HRD Interventions Research Articles

Addressing contemporary challenges of Human Resource Development in Private and Cooperative sector milk processing organizations in Pune region

HRD practices in private and cooperative sector milk processing organizations in Pune region were investigated through 175 management and 1195 employee respondents of selected milk processing organizations from both the sector by adopting proportionate convenience sampling technique; which indicates that overall, fair & poor level of HRD practices found in private and cooperative milk processing organizations in Pune region; an enlightened organization would initiate immediate drastic HRD interventions to prevent the situation from deteriorating further by designing/re-designing effective HRD policy and developing good HRD practices. Management of both the sector milk processing organizations needs to design the existing HRD policy in line with standard practices so as to develop good HRD culture. Again, in between the two sectors, private and cooperative sector milk processing organizations in Pune region, cooperative sector was noticed to be drag behind by most of the poor HRD practices and indicating the acute need for addressing the issues. It strongly indicates the need for addressing the challenges of HRD practices being followed by implementing all HRD practices as per standard way to get the best HRD practices result in both the sectors milk processing organizations so as to sustain in global competition.

Virtual revolution: leveraging teleworking as an HRD intervention for successful employment of people with disabilities in the digital age

PurposeThis article aims to find the important factors responsible for developing people with disabilities (PwD) to be successful teleworkers, subsequently identify the interrelationship between the factors, and finally, prioritize the factors.Design/methodology/approachThis study has adopted preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) methodology for systematic literature review. Then nominal group technique (NGT) was used to find out the crucial factors and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) to obtain the cause-and-effect relation of variables.FindingsTrust (TR), Top Management Support (TMS), Organizational Commitment (OC), Training and Education (TE), Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Job Satisfaction (JS), Flexibility and Autonomy (FA) and Job Productivity (JP) found to be the crucial factors responsible for making PwD successful teleworkers.Practical implicationsThis study will benefit both organizations and PwD teleworkers if the factors mentioned in this study are focused. Policymakers in organizations can use this study to focus on prioritized factors to reap the benefit of teleworking by developing PwD.Originality/valueThis study is unique because of its innovative methodology, in-depth interviews with experts, emphasis on inclusivity and use of DEMATEL analysis. Taken as a whole, these elements add significant value to our understanding of teleworking for individuals with disabilities, which is not done in earlier disability inclusion studies.

Using generative AI in human resource development: an applied research study

ABSTRACT In this article, we report results of an experimental study investigating the use of ChatGPT in the design of an HRD intervention. Our goal was to identify the benefits and drawbacks of using this technology in HRD practice. The theoretical framework for the study was provided by the Activity Theory, an often used approach in Human-Computer Interaction research. The study participants were HRD doctoral students from two large public universities in the USA. The participants used ChatGPT in developing an HRD intervention plan, based on a supplied organisational scenario. Data for the analysis included the intervention plans, prompts used by participants, outputs received from ChatGPT, and participants’ responses to open-ended questions. The study revealed varied participant experiences with ChatGPT, including differences in time investment and interaction rules. Among key findings were the tendency to interact with ChatGPT as if it were a human consultant, and steps to establish division of labour between the tool and the human agent. ChatGPT was valued for its usefulness in initial planning and brainstorming ideas for HRD interventions, yet its limitations were apparent in generic responses and lack of contextual understanding. Across all participants, the crucial role of human expertise in refining ChatGPT’s output was consistently highlighted.

A new framework for ethical artificial intelligence: keeping HRD in the loop

ABSTRACT As a result of the rapid development of technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) is changing human experiences and workplaces in ways that we are not prepared for. Recognized as a double-edged tool, AI has brought both positive and negative outcomes to organisations and employees. With its increasing popularity in the workplace and our daily practice, how to use AI intelligently and responsibly has become a top concern raised by both academics and practitioners. In this article, we discuss the desired and unintended consequences of AI as documented in current literature, examine the ethical concerns, and identify current solutions. We propose ‘keeping HRD in the loop’ as a means to addressing ethical challenges associated with AI and offer a new conceptual framework as a tool for reference. Integrating general AI principles and ethical guidelines developed by the Academy of HRD, we map out an ethical boundary consisting of nine human-centred principles and suggest a sample of six HRD interventions that can facilitate responsible AI practices and productive human-machine interfaces. By bringing HRD perspectives into the domain of AI practice, we hope to bring ethical considerations to the forefront of AI decision-making and stimulate more interest in interdisciplinary research and academic-industry collaboration.

Explicating Women’s Career Transitions: Propositions and a Conceptual Model

In this conceptual article, we present an HRD model of career transitions. We used findings from extant literature to show how this model can be applied to women’s careers, which are characterized as nonlinear and complex due to the influence family life has on a woman’s career. The proposed model includes five propositions that explain how the career transition occurs in two phases: career preparation and career identity formation. These career transition phases are influenced by the individual characteristics of the woman in transition and the HRD interventions that are available and used by her. The entire process is sustained with the help of contextual supports, including workplace flexibility and inclusive organizational cultures. Future research can test this model in additional populations. This model highlights the practical role of HRD interventions and furthers theory and research related to career transitions in HRD.

Serious Leisure as Human Resource Development Intervention

Leisure and work are often thought of as independent parts of life. While leisure has the potential of contributing to HRD and vice versa, it has received limited attention in HRD. Therefore, in this study, we used an integrative literature review to explore how leisure can contribute to HRD and become an HRD intervention. To search the literature, we used keywords relating to leisure, work, and HRD. One among several leisure types found was serious leisure. Serious leisure requires engagement in the activity with a sense of self-development. The results from serious leisure could include knowledge and skill development, which might not be related directly to short-term work performance improvement. Despite this, it allows for intrinsically sustainable self-development. Such self-development can yield positive results in every element of life, including work. To facilitate serious leisure as an HRD intervention, practitioners and policymakers need to eliminate leisure constraints.

A Comparative Study of HRD Interventions of Selected Maharatna Companies in India

Development of human resources is indispensable for the capacity building of any Nation. HRD is a broad term as it includes both the quantitative and the qualitative aspects of populace. India has one of the largest reservoirs of HRD in the world. In India a good number of industrial and commercial organizations have realized that human resource is the most important element in the field of success and failure of an organization. HRD is must for an organization to come out of its indolent stage to undertake its diversification programme, to improve its traditional services and systems, to become more dynamic and to play leadership effectively to ensure stability and growth of the organization. Development cannot take place unless a favourable climate for it is created at the top which extends down HRD through each level of the organization. It may come to a standstill if encouragement is not available to the person concerned. The HRD concept is based on recognition of human potential inherent in every employee. Only, dynamic employee can build dynamic organization. Self motivated and competent workforce makes organizations to grow and achieve goals. The most precious development asset of any organization is its human resources. The day-to-day development of science & technology and vast changes that are taking place in every walk of life make it more essential to take the best advantage of human resources. Maharatna Companies are one of the PSU in India with a Navratna status; listed on the Indian Stock Exchange; with an average net profit of more than Rs. 5,000 crore after paying tax; average annual turnover of Rs. 25,000 crore and an average annual net worth of Rs. 15,000 crore for 3 years each. This research paper focuses on a comparative study of HRD interventions namely Performance Appraisal, Career Development, Training programmes & Potential Appraisal systems of the “Maharatna Companies in India” under study i.e. BHEL & IOCL.

Theorizing Human Resource Development Practices in Extended Contexts: Invited Reaction 1

This reaction begins with three positive aspects of the article: (a) effects of cultural differences on HRD interventions; (b) shaping and skilling as separate HRD outcomes, and (c) unlearning or deskilling as HRD outcomes. In terms of critique, Wang and Doty emphasize open and closed systems but fail to provide clear definitions. Indeed, some aspects of closed systems appear in Western or more “open” societies. Another issue, reducing usability of this work, involves the mathematical formulations. An HRD practitioner and emerging scholar living in China adds some critique, suggesting that China may be better characterized as a semi-closed system. Further, based on experience, positive outcomes can result from closed shaping and negative skilling-in a closed host institution system (HIS). Nevertheless, the manuscript can hopefully lead to some new explorations in HRD research and theory and potentially practitioner use.

Role Efficacy as Related to Corporate Leadership: A Research Experience during HRD Intervention of Senior Managers in an Indian Private Sector Organization

A new IBM (May 22, 2012) study of more than 1,700 Chief Executive Officers from 64 countries and 18 industries worldwide reveals that CEOs are changing the nature of work by adding a powerful dose of openness, transparency and employee empowerment to the command-and-control ethos that has characterized the modern corporation for more than a century. Leadership is about understanding people, and especially about the process of making a real connect with potential workforce. Corporate leadership is perceived in divergent ways. Some explain success in terms of profit, productivity, and capacity utilization; others relate it to the market share, sales-growth, turnover and yet others to human satisfaction. The concept of Role-Efficacy purports to generate a feeling of pleasantness in performing one's role and meeting the demands of the role. Perhaps, endeavor of this study is to examine relationship of role efficacy with leadership practiced by executives/senior managers. Difference in philosophies of various organizations put a limit on the person being a good manager or a good leader, or both. The primary data was collected by means of structured questionnaire canvassed among the sample drawn for the purpose, which comprised of 54 respondents holding senior managerial cadre, out of which 26 respondents on the first day and 28 managers on the second day participated in the HRD workshop belonging to private sector, Indian organization of repute. Data has been statistically treated and complemented by correlation-analysis. Conclusion drawn from the study gives an impression and hint towards the existing state of affairs in the organization and poses a question about the organizational culture and prevailing practices, which perhaps may not be conducive to appreciate the new ideas of corporate transformation. Finally the paper concludes by emphasizing that role efficacy of senior managers must be enhanced by promoting the practice of corporate leadership (both transactional and transformational) by them.

The Organization’s Sustainable Work Stress and Maladjustment Management Plan by Predicting Early Retirement through Big Data Analysis: Focused on the Case of South Korea

The purpose of this study is to verify the predictive model of early retirees’ responses to work stress and maladjustment to the company by utilizing big data analytics and to extract the reasons for early retirement from the personnel information. Company A’s personnel information of employees working in the company for 10 years was used, K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN) algorithm was used to verify the predictive model of early retirees, and Decision Tree Analysis algorithm was used to extract the causing factors. According to the analysis results, first, the verification of the predictive model of early retirees based on the personnel information data showed 98% accuracy. Second, among the personnel information items, the ranking of items with high relevance for early retirement was the distance between the company and the residence (first place), the recent promotion history (second place), and whether or not to have the license (third place) out of a total of 18 items. The results of the analysis conducted in this study suggest that HRD intervention is required in the provision of problem-solving solutions involved in the HRM field, which is expected to be effective as a basic diagnostic tool for HR diagnosis involving HRD and HRM. In addition, this study may provide a detailed analysis of early retirement due to work stress and maladjustment of young people.

HRD Intervention And Organizational Effectiveness – An Impact Analysis

The main aim of the study is to encourage professionals to strive towards specific goals and responsibilities on the basis of their abilities, skills and context. Efficiency in an organization needs an appreciation of the various professionals and their position within a company, as well as opportunities to develop their abilities or allow use of specific skills. The HRD interventions are playing key role for the organizational effectiveness. The paper has made an attempt to examine the HRD interventions impact on the organizational effectiveness in IT companies. The bivariate correlation has been applied for the measuring the relationship of HRD intervention parameters with the organizational effectiveness and result reveals that Performance management has the strong relationship with the organizational effectiveness. The statistical method of structural equation model has been applied to measure the impact of selected three HRD interventions and observed that Performance Management influence has been found higher followed by the training effect on the organizational effectiveness.

Impacting the bottom line: Exploring the effect of a self‐efficacy oriented training intervention on unit‐level sales growth

AbstractThis study examines the impact of a specific training intervention on both individual‐ and unit‐level outcomes. We sought to examine the extent to which a training intervention incorporating key elements of error management training: (1) positively impacted sales specific self‐efficacy beliefs of trainees; and (2) positively impacted unit‐level sales growth over time. Results of an 11‐week longitudinal field experiment across 19 stores in a national bakery chain indicated that the sales self‐efficacy of trainees significantly increased between the levels they had 2 weeks before the intervention started and 4 weeks after it was initiated. Results based on a repeated measures ANOVA also indicated significantly higher sales performance in the intervention group compared with a non‐intervention control group. We also sought to address the extent to which individual‐level effects may be linked to the organizational level. We also provide evidence with respect to the extent to which changes in individual self‐efficacy were associated with unit‐level sales performance. Results confirmed this multi‐level effect as evidenced by a moderate significant correlation between the average self‐efficacy of the staff of each store and its sales performance across the weeks the intervention was in effect. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing direct evidence of the impact of an HRD intervention at multiple organizational levels.

HRD Interventions that Offer a Solution to Work-Life Conflict

The Problem Balancing work and life can be difficult. In a new world of work amidst COVID-19, balancing work and life has become even more challenging. Employees are struggling to adjust their work-life obligations while maintaining performance expectations. Providing employee support to reduce stress and minimize adverse effects on performance outcomes requires employer action. The Solution HRD interventions are recommended as organizational support mechanisms. These interventions are designed to reduce stress produced by work life conflict, particularly during stressful organizational events. Through organizational support, employees are offered the opportunity to increase individual performance. The Stakeholders HRD and HRM professionals, scholars, organizational planners, organizational leaders and managers, and all others who have a vested interest in employee well-being.

Initial exploration in workplace coaching: coaches’ thematic and methodological approach

ABSTRACT Coaching is increasingly used as an HRD intervention. Initial research suggests the importance of coaching behaviour, especially at the beginning of a coaching engagement, for coaching success. However, findings are scarce as to how coaches proceed during the initial phase in coaching and recent reviews therefore call for research that investigates how coaches determine the focus of the coaching intervention. Therefore, our study aimed to answer the questions of what and how regarding coaches’ approach to the ‘initial exploration’. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with workplace coaches. Qualitative content analysis revealed a broad range of contents addressed, methods applied, and principles that guide coaches during the initial exploration. Moreover, we identified specific patterns for categorising coaches’ approaches. Concerning the content coaches address, we identified three dimensions: coachees’ areas of life (private vs. professional, with the latter including individual vs. social vs. organisational aspects), temporal focus (past, present, future), and perspective (solution- vs. problem-orientation). We integrate our findings into a taxonomy of the initial exploration in coaching and thereby provide a basis for future research as well as a guide for reflection and decision-making for coaches, coachees, and organisational sponsors.

Mapping human resource development: Visualizing the past, bridging the gaps, and moving toward the future

AbstractUsing topic mapping techniques, we provide a review of the 3,236 articles published in the five premier HRD journals between 1990 and 2019. We map the key terms evidencing the emergence of five major topic clusters within HRD scholarship: nature and identity of HRD, HRD interventions and outcomes, national HRD, career development, and HRD in academia. Nature and identity of HRD depicts a movement from establishing foundations to expanding horizons. HRD interventions and outcomes reflects a spectrum of research interests from exploring processes to examining desired outcomes. National HRD shows that research topics are increasingly moving toward international and global settings. Career development demonstrates a shift from emphasizing organizational careers to advocating for under‐represented career actors. HRD in academia encompasses topics related to educating HRD professionals and supporting professional development in other fields. We provide a synthesis of the clusters, create a taxonomy of topic areas, and identify the mature, nascent, trending, and growing concepts in HRD. In doing so, our paper provides an overview of where we are in HRD scholarship. We then suggest collaborative, competitive, and configurational boundary work as strategies that HRD scholars can use purposefully to influence future HRD research directions. Our findings inform HRD researchers and can guide interested practitioners in their search for actionable knowledge in HRD.

Redefining, relooking, redesigning, and reincorporating HRD in the post Covid 19 context and thereafter

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has brought several challenges to the way organizations were functioning globally. Considering the case of India, this is a time of complete work transformation for the entire workforce across all sectors of work. As the work from home scenario has never been a part of the functioning of Indian organizations, whether public or private, there are serious concerns of managing the same particularly in time of this crisis. Thus, the present article provides an insight into the response of Indian organizations in combating the repercussions that the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn with it as well as the challenges being faced. In line with the same, we propose the adoption of a 4-R Crisis-Normalcy Model of HRD that can be used by the HRD professionals to redefine, relook, redesign, and reincorporate the HRD interventions in the COVID-19 context. This model not only provides the basis for managing the COVID-19 pandemic aligned to organizational functioning but is a way forward to dealing with any type of crisis situation that may affect an organization.

An empirical study of displaceable job skills in the age of robots

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on issues regarding the influence of skill-polarized workplace on jobs, human capital and organization from human resource development’s (HRD’s) perspective, this research identified 30 displaceable skills from endangered jobs and examined 423 adult employees’ awareness and level of technological redundancy based on the displaceable kills.Design/methodology/approachBy using survey methodology, the findings discovered four displaceable skill sets – repeated physical motion and performance, information process and analysis, repeated physical control of equipment, and individual affective performance – existing in 23 occupations with varying degrees.FindingsEvidently, about half of the respondents were not aware of their level of technological redundancy and the current changes caused by automation and advancing technology in the job market. Proper HRD interventions are needed to assist employees to adjust the job changes and coexist with machines and robots in the technologically dynamic workplace. Specific approaches and strategies to help employees to become robot-proof were provided and discussed.Originality/valueThis research offers important insights for HRD professionals to understand the phenomena of the current skill-polarized workplace and to potentially address the related issues of talent shortage, endangered jobs, and technological unemployment.

A meta-analytic review of gender composition influencing employees’ work outcomes: implications for human resource development

ABSTRACT Drawing from Kanter’s tokenism theory, the current meta-analysis provides a statistical synthesis of the research linking gender composition of the workplace to men and women’s evaluative (leadership, rewards, and performance) and affective (interpersonal relationships, stress, and attitudes towards women) outcomes. In addition, we examine the moderating effect of task gender-type on these relationships. Evidence for simple gender composition effects was weak, with only men’s interpersonal outcomes being associated with gender composition. In contrast, we found strong evidence supporting the moderating effect of task gender-type on these relationships for both sexes, across several of the outcomes. Notably, the strongest moderator effect was shown for men’s leadership, with a clear pattern demonstrating that gender composition has a stronger positive effect on this outcome for men performing gender-neutral tasks, compared to men performing masculine tasks. This underscores the importance of task gender-type as a more powerful indicator of workplace gender norms than a numerical representation of men and women. Despite progress towards gender parity in the workplace, gender hegemony remains strong in male-typed tasks as they stand impervious to the effects of gender composition. Results are discussed in light of tokenism theory and its implications on designs of HRD interventions.

An evaluation of social learning and learner outcomes in a massive open online course (MOOC): a healthcare sector case study

ABSTRACTThis paper responds to calls for new inquiries into the use of technology in HRD. We examine how, and to what extent, social media tools contribute to learner experiences and learner outcomes in an HRD intervention in a workplace context. We analyse qualitative and quantitative data relating to a massive open online course (MOOC) in a healthcare sector case study setting. We examine the interaction between the MOOC programme, social learning through social media tools and learner outcomes. The results of our evaluation show that usage of social media tools does not significantly affect knowledge outcomes but social media usage enhances affective outcomes. We conclude that social media tools can foster productive social learning processes. We also find evidence of some reluctance to engage with the technologies and declining patterns of interactivity using social media over the duration of the MOOC programme. We conclude that a more nuanced theorization to take account of personal and professional workplace context is necessary to explain how learners regulate their engagement with social media tools and the effect of social technologies for sustained social learning in HRD interventions.

An Interplay Between Sri Lankan Employees and South Korean Employers: Conflicting Priorities, Attitudes, and Cross-Cultural Perceptions in a 3-D Workplace

This ethnographic study examined the lived experiences of Sri Lankan 3D workers in South Korea. The purpose was to explore the interplay between unskilled Sri Lankan employees and Korean employers to gain a deeper understanding of critical factors that enhance or hinder optimal performance and to propose HRD interventions to engross expatriate labor meaningfully into host country workplace effectively. The research addressed three research questions. First, what is the type of work relationship prevailed between Korean employers and Sri Lankan workers who engage in 3-D work? Second, what cultural elements are more prominent in their interactions between Korean employers and Sri Lankan workers? And third, what other factors influence the performance of Sri Lankan employees who engage in 3-D work? This paper discovered the hidden realities, factors that obstruct the optimal performance, life experience, and the nature of relationships between Korean employers and Sri Lankan employees in Korean industries. Twenty-one participants who had more than three years of working experience in Korean industries provided rich information that reveals the workplace hidden realities. Emerging themes are presented as five constituents: “attitudes towards Korean bosses and their self,” “frustration,” “discrimination at workplaces,” and “performance barriers.” While highlighting critical factors that hinder performance in a 3D workplace, the authors discuss research implications and practice while proposing remedial policy and HRD measures that the Korean and Sri Lankan governments, Korean employers and Sri Lankan 3D workers in Korea would be able to benefit from.