Human Resource Development Practitioners Research Articles

How Passion for Work Shapes Work-Family Interactions: A Conceptual Framework Exploring the Roles of Psychological Capital and Self-Regulation Failure

The belief that a life of passion is a life well-lived serves as a perpetual motivator to pursue work aligned with one’s passion. Both work and family are essential life domains in many people’s lives, and they often interconnect, impacting each other. In the workplace, passion is a highly desired but under-researched employee characteristic, offering benefits like positive emotions and improved performance but also carrying risks, such as inflexibility. Drawing on job demands-resources theory and conservation of resources theory, our inquiry offers an integrative conceptual framework that combines insights from positive psychology, organizational behavior, and human resource development (HRD) literature. This framework enhances our understanding of how work passion connects to the work-family interface, considering the roles of psychological capital and self-regulation failure in interactions beyond work. Our study includes implications for HRD practitioners motivated to promote change initiatives and an agenda for future research for HRD scholars.

Insights on the Transition to Leadership: The Power of Onboarding and Networking

Problem In the rapidly changing future of work, advances in human resources are needed to develop individual leadership expertise and further the collective aims of the organization. This article explores the challenges and opportunities in the transition to leadership for new and early-career leaders across interdisciplinary and interorganizational contexts. Solution Two high-impact strategies are proposed to facilitate the leadership transition, namely, strategic onboarding and intentional networking. These methods expand conventional approaches in leadership development. When new leaders are primed with onboarding and networking structures, they are better prepared to partner with internal and external stakeholders in a culture of shared leadership for equitable and thriving organizations and their communities. Stakeholders The article may be of interest to a diversity of human resource development scholars and practitioners who seek to further their understandings and practices in the training, mentoring, and career development of new leaders for workforce performance and organizational integrity.

Self-leadership: a value-added strategy for human resource development

PurposeIn a rapidly shifting market, organizations seek more diverse and innovative employee development interventions. Yet, these initiatives may have limited impact without employees’ engagement. This conceptual paper aims to propose self-leadership as a value-added strategy for promoting both individual and organizational development.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a conceptual analysis with three case examples. The cases were purposefully selected, aiming to comprehend how the concept of self-leadership has been applied within organizations and to identify real-life examples where self-leadership has been adopted as an organizational strategy.FindingsThis study demonstrates that self-leadership plays a significant role in facilitating human resource development (HRD) initiatives. Specifically, the authors illustrate how self-leadership interventions in companies empower individuals to take charge of their development, aligning personal and organizational goals. When effectively applied, self-leadership strategies positively impact HRD practices in the areas of training and development, organization development and career development, yielding benefits for both employees and employers.Originality/valueThis study addresses knowledge gaps in the emerging field of self-leadership in HRD by providing three companies’ examples of how self-leadership can add value to HRD. The findings offer unique insights into the synergy between self-leadership and HRD, benefiting academics interested in this line of inquiry and HRD practitioners seeking innovative approaches to employee and organizational development.

Factors determining entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and the significant role of education and training

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to determine the factors that enable entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and the significant role of education and training in enhancing opportunity recognition. Design/methodology/approach This paper follows a systematic literature review method to answer the research questions. A systematic literature review allows us to determine the work carried out to date, how it was done, assess literature and report all relevant research. The authors have used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analysis procedure. Findings The findings of this study showed that prior knowledge, social networks, external environment, entrepreneurial alertness, creativity, self-efficacy and entrepreneurial passion are the main factors that play a role in the opportunity recognition process. The authors were also able to establish the importance of education and training in enhancing opportunity recognition. Experiential learning is at the forefront of education methods used to improve prior knowledge and experience that directly impact the ability to recognize entrepreneurial opportunities. Practical implications The paper provides human resource development practitioners and entrepreneurship educators with factors that determine entrepreneurial opportunity recognition. It pinpoints the factors that can be exploited in enhancing employees and novice entrepreneurs’ ability to recognize viable entrepreneurial opportunities. Originality/value Opportunity recognition is recognized as the first step in the entrepreneurship process. Therefore, it is crucial for entrepreneurs to have the ability to recognize opportunities that are viable. Understanding the factors that contribute to a successful opportunity recognition is important. In addition, the role of education and training in opportunity recognition and enhancing entrepreneurial opportunity recognition cannot be overlooked.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation in Human Resource Development: A Systematic Review

This systematic review synthesizes the existing literature on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation on Human Resource Development (HRD) practices and outcomes. The study explores how AI and automation affect HRD, highlighting specific HRD processes affected and their influence on outcomes. A comprehensive search was conducted across academic databases, HRD journals, and conference proceedings, resulting in a selection of relevant studies. The findings were analyzed through a narrative synthesis, with subgroup analyses based on specific HRD processes. The review provides insights into AI and automation implications for HRD researchers and practitioners. It also identifies research gaps and future directions.

Validation of individual work performance questionnaire in a Vietnamese context

Purpose This study aims to address the reliability and construct validity of the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) in a Vietnamese context. Using the IWPQ as a measurement tool, this research also examined whether demographic features (such as gender, education level, work experience and position in a company) influenced employees’ work performance. Design/methodology/approach The Vietnamese IWPQ was validated via a two-step process of factor analysis, including an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The data collected were randomly divided into two subsamples to independently serve the EFA (n = 341) and CFA (n = 342). ANOVAs and t-tests were also used to examine the differences in individual work performance (IWP) among different demographic categories. Findings The results of the current study confirmed the applicability of the three-dimensional IWPQ in a Vietnamese context. In addition, they also indicated several demographic features that impacted employees’ patterns of responses to IWPQ dimensions. Research limitations/implications This study focused on the construct validity of the IWPQ, without taking the content, face or criterion validity into consideration. Thus, future research should be conducted to yield a more comprehensive validation of the instrument, to measure the relationship between human resource development (HRD) practices and employee performance and to examine the relationship between strategic HRD and IWP and firm outcomes. In addition, the validated Vietnamese version of the IWPQ may inspire comparative studies on individual performance within and between units in an organization and among organizations and industries. Practical implications HRD practitioners can now use the validated IWPQ in the Vietnamese language to assess fluctuations in and analyze current staff performance, thereby facilitating human resource management and development. This study also offers recommendations for business leaders and HRD practitioners striving to implement strategic HRD aimed at reducing disparities in gender and between educational qualifications and job assignments at workplace, with the overarching goals of enhancing staff performance. These recommendations prove instrumental in improving staff performance, strengthening organizational efficiency and ultimately tackling the issue of low productivity in Vietnam and neighboring countries. Social implications This study findings underscore the significance of embracing strategic HRD while taking into account individual, organizational and contextual factors that influence IWP. This approach serves to bridge current gaps related to IWP, including Vietnam’s comparatively lower productivity compared to neighboring nations, educational qualifications and role allocations within the workplace, as well as the prevailing work standards and strategic objectives. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this rigorously validated Vietnamese version of the IWPQ is the first of its kind in Vietnam, making a significant contribution to inclusivity initiatives and offering substantial evidence to affirm the IWPQ’s relevance across diverse contexts.

Systematic bibliometric review of artificial intelligence in human resource development: insights for HRD researchers, practitioners and policymakers

Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) is a significant game changer in human resource development (HRD). The launch of ChatGPT has accelerated its progress and amplified its impact on organizations and employees. This study aims to review and examine literature on AI in HRD, using a bibliometric approach. Design/methodology/approach This study is a bibliometric review. Scopus was used to identify studies in the field. In total, 236 papers published in the past 10 years were examined using the VOSviewer program. Findings The obtained results showed that most cited documents and authors are mainly from computer sciences, emphasizing machine learning over human learning. While it was expected that HRD authors and studies would have a more substantial presence, the lesser prominence suggests several interesting avenues for explorations. Practical implications This study provides insights and recommendations for researchers, managers, HRD practitioners and policymakers. Prioritizing the development of both humans and machines becomes crucial, as an exclusive focus on machines may pose a risk to the sustainability of employees' skills and long-term career prospects. Originality/value There is a dearth of bibliometric studies examining AI in HRD. Hence, this study proposes a relatively unexplored approach to examine this topic. It provides a visual and structured overview of this topic. Also, it highlights areas of research concentration and areas that are overlooked. Shedding light on the presence of more research originating from computer sciences and focusing on machine learning over human learning represent an important contribution of this study, which may foster interdisciplinary collaboration with experts from diverse fields, broadening the scope of research on technologies and learning in workplaces.

The Metaverse in the Workplace: Possibilities and Implications for Human Resource Development

This study reviews the potential applications of the metaverse to various areas of human resource development (HRD) and reflects on the applications’ significance for employee and organizational development. Adopting a narrative review approach to this study, we selected and reviewed 34 cases. From our review, we found several findings that contributes to the HRD field in several ways. First, it draws the attention of HRD researchers and practitioners to a critical emerging trend that has been overlooked in the field. Second, it offers an analytical view of the metaverse in comparison to other training or learning technologies, assessing its effectiveness in employee development. Third, this study enhances the perspectives of HRD researchers and practitioners regarding this new technology by providing practical and theoretical insights into how metaverse-based interventions can reshape organizational culture and improve employee performance in the workplace. Lastly, it addresses compelling theoretical and practical questions related to HRD issues arising from the metaverse.

Towards a comprehensive model of human resource development research and practice: A systematic literature review

Although several models have been proposed to guide practitioners and academics in human resource development (HRD), there is sufficient manifestation that a new HRD model is required to address emerging HRD problems such as cultural variation and value systems across the globe, the need to strengthen the theoretical foundation of HRD research and practice, and the incompleteness of HRD research methods. The purpose of this study was to propose a comprehensive HRD model that will address these problems in order to make HRD more responsive to the current needs in HRD research and practice. Bozer and Jones’s (2018) seven-phase systematic literature review approach was adopted to gather data for this study. The available data were analyzed using thematic analysis. It was found that the proposed HRD model was capable of helping HRD practitioners to choose appropriate HRD practices that will match their culture and value systems, and guide them on the methods and theories to apply in their respective locations. On the basis of these findings, it was concluded that the proposed HRD model can address the problems currently facing HRD research and practice.

Developing Attributes of the Leader: From Military Service to the Civilian Workforce

The Problem Organizations struggle to find effective ways to identify needs and consequently develop the leadership skills of leaders. At the same time, veterans are entering the civilian workforce with significant, valuable non-technical leadership skills that are rarely studied as leadership attributes. As a result, there is scant research on the contribution of leadership attributes from military leadership. The Solution This article will introduce the Be-Know-Do framework used in the U.S. Army’s leadership development program. The premise of the model is that when the attributes and competencies of the leader are developed, organizational results will be produced through the people they lead. The Stakeholders Human resource development (HRD) scholars and practitioners, human resource management (HRM) practitioners, professionals, and trainers

High performance work systems and employee performance: the roles of employee well-being and workplace friendship

ABSTRACT Promoting a thriving and productive workforce is a core task for human resource development (HRD) researchers and practitioners. Drawing on the job demands-resources model, this study aims to provide a balanced view of how high performance work systems (HPWSs) influence employee performance through different aspects of employee well-being. Data were collected from 346 employees through a three-wave survey in China. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that HPWSs positively predict employee performance through psychological empowerment and negatively predict employee performance through emotional exhaustion. Workplace friendship minimises the positive effect of HPWSs on emotional exhaustion and attenuates the indirect effect of HPWSs on employee performance via emotional exhaustion. This study challenges the prevailing idea that HPWSs can always improve employee performance. It informs HRD researchers and practitioners to dialectically assess the impact of HPWSs and include workplace friendship as an intervention measure to reduce the detrimental outcomes of HPWSs and better promote employee development.

Improving the undergraduate human resource development curriculum in South Africa

ABSTRACT The Human Resource Development (HRD) curriculum is under-researched at the undergraduate level in tertiary education institutions, particularly in South Africa (SA). This article addresses the need for research on HRD undergraduate education in SA. Using a qualitative case study approach; the researchers interviewed HRD practitioners who have all completed an undergraduate HRD curriculum to determine the deficits in the curriculum under study and what to include in a new HRD curriculum. Findings revealed that the degree title was limited to learning and development only, there were concerns about the faculty that housed the degree, and that the degree replicated lower-level skills certificates. HRD practitioners recommended what to include in a new HRD curriculum that would be relevant and considered credible in practice. The article identifies the implications of the findings for HRD theory, practice, and research. It offers HRD practitioners perspectives on what they consider relevant in an undergraduate HRD curriculum to carry value in the workplace.

Relationships among supervisors’ socialization behaviors, newcomers’ socialization outcomes, organizational commitment, and work outcomes

Purpose This study aims to explore relationships among supervisors’ socialization behaviors, newcomers’ socialization outcomes, organizational commitment, and work outcomes in three large companies in Korea. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted via an online survey in three large firms in Korea. The sample comprised newcomers who had worked for more than six months but less than one year in these firms. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings Derived from SEM, the study’s results confirmed a causal relationship between supervisor’s socialization behaviors and newcomer’s work outcomes, which was fully mediated by newcomer’s socialization outcomes. However, organizational commitment was observed as a mediating variable, not a moderating variable. All types of supervisors’ socialization behaviors were related to newcomers’ socialization outcomes. Providing appropriate feedback, supporting newcomers’ development and improving social relationships were most strongly related to newcomers’ socialization outcomes. Research limitations/implications This study proposed a rationale for the potential effectiveness of supervisor socialization behavior training. Related variables such as supervisor training aspects and the effectiveness of supervisor training for newcomers’ organizational socialization could be examined further. Practical implications The study offers critical areas to consider when designing training programs focused on supervisors’ socialization behaviors. Human resource development practitioners should be aware of the importance of supervisors’ socialization behaviors for newcomers’ organizational socialization and develop a program to improve all types of supervisors’ socialization behaviors. Originality/value New areas of training and development for supervisors can be proposed to improve newcomer organizational socialization and, eventually, to enhance the work outcomes of newcomers.

Interorganizational Learning: A Conceptualization of Public-Private Learning Communities

Human Resource Development (HRD) finds itself at a critical juncture given the rapidly changing landscape of work and a shift of focus in HRD research and practices. This provides momentum for the HRD discipline to explore new models of workplace learning that exceed the boundaries of one’s own organization. Public and private organizations increasingly understand that by joining forces and cocreating knowledge, they are better able to address these challenges and thereby stay innovative. In this paper, we propose a conceptual framework for Public-Private Learning Communities (PPLCs) as a promising approach to prepare organizations and employees for the rapidly changing future. By drawing on the concept of interorganizational learning and learning-network theory, we distinguish essential building blocks that relate to the PPLCs’ strategy, structure, process, and culture. With this conceptual paper, we aim to break new ground for HRD theory-building and offer novel directions for HRD researchers and practitioners.

Disrupting Cisheteropatriarchy in Society and the Workplace: The Role of HRD Education

In recent years, there has been a surge of anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the United States. These laws undoubtedly reinforce cisheteropatriarchal ideologies that heterosexuality and gender conformity are the only acceptable ways of being, while other forms of sexuality and gender identity are unnatural, immoral, and deserve punishment. Given that the workplace, mirroring the broader society, exhibits the prejudices and preconceptions that are ingrained in our cultural milieu, it is incumbent upon human resource development (HRD) education to expose students to the ways in which cisheteropatriarchy structures workplaces so, as HRD practitioners, they can work towards disrupting it.

An Anti-racism Curriculum for Inclusive Teaching and Learning

Problem The field of human resource development (HRD) is recognized for its contributions to the body of literature on learning and performance. However, the lack of literature on problems emanating from the social systems (e. g. racism, sexism, ageism, sexual orientation, disability, to name a few) that create a barrier for optimal learning and performance is troubling. In this article, racism is called out as an enduring and pervasive social injustice that has become normalized and encompasses the whole of society as well as those spaces that are frequently occupied each day. Nonetheless the ideology of racism is egregious and continues to threaten individual well-being, dignity, and simply put, rights as a human being. As a program within numerous departments of higher education, the lack of literature that addresses racism and subsequently provide resources for educators is problematic. While it is understood that HRD is an interdisciplinary field that draws from multiple bodies of literature, the lack of contributions from HRD researchers, scholars, and practitioners on a topic that counteracts learning and performance is a problem. Solution HRD is uniquely positioned as a field of practice with an affiliate in higher education. HRD researchers and scholars are often instructors in HRD educational programs. This unique position can hugely impact what is learned and therefore what is practiced in the workplace. We propose a framework for an anti-racism curriculum in HRD educational programs that teaches students, the future workforce, how to recognize and disrupt racism and contribute to building workplaces that are equitable, fair, and psychologically safe. We use critical theory as a conceptual framework for an anti-racism curriculum that teaches students about the continued and pervasive system of racism.

Developing Awareness of Green Human Resource Development Practices in the Hotel Industry

The Problem The hotel industry is a major contributor to the depletion of natural resources (e.g., water and energy) and other practices (e.g., waste management and pollution) that jeopardizes environmental sustainability. The expertise of human resource development (HRD) practitioners is needed to develop the knowledge and skills of industry practitioners towards the development of pro-green knowledge and competencies for automation of workflows for environmental sustainability. The Solution Green human resource development is suggested as a paradigm shift from traditional approaches of HRD to bring awareness of ways that HRD expertise can be applied to green practices. By integrating the expertise, knowledge, and competencies of HRD practitioners with industry practitioners, the hotel industry has the potential to be transformed into a sector with ecofriendly and pro-environmental culture. The Stakeholders Human resource development researchers and practitioners; hotel industry workforce (practitioners, organizational leaders, and all sectors of the workforce).

A conceptual framework for understanding the learning processes integral to the development of responsible management practice

PurposeThis paper aims to examines responsible management (RM) practice and the learning processes that underpin its development. It presents a conceptual framework to highlight the relationship between the learning experience of the individual and their capacity to develop responsible practice.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper synthesises knowledge from studies of how managers learn for ethical and responsible practice. A scoping review of peer-reviewed academic papers was conducted using key search terms that included “responsible management learning” (RML), “ethics”, “Human Resource Development (HRD)”, “responsible management (RM)”, “responsible leadership (RL)” and “work-based learning”. Analysis resulted in development of a conceptual framework of RML processes.FindingsThe review of studies concerned with how individuals learn to manage “responsibly” identified a range of learning processes that are necessary for the development of responsible practice. These learning processes are presented in a conceptual model that offers insights for the design of HRD interventions. Learning for responsible practice is presented as occurring in learning spaces where the learner/manager experiences a combination of learning processes. These are found to include situated, social and experiential learning that is “transformative”, potentially “troublesome” and “reflexive” such that learners develop responsible values and practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contributes to the field of management development by focussing on the intersection between what is known about how individuals learn for ethical and responsible practice and the implications for work-based learning pedagogies. The paper will be of interest to HRD professionals tasked with fostering a responsible and ethical culture within organisations.Practical implicationsFor HRD practitioners, this paper highlights the importance of work-based learning intervention design. What is suggested is that not all HRD interventions are likely to provide the learning conditions required for the development of “responsible practice”. A review of research into RML points to the need for interventions that offer a deep, personal, situated and transformative learning experience. There are organisational implications that arise from the type of learning found to develop responsible practice. For example, facilitating managers skills and awareness of how they learn such as: developing reflective practices and supporting developmental/collaborative networks that examine existing workplace practices. HRD professionals will need to recognise the need to support individual's learning for responsible practice given that it may entail questioning existing practice, and confronting troublesome knowledge, such as recognising where areas of irresponsibility exist. This may have implications for wider HR practices such as line management support, reward and performance management.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the field of management development by focussing on the intersection between what is known about how individuals learn for ethical and responsible practice and the implications for work-based learning pedagogies. The paper will be of interest to HRD professionals tasked with fostering a responsible and ethical culture within organisations.

Human Resource Development within the Sustainability Science Framework

The United Nations 2030 17 Sustainable Development Goals are anticipated to make a significant contribution to humanity's well-being (SDGs). The agenda is founded on the triple bottom line (TBL) idea, according to which social inclusion and environmental sustainability are essential for continued economic development. In order to determine the crucial role that human resource development (HRD) plays in sustainability, this study will review relevant academic literature and update the TBL model to include and emphasize the HRD dimension and the dynamism and resilience of the sustainability framework; and to fill the literature gap in relating HRD to sustainability. This paper takes a deductive approach and is based on reviewing state-of-the-art literature to develop a new conceptual framework integrating HRD into the sustainability model. Hence, relevant studies are selected; based on criteria, mainly from refereed journals in the fields of human resources and sustainability. These studies will be critically analyzed to highlight their main focus, findings, and key contributions to the proposed framework. The paper proposed a conceptual framework that is global, resilient, and dynamic in nature to face today’s challenges. This framework aims to capitalize on the previous researchers’ designed sustainability models, try to complement some of these models’ perceived limitations, and shed light on HRD multi-level incorporations in sustainability.
 The paper proposed a “Global Dynamic Sustainable Humanity Framework” that stresses on (1) Integrating HRD into the TBL sustainability model; (2) Embedding the resilience concept in the framework; (3) Transforming the sustainability framework into a dynamic one; (4) take the sustainability framework to a global level. The paper also suggested raising “sustainable humanity” awareness by introducing a paradigm shift - from a traditional environment to a sustainable environment – as a prerequisite to the success and effectiveness of the proposed framework. The paper integrated rich theoretical perspectives and sustainability models of different studies into one coherent framework. It also filled the gap in the literature studying the HRD's crucial role in sustainable development. The proposed framework enriches and enables HRD practitioners to play an integral role in sustainable development on the individual, organizational and societal levels – nationally and globally. Their role as change catalysts is crucial in applying the proposed Global Dynamic Sustainable Humanity Framework, raising people's awareness of sustainability, help making a paradigm shift towards sustainability.
 Keywords: Human Resource Development; Sustainability; Triple Bottom Line; Global Sustainability Framework; Resilient; Dynamic

Must It Be Lonely at the Top? Developing Leader Well-Being in Organizations

The Problem Human resource development (HRD) scholars and practitioners have given considerable attention to the topic of employee well-being; however, scholarship on the well-being of leaders in organizations is fragmented and comparatively understudied. The Solution We conducted an integrative literature review of empirical research on factors that influence leader well-being to synthesize research across various disciplines and generate novel insights that could benefit HRD scholars and practitioners. The findings of this review revealed factors that influence leader well-being at five levels: intra-individual, individual, dyadic/group, organizational, and environmental. We mapped these factors onto a model with mediating mechanisms (i.e., constructive or destructive leader behaviors) and outcomes of leader well-being. Outcomes included short- and long-term psychological, physical, and social outcomes in the domains of work and life in general. The Stakeholders This article contains implications for leaders in organizations as well as HR and HRD professionals interested in cultivating leader well-being.