Research conducted by the Kenexa Research Institute (KRI) suggests that organizations that support green initiatives, such as recycling, energy conservation, and vendor selection, have a positive influence on employees’ engagement levels and views of senior management.
The report is based on the analysis of data drawn from a representative sample of workers surveyed through WorkTrends, KRI’s 2008 annual survey of worker opinions. The survey was conducted across 13 countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States).
“Worldwide, more and more organizations are ‘going green’ and are integrating this dedication into their strategic corporate initiatives,” said Anne Herman, research consultant, Kenexa Research Institute. “Those organizations committed to the environment demonstrate this by routinely
recycling, conserving energy and working with vendors who share similar values. This sets them apart from their competition by creating a positive employment brand, and establishes an emotional tie between the employee and organization.”
The research indicates that working for an organization where employees positively view “green” efforts positively influences their pride in the organization, overall satisfaction and willingness to recommend it as a place to work. Also, such employees are more likely to state an intention to stay, relative to those who have unfavorable opinions.
Another benefit of employees having favorable views of their company’s “green” activities is that they are more likely to see senior management as having the ability to deal with company challenges, show their value and importance to the success of the company, and provides them with a clear picture of the company’s direction. Also, these employees are also more likely to believe that senior management supports and practices high standards of ethical conduct. Employees who were in favor of green initiatives also felt the company’s reputation had improved because of these practices.
“Today’s employees are considering the reputation of an organization in their decision to join, and the positive influence of a company’s green policy relates to a more favourable reputation. Earth Day serves as a reminder that organizations that participate in ‘green’ initiatives, are not only positive global environmental citizens, they increase their competitive advantage when hiring and retaining employees,” said Herman.
Nitya Prashant is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Nitya’s articles, please visit her columnist page.
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