Book Review: Learning in Organizations: Complexities and Diversities by Peter J. Smith and Eugene Sadler-Smith

Abstract

In this book, the authors have analyzed and discussed the complex process of learning in organizations from the standpoint of human resource development (HRD). Managers and practitioners in modern, complex business environment seek to establish effective HRD that could contribute to the individual and organizational learning. For that purpose, practitioners often look for clear guidelines and rules that could lead to such an outcome. However, their attempts often fail because variety and diversity of practical manifestations are ignored or not identified. In this regard, the authors have presented the results of their collaborative thinking and research with the purpose to elucidate the complexity of learning and HRD in organizations. The authors have offered numerous tools that could help practitioners identify diversities and complexities in their own working and learning environments and then work on balancing various individual and organizational dimensions and their varieties. It should be noted, however, that the authors do not offer offthe- shelf solutions but instead seek to stimulate reflective enquiry and deeper understanding of HRD complexities. The book is therefore somewhat challenging for readers. However, this approach could provide more benefits than the traditional approach, which relied on oversimplifications and uniformity.