Implications For Human Resource Development Research Articles

HRD in 2020: a hop-on, hop-off city tour

This article reports on the outcome of a Future Search Conference in the UK to consider human resource development (HRD) in 2020 and beyond. We firstly consider themes from the past into the present. This includes the persistence of solutions in HRD that are systematic, predictable, how apprenticeships in the UK have had to accommodate government policies to ameliorate youth unemployment and the long-standing difficulty for HRD of failing to demonstrate a return on investment (ROI) on activities. We then present four scenarios based on key questions for the future relating to value of HRD and whether this will be a future for HRD. Reponses to the questions form scenario logics which we present against the theme of city tour. Each scenario is explained against the presented logic with positive, negative, ambiguous and uncertain implications for HRD. We suggest that each scenario carries a glimpse of what might be.

Integrative Review of the Literature on Adults With Limited Education and Skills and the Implications for Human Resource Development

Adults with limited education and skills—those who lack the education and skills needed for full participation in U.S. culture and economy—are increasing in numbers. However, the knowledge base addressing this population and their educational needs is fragmented across the literature of several disciplines. A comprehensive review and critique of the literature on adults with limited education and skills have not been done. This study fills this void by reviewing literature from five streams of research that address this population and synthesizing it into a framework that offers an integrated perspective on the topic. Implications for human resource development and an agenda for further research are discussed.

The Relationship Between Work Engagement and Performance

Engagement has been defined in a variety of ways. Engagement in the workplace generally is viewed as a positive, fulfilling, affective-motivational state of work-related well-being. Due to its structural relationship between antecedents (e.g., job resources and personal resources) and consequences (e.g., performance and turnover intention), work engagement has been receiving considerable attention from both scholars and practitioners in the fields of human resource development (HRD), organization development (OD), psychology, and business. In spite of this popularity, there is a scarcity of empirical research on work engagement in the academic literature. The relationship between work engagement and performance, in particular, is deserving of attention given our field’s focus on performance improvement. In this article, we review and analyze relevant research and then propose a research agenda to guide future research on this topic. Conclusions and implications for HRD and OD are discussed.

Learning Organizational Culture and Firm Performance

The aim of the current research is to examine the relationships between learning culture and performance along with the mediating interaction of knowledge creation. Data for this study were collected from five Korean firms through use of in-house intranet self-response surveys. Responses from 633 manager-level employees were used to identify the relationships among four variables: cultural aspects of the learning organization, four modes of knowledge creation practices, perceived level of knowledge gaining, and perceived level of financial performance. All constructs previously have been identified as related concepts in certain ways; however, no specific and empirically verified structural complex model exists. In this research, first, the influential and causal relations among the variables were examined, and second, a model comparison was conducted between the initially proposed and alternatively proposed structural models. Structural equation modeling and canonical correlation analysis were used for the analyses. The results suggest that the input-related concept of learning culture is not directly related to outcome-related organizational financial improvement but rather has mediating effects through the process-related concept of knowledge creation. Suggestions for future research and implications for human resource development and performance-oriented management are discussed.

Women employed in male-dominated industries: lessons learned from female aircraft pilots, pilots-in-training and mixed-gender flight instructors

To date, women who work in traditionally male-typed fields and occupations continue to face gender barriers. This paper reviews the literature on the topic then identifies and examines barriers presented during aviation training based on data from 296 female pilots-in-training, pilots, and flight instructors. Results show that the lack of acceptance, self-efficacy, lack of social support from organizations, flight instructors and family, and stereotyping are among the top obstacles women encounter during their flight training, often leading them to quit. Implications for human resource development (HRD) and for the recruitment, retention, and success of women in male-dominated occupations are discussed.

Previous international experience, cross‐cultural training, and expatriates' cross‐cultural adjustment: Effects of cultural intelligence and goal orientation

AbstractAlthough various antecedents of expatriates' cross‐cultural adjustment have been addressed, previous international experience, predeparture cross‐cultural training, and cultural intelligence (CQ) have been most frequently examined. However, there are few attempts that explore the effects of these antecedents simultaneously or consider the possible influencing variables that can impact cross‐cultural adjustment. In addition, empirical findings on the effects of these antecedents are somewhat mixed. Hence, there is a need for integrative studies exploring the mechanism of cross‐cultural adjustment to deepen understanding of how previous international experience, predeparture cross‐cultural training, and CQ affect expatriates' cross‐cultural adjustment. In this regard, we considered CQ as a variable that mediates the influences of previous international experience (work and nonwork) and predeparture cross‐cultural training (length and comprehensiveness) on cross‐cultural adjustment. Additionally, an expatriate's goal orientation was considered as a moderating variable that influences the effects of previous international experience and predeparture cross‐cultural training on CQ. Results using a sample of 190 Korean expatriates partially supported the hypotheses. The mediating effect of CQ and moderating effect of goal orientation were partially supported. The previous international nonwork rather than work experience and comprehensiveness rather than length of predeparture cross‐cultural training were more positively related to CQ. The theoretical contributions, practical implications for human resource development (HRD) practitioners, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Recovered alcoholics and career development: Implications for human resource development

AbstractThis article presents three issues regarding alcoholism, recovery, and career development. First, alcoholism is a disease that creates health and wellness problems for those it afflicts. It also impacts individual and workplace productivity. Second, alcoholism has a persistent stigmatization. As a result, those alcoholics who are in recovery face challenging choices around self‐disclosure. Disclosure of one's identity as a recovering alcoholic could be perceived as risky, since it could be seen as a negative. Third, because of such risk, and because of the paucity of research within the field of human resource development around alcoholism and recovery, there is a gap in the literature regarding these issues.

Examining NIARA

The Problem. Higher education and human resource development (HRD) personnel are constantly seeking ways to enhance the job satisfaction and leadership development of women of color, which is often challenged by resources and cultural climate. The Solution. As organizations seek to address improvements within these areas, HRD practitioners and higher education administrators may find value in the documented experiences of mentorship. This interpretive qualitative study explores how NIARA, an innovative mentoring program designed for women of color in higher education, influenced the personal and professional satisfaction of four African American women staff mentors involved in the program. The Stakeholders. This article is relevant to HRD professionals and higher education administrators who are developing and assessing mentoring opportunities for faculty, staff, and students. Implications for HRD and the advancement of opportunities for women of color in higher education are also examined.

Talent management practices in Italy – implications for human resource development

Many companies have implemented talent management systems in recent years, and the issue has lately been subject to the attention of scientific literature, from different theoretical perspectives. In particular, HRD literature advanced few critical perspectives on talent management, discussing its real impact on HRD practices. This article reports the results from case studies on four Italian companies, focusing the managerial practices they implemented for managing talent. The results show that, in the Italian context, talent is managed for very different organizational objectives, with the general aim to foster a segmented approach to the workforce and to commit top and line managers to HRD activities. The results are compared with existing literature, and both implications for HRD practice and HRD theory are highlighted.

Complex problem solving through action learning: implications for human resource development

This paper argues that complex problems can be used as opportunities for action learning, and examines the interrelations between problem solving and action learning. It suggests that managerial thinking and reflective action taking can be enhanced through complex problem solving. The paper contributes to theory and practice as it extends the literature on action learning by understanding its efficacy in the context of complex problems. Much of the literature is concerned with learning and action taking without examining the complexity of problems as affecting the metacognition as associated with learning. The paper brings a new practical dimension to action learning by expanding its scope on the problem, group, and action taxonomies to enhance human resource development (HRD).

New job – new ideas: the relationship between tenure and perceived creative climate

Human resource development (HRD) practices are intertwined with organizational creative climate (CC). Understanding the factors that influence CC is important since CC influences not only employees' possibilities to share and develop ideas, but also potentially employees' decision to leave their current organization. This study focuses on how perceptions of CC is related to tenure in organizations by analysing perceived CC in a random sample of unionized Swedish white-collar workers (n = 1303). It finds tenure to be negatively related to perceived CC for the first few years of employment. The level of knowledge required for a position does not moderate this relationship, but more knowledge-intensive work in itself tends to be associated with higher levels of perceived CC. Implications for HRD are discussed.

Exploring employee engagement from the employee perspective: implications for HRD

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine an employee's unique experience of being engaged in their work.Design/methodology/approachFollowing Yin's case study design method, researchers collected documents, conducted semi‐structured interviews and recorded observations at a large multinational service corporation ranked as one of the best places to work. Post data collection, content analysis is used to interpret engagement efforts and experiences. Work by Kahn and Maslow are integrated as conceptual frameworks.FindingsPost analysis, three themes emerged: relationship development and attachment to co‐workers, workplace climate and opportunities for learning. Findings highlighted the development of relationships in the workplace, the importance of an employee's direct manager and their role in shaping organizational culture and the critical role of learning in an engaged employee's interpretation of their work. Scaffolding and discussion of an emergent model is provided.Research limitations/implicationsThree propositions for human resource development (HRD) research and practice are presented: first, environment and person interact to create engagement or disengagement; second, an employee's manager plays a critical role in developing engagement; and third, personality can effect engagement, however, everyone can engage. An integrated model is proposed as a synthesis of findings providing HRD researchers and practitioner's opportunity to re‐examine current engagement efforts. Specific action steps are outlined to spur further theory building and organizational practice.Originality/valueThe objective of the emergent model is to provide researchers and practitioners a new framework to consider, grounded in both early and contemporary theories of engagement. The emergent model could serve as the basis for new strategies and structures related to engagement development and could shed new light on how employees interpret the experience of engagement in work. This research is the first known qualitative study of employee engagement in the HRD literature, second only to the original qualitative research by Kahn.

Formal Mentoring Relationships and Attachment Theory: Implications for Human Resource Development

An attachment theory perspective of mentoring is presented to explain the degree of functionality of a mentor—protégé formal match in an organizational setting. By focusing on Bowlby’s (1969/1982) behavioral system of attachment and its triarchic taxonomy of secure, avoidant, and anxious-ambivalent attachment, previous conceptualizations are expanded by illuminating relational concepts that mentors and supervisors could use to facilitate employee learning and development. A short attachment style assessment and a mentor—protégé(e) attachment style pairing guide are presented.

Gender and risk: women, risk taking and risk aversion

PurposeLabeling women as risk‐averse limits the positive benefits both women and organizations can gain from their risk taking. The purpose of this paper is to explore women's risk taking and reasons for stereotype persistence in order to inform human resource practice and women's career development.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on literature about gender and organizations to identify reasons for the persisting stereotype of women's risk aversion. Utilizing literature and concepts about risk appetite and decision making, the paper evaluates results of the Simmons Gender and Risk Survey database of 661 female managers.FindingsThe paper finds evidence of gender neutrality in risk propensity and decision making in specific managerial contexts other than portfolio allocation.Research limitations/implicationsMore in‐depth research is needed to explore the gender‐neutral motivators of risk decision making and to explore risk taking in a more diverse sample population.Practical implicationsThe paper explores why women's risk taking remains invisible even as they take risks and offers suggestions on how women and organizations may benefit from their risk‐taking activities.Originality/valueThe paper synthesizes evidence on risk taking and gender, and the evidence of female risk taking is an important antidote to persisting stereotypes. The paper outlines reasons for this stereotype persistence and implications for human resource development.

Improving employees' work centrality improves organizational performance: work events and work centrality relationships

High work centrality is related to positive performance and behaviour of employees. This unique paper discusses a longitudinal study, comparing change in work centrality among individuals who experienced meaningful work events to individuals who did not experience these events, over the course of twelve years. The findings indicate that not experiencing expressive work events (which leads to an improvement in autonomy, interest, variety, and responsibility) reduces work centrality, whereas work events such as promotion, advancement (including to a managerial position) and qualifications, are effected by high work centrality. Work events, such as improvement in pay, working conditions, and interpersonal relations at work, had no effect on those who experienced them and those who did not. The theoretical and practical implications for Human Resources Development (HRD) are discussed.

A Comparison of Allegations and Resolutions Involving Issues of Discharge Versus Constructive Discharge: Implications for Diversity Management

Patterns in discrimination allegations and resolutions in discharge ( n = 130,816) and constructive discharge ( n = 9,765) were examined in data provided by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Spanning the years from 1992 to 2008, these data indicated that the most prevalent disabling conditions in discharge and constructive discharge allegations were back injuries, nonparalytic/orthopedic conditions, depression, and diabetes. Characteristics of employees and employers distinguished between the two allegation types; for example, there were differences in the gender and racial/ethnic status of employees and in the location and industry of the employers. The rate of merit decisions, namely, EEOC decisions that discrimination actually occurred, was 20% for discharge and constructive discharge, indicating that employers, for the most part, rendered legitimate decisions. Findings indicate that people with more highly stigmatized disabilities were more likely to allege discrimination regarding constructive discharge, suggesting that adverse treatment may have caused them to exit employment. Implications for human resource development and management are discussed.

Lesbian presentations and representations of leadership, and the implications for HRD

PurposeThis paper seeks to identify, examine, and discuss the unique challenges for lesbians who serve in leadership positions in corporate America.Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon a multi‐disciplinary framework of management, diversity, feminist, and leadership literature, the paper critically examines the myriad of pressures exerted upon all women in leadership positions, and then identifies the pressures that are specific and unique for lesbians.FindingsThere are pressures that are unique for lesbian leaders. These pressures include negotiating the heterosexism of the organization; invisibility versus visibility, and gender expression and gender role expectations.Originality/valueThe paper provides implications for human resource development to assume a stronger and more active role in uncovering tacit issues embedded in leadership so that organizational workplaces become locations of greater equity, access, and fairness for all who aspire to leadership positions.

Making sense of women as career self‐agents: Implications for human resource development

AbstractIn this article, we explore the shifting career paradigm of managerial women in the United States, what it may indicate for the broader professional workforce, and human resource development's (HRD's) role in supporting that change. We examine the literature on evolving career definitions, women's place in that evolution, the rising use of flexible work arrangements (FWAs), and the evolving work goals of women. Findings from our survey of 389 managerial women indicate that they are using FWAs as support mechanisms to enable them to enact their career goals and stay in the workforce. We invite HRD professionals to interpret women's career choices as a signal that the conventional career model with its attending organizational practices and culture is outdated and no longer meets the needs of today's managerial women and of the U.S. workforce in general. We recommend actions HRD professionals can take to move their organization's culture to one that supports career self‐agency as a way of attracting and retaining critical talent in the 21st century.

Dependent Narcissism, Organizational Learning, and Human Resource Development

Narcissistic leadership can benefit organizational performance. Aberrant narcissism can destroy the psychosocial health of groups, limiting performance. This article examines Dependent Organizational Disorder, a common form of narcissism, which infects leadership, thwarts performance, and interrupts organizational learning. Dependent Organizational Disorder is juxtaposed with interruptions in organizational learning and a model illustrating the possible relationship between them is presented. Implications for human resource development are drawn.

The meaning of working among professional employees in Germany, Poland and Russia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report the results of an empirical study of the meaning of working, individual level work outcomes, and job and career satisfaction, among professional level employees in business organizations in Russia, Poland, and Germany.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical framework for the study was based on the work by England and colleagues. The sample (n=638) included professional level employees in the medium and large manufacturing and service organizations in the three countries. Correlations, discriminant function analysis, and multiple regressions were used to answer research questions regarding the relationship between the study variables and to determine country differences.FindingsResults indicate different patterns and levels of work centrality, desired work outcomes, work role identification, and job and career satisfaction among the three countries. A significant difference was found between work values in Russia, on the one hand, and Germany and Poland, on the other. Gender differences in meaning of work patterns were found among Russian respondents. Job and career satisfaction was related to different combinations of demographic and work meaning variables.Practical implicationsFor human resource development (HRD) and training and development (T&D) professionals working in multinational companies and/or with customers/suppliers in these three countries, the findings imply the need to take into account the similarities and differences in individual meaning of working variables when designing and implementing organization development and training interventions.Originality/valueDespite the central role of working for individuals and the central role of the work values construct for the professional fields of training and HRD, research on meaning of working has been sparse in the academic literature. Thus, the study can contribute to a fuller understanding of experience of work and its implications for the theory and practice of training and human resource development.