HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Human Resource Development

Human Resource Development

Introduction

Human Resource Development (HRD) is an area of theory, research, and practice that is devoted intimately to studying people. In terms of its formal academic study, Human Resource Development is comprised of a community of scholars and practitioners from across the world. Formal educational programs of Human Resource Development can be found in countries throughout many parts of the world. The Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) is the predominant global professional organization with individual memberships that focus on research. It holds four conferences a year: the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA).

The University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) is the dominant institutional professional organization for the study of Human Resource Development. Combined, these two professional organizations, along with country-specific organizations (e.g., India, Korea, Pakistan) help to define much of the Human Resource Development work being conducted across the globe. They facilitate the dissemination of Human Resource Development research by hosting these four international conferences per year and sponsoring the publication of four Human Resource Development-focused journals: Human Resource Development Quarterly (HRDQ), Human Resource Development International (HRDI), Advances in Developing Human Resources (ADHR), and Human Resource Development Review (HRDR).

The Historical Foci of HRD

Throughout the history of Human Resource Development, there have been several foundational debates and models that have helped to move Human Resource Development into its current state. As described above, the conversation and debates centered on how Human Resource Development should be defined have made significant contributions to this conversation. Other debates have centered on what the outcomes and models of HRD are.

Learning versus Performance

An often debated topic in some of the early published Human Resource Development history (pre-2000) was the outcome(s) of Human Resource Development. The debate often focused on questions centered on learning (Barrie & Pace, 1998, 39; Watkins & Marsick, 1995, 33) or performance (Swanson, 1995, 207) in individuals or within organizations. Although proponents of each side still exist, both sides generally agree that learning and performance are not mutually exclusive; each has its own place within an individual's and organization's development (Swanson & Holton, 2001, 299). In many ways, this debate between learning and performance is the same as that behind the debate regarding the definitions of Human Resource Development. Learning is seen as something that has future value, whereas performance is seen as something whose value can be immediately gauged. As with the definitions of Human Resource Development debate, there is a similar sense in the learning vs. performance debate; should the world of Human Resource Development be defined for immediate use or presented in a manner that allows for its future understanding?

Discussion

What is Human Resource Development?

Although a myriad of research and scholarly thought has been focused around the question of what is Human Resource Development? There is no single agreement as to the answer to this question. Many scholars and practitioners have endeavoured to provide a formal definition, while others have proposed that Human Resource Development is in a ...