Interactive effects of sustainable HRM, career adaptability and career sustainability on employee well-being

PurposePast research has well-demonstrated the importance of sustainable human resource management practices in augmenting sustainability in careers of individuals and their overall growth and well-being. In this regard, role of career adaptability as a potential resource in harnessing sustainable HRM and career sustainability relationship requires attention. Considering this, the purpose of the current research is to analyze how sustainable HRM practices influence career sustainability, that eventually predicts employee well-being. Besides this, we also examined the role of career adaptability as a potential moderator in governing the linkage between sustainable HR practices and career sustainability.Design/methodology/approachOur study adopted a cross-sectional research design. Data were collected through administration of survey among 620 working professionals. Analysis was conducted deploying statistical techniques such as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to confirm the factors, and the hypotheses were tested using model 4 and model 7 in PROCESS macro by SPSS 20.0.FindingsResults showed that in the Indian context, career sustainability acts as a potential mediator between the sustainable HRM practices and employee well-being relationship. In addition, we also found the significant moderating role of career adaptability in strengthening the impact of sustainable HRM practices on career sustainability among employees.Practical implicationsThe study offers potential implications for scholars and management practitioners in terms of implementing sustainable HRM practices emphasizing on good values at various levels in organizations. Also, it encourages organizational policymakers and leaders for conducting training programs and workshops on developing career adaptability resources.Originality/valueIt is among one of the few studies that help in advancing the scholarship on sustainable HRM and sustainable careers and their key role in strengthening individuals' well-being. The findings also extend the application of conservation of resources theory at the intersection of sustainable HRM and vocational psychology literature in the South-east Asian context.