Academy Of Human Resource Development Research Articles

Mapping the Future of Intersectional Research in Human Resource Development: An Integrated Literature Review

This study critically reviews intersectional research (IR) published in the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) journals and presents a framework for future work in IR. First, we identified 10 IR approaches from previous literature and classified them into four perspectives: conceptual, category-based, alternative philosophy-based, and alternative analysis-based perspectives. Utilizing the framework, we found that the majority of IR in HRD has (a) drawn on an intra-categorical approach, (b) focused on the intersection of gender and race, (c) centered on the United States context, and (d) depended on qualitative research methodology. We also examined the IR trends in HRD over time and observed that IR has recently incorporated more diverse approaches and identities and has explored some non-US contexts. To advance IR and better understand the complexity of intersectionality at work, future research needs to continue diversifying research approaches, methods, subjects, and contexts.

Reimagining Well-Being Research in HRD

In recent years, a significant interest on the relevance of well-being has spurred dialog at every level -- from mundane everyday conversations about how we are feeling, to broader discussions related to the well-being of our communities and society. Joining a conversation about well-being is not difficult as we can talk to each other about our experiences. Recognizing commonalities in well-being experiences brings us together and gives shared purpose and meaning. For example, within the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD), we must continue to focus on the well-being of our members, stakeholders, and broad audiences we serve. Clearly, the efforts we undertake as HRD practitioners and researchers can only enhance the relevance and importance of well-being research and practice. Below, I share key academic conversations concerning well-being, and how HRD can promote greater exchange of ideas, and enhance our collective knowledge both in research and practice.

인적자원개발연구에서의 다양성 연구동향 분석

Considering that diversity-related HRD research is in its early stages in Korea, this study aims to identify research trends through content analysis of diversity-related HRD articles published in the journals of the Academy of Human Resource Development and provide implications on HRD research and practice. To this end, a total of 87 papers published from 2000 to 2021 by the AHRD journals (HRDQ, ADHR, HRDR, HRDI) were selected. The analysis framework consists of research targets, methods, diversity research topics (dimensions, perspectives, and topics), and HRD research topics. IBM SPSS 25.0 and MS Excel programs were used to conduct frequency and cross-analysis for the research purposes. The main findings are as follows: First, the number of published papers on diversity in the HRD aspect increased continuously during the period. Second, the studies put a greater focus on diversity at the individual level than that at other levels, and diversity management strategies were found to be the most identified topic. As for perspective analysis, studies carried out from a discrimination/fairness perspective accounted for the majority of the articles. Finally, a large proportion of diversity-related HRD papers was about topics such as training & development, organizational development, leadership, and critical HRD. The results of this study could suggest a future direction for the study of diversity in the HRD context in Korea.

Strategic flexibility analysis of HRD research and practice post COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT While governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-profits, corporations are all aware that disruptions through pandemics and other natural bio-disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic can happen, barely are we proactive about them. Instead, we are always reactive. In a virtual Town Hall meeting of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) held on 9 April 2020, on the theme ‘How is the pandemic a game-changer for HRD?,’ the President of AHRD, Laura Bierema, challenged HRD scholars to determine the possible futures of HRD scholarship post-COVID-19 Pandemic. This article proposes the use of the Strategic Flexibility Framework (SFF) to determine the possible futures of HRD post-COVID-19 pandemic. I first discuss the SFF as a scenario planning and analysis tool. I then developed four scenarios of possible futures for HRD Research and Practice post-COVID-19 pandemic. These scenarios include the ‘Meaning of work,’ ‘Leadership,’ ‘Contactless Commerce & Education,’ and ‘Volunteerism.’ I conclude by discussing the important opportunities that can serve as intervention points for post-COVID-19 HRD theory, research, and practice.

On the meaning of being a scholar of human resource development

AbstractThe following article is an expanded version of the prepared remarks made by Ronald L. Jacobs at the time of his induction recently in the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) Scholar Hall of Fame. Being inducted in the AHRD Scholar Hall of Fame is considered the highest level of recognition for individuals who have made significant and extended contributions to the human resource development field through their research. The induction ceremony is conducted during the Awards Ceremony at the AHRD Annual Conference; at that time, inductees offer brief comments of their own choosing. The remarks made by Jacobs were deemed of sufficient interest to the broader field that he was asked to expand them into the following article.

Globalizing HRD Academic Practice: Developing a Global Mindset for Teaching and Research

The Problem As a result of the domination of U.S.- and U.K.-centric approaches to human resource development (HRD), current academic practices often reside in ethnocentric content-related silos, which include certain theoretical frameworks, models, mindsets, and ways of conceptualizing. Given the exponential increase in globalization and the complex global issues facing the field of HRD, these teaching and research practices as well as the limited HRD global and transdisciplinary networks cannot offer the needed solutions to the problems faced by professionals around the world in their workplaces, communities, and societies. The Solution To understand this problem empirically and recommend solutions based on our findings, we reviewed journal articles published in the last year in our four Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD)-sponsored journals and HRD programs of universities that are members of AHRD’s Program Excellence Network (PEN) and University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) to understand the state of globalization of HRD research and teaching. We offer recommendations for HRD scholars representing the new guard to globalize their teaching and research and professional associations to guide and support the globalization of HRD academic practice. The Stakeholders This article is of particular interest to HRD scholars in all stages of their careers seeking to globalize their academic practice and contribute to their own and their learners’ global mindset development and to professional associations guiding and supporting the globalization of HRD academic practice.

Introduction and Purpose of the Issue

The Problem This issue of Advances in Developing Human Resources addresses the establishment of a research agenda for theories and constructs selected from established theories from other fields of study, which are related to elements of the study of human resource development (HRD). Several of the theories or constructs were selected for inclusion in this issue based on prior publications in Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD)–sponsored journals in which authors suggested the use of the theory to advance the theory, research, and practice in HRD. Other theories and constructs were inspired to be included by calls for interdisciplinary and multi-paradigmatic empirical research from journals within the economics, management, organizational psychology, and sociology fields of study. The Solution Integrated, systematic, or theoretical literature reviews were conducted for each of the selected theories or constructs. Models, research propositions, and research agendas were developed to provide recommendations for the development of research designs and protocols. The goal of the implementation of the research agendas is to advance the theoretical foundations of HRD. The Stakeholders This issue is expected to benefit HRD researchers and HRD practitioners by providing suggestions for empirical research studies to be conducted to explore HRD-related concepts using the theories selected and to establish interdisciplinary and multi-paradigmatic research opportunities.

Exploring the Boundaries of Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resource Development

This article reviews literature focused on diversity and inclusion in human resource development (HRD) journals. A focused analysis of articles published from 2010 to the present reveals shifting conceptualizations of diversity inside and outside the Academy of Human Resource Development. This integrative review summarizes the types of diversity articles presented and captures the frameworks, approaches, and foci of current diversity and inclusion research. The influence of social cognitive psychology becomes apparent, as the awareness of multiple identities and experiences becomes central to teaching and learning how to value diversity. The findings also suggest that research and practice in the context of marginalized communities, and non-Western countries, is crucial to broadening the scope of diversity and inclusion in both dominant and nondominant cultures. After categorizing the articles, a discussion of recent theories, pedagogy, and utility follows. The review concludes with a discussion of practice and research implications.

A review of leadership theories: identifying a lack of growth in the HRD leadership domain

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the life-cycle of leadership theory from both the human resource development (HRD) and the organizational/leadership literature while providing a contrast between the two bodies of literature. The current research identifies which theories are being represented within the HRD literature, followed by a review of current directions in the leadership fields, primarily from literature in the organizational and leadership fields. By identifying these two bodies of leadership theories, the following research question will be answered: How current are the leadership theories provided in the literature of HRD compared to research that is reported from other external leadership fields?Design/methodology/approachThis paper examines how leadership theories are represented in the HRD literature. Data for the current article provide a preview of leadership theories that are used to inform HRD scholars and scholar–practitioners for a period of 15 years (2000-2015) in the four Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) publications (Advances in Developing Human Resources; Human Resource Development International; Human Resource Development Quarterly; and Human Resource Development Review). The four journals within the AHRD were reviewed to identify which leadership theories were being researched and used to inform members of HRD. The search terms for the current study included “leadership AND theory,” “team AND leadership,” “leadership AND development” and “team AND development.” Studies that presented a leadership theory and either described or defined the theory were coded for the current study. Within this body of literature, there were a total of 74 leadership theories identified (some repeating), among those there were a total of 20 unique leadership theories. The literature external of HRD was identified using the ScienceDirect database for 10 years (2007-2017) with the topics limited to “topics–leadership.” Once the HRD and organizational/leadership literature are presented, a comparison between the two literature streams will be provided, highlighting any deficiencies within either body of literature and recommendations for future research efforts for the field of HRD.FindingsThis examination of leadership theory study within HRD and other fields highlights the deficiencies within either body of literature and offers recommendations for future research efforts for the field of HRD. In line with the trend in leadership research, HRD should call for more longitudinal and multi-level research efforts to be conducted as opposed to cross-sectional studies.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study is limited in the literature that was used to collect/code data. Also, the time frame for the HRD literature ended in 2015 due to the long duration required to review articles and to code the data. Secondary data were obtained from organizational/leadership literature and are more current because they are more recent. Overall, even with an end date of 2015 for the HRD literature, the HRD field has not changed too much during this time and the authors recognize some minor changes, but the research findings are still relevant and the leadership deficits presented are still realized.Practical implicationsThe field of HRD is behind when it comes to leadership theories. This paper identifies this in an effort to aid researchers, students and practitioners to look beyond the leadership theories presented in the HRD literature for more relevant and current leadership theories. This paper highlighted a number of newer and current leadership theories and trends for scholars and scholar-practitioners to begin to focus on; however, this list is only a snapshot and is bounded by the data collected for the current paper.Originality/valueThis paper is original in that it is both critical of leadership research within the HRD literature while also providing new directions for the field. The snapshot of where the field of HRD is compared to the leadership and organizational fields becomes apparent with multiple future directions for research.

Theoretical Literature Review: Tracing the Life Cycle of a Theory and Its Verified and Falsified Statements

The Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) has proven to be a source of knowledge providing research in the forms of theory development, literature reviews, educational and descriptive analyses, critical analyses, and empirical research studies. Given this vast body of knowledge, there has not been a call for researchers to provide a literature review format for tracing the life cycles of individual theories, differentiating between formal and informal theories within human resource development’s (HRD) body of knowledge. The current article proposes a format for conducting a theoretical literature review, using path-goal leadership theory and the learning organization as two examples to showcase the benefits of using a theoretical literature review. Incorporating theoretical literature reviews to some of the AHRD’s journals could help in identifying and mapping the field’s formal and informal theories while aiding in providing additional historical reviews for the discipline.

Research to Advance Undergraduate HRD Education: “Please Sir, I Want Some More”

The Problem There is a dearth of research focusing on undergraduate human resource development (HRD) education. As a result, programs offering undergraduate degrees in HRD or degrees related to HRD may be making program decisions without the benefit of empirical research. Alternatively, programs may be conducting their own action research projects where the results may not be generalizable to other institutions. The Solution The present issue takes one small step forward related to filling the gap in undergraduate HRD education. The empirical articles in this issue are reviewed and synthesized to identify five opportunities for research that can inform education and practice. The Stakeholders The primary audience includes HRD scholars and scholar-practitioners, including master and doctorate students, interested in conducting research relevant to undergraduate HRD education. The secondary audience includes leaders of the field, including board members of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD), the AHRD Foundation, the University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education (UCWHRE), program administrators, department chairs, associate deans, and deans.

The Unheard, Unseen, and Often Forgotten

This structured literature review explores disability issues in human resource development (HRD) to ascertain what research exists and suggest future research. This review identifies the work related to disability issues published in the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) proceedings and the four journals. HRD scholarship, germane to our discussion of disability, has focused on organizational entry barriers, organizational post-entry barriers, career development (CD) and advancement, workplace training for disability inclusiveness, workplace training for disabled employees, and harassment, discrimination, and allegations of discharge-related discrimination.

Developing a Tradition of Scholarship

The Problem Research and theory are the lifeblood of academic disciplines along with the peer-reviewed journals that disseminate such scholarship. Journals become critical repositories that capture the histories and evolution of such disciplines, and their scholarly contributions generate new knowledge that can stimulate further research and improve practice. The Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) sponsors four peer-reviewed journals that have contributed to the birth and evolution of the discipline of human resource development (HRD). Yet, little is known about how they came into being, how they have evolved, and what their impact has been within the field of HRD. The Solution This article captures the histories of the emergence and evolution of the four refereed journals sponsored by the AHRD through the unique voices of current and recent past editors of these journals. It then considers common themes of scholarship across the four journals that have helped to shape HRD. The Stakeholders Students, researchers, and scholar-practitioners in the field of HRD and related fields who are interested in learning more about the histories of the journals sponsored by the AHRD, along with their contributions to the scholarship in HRD, will benefit from reading this article.

Early History of the Fields of Practice of Training and Development and Organization Development

The Problem While the time and place of the birth of the Academy of Human Resource Development are documented, the field of human resource development (HRD) has historical roots that began decades earlier with the emergence of training and development and organization development as fields of practice. The Solution This article addresses the early history of training and development and organization development, and begins with the influence of World War II on work-related education and training and ends in the mid-1990s. It traces the origins of the field up to, but not including, the founding of the Academy of Human Resource Development in 1994. The historical development of training and development and organization development is shown to be a confluence of historical events and the intellectual contributions of seminal thinkers. The Stakeholders Stakeholders for this article are researchers, practitioners, and others interested in the history of training and development and organization development.

AHRD’s Globalization

The Problem The Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD, used interchangeably here with the Academy) was founded and has always been headquartered in the United States. This has communicated the message that the Academy is U.S.-centric, and, indeed, many aspects of its operations have confirmed this U.S.-centric perspective. However, this has not been the intent of AHRD. What has been done, and what more is needed, to change this view? The Solution We examined the historical efforts to expand internationally through membership, conferences, relationships with other associations, journals, and special interest groups (SIGs). In addition, we offered suggestions for other actions that might enhance global perspectives in overcoming existing challenges in the future. The Stakeholders All members of the Academy should be interested in this article, as the Academy continues to stress the importance of internationalizing (used interchangeably with globalizing) the Academy, whether they be academics, practitioners, or students. Other professional organizations, not just those headquartered in the United States, but throughout the world, should be interested in the Academy’s successes and challenges in this arena.

Controversies That Shaped the Field of Human Resource Development

The Problem There is a dearth of information concerning the various controversies that have arisen within human resource development, as encapsulated within the Town Hall Forums provided at the annual meetings of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD). Turnover and growth in the field result in a loss of institutional memory, which can provide vital context for current practices and decisions. The Solution This article summarizes the Town Hall Forums that have been presented at AHRD from 1995 to 2015. The Forums are grouped into related themes. Following the summary for the Forums within each theme, there is a brief statement as to the current status of that issue. The conclusion section identifies some of the research needs that still exist around some of the topics. By documenting the discussion and resolution of important issues, we can see how AHRD and its members have had an impact on the field and have led the field through research. The Stakeholders These include the scholars and scholar-practitioners within AHRD and those undertaking research related to HRD.

The Founding of the Academy of Human Resource Development

The Problem. The Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) evolved out of a perception that a practitioner-focused professional association (American Society for Training and Development [ASTD]) was not accommodating the interests of many members of the academic community, especially during annual meetings. Although a Professor’s Network existed, in the context of a meeting of working professionals, the network was too restricted in the kinds of scholarly presentations that could be made. The Solution. Ultimately, most of the academicians who were members of ASTD coalesced into a determined group dedicated to fashioning an independent society and creating a successful scholarly association. The Stakeholders. Members of AHRD—whether practitioners or scholars—will find it instructive to learn the behind the scenes story of the evolution of a professional association. For all who might imagine embarking on a similar process of invention, the connections between a personal life trajectory of the founder and the needs of a profession provide a study in perseverance and vision.

Personal Reflections

The Problem In this issue, we have collectively attempted to capture a history of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD or the Academy, used interchangeably). But is historical research important? Why have a history of AHRD now? What are the difficulties in doing historical research? And what does an historical history tell us about the changes to AHRD? The Solution In this article, I provide my reflections on the process that was used in putting this history together in light of commonly accepted criteria for a quality historical article. I chose reflection for this task consistent with Schön’s advice to use reflection to improve as a practitioner. I explored the difficulty in doing historical research, examined why it is so difficult to get historical research published, looked beyond the facts or events of AHRD’s history, and suggested areas that are still missing from this historical record. The Stakeholders Probably, those with the greatest interest in this article (and this issue) are those who are or have been members of the Academy. Others who might be interested are those who are involved in their own professional organization, other than AHRD. Those who are exploring the possibility of joining the Academy and those interested in the history of the broad scope of human resource development (HRD) are also likely to be interested.

HRD Scholars Who Laid the Foundations of HRD

Problem: The work to formalize the academic knowledge of HRD generated a research literature base to influence HRD practice and to form the basis for further research and theory-building. Current HRD scholarship builds on the foundations that were laid in the 1970s through 1990s. As the field continues to grow, it is important that we understand the work of the early scholars and the impact they have had on HRD. Solution: Many researchers were involved in the early HRD scholarly work, and a handful were recognized by the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) through its Outstanding Scholar Award. The early winners of the award largely framed HRD as an emerging academic discipline. This article summarizes the work of the first seven winners. Stakeholders: It is important that HRD researchers and students know the work of the seven scholars described in this article. In addition, HRD practitioners will see how some of their current practices evolved from the early research and theory-building undertaken by these scholars.

A History of the Academy of Human Resource Development

The Problem As the founders of the Academy of Human Resource Development [AHRD] begin to retire, the story of the evolution of this academic field has not been captured. The Solution This issue looks at the early beginnings of an academic emphasis in human resource development (HRD) and the professional association they formed to support and enhance academic programs from the voices of those who have played key roles in the founding of the Academy. The Stakeholders What is important to practitioners to know is that this association is part of a larger process of professionalization and certification of practitioners in the field. These efforts have the potential to ensure that all who practice in HRD are recognized as professionals with a unique body of knowledge. For scholars, theory development in HRD has been a significant thrust of several of the scholars included in this issue, and some of the articles proposed have the potential to identify areas where we need to encourage new theory development. Practitioners will find a thread that connects the mission of the AHRD to advance the profession through research with the way HRD professionals are educated at the institutions offering these degrees. At the same time, in the reciprocal and reflexive nature of this field, practice also helps shape the research agenda.