Human Resource Development Interventions Research Articles

National Governance and Promising Practices in Workplace Learning: a Postindustrial Programmatic Framework in Canada

The problem and the solution. Implicitly or explicitly, the work of most human resource development (HRD) professionals contributes in some way to national purpose. Even in the private sector, a sense of national identity is not lacking in HRD products, processes, and programs, even though this phenomenon may not be readily apparent to either practitioners or researchers. Viewed through the practitioner’s lens of typical HRD interventions, national HRD (NHRD) as a construct favors a description of the historical evolution of current practices. In this article, this analysis is reversed so that national purpose and supporting policies are used as the lens to assess a possible future evolution of NHRD practices and programs in Canada that support workplace learning in a changing national context.

Reframing Human Resource Development

Human resource development (HRD) practice can be viewed from a number of theoretical standpoints. Rather than viewing competing standpoints as unhelpful at best,or incompatible at worst,this article proposes purposeful dialogue between them. The argument of this article is that to draw on a range of interpretive lenses,far from inhibiting our understanding of HRD,actually helps the researcher arrive at a fuller and more holistic understanding of such activities. This,in turn,leads to better informed feedback to HRD practitioners as they seek to design and manage training interventions in organizations. By way of illustration,Bolman and Deal’s multiframe approach is applied as an interviewing device,with managers taking part in an executive coaching program in a case organization, demonstrating the unpredictability of an apparently straightforward HRD intervention. Implications for HRD theorizing,methodolo gy,and practice are summarized.

The effects of alternative reports of human resource development results on managerial support

AbstractManagerial responses to human resource development (HRD) results evaluation reports were experimentally investigated as a function of (1) how evaluation information was presented and (2) reported HRD program impact levels. Managers (n = 233) read a business scenario in which they were asked to make a decision about whether to implement a development program. They were then exposed to one of nine experimental treatment conditions (evaluation report type × reported program impact level). The report types included utility analysis, critical outcome technique, and anecdotal evaluation reports. Results were varied at three impact levels (low, average, and high). Findings of the study showed that managers perceived utility analysis and critical outcome technique reports as almost equally useful in decision making; however, the anecdotal evaluation report was found to be significantly less useful than either of the other two report types. There was no effect of the reported program impact level on the perceived usefulness of the evaluation reports for decision making. Furthermore, there was no interaction between report type and impact level on the perceived usefulness of the reports for decision making. These findings show that managers prefer information about the financial results of HRD interventions to anecdotal information, regardless of the reported level of impact.

Cultural myths in stories about human resource development: analysing the cross‐cultural transfer of American models to Germany and the Côte d'Ivoire

This exploratory study examined the cross‐cultural transferability of occupational assumptions, in the form of work myths, to a foreign setting. The research followed the premise that occupations are culturally framed by certain myths which are shaped by national socio‐cultural referents. The reaction of the German and Ivorian business communities to the myths that shape American human resource models of employee and organisational development formed a descriptive basis for practice and theoretical implications. The data were derived from the myths contained in informant stories about the need for human resource development (HRD) interventions. Societal differences in individualistic and collective orientations as well as historical variance in business development and approaches to management were reviewed in an attempt to explain disagreements in cultural assumptions. Highlighted was the need for all occupations to be cognisant of the ethnocentrism of their work myths.

HRD and labour market practices in a US multinational subsidiary: the impact of global and local influences

This paper examines the extent to which the human resource development (HRD) and labour market dynamics of a US multinational subsidiary in Ireland are influenced by global and local factors. Specifically the study examines the dynamic between central control and subsidiary autonomy in relation to HRD and labour market management. Using a single case study, the author explores the extent to which the subsidiary is constrained or enabled by virtue of its US heritage, and the relative impact of the Irish environment on its operation. The findings indicate that the subsidiary possesses considerable autonomy in relation to content aspects of HRD interventions while corporate interest was primarily focused on budgetary issues. Turning to labour market management, it is argued that the subsidiary’s long‐term focus is characteristic of the welfare capitalist approach to HR management. The main manifestations of this approach in the case company are outlined, while also acknowledging the impact of sectoral and company specific factors in shaping HRD and labour market management in the subsidiary.

A systems approach to measuring return on investment for HRD interventions

AbstractThis study contributes to the limited methodological literature on HRD program evaluation and measurement. The study explores an interdisciplinary approach for return on investment (ROI) measurement in human resource development (HRD) research and practices. On the basis of a comprehensive review and analysis of relevant studies in economics, industrial‐organizational psychology, financial control, and HRD fields, we developed a systems approach to quantitatively measure ROI for HRD programs. The ROI concept for HRD field was defined, and a theoretical systems framework was developed. The applicability of using statistical and mathematical operations to determine ROI and isolate non‐HRD program impacts is discussed. Application scenarios are presented to demonstrate the utility of the systems approach in real‐world ROI measurement for HRD interventions.

Company‐based education programmes: what's the pay‐off for employers?

This article addresses the question of whether company‐based programmes of education repay employer investment in terms of learning transfer to the workplace. Building on earlier work by the authors, we use an in‐depth longitudinal case study of a long‐standing programme of continuous education sponsored by the US‐based NCR corporation in Scotland. As educators, we expected to find that the programme would have been associated with positive outcomes, based on the belief that 'embrained' or formal, abstract knowledge can be transferred to the workplace. We were aware, however, that research in this area has not been promising in demonstrating learning transfer, in part because such a process is mediated by the quality of the transfer climate. Drawing on survey data and in‐depth interviewing of a sample cohort, we found that the programme of company‐based education had significant implications for learning transfer. Surprisingly, however, transfer climate had little influence on the willingness of employees to use their knowledge to make improvements or generate innovations at work. Finally, we found that these data supported situated learning theory, stressing the importance of tacit knowledge, informal learning, the communal nature of workplace learning and the difficulties in evaluating learning transfer. We believe that these results have important implications for the literature on the evaluation of HRD interventions, for human resource development (HRD) specialists interested in developing programmes of so‐called lifelong learning and for practitioners working in the area of organisational learning and learning organisations.

The new venture growth: Functional differentiation and the need for human resource development interventions

AbstractKnowledge of the timing and sequence of start‐up teams' delegation of business functions in growing entrepreneurial ventures has significant implications for understanding those ventures' need for human resource development (HRD) interventions at different stages of their development. As a first step in exploring the evolution of functional differentiation in growing ventures, we analyze the extent to which 539 new businesses delegate a number of business functions. The start‐up teams retain the marketing and marketing‐related functions (marketing, sales, advertising, pricing and bidding, and new product development) in the majority of all firms with less than $10 million in sales. This group of functions ranks second only to general planning as a function retained. Three major size groups of emerging small businesses with distinctly different levels of functional delegation have been identified. There was no difference in the patterns of delegation of functions between manufacturing and service firms.

Career mobility within organizations: implications for career development ‐ part 2 ‐ a case study

Focuses on career mobility and development in a large multi‐disciplinary organization. Discusses a case study, analysing career opportunities of all employees in one organizational unit, concentrating on barriers to career mobility and the human resource development implications. Examines the existing internal labour market structure and uses information from an attitude survey within the organization. Discusses some critical issues which emerge and outlines a number of human resource development interventions which may remove career mobility barriers.

Enhancing the quality of learning in human resource development

Examines how value is created through the use of human resource development intervention in organizations. Begins by looking at the concept of quality within a training context, identifying key principles that need to underpin any quality learning model. Then goes on to show that evaluation is only one of a number of dimensions to the concept of quality and argues the case for a radical rethink of training practice in this area. Finally, presents an alternative quality learning model and a research agenda outlined for the future.

Human resource development: An underutilized tool of state mental health administration

Evidence from federally mandated plans suggests that state mental health administrators have not fully utilized human resource development as a management tool. The importance of human resource development interventions used in collaboration with other management strategies is discussed as an effective approach to mental health system development.