Recent years have seen sparked interest to business models based on sustainable development, which seek harmonious co-development of human resources, organizational culture, and production systems. This paper analyzes how HR management practices, a culture of energy conservation, and staff’s knowledge regarding energy efficiency affect the ability of Russian industrial companies to reach their targets in energy management. Methods in use involve factor analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and the author-developed questionnaire that is designed to measure the effects of internal intellectual factors (human resources, culture, and knowledge) on industrial energy performance. For the first time, this paper presents an SEM-based estimation of HR practices and their effects on industrial energy performance. Empirically, this study is based on the results of surveys that involved managers and technical officers of 14 Russian industrial companies in 2016-2017. Analysis shows that employee training, development of energy efficiency skills, and sharing knowledge on energy conservation issues do contribute to reaching the energy policy targets.
Industrial energy conservation, an overview