**4.3 Perceived importance of GHRM**

In this category, we aim to explore the perceived importance of GHRM. Particularly, we attempted to understand whether HRM and HRD were aware of the need to align HR strategy with environmental strategy and whether they recognize the contribution of the HR function to the environmental management success. All respondents perceived the importance of this process except two respondents.

*Why would we implement GHRM and we are imposing environmental protection in other ways, through citizens' education, through actions such as cleaning up cities, beaches, etc.? I don't know why I'm going to go through GHRM to have an impact on the environment, when we already have actions that are precisely defined and that I can evaluate afterwards.*

*Our company has a set of initiatives and actions to motivate and involve employees, when we hear about GHRM, we think that we already involve our employees in ecology with no need for this process.*

These two respondents focused on the WHY question of GHRM, more specifically, the reason and motivation for implementing GHRM as they involve their employees in the process through targeted environmental initiatives. Thus, to address this kind of debate on GHRM importance, researchers should frame the arguments of HMRs and HRDs into eminent researches.

In contrast, other respondents perceived the process as important.

*Honestly, the GHRM topic was very interesting to me because in our company's management style, sustainable development is the cornerstone of our strategy. So GHRM will be a reflection of our efforts in terms of ecology.*

*For me, GHRM is very important, because we try make sure that our employees respect the environment, it is an inherent part of our policy. Now we need to formalize our efforts in a GHRM. Unfortunately, we have not reached this level of detail, perfection and alignment yet.*

According to our respondents, GHRM is considered as a formalization of environmental responsibility and a level of sophistication of green efforts. Instead of having scattered and dispersed organizational initiatives and practices, GHRM is considered as a targeted policy to address the need of involving human resources in environmental issues. Thus, the corporate environmental efforts should involve the workforce through a policy that includes several practices such as GHRM.

#### **4.4 Challenges related to GHRM's implementation**

In this theme, we address the need to explore the challenges that may confront the implementation of GHRM in the Moroccan context. The first challenge that has *Green Human Resource Management: An Exploratory Study from Moroccan ISO 14001… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105565*

been raised is the lack of in-depth knowledge of GHRM by HR managers in Moroccan companies.

*The concept needs a strong communication campaign to promote awareness of the concept among managers.*

The second challenge concerns the operationalization of GHRM. Indeed, GHRM needs a well-designed guideline, an appropriate action plan, and performance indicators.

*It is easy to give a strategy and a vision, but the most important thing is to put it into practice. GHRM has to become a management system that is ready for absorption and available for redeployment. If you can do that, it will be interesting.*

Operationalizing GHRM will provide a clear standard against which HR managers can measure progress toward their environmental goals. This requires a deepening of the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and operations. Therefore, there is a need to set targets to create focus on the gap between the current state of performance and what the company hopes to achieve.

*For the moment, we need to re-examine the evaluation system to ensure that we have well-defined targets for measuring environmental performance. That's where we will have the difficulty, it's mainly the measurement.*

In the same vein, another respondent emphasized the ambiguity and confusion in designing a reliable measure of environmental performance. Thus, it not an easy task to measure every particular human activity that may occur as well as changes in ecosystem conditions.

#### **4.5 GHRM requirements**

In this part of our interview, we aimed to find out the extent to which managers in these companies are willing to propose and introduce GHRM. More specifically, the requirements that need to be fulfilled by this process in order to be feasible in ISO14001 certified companies. One respondent showed interest in implementing GHRM, stating that it is a promising path without limitations and restrictions.

*I think there is no limit, I see no limit and no excuse. Because greening is part of our orientations and it would be very interesting to implement GHRM. I think we just lack the integration of HRM. It is a very plausible path, and we need you to help us to go further down this path.*

*I will be able to defend GHRM when I actually see its benefits. Typically, as a businessman, you need to demonstrate to me what I am getting behind your GHRM. Not in millions of dirhams, but in terms of mindset, culture, responsibility, commitment and value change. Because this concept can work elsewhere, but not in Morocco.*

Besides, the first requirement that was outlined by our respondents is to demonstrate the impact of GHRM on environmental awareness, responsibility, and green values of employees in Morocco. Several research studies have demonstrated these

causal links [1–30, 38, 39, 44, 59–63], but unfortunately, none of these research studies was conducted in Morocco.

As mentioned by our respondent, the impact of GHRM on cultural and value change among employees needs to be demonstrated by taking into account the contextual Moroccan factors.

Another requirement that was underlined is the setting up of a GHRM action plan. Indeed, for GHRM to be a process embraced by companies, it is necessary to specify how it should be implemented, create reporting for monitoring and analysis, and design performance indicators.

*I would be ready to implement GHRM when I would have visibility on how it will be carried out, the necessary skills, the performance and operating indicators as well as the monitoring and analysis reporting. I also need visibility on its positioning in relation to all the structures, as GHRM can be the core of one activity and a support for another activity.*
