Sustainable Business Strategies: An HR-Centred Approach To Resilience And Sustainable Growth

Abstract

In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) business environment, organisations face unprecedented challenges that threaten their long-term stability and growth. This paper highlights the strategic role of Human Resource Management (HRM) in shaping sustainable business strategies that foster resilience and adaptability. While technological innovations frequently dominate discussions on sustainability, this study emphasises HRM as a critical lever for embedding sustainability values, cultivating workforce agility, and enhancing organisational adaptability within VUCA contexts. Drawing on key frameworks such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), and sustainable HRM principles, we propose a conceptual model that links targeted HR practices—green recruitment, continuous capability building, sustainability-linked incentives, and employee empowerment—to workforce outcomes including innovation, motivation, and resilience. This model illustrates how HRM practices enable simultaneous ecological responsibility, social equity, and economic viability. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of aligning HR strategy with broader sustainability goals to build an ethically committed and agile workforce capable of navigating complexity and disruption. We conclude with managerial implications stressing HR integration in sustainability planning, investment in green and digital skills development, and fostering empowerment for accelerating innovation and resilience. The paper calls for empirical testing of this framework across industries and cultures, alongside exploration of digital HR technologies in advancing sustainable HRM. This study contributes to the literature by positioning HRM not merely as a support function but as a strategic linchpin pivotal for sustainable organisational success in dynamic environments.