Unit rationale, description and aim

In today’s globalised and rapidly evolving business environment, organisations are under increasing pressure to respond to the expectations of diverse stakeholders, including employees, communities, and the environment. Human Resource Management (HRM) plays a vital role in supporting sustainable business practices that promote long-term organisational and societal wellbeing. Understanding how HRM contributes to corporate sustainability is essential for graduates entering workplaces where social and environmental accountability is becoming standard practice.

This unit is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design and implement sustainable HRM practices that create value for organisations while meeting the needs of global stakeholders. It explores how HRM can align with corporate sustainability strategies, moving beyond a narrow financial focus to consider human, social, and environmental outcomes.

The aim of this unit is to build students’ understanding of sustainable HRM through three interconnected themes: (1) Institutional contexts and theories of sustainable HRM, (2) Supporting organisational sustainability through HRM practice, and (3) Awareness of current and emerging sustainable HRM trends globally.

The unit balances theoretical insight with practical application to equip students to contribute to sustainable business practices in diverse organisational contexts.

2026 10

Campus offering

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  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Online Scheduled
  • ACU Term 3Online Unscheduled
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance

Prerequisites

HRMG200 Applied Human Resource Management OR HRMG207 Introduction to Human Resource Management

Incompatible

HRMG305 Sustainable Human Resource Management and Stakeholders

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Critically analyse research and practices in susta...

Learning Outcome 01

Critically analyse research and practices in sustainable HRM to extend strategic HRM for common good
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC11

Apply the different frameworks, philosophies and t...

Learning Outcome 02

Apply the different frameworks, philosophies and theories for sustainable HRM to facilitate organisations to implement corporate business strategies
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC10

Compare and contrast sustainable and unsustainable...

Learning Outcome 03

Compare and contrast sustainable and unsustainable impacts of performance oriented HRM practices on global stakeholders from the corporate social responsibility perspective
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC8

Critically evaluate ethical approaches to implemen...

Learning Outcome 04

Critically evaluate ethical approaches to implementing, measuring and reporting on sustainable HRM strategies and practices to minimise the unsustainable impacts of these practices on global stakeholders
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC8

Apply effective written and oral communication ski...

Learning Outcome 05

Apply effective written and oral communication skills in the sustainable HRM context, both individually and in groups
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC12

Content

Topics will include:

  • Introduction to sustainable HRM and global stakeholder
  • Institutional context for sustainable HRM
  • Stakeholder theories for common good
  • Sustainability characteristics of HRM theories, strategies, and practices for corporate sustainability
  • The paradox perspective of sustainable HRM for global stakeholders’ common good
  • Green HRM for environmental management
  • Measurement, Implementation, and reporting on sustainable HRM practices
  • Techniques to measure sustainable and unsustainable impacts of HRM practices
  • Future trends in sustainable HRM

Assessment strategy and rationale

MULTI-MODE/ONLINE MODE

In order to pass this unit, students are required to achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50% by completing fortnightly engagement/submission, and submit three graded assessment tasks. Marking of graded assessments tasks will be in accordance with a rubric specifically developed to measure student’s level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each item of assessment. Students will also be awarded a final grade which signifies their overall achievement in the unit. The assessment strategy for this unit allows students to sequentially develop their capabilities using Fortnightly Engagement in the unit and Assessment Tasks to become ethical and credible activist, and critical and enquiring thinker in sustainable HRM. To develop this level of capability, students will demonstrate their knowledge of sustainable HRM in a critical report; further develop their understanding of sustainable HRM through a case study writing and analysis and then apply their knowledge and understanding of various theories, strategies, implementations, measurement, and reporting of sustainable HRM in a critical reflective journal. 

Overview of assessments

Assessment Task 1: Critical Report This assessme...

Assessment Task 1: Critical Report

This assessment task consists of a 1200-word critical report. Students are expected to apply and integrate the sustainable HRM theories, models and concepts from this unit and present sound argument to justify their preferred approach to undertaking business in a global environment while considering their responsibility to the common good and the society.

  • Final 1200-word submission worth – 30%

Submission Type: Individual

Assessment Method: Critical Report

Artefact: Written Report

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC10

Assessment Task 2: Case writing and analysis &nb...

Assessment Task 2: Case writing and analysis

 The group will submit a 1500-word written business case about a company which implements corporate sustainability business strategies. First, using their developed communications skills students are required to write a case with HRM sustainability issues in a company (800 words). Second, prepare a ‘cheat sheet’ with sustainability theories and concepts relating the HRM sustainability issues in the case with the content of this unit. This task requires students to work individually and collaboratively to appraise common good perspective, stewardship to organisational resources in this case report using sustainable HRM knowledge.

  • Final 1500-word group submission worth – 30% (submission – 17 marks and PAT – 3 marks)

 

 Submission Type: Individual

Assessment Method: Case report

Artefact: Case study analysis [B1]I would recommend introducing a practical real-life assessment - Myriam/Maxine can source something for this project

 [SM2]Students collect data for live business case. More details about this are provided in AT2 guidelines.

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC10, GC11, GC12

Assessment Task 3: Reflective Journal This asses...

Assessment Task 3: Reflective Journal

This assessment task consists of a 1500-word individual critical reflective journal on advised topics. The critical reflective journal task requires students to critically reflect on their learning throughout the unit and demonstrate their higher order thinking skills on sustainable HRM to become a socially responsible and credible activist to facilitate businesses to focus on global stakeholders in achieving the common good.

  • Final 1500-word individual submission worth – 40%.

 

 Submission Type: Individual

Assessment Method: Critical reflective journal

Artefact: Reflective journal 

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5
Graduate Capabilities GC2, GC8, GC10, GC11, GC12

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Multi-Mode and ACU Online Delivery

This unit adopts an active and analytical learning approach to guide students in diagnosing and resolving complex sustainability issues in HRM. In Multi-Mode, students engage in interactive on-campus workshops designed to support individual and group learning through critical discussion, research, and reflection. Students explore the tensions and paradoxes in sustainable HRM and develop relational learning by sharing examples and insights with peers. This format supports students who prefer both independent and social learning environments while building the professional knowledge and skills required to implement sustainable HRM practices.

In ACU Online, students engage with the unit content through fortnightly asynchronous activities and graded tasks that offer choice and variety. Students are encouraged to contribute to online discussions and apply their learning to real-world contexts by drawing on their own professional or organisational examples. Activities are designed to replicate professional practice and build confidence in sustainable HRM decision-making. Regular, timely feedback ensures that students remain supported and aware of their progress.

Both delivery modes aim to develop students’ capacity to critically engage with theory and apply it meaningfully to organisational contexts focused on sustainable outcomes.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Alcaraz, J.M., Susaeta, L., Suarez, E., Colón, C., Gutiérrez-Martínez, I., Cunha, R., Leguizamón, F., Idrovo, S., Weisz, N., Correia, M.F. and Pin, J.R., 2019. The human resources management contribution to social responsibility and environmental sustainability: explorations from Ibero-America. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 30(22), pp.3166-3189.

Aust, I., Matthews, B. and Muller-Camen, M., 2020. Common Good HRM: A paradigm shift in Sustainable HRM? Human Resource Management Review30(3), p.100705.

Barrena-Martínez, J., López-Fernández, M. and Romero-Fernández, P.M., 2019. Towards a configuration of socially responsible human resource management policies and practices: Findings from an academic consensus. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 30(17), pp.2544-2580.

Dumont, J., Shen, J. and Deng, X., 2017. Effects of green HRM practices on employee workplace green behavior: The role of psychological green climate and employee green values. Human Resource Management, 56(4), pp.613-627.

Guerci, M., Decramer, A., Van Waeyenberg, T. and Aust, I., 2019. Moving beyond the link between HRM and economic performance: A study on the individual reactions of HR managers and professionals to sustainable HRM. Journal of Business Ethics, 160(3), pp.783-800.

Macke, J. and Genari, D., 2019. Systematic literature review on sustainable human resource management. Journal of Cleaner Production, 208, pp.806-815.

Mariappanadar, S., 2020. Characteristics of sustainable HRM system and practices for implementing corporate sustainability. In Sustainable Human Resource Management (pp. 9-35). Springer, Singapore.

Mariappanadar, S., 2020. Do HRM systems impose restrictions on employee quality of life? Evidence from a sustainable HRM perspective. Journal of Business Research118, pp.38-48.

Mariappanadar S 2019 Sustainable Human Resource Management: Strategies, Practices and Challenges. 1st ed., Macmillan International, UK.

Mariappanadar, S. and Aust, I., 2018. The Dark Side of Overwork: An Empirical Evidence of Social Harm of Work from a Sustainable HRM Perspective. International Studies of Management & Organization, 47(4), pp.372-387.

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