The Role of Human Resource Management Practices in Promoting Sustainability in the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government: A Qualitative Study of Human Resource Managers' Perspectives

Abstract

This study aims to explore the role of human resource management practices in promoting sustainability within the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government and its directorates in the northern West Bank. The study focuses on analyzing the extent to which core human resource management practices, namely, recruitment and selection, training and development, performance evaluation, and compensation and incentives, contribute to supporting the three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental, within the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government. The study adopted an exploratory qualitative approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of five human resource managers, five heads of administrative departments, and five administrative staff members working in the human resource departments of the northern directorates. This approach aimed to gain a multi-level perspective on the reality of administrative practices and their relationship to sustainability. The results showed the existence of sustainability-related practices and initiatives within the Ministry, but their level of integration varies from one directorate to another. The study also revealed that the social dimension is the most prominent, as evidenced by support for local authorities, enhanced community participation, and attention to employee well-being. Meanwhile, the environmental and economic dimensions are still developing, particularly through digital transformation initiatives, paper reduction, and streamlining operational expenses. The findings also showed that human resource management practices are implemented systematically, but their strategic alignment with the concept of sustainability remains limited. Training and development are the most significant practices contributing to sustainability, especially programs related to governance and digital transformation. However, sustainability criteria have not been explicitly integrated into recruitment policies or performance evaluation and incentive systems.

The study concludes that human resource management within the Ministry is undergoing a transition from traditional methods to more efficient and technology-driven practices, thus providing a suitable foundation for the shift towards sustainable human resource management. However, achieving a high level of integration requires the explicit incorporation of sustainability into policies, indicators, and incentive systems to promote sustainable institutional performance.