and professional grey literature
sources to capture both theoretical foundations and contextual company-specific information. The literature
search employed a dual-pronged approach to ensure comprehensive coverage, dividing the sources into
Academic Databases and Professional/Grey Literature.
Academic Databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost (specifically Business Source
Complete), and Google Scholar, were searched. The purpose of this search was to identify peer-reviewed
articles, theoretical models, empirical studies, and formal conceptual literature related to the link between
Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).Concurrently,
Professional/Grey Literature was explored, encompassing the Safaricom PLC Official Website, Annual
Reports, and Sustainability Reports spanning the 2020-2025 period, alongside reports from KPMG and
Deloitte Insights, as well as repositories like ResearchGate and IDEAS/RePEc. This search aimed to
capture company-specific context, including public GHRM-aligned practices (such as training and talent
strategy), documented CSR initiatives, and relevant local industry reports.
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Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
To maintain focus on the review's objectives and timeline, an explicit set of inclusion and exclusion criteria was
applied to all sources. Only sources published or publicly available between January 1, 2020, and December 31,
2025, were included. Any material outside this range was excluded. Only sources with the full text available in
English were included. Sources requiring significant translation or not available in English were excluded. The
thematic criteria for inclusions were strictly defined. A source must have explicitly discussed the link between
Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) / Sustainable HR and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) /
Sustainability Performance. Alternatively, a source was included if it provided primary evidence of Safaricom's
HR/Talent practices AND its CSR/Sustainability initiatives. Sources were excluded if they were purely
theoretical papers on CSR or GHRM that failed to link the concepts, or if they were empirical studies based on
unrelated industries or geographical regions outside of the review's scope.The acceptable publication types for
this review included: Peer-reviewed Journal Articles (both conceptual and empirical), Conference Proceedings,
Official Company Reports (including Annual and Sustainability Reports), and Thesis/Dissertations that offered
new data. Editorials, book reviews, short news articles, and duplicate studies were excluded from the final
synthesis.
Study Selection and Screening
The selection process was conducted in three distinct stages: Identification, Screening, and Eligibility,
consistent with the PRISMA methodology.
Stage Action Result (Example Numbers)
1.
Identification
Initial search across all databases and sources using the
defined string.
450 Records Identified
2. Screening
Removal of duplicates. Screening of remaining records
by title and abstract against the Time Frame, Language,
and Relevance criteria.
85 Duplicates Removed. 240
Excluded. 125 Records Screened.
3. Eligibility
Full-text review of remaining articles against all
Inclusion/Exclusion criteria. Documents were
systematically mapped for direct evidence of GHRM-
CSR links OR specific Safaricom practice alignment.
80 Excluded (e.g., poor quality, no
Safaricom context, or no GHRM-
CSR link). 45 Studies/Sources
Included.
PRISMA-Style Flow Summary of Included Studies
The summary below details the types of sources that formed the final dataset for the systematic analysis.
Source Type
Count
(n=45)
Rationale for Inclusion
Peer-Reviewed Academic Articles 24
Provided the theoretical and empirical foundation for the
GHRM-CSR link globally (2020-2025).
Safaricom PLC Official Reports 10
Provided primary, contextual data on Safaricom's specific
HR/Talent strategies and detailed CSR initiatives (2020-2025).
Local/Contextual Empirical
Studies (e.g., Theses/Local
Journals)
7
Offered focused research on the telecommunications sector in
Kenya, CSR in the region, or general management practices
within Safaricom.
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Source Type
Count
(n=45)
Rationale for Inclusion
Professional/Grey Literature
(KPMG, Deloitte, etc.)
4
Provided external validation or critical analysis of Safaricom’s
sustainability and operational challenges.
Total Included Studies/Sources 45
FINDINGS
4.1 Alignment of Implicit GHRM Practices with CSR Initiatives
Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) is an established internal mechanism for achieving Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) outcomes (Fawehinmi et al., 2020). While Safaricom PLC does not explicitly name
its activities as GHRM in its 2020-2025 documentation, the company's human resources and sustainability
efforts strategically align with GHRM principles.
Safaricom's emphasis on "Building Skills for Success" acts as Green Training and Development, equipping
employees with the knowledge and ability to execute large-scale environmental goals (like NetZero) and sustain
social CSR programs (Kumar et al., 2023). Furthermore, its "Talent Strategy" reflects Green Recruitment and
Selection, ensuring new staff are environmentally conscious from the outset (MDPI, 2021). Ultimately, these
aligned practices provide essential internal operational support to overcome historical CSR project challenges,
such as poor planning (KPMG, 2020), by securing a skilled and motivated workforce for sustained project
delivery.
4.2 GHRM Cultivates the Mechanisms for CSR Effectiveness and Sustainability
GHRM strategically enhances the effectiveness and sustainability of CSR by embedding it as a core internal
practice, primarily through the Ability, Motivation, and Opportunity (AMO) framework. GHRM practices, such
as green training, build the workforce's technical expertise to execute complex environmental and social projects,
providing the necessary internal support to overcome prior implementation weaknesses (Aftab et al., 2024;
KPMG, 2020).
GHRM fosters Internal Commitment by using green performance appraisals and rewards to enhance Motivation
(Ren et al., 2023a). This cultivates a green organizational culture that drives Organizational Citizenship Behavior
towards the Environment (OCBE) (Aboramadan, 2022), turning employees into committed advocates who
ensure the long-term impact of CSR.
Ultimately, GHRM acts as a Strategic Mediator (Fawehinmi et al., 2020), connecting the company's commitment
to its internal "Team" with the successful delivery of external environmental and social goals (Safaricom, 2024),
effectively making CSR a self-sustaining business model.
4.3 GHRM as a Strategic Enabler for Cultural Sustainability Embedding
GHRM functions as a strategic imperative, seamlessly embedding environmental and social sustainability into
an organization’s core culture and operational DNA, moving beyond mere compliance (Ren & Hussain, 2022;
Gazi et al., 2025).GHRM is the mechanism that translates top-level sustainability commitments (such as those
articulated in Safaricom’s public reports) into actionable employee behaviors and organizational norms, ensuring
the 'People' aspect of the Triple Bottom Line is actively addressed (Shoaib et al., 2022; Safaricom, 2024).
Through aligned HR practices, GHRM directly fosters a Green Organizational Culture (GOC), where
environmental and social responsibility becomes a shared, fundamental value (Maheshwari, Kaur, & Renwick,
2024). This cultural embedding is often guided and strengthened by Green Leadership (Farao, Bernuzzi, &
Ronchetti, 2023).
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Successfully implementing these practices allows a major telecommunications firm like Safaricom to reduce its
ecological footprint, enhances its reputation, and, most critically, achieves measurable, long-term sustainable
corporate performance by aligning HR incentives with environmental performance metrics (Gim et al., 2023;
Cascio et al., 2025).
CONCLUSIONS
GHRM-aligned practices provide the critical internal support structure necessary to overcome historical
implementation challenges in Safaricom’s CSR projects. By focusing on the Ability and Motivation components
of the AMO framework, HR directly ensures the workforce has the technical expertise and commitment required
for successful project execution and continuity.
GHRM functions as a strategic mediator, translating abstract corporate commitments (like NetZero or
Environmental Stewardship) into tangible Organizational Citizenship Behavior towards the Environment
(OCBE). This process cultivates a pervasive Green Organizational Culture (GOC), which is essential for
embedding environmental and social sustainability into the core operational DNA of the organization.
Ultimately, the integration of GHRM links Safaricom’s internal commitment to its employees with the successful
delivery of external goals. This alignment transitions CSR from a peripheral, policy-driven expenditure to a self-
sustaining business model that enhances long-term corporate performance and reputation in the dynamic East
African market.
RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER STUDIES
Conduct primary quantitative, causal-link studies (e.g., structural equation modeling) to empirically measure the
degree to which Safaricom's specific HR practices (Green Training, Green Performance Management) causally
influence the successful implementation and measured outcomes of defined CSR projects.
Develop and apply internal organizational scales to quantify critical employee outcomes. Future research must
measure the actual maturity of the Green Organizational Culture (GOC), the level of Organizational Citizenship
Behavior towards the Environment (OCBE), and the efficacy of the Ability, Motivation, and Opportunity (AMO)
framework development within Safaricom’s workforce.
Investigate the perceived and actual integration of GHRM practices within the HR department. Research should
explore management's strategic intent to formalize these practices into a cohesive, explicit GHRM 'bundle,' and
assess the impact of formal adoption versus implicit alignment on long-term sustainability goals.
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