CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
 Table of Contents
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................................3
3.1 Research Design................................................................................................................................3
3.2 Mixed-Methods Approach................................................................................................................3
3.3 Data Collection Methods..................................................................................................................4
3.4 Data Analysis.....................................................................................................................................5
3.5 Ethical Considerations......................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................................8
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Comparative Case Study
In this study, the chosen research strategy is a Comparative Case Study to 20 Large UK
Organizations. The rationale for adopting a comparative case study research approach relates to
the fact that there is a need for identification and examination of the various approaches that
organizations take in the practice of Green HRM throughout different phases of the employee
life cycle. When it comes to the type of case studies, comparative studies are ideal in
organizational research because they allow me to analyze one case against another within the
sample and make overall comparisons to come up with an understanding of the patterns,
similarities, and variations in a set of organizations. The present method of using cross-sectional
surveys is suitable for analyzing the multifaceted and contextual factors associated with Green
HRM practices (Breeze, 2024).
The choice of 20 organizations allows researching while avoiding working with too many
organizations, making it possible to draw sufficient number of comparisons. Thus, working with
a wide range of organizations, the research will be able to identify the significant number and the
range of Green HRM practices that can significantly differ depending on the type of
organization, the industry it belongs to, and the country it operates in. This comparative strategy
enables the author to provide a wider perspective on Green HRM concerning the investigated
organizations and reveal their major strengths and weaknesses (Cadena-Iñiguez, 2017).
This research strategy also enables the investigation of the interaction between the internal
organizational practices and the external environment including code of law, market forces and
community standards. Thus, the analysis of influence of these factors on the adoption and
implementation of Green HRM practices helps to understand the context in which the Green
HRM practices proceed.
The selected organizations are given below for our comparative case study:
1. Tesco PLC (Retail)
2. Unilever UK (Consumer Goods)
3. HSBC UK (Financial Services)
4. Barclays Bank (Financial Services)
5. British Petroleum (BP) (Energy)
6. National Grid (Utilities)
7. BT Group (Telecommunications)
8. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) (Pharmaceuticals)
9. Rolls-Royce Holdings (Aerospace and Defence)
10. Jaguar Land Rover (Automotive)
11. Sainsbury’s (Retail)
12. Lloyds Banking Group (Financial Services)
13. Shell UK (Energy)
14. Diageo (Beverages)
15. AstraZeneca (Pharmaceuticals)
 16. Vodafone Group (Telecommunications)
17. Balfour Beatty (Construction and Infrastructure)
18. Tesco Bank (Financial Services)
19. Kingfisher PLC (Retail and Home Improvement)
20. Aviva PLC (Insurance and Financial Services)
3.2 Research Logic
Deductive approach refers while inductive approach refers to the kind of reasoning wherein
general conclusions of propositions are drawn from specific facts that are known to be true. The
research uses the paradigm of deductive and inductive reasoning in its process. The rigor of a
deductive approach is applied to analysis of findings and the theories and hypotheses concerning
Green HRM (Chizari, 2024). This approach involves the identification of Green HRM practices
in the organizations under study and compares those to theories established in the literature to
establish their reliability. For example, the study could set out with the assumption that
organizations figuring in the larger bracket of bosses are likely to deploy Green HRM strategies
to the full because they possess the resources and are responding to a pressure point. This way,
using deductive logic the research will be able to confirm or reject hypotheses, enriching the
current theoretical knowledge about Green HRM.
On the other hand, the inductive approach is needed in order to deduce new theories and
conclusions out of the collected empirical evidence of the study. Inductive reasoning is most
appropriate for qualitative data analysis since the researcher’s aim is to examine the data and
uncover new patterns, themes and concepts. The analysis of data may reveal some new practice
or approaches of Green HRM which is not discussed in the literature (Garbarino, 2009). They
can result in working on new theories that are more suitable for the explanation of the observed
phenomena.
This approach of using deductive and inductive analysis affords the research rigidity. Inductive
approach is chosen as it enables to focus on specific theories and concepts in the given area of
studying, thus creating a firm basis for the research. The use of inductive reasoning on the other
hand does not restrict ideas to the past information but can come up with new concepts and can
provide more contribution to the topic. Thus, the combination of these two strategies guarantees
that the research will be theoretically grounded as well as conducive to innovation.
Key Deductive Items Searched Within the Data
The deductive items guiding this research are derived from the conceptual framework and focus
on key elements of Green HRM within the employee lifecycle. These items include:
1. Green Recruitment and Selection Practices: Examining whether environmental criteria
are part of recruitment and selection processes, such as job descriptions highlighting eco-
consciousness or preferences for candidates with green skills.
2. Sustainability Integration during Onboarding: Investigating how new employees are
introduced to the company’s green policies and whether onboarding sessions explicitly
include environmental sustainability goals.
 3. Green Training and Development Programs: Identifying training initiatives aimed at
enhancing employees’ environmental awareness, such as workshops on energy
conservation, waste reduction, or sustainable business practices.
4. Environmental Performance Management: Assessing how environmental objectives
are integrated into performance appraisals, including whether green targets are part of
key performance indicators (KPIs) and how they influence employee evaluation.
5. Green Rewards and Compensation: Exploring the types of incentives offered to
employees who contribute to organizational sustainability goals, such as bonuses for
green initiatives or recognition programs that celebrate eco-friendly behavior.
6. Sustainable Exit Strategies: Analyzing practices related to employee exit, such as green
exit interviews, sustainable asset disposal, and retaining sustainability culture during the
transition of departing employees.
These deductive items will be used as codes and themes during qualitative analysis and as
specific variables for quantitative analysis in SPSS, ensuring consistency across data collection
and interpretation.

3.3 Sampling Strategy:

Non-probability purposive Sampling refers to the situation where the I intend to use a certain
number of individuals or objects in a study. The type of sampling used in this research is non-
probability purposive sampling. In purposive sampling, particular audiences or subjects, in this
case, organizations, are chosen to fulfil the objectives of the research. This study targeted
organizations with Green HRM policies, practices and standards hence limiting the choice of the
organizations to large organizations alone. Besides, organizations are also selected in a way that
they avail information to the public through sustainability reports, corporate social responsibility
(CSR) statements report among others (Heredia, 2024).
This work, therefore, employs non-probability sampling because it does offer an intentional
selection of cases which are most likely to offer pertinent data. Unlike probability sampling
where the goal is to get a quota sample that has a statistical probability of being like the
population, purposive sampling aims to get a sample with higher quality data. It is especially
helpful in qualitative studies where the emphasis is not made on having numerous cases of a
population, as opposed to quantitative research studies where findings are generalized.
These considerations to focus on UK organizations can be regarded as reasonable since the
context of the given research aims to investigate the Green HRM practices within the context of
the UK compliance and cultural requirements (Lucchetti, 2024). The selected organizations
belong to the manufacturing industry, finance/insurance/banking industry, retail industry, and
technology industry. This diversity helps the research to embrace multiple studies of Green-
HRM practices, which give a holistic view of how the various organizational sectors deal with
the environmental aspect within the human resource management life cycle.
3.4 Data Collection
Secondary sources are all the data resources that have been collected by other authors or those
who collected primary data and then further analyzed the data into reports. Concerning the
collection of data in this research, I will only be using secondary data. Secondary data therefore
can be described as data, which has been gathered and is in the public domain through
publication by other sources, some of which include organizations, some government
departments, research institutions and the likes. The collection of secondary data is beneficial in
this study because it enables the me to accumulate a vast amount of data without the time and
resource intensity involved in primary data collection.

The sources of secondary data in this research are internet-based Organizations’ websites,
company annual reports, sustainable management reports, CSR disclosures, and other accessible
documentation. These sources offer information on Green HRM practices of the organizations
under study to include specific strategies to undertake in recruitment, training, performance
management, and employees’ engagement. From these documents the research will be able to
capture how environmental sustainability is being incorporated in the HRM practices of the
organizations in focus.
3.5 Data Type
Built on the use of both qualitative and quantitative research processes. This research uses
quantitative and qualitative data. This is especially the case in exploratory studies, although the
application of mixed-methods research is also useful in confirmatory research where the
objective is to establish the extent of a given phenomenon (McNabb, 2015). The quantitative
data in this study entails findings that are perceived based on the content of reports, websites, and
other related documents. The information presented in this paper provides nuanced descriptions
of Green HRM practices, which give insight into organizations’ strategies for advancing
environmental stewardship in EC during different stages of the employee life cycle. Particularly,
the type of qualitative data is saturated with valuable information for analyzing the multifaceted
nature of the organizational practices, including the incentives, obstacles, and consequences
related to the implementation of Green HRM.
The quantitative data, though less relevant compared to the ones collected in the qualitative
research, offers figures that are useful in the analysis process. For instance, quantitative data may
include the level of employee engagement in Green HRM, extent of company’s investment on
sustainability activities or Green HRM, and the sizeable effects of Green HRM on environment.
With the inclusion of quantitative data, the study can give further insights as to how green HRM
strategies are practiced in organizations, in addition to describing what is already being
performed.
3.6 Data Collection
The data assessment for this research is carried out over one month, and the data gathered
focuses on the past three years. Such a time period is selected deliberately to combine the
relevance in terms of timeliness of data with the need to analyze trends.
The sources of the qualitative data in this study are in the contents of the reports, websites, and
other textual records. This data affords Green HRM rich and sumptuous qualitative descriptions
to ascertain how organizations are strategizing environmental sustainability in dynamic stages of
employees’ lifecycle (Pilcher, 2024). However, qualitative research data is also helpful to
understand the machinations of practices of the organizations relating to the GHRI due to its
capacity to delving into the reasons why and motivations, as well as barriers of stakeholders
regarding the implementation of Green HRM.
Whereas the quantitative data is not as critical for the study as the qualitative data it possesses,
quantitative data offer numerical undercurrents that enhance the qualitative look at the situation.
For instance, the Green HRM quantitative data samples may comprise figures concerning the
number of workers actively taking part in sustainability-related actions or funds spent on
protecting the environment while implementing different practices. As the use of quantitative
data can be incorporated in the research, the research will be able to supplement what
organizations are doing, how they are doing it, the extent of their efforts, or otherwise Green
HRM practices.
3.6 Time Frame for Data Collection
The procedure for data collection for this study is done within one month and the data collected
relates to the last three years. This period is deliberately selected so that it would be possible to
include, on the one hand, the latest information on the topic, and, on the other hand, the changes
occurring over time (Pilcher, 2024). As for secondary data collection, the period of one month
appears to be enough to collect and analyze the needed data given the fact of increased
availability of information on the selected organizations. It also helps the researcher to
concentrate on the current practices and initiatives thus improving the relevance of the findings
in explaining the latest behavior of organizations.
This paper has opted to only cover data for the last three years for the reason that this time frame
is adequate in capturing the band majority of Green HRM practices. The pressure in the past
three years has been taxing on many organizations to develop and implement sustainable
business practices because of various reasons inclusive of but not limited to regulatory changes,
stakeholders’ demands, and global environmental constraints. Analyzing the data from this
period, the research can define the tendencies in the development of the reaction of organizations
to these pressures and changes in the concept of Green HRM.
This period also ensures that the researcher concentrates on the modern practices and activities in
the organization, which makes the findings up to date on the nature of organizational behavior.
This is because this period should be sufficient enough to capture fulfilling Green HRM practices
in the organization since the major concern of green HRM is the reduction of organizational
negative impact on the environment which should have significant changes within the last three
years.
3. 7 Data Analysis: Thematic analysis\data analysis popularized by Cooper, was introduced as a
technique in 1996 by Bernard and Ryan.
The major data analysis technique adopted in this study is thematic analysis. Thematic analysis
is a data analysis technique in the qualitative research paradigm whose major aim is to describe
the patterns and themes within the data. This method is fitting for the study because it helps to
analyze the diverse aspects of Green HRM practices in the chosen organizations at length.
In this research, thematic analysis is used to analyze the data about Green HRM practices and
come up with themes relating to the spectrum of the ‘employee lifecycle’. The These may
encompass strategies of employment that capture environmental appreciation, training practices
that embrace the environment and even the performance appraisal methods that take into
consideration the environmental impact of people’s conduct. Thus, through these themes, the
research will be able to present a general picture about Green HRM practices in the selected
organizations.

3.8 Ethical Considerations

While this study employs secondary data hence no interactions with the original respondents, err
Ethics issues form a vital part of the research process. It follows ethical considerations in the use
of data by respecting the organizations’ privacy and the information provided by them. Tthe his
brings me to the fiof rst of the ethical issues: responsible secondary research. This data is easily
accessible to any interested individual, hence the need to ensure that the kind of analysis and
reportage done on the data is done in a way that will not distort or misrepresent the original study
in which the data was collected from (Lucchetti, 2024). This involves presenting the
organizations’ practices as they are, and correctly interpreting the results to avoid
misrepresentation of the findings. Thirdly, the researcher must avoid biases in the data collected
with the help of questionnaires and otherwise. Hence, the fact that the data is obtained from
public domain, it must be recognized that it may distort the picture of the organizational
environment as they are likely to portray favorable impressions of their environment.

Conclusion
This chapter described the method used for conducting the study and the methodical approach
employed to examine Green HRM practices in 20 large firms in the UK. A mixed method design
whilst triangulating qualitative thematic analysis of the data collected with rigorous quantitative
analysis using statistics such as SPSS is useful in ensuring the research aims to give a detailed
account of how Sustainability is incorporated into HRM functions. The purposive sampling of
organizations along with deduced items coming from the formulated conceptual framework of
the study helps in maintaining its Objectives The purposive sampling of the organizations
Maintains the study’s relevance by employing deductive items that are based on the conceptual
framework. The research outcomes arising out of this study will help in bridging the said
research gaps in literature and exposing viable recommendations on Green HFM implementation
in large organizations. In the following chapter, these methodological decisions will be
manifested when giving the detailed analysis and discussion of the findings and in the final
chapter that will present recommendations concerning the improvement of Green HRM based on
the results of the research conducted within the scope of the present study in the UK context.

.
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