Abstract: Based on person–organization fit theory, this article moves beyond theories of motivation and social exchange relationships that have often been used in commitment literature. This article contributes to understanding perceptions of organizational culture (OC) and affective commitment (AC) through perceptions of a learning organization (LO). Such understanding helps to tackle current commitment issues in Malaysia through strategic human resources development (HRD) planning and deploying organization development activities. We examined: (a) the extent to which organizations with an embraced LO mediated OC and AC, (b) the most influential component of OC in promoting employee AC, and (c) the most important component of LO for influencing OC and AC. We obtained 516 respondents (64.5% response rate) in selected Malaysian private organizations. It was concluded that LO mediated the relationship between OC and AC. Respect for people was an influential factor of OC for AC, while empowerment played a sign...

Abstract: This paper seeks to understand key dimensions of reflection in experience-based workplace learning for research being collaboratively undertaken by scholars in Dutch and US research institutions. We systematically explore and compare Tara Fenwick’s analysis of five perspectives on cognition to distinguish among constructivist, psychoanalytic, situative, critical-cultural, and enactivist perspectives on reflection. Our aim is to examine how to conceptualize reflection so that one or more perspectives can complement our understanding of learning through experience at work. We position reflection not only from a practical but also from a theoretical perspective that moves beyond the individual focus of the constructivist perspective. Fenwick’s five perspectives are described in terms of whether and how reflection is utilized, key activities in the process of reflection, relative focus on the individual and/or the context, triggers for reflection, role of power and positionality, role of emotions, and...

Abstract: No one can dispute the impact that technology innovation, especially the rapid development of information technology (IT), has on our work and life. It has not only created performance improvement ...

Abstract: Though both National Human Resource Development (NHRD) and Critical Human Resource Development (CHRD) have received an increasing amount of attention, only two published works have used an explicitly critical approach to discuss NHRD norms, policies, and practices. The purpose of this article was to examine and articulate the relationship between NHRD and CHRD and make a case for the importance of that relationship to the field of HRD. We identify some commonalities between NHRD and CHRD, including the shared priorities of context, culture, and empowerment, which provide a strong foundation for future focuses on theory-sharing, global awareness, holistic and socially conscious economic development, negotiated power and performance, and emancipation in HRD research and practice.

Abstract: Much of the critical research on human resource development (HRD) is positioned within Western constructions of knowledge and orthodoxy Barring a few exceptions (eg there is little critique of the ‘colonial boundaries’ for how HRD is theorized and practiced Global practice is dominated by neoliberal approaches that do not reflect the realities of human development in diverse geopolitical contexts In this paper, we advance contemporary theorizing by providing a transnational and postcolonial critique of HRD We highlight the importance of this lens by evaluating gender and difference in the Middle East (ME) We argue that HRD scholarship should reimagine colonial boundaries, and encourage critical inquiry that reflects the contextual and social complexities of space and place Our arguments illustrate the importance of Islamic feminism in supporting HRD in the ME, and the intersecting dynamics of gender and employment, considering religious, ethnic, and political contestations

Abstract: While globalization is often framed as a positive force for change and development, particularly in the field of Human Resource Development (HRD), some argue that globalization has created an envir...

Abstract: Workplace incivility is a growing challenge because occurrence of uncivil behavior at work results in toxic work environments that are not conducive to employee learning and development (Ghosh, Dierkes, and Falletta 2011; Pearson and Porath 2005). Andersson and Pearson (1999) define workplace incivility as “low intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect” (p. 457). Incivility has negative influences on those who directly experience uncivil encounters at work, as well as those who witness uncivil behavior toward others or the organization (Montgomery, Kane, and Vance 2004). Organizational scholars have noted numerous detrimental outcomes of workplace incivility such as poor employee health, low job satisfaction, low organizational productivity and commitment, and high employee turnover (Andersson and Pearson 1999; Johnson and Indvik 2001; Lim and Cortina 2005; Porath and Erez 2007). While uncivil behavior at work has emerged as a substantive area in its own right in the western world (Schilpzand, De Pater, and Erez 2016), with considerable literature on its antecedents and outcomes at individual and organizational levels (Adams and Webster 2013; Bunk and Magley 2013; Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, and Cooper 2011; Reio and Ghosh 2009; Ghosh, Reio, and Bang 2011; Keashly and Harvey 2004; Miner-Rubino and Reed 2010; Trudel and Reio 2011), the phenomenon has not received much academic attention in the Asian context despite its pervasive occurrence (Yueng and Griffin 2008). Only a few studies have examined the impact of workplace incivility in China (Chen, Ferris, Kwan, Yan, Zhou and Hong 2013; Wu, Zhang, Chiu and He 2013), Korea (Kim and Shapiro 2008), and Singapore (Lim and Lee 2011) and a few others have explored the related constructs of workplace deviance in Malaysia (Alias, Mohd Rasdi, Ismail and Abu Samah 2013) and bullying in the ITES-BPO (Information Technology Enabled Services-Business Process Outsourcing) sector in India (D’Cruz and Rayner 2012; D’Cruz and Noronha 2009). However, these studies have mostly used scales and measures that have been developed in the West (e.g., Cortina, Magley, Williams and Langhout 2001; Griffin 2010; Lim and Lee 2001) and hence, have not shed much light on the socio-cultural perspective of workplace incivility in Asia and human resource development (HRD) professionals’ roles in addressing uncivil behaviors at work in Asia. Montgomery et al. (2004) suggested that differences in shared norms of respect may lead to different thresholds of tolerance towards workplace incivility. These differing thresholds could be due to dissimilarities in social and cultural orientations implying that “the conceptualization and operational definition of workplace incivility may be culture specific” (Lim and Lee 2011, p. 107) and may vary across nations. What constitutes uncivil behavior in the western countries may not be considered uncivil in HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL, 2017 VOL. 20, NO. 4, 263–267 https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2017.1336692

Abstract: We have written this article both to honour a form of educational practice and to invite debate in the field of Human Resource Development (HRD) We begin with the observation that a number of postgraduate programmes in the UK whose pedagogies were characterized by inquiry-based, action-oriented experiential learning, which were thriving when Human Resource Development International (HRDI) was first developed, have now closed These programmes enacted HRD as an approach to adult learning and teaching through educational practices mirroring the topics explored As authors with some 40 or more years’ combined experience as staff on such programmes, we aim first to set on record the nature and significance of the pedagogical approaches involved, which participants often experienced as transformational We then consider how the changing climate of UK higher education, reflected in mechanisms like the Research Excellence Framework, may have influenced the demise of such programmes The paper reflects o

Abstract: This paper examines standard-setting and standardization processes currently being undertaken in the human resources field and makes a ‘call to action’ for human resource development (HRD) scholars and practitioners to influence these developments. The paper provides a reflexive ‘insider account’ of HR standards development combining personal experience with theoretical perspectives; ‘grey’ and practitioner literatures; and secondary data sources. Drawing on scholarly literature sources, opportunities and dilemmas of standardization processes in the HR field are discussed. Grounded in the standardization literature, alternative approaches to system-wide (meta) standards are identified. Drawing on publically available information, different standardization approaches in USA and UK are discussed. The paper critiques the dominant performance-orientated paradigm and ‘rules-based’ approach to standards and argues for an alternative, principles-based approach for HR standardization to support sustainabl...

Abstract: After the discovery of oil in 1970s, the United Arab Emirates experienced explosive growth and was able to establish a strong economy in 30 years. Since then, the country has attracted foreign direct investment, and it has maintained its growth strategy by relying on foreign skilled labourers from around the world. Consequently, Emirati nationals were predominantly recruited to and preferred the public sector. Today, as government growth stagnates, the United Arab Emirates’ government is encouraging the private sector to recruit more Emirati nationals. This paper analyzes the current Emiratisation process by looking into the barriers to it via a content analysis of business-focused newspapers published in the country. Unlike previous research, this paper prioritizes the challenges in descending order: skill standards, salary and benefits, and business hours. These challenges have impeded the recruitment of Emirati nationals into the private sector.

Abstract: The purpose of this inquiry is to provide an in-depth analysis of the needs, strategies, practices, goals, and challenges pertinent to national human resource development (NHRD) in the transitioning society of Cambodia. Building on the foundations provided by Harbison and Myers’ seminar NHRD model and, more recently, Paprock’s framework, this paper offers: (a) a description of the historical context in which human resource development (HRD) is embedded – the political, sociocultural, and economic past, respectively; (b) an overview of the country’s transitional context; (c) an examination of its current HRD environment – the prevailing political and economic structures, HRD-related problems and issues, formal education systems, and incentives for and the allocation of strategic human capital; (d) a discussion of HRD in the country – how it is perceived and its necessary goals and components; and (e) the implications for HRD strategy.

Abstract: The birth of Human Resource Development International (HRDI) is used to explore ideological colonialism, the privileged ‘best’, and the concretization of inequality I argue that whilst ideas and cultures become hybridized, post-truth politics and agnotology lead to a world in which inequalities are accentuated As our lives become increasingly complex and diverse, HRDI is ideally placed to facilitate the exploration of these issues

Abstract: This extended editorial by Professor Jim Stewart is the first example of a ‘quick response’ to contemporary events which I would like to become a regular feature in our journal. An advantage of digital technology is that we can publish such pieces quickly, so stimulating discussions regarding HRD responses to issues that require immediate, but thoughtful, discussion and action. I invited Jim to write this piece following his contribution to a discussion on the Critical Management Studies (CMS) listserve that was focussing on a reported increase of incidents of racism and xenophobia following the UK referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union. In his email to the CMS listserve Jim reflected on his experience of developing advice and materials for the UK Local Government Training Board in its response to national initiatives for anti-discrimination training in the 1970s and 1980s. I will not repeat Jim’s reflections on this. However, I am sure many of us will agree with him that the presence of racism and xenophobia in many countries and communities indicates a failure of education and development. HRD is therefore implicated in this failure. This raises questions about HRD’s purpose, and the values and principles which underpin the theory of practice. I do not want to delay your reading of the editorial. A final point I do want to make is that many postings to the CMS listserve were provoked by visceral responses to events and incidents, and Jim questions whether his reflections are, in fact, reflections. I am less concerned by this. Rather, I view this piece as an example of a critical scholar’s initial steps in reflexively engaging with phenomena that are complex, contradictory and that require sustained attention, interventions and actions.

Abstract: In this article, I attempt to explain how I think we have shifted in the ways we have made/make sense of HRD and how this might develop, focusing on ‘self’, which I see as central to HRD in many ways. Adopting an autoethnographic approach, I consider how my self as author-researcher has evolved in this sense-making through three philosophical/methodological waves (or turns), offering a typology of the researcher’s self in HRD research. First, I review traditional, dominant (scientific, self-less) and then current (interpretative, self-ish) research approaches. Looking forward, I envisage more innovative forms of autoethnographic sense-making, where the researcher’s self (self-ie) can become another voice (data) in how we can come to better understand local and global HRD. I suggest these are key turns, where one does not necessarily replace or totally displace the other. Our making sense of HRD might inhabit any or many of these approaches, offering complementary and/or competing ways of theorizin...

Abstract: National Human Resource Development (NHRD) takes a humane and long-term perspective to the human resources of each country in terms of national growth. This research evaluated the human resource development competitiveness of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) countries from the perspective of NHRD. This study selected Global Human Resource Competitiveness Index to assess the NHRD of BRICS. Although it is generally considered that the BRICS countries have high growth potential with large population, this analysis showed that they have a common weakness in the balanced development and use of human resources from the perspective of NHRD. In this respect, this study compares and analyses the characteristics and strength/weakness of each BRICS country. This research can inform evaluation of policies on national human resource development. Additionally, it can provide basic data for identifying the status of the human resource development system.

Abstract: The intrinsic motivational aspects that improve the psychological well-being of health practitioners have been usurped by an insulated reliance on financial incentives and other external factors. This paper examines issues pertinent to the motivation of doctors in the healthcare system in Malaysia. The article also attempts to identify problem areas that could benefit from interventions focusing on intrinsic motivation. Financial incentives and the deterioration in intrinsic motivation levels partly influence the exodus of healthcare workers from public healthcare organizations to private practice. A multidimensional approach is required to improve intrinsic motivation amongst healthcare workers. Leadership strength, organizational citizenship, modification of job design, career management, and a democratized work environment are seen as crucial factors to remedy work morale in healthcare systems. A prospective conceptual framework described in this article could serve as the foundation to analyse...

Abstract: It is with great pleasure that we write this editorial introducing HRDI’s 20th anniversary issue. To celebrate the journal’s 20th anniversary we issued an invitation to HRD scholars to write short ...

Abstract: Predictive Analytics for Human Resources authored by Jac Fitz-Enz and John R. Mattox, II aims to highlight the importance of data-driven decision-making process in the field of human resource devel...

Abstract: The study explored public perceptions on the combined military training and academic instruction in Eritrea. The sample consisted of 100 school leavers, 10 parents, and 20 teachers. The research instruments were questionnaire and interview guide. The findings revealed that the combined military and academic instruction was perceived to be negative, since it is government imposed and puts more emphasis on military training and the harsh military environment in which academics is carried out. However, learning diverse skills, promoting national unity, and creating patriotic spirit were mentioned as some positive outcomes of the system. The study recommends that the government needs to carry out the military training and academic studies in separate locations, liberalize education, and enable parents to have a voice in school decisions.

Abstract: The interview was conducted to identify best practices and methods of delivering training programmes for the US and the non-US audiences. Topics for discussion involved understanding the importance of preparing instructional content, identifying approaches and techniques for capturing and sustaining the attention of participants. The interview was conducted by the first author and concluded with Dr. MacKenzie providing suggestions for trainers who design and deliver training for the US and the non-US audiences. These recommendations are important for domestic and global HRD practitioners as they offer best practices in terms of the cultural adjustments trainers, facilitators, and instructional designers must adopt for enhancing individual learning and enhancing training effectiveness.

Abstract: This article introduces the novel concepts of expatriate ‘entry-modes’, ‘comb-patriates’, and ‘Fourth-Country Nationals’ (FCNs), emerging from an exploratory qualitative investigation of 51 Scandinavian expatriates in Hong Kong. Global mobility research has traditionally been overly focused on the characteristics and background variables of expatriates or accumulated experiences after arrival, and has neglected the phase and mode of entering the new host country. Unveiling new global mobility patterns is significant for multinational enterprises’ (MNE) global talent recruitment, and has implications for training and development. This is due to directing the focus towards the increasing numbers of those individuals who are not expatriating in the conventional linear fashion, such as between an MNE’s headquarter (HQ) and its subsidiaries overseas. The critical stance taken in this article is articulated through a theoretical lens comprising a social constructionist epistemology. Theoretical contribu...

Abstract: The Chinese context has been characterised as one where guanxi influence is significant, shaping the choices, considerations, challenges, and consequences of talent management (TM). There is though little empirical research which shows that this is what is experienced, and that guanxi influence does feature prominently. The purpose of our research is to explore experiences of TM in China, and the extent to which the guanxi influence affects TM.Case study research to identify and explore guanxi influence on TM was undertaken in three real estate companies in China. Interviews with managers and employees on how talent is defined, attracted, developed, and retained were analysed for guanxi influence. These show that guanxi influence is clearly present in the experience of TM, though this is not the sole or always dominant influence on choices, considerations, challenges, and consequences. This paper contributes to the TM literature by showing that guanxi influences play important roles in defining, a...

Abstract: Advances in technology have reshaped mentoring as a human resource development (HRD) intervention and heralded e-mentoring, using online solutions, as an alternative to traditional mentoring. In this article, we report on a unique learning opportunity as a part of the HRD curriculum in a higher education institution (HEI) in which mentoring was offered to pairs separated by not only geographical distance but also by time zone, culture and organisation (global mentoring relationships [GMRs]). We used an action research approach to aid the programme team’s understanding of their own practice and to evaluate 23 GMRs within an e-mentoring scheme in a UK-based university. We offer empirical evidence of the application of media richness theory as well as traditional models of mentoring to develop and evaluate e-mentoring relationships, particularly GMRs. Key findings highlight how the mode of communication and its media richness affect GMRs and demonstrate the effect of the type and style of mentoring o...

Abstract: Those involved in international or global research, as authors, reviewers, and editors, are faced with a number of challenges. Several such challenges are presented along with suggested remedies. For our research to have impact, it is essential that we are committed to continuously improving our research and publication processes. Suggestions include providing operative international human resource development (HRD) definition used, stop relying on popular dimensions of culture, increase focus on cross-cultural or cross-country research, research in countries that currently have no (or little) HRD research, conduct more indigenous research, develop more indigenous measurement instruments, journals need to expand their expertise and acceptance in a broader range of epistemologies, assistance is needed for authors writing in English as a second language, and avoid cliches that violate HRD principles. While this is not a comprehensive list, I hope that these suggestions will be helpful in improving t...

Abstract: Professional fields are guided by the search for reasoned answers to the question of what to do, and this both in the exercise of daily practice and in the education and training of future practitioners. In educational theory and in management, the framework of virtue ethics has received much attention as an alternative to duty-based and result-oriented approaches of considering what to do in professional practice. Virtue ethics dates back to Greek philosophy and is concerned with practical wisdom, defined as acting virtuously in pursuit of a good and worthwhile form of living. This article outlines the major tenets of virtue ethics in the context of working and work organization and posits that the focus on practical wisdom should be seen as a central concern of HRD practice and HRD education.

Abstract: Support from various sources inside and outside the organization helps employees cope with the stress of work. Support becomes even more necessary when the processes and outcomes of organizational change undermine staff well-being. This paper presents and explores a model of support though different phases of stressful organizational change. The findings of a qualitative study of 31 participants in a public healthcare authority in New Zealand reveal that support took various forms (emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal) and was sourced internally through supervisors and colleagues and externally through partners, family, and friends, at different stages of the change. However, for some participants it was either denied to them or they were reluctant to mobilize it. Implications for research and human resource development (HRD) practice focus on the provision of forms and sources of support that enhance individual well-being and the likelihood of successful change. Barriers to provi...

Abstract: There is a need to study and better understand the organizational impact of Generation Y and how they perceive their experiences of work. This article presents findings from a hermeneutic phenomenological study that was conducted to understand the meaning of work for five Generation Y individuals and provide a deeper, richer understanding of their lived experiences. Ten essential themes were constructed, including the meaning of work is: influenced by education, influenced by the economy, the opportunity to do work that is meaningful, balance, a reflection of who we are, working for an organization that functions well, influenced by our social networks, considering and exploring all opportunities, the importance of social relationships, and completing tasks and being compensated to meet our basic needs. Based on these findings, theoretical contributions are provided as well as recommendations for future HRD practice and research.

Abstract: Social capital is a crucial factor for expatriates to employ as they cope with the demands of an international assignment. This longitudinal study used a mixed method approach to examine the social support benefits of expatriate contact with a local host. Western expatriates in the Netherlands were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 33), that had contact with a Dutch host during 9 months, and a control group (n = 32) with no host. Qualitative methods such as interviews and diaries were included to shed light on the various types of social support that occurred. Results show that local hosts offered all four types of social support: social companionship, informational support, emotional support, and instrumental support. Furthermore, expatriates with a host increased their social capital; they received significantly more social support from host nationals than did those without a host. This study shows that HRD professionals may develop the social capital of expatriates by...