The Role of HRM Practices in Shaping a Positive Psychosocial Experience of Employees: Insights from the SCARF Model

Asta Savanevičienė (), Lina Girdauskienė and Živilė Stankevičiūtė
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Asta Savanevičienė: School of Economics and Business, Kaunas University of Technology, 44239 Kaunas, Lithuania
Lina Girdauskienė: School of Economics and Business, Kaunas University of Technology, 44239 Kaunas, Lithuania
Živilė Stankevičiūtė: School of Economics and Business, Kaunas University of Technology, 44239 Kaunas, Lithuania

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-29

Abstract: By integrating the concept of sustainable human resource management and Rock’s neuroscience-based SCARF (status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness) model, the paper aims to reveal the role of sustainable HRM practices in shaping a positive psychosocial experience of employees. Through this process, qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 50 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workers in Lithuania. The research revealed the key characteristics of sustainable HRM practices in terms of performance management, employee relations, rewards, employee development, career management, onboarding, and dismissal that shape positive experiences of STEM workers. Moreover, harmful HRM practice characteristics were identified that need to be eliminated to achieve sustainable human resource management. The results of the study allow organizations to better understand the role of HRM practices in enhancing positive psychosocial experiences of STEM employees through strengthening the domains of the SCARF model. Based on the insights obtained, organizations could better focus their efforts on the development of sustainable HRM practices that not only increase employee engagement but also contribute to their long-term professional sustainability.

Keywords: sustainable HRM practices; harmful HRM practices; psychosocial experiences; SCARF (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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