Impact of young talent’s sustainable human resource management competencies on the sustainable development performance of small and medium-sized enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City: The mediating role of green workplace behavior
Published: July 20, 2026
doi:10.62831/nckh.2026.585.v1
Abstract
As Vietnam pursues its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and faces increasing pressure to comply with ESG standards from global supply chains, sustainable human resource management competencies are shifting from a strategic option to a survival requirement for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study examines the impact of five groups of sustainable human resource management competencies that young talent brings into organizations on the sustainable development performance of SMEs in Ho Chi Minh City, with green workplace behavior serving as a mediating variable. Drawing on the Natural-Resource-Based View (NRBV) and the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework, data from 412 respondents who were young employees and managers at SMEs were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that all five competency groups have positive and statistically significant effects on green behavior, with sustainability value orientation and green digital competency playing dominant roles. Green behavior, in turn, is a strong predictor of sustainable development performance and fully mediates the relationship between competencies and performance. The study provides theoretical implications regarding the mechanism of sustainability transmission through young human capital and practical implications for training, recruitment, and green transformation in SMEs.
Keywords
sustainable human resource managementgreen workplace behaviorsustainable development performancesmall and medium-sized enterprisesyoung talent
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