Sustainable HRM - A Critical and Commons-Centric Perspective

Within an increasingly fragile and disruptive world, organisations are facing multiple calls to become more socially responsive and sustainable. HRM, in particular, as a supposedly human-centric strategic function, has come under critique to develop policies and practices to effectively combat challenges to social sustainability such as insecurity, poverty and declining mental health. However, due to the rapid pace of shifting consumer values and expectations, organisations and HRM have increasingly limited time and leeway to develop credible and responsible answers to negative externalities. At the same time, questioning established assumptions of role and purpose, and shifting beyond traditional market-centric ‘inside-out’ strategic HRM business norms and conventions, has proved a challenge for most organisations, including HRM, in a very competitive environment. In this chapter, we explore the utility and viability of a new emerging ‘outside-in’ Common-Good HRM model which prioritises pro-societal awareness, stakeholder empowerment, positive employee relationships, and collective human and societal well-being.