Sustainable HRM - Gen Z and their different perceptions of typical Sustainable HRM characteristics in the workplace

This thesis revolves entirely around the topic of Sustainable HRM. The focus of the paper is the research question: Which attributes do individuals of Generation Z expect regarding Sustainable HRM? To create a sufficient understanding of the topic, a literature review has been made. This also introduces the work and begins with a clarification of how sustainability is related to human resources and how the term Sustainable HRM came into existence. Then, the four models Socially Responsible HRM, Green HRM, Triple Bottom Line HRM and Common Good HRM are explained. Best practice examples are also mentioned. Followed by the eleven characteristics that have emerged in the course of theoretical work. Since these eleven characteristics were created in the literature, this paper wants to find out if people name the same characteristics. A special focus was placed on Generation Z, as they are the ones who are already or will soon be entering the workforce. In addition, it was interesting to explore whether there are different perceptions or expectations from different generations, gender, education level and cultural backgrounds regarding Sustainable HRM. For this reason, four further hypotheses were formulated. H1: There are differences between the origins and cultures of individuals in terms of their conception of Sustainable HRM. H2: There are different perceptions about Sustainable HRM based on the type of education. H3: There are divergent perceptions of gender about Sustainable HRM. H4: There are cross-generational variations in perceptions of Sustainable HRM. To answer the research question and the hypotheses, a qualitative study was conducted, where a total of fourteen people (mainly from Generation Z) were interviewed. The expected outcomes were based on articles reporting on differences as well as on three theories, namely Social Identity Theory, the Signaling Theory and also the Attraction-Attrition-Selection Theory.