scholarly journals What HRD Is Doing—What HRD Should be Doing: The Case for Transforming HRD

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Torraco ◽  
Henriette Lundgren
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Resource Development ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
The Future ◽  
New Perspective

Human resource development (HRD) is no longer expected to be the primary agency for promoting learning and development among employees. Today, HRD is diffused and integrated into a broad range of leadership and supervisory roles. As more responsibility for learning and development is assumed by others, what is the role of HRD? Although HRD has largely adapted to sharing more of its traditional responsibility for learning and development, the field has also encountered challenges and criticisms. We juxtapose recent adaptations and advances in HRD with perspectives on the dilemmas, challenges, and criticisms of HRD as seen by those outside the field of HRD. Grounded in a comprehensive review of recent literature, the authors seek to provide a balanced perspective on HRD’s strengths and weaknesses and to conceptualize a new perspective on HRD and its transformation for the future.

Why is organizing human resource development so problematic?

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 215-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob F. Poell ◽  
Ferd Van Der Krogt
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Resource Development ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Important Field ◽  
Training Courses

Purpose Human resource development (HRD) is an important field within management. Developing employees is often regarded as an instrument to improve the internal labor market and support organizational change. Organizing HRD to these ends, however, is frequently a problematic affair, in terms of training effectiveness, participant motivation and added value. This study, which consists of two parts, aims to investigate the question of why this is the case. In this second part, two specific aspects of the learning-network theory are elaborated: multiple experiences in organizations forming the basis of employee learning and development, and different actor strategies for organizing HRD. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a conceptual framework to argue that one of the main reasons why organizing HRD is problematic lies in the limited and one-sided conceptualization of organizing HRD that is often used. Findings Organizing HRD is mostly viewed as designing training courses and instruction sessions for employees; it is also predominantly understood as a tool of management. The paper proposes a network perspective on organizing HRD, which is better able to guide organizational actors than other approaches can, by taking into account a broader set of HRD practices and viewing employees (besides managers) as key stakeholders. Originality/value The study argues that organizing HRD needs to take into account learning experiences that employees can gain from participating in work and career development as well (besides formal training); moreover, that employees’ HRD strategies are at least as important as those used by line managers and HR practitioners.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document