Jim Stewart

• Coventry University

Inspired by role conceptualisations and calls to rethink and reshape activities and competences of professionally qualified HRD practitioners, we examine HRD’s role and its associated activities through established versions of role theory. We ask: To what extent is there congruence in role expectations of HRD practitioners and other stakeholders? W...

The purpose of this article is to conduct a critical investigation into early career researcher (ECR) experiences of their career development and advancement efforts within the UK new, or post’1992, university environment. This article extends a notion of critical career development (CCD) that was originally introduced by Mills et al. (2014) to exp...

This book contends that the project of Critical Human Resource Development (CHRD) is to effect change/transformation, and that, as such, critical scholars must expose the injustices and inequities associated with the neoliberal narrative which forms the dominant rationality of current mainstream HRD practice. In other words, those that would change...

This paper reports progress and findings from the joint International Federation of Training and Development Organisations (IFTDO) and the University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) project examining HRD professional practice on three continents, namely Africa, Asia and Europe. IFTDO is a multinational, multicultural training and devel...

This paper will report progress and findings from the joint International Federation of Training and Development Organisations (IFTDO) and the University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) project examining HRD professional practice on three continents, namely Africa, Asia and Europe. IFTDO is a multinational, multicultural training and d...

The Problem Very little research has examined the current state of human resource development (HRD) education in the United Kingdom, or the factors influencing its genesis and development. The Solution We analyze historical and contemporary factors influencing HRD education in the United Kingdom, identify different levels and providers of HRD qual...

This conceptual paper discusses issues associated with the career management and development of academics in UK higher education institutions, specifically within those that gained university status during or shortly after 1992; the so called ‘new universities’. We call into question the perceived control academic employees possess over their own c...

This article poses the question, how might the application of human resource development, career development (CD) and critical management studies perspectives cast light on the development of doctoral student? Nine part-time students took part in a longitudinal study that required them to complete monthly reflective reports or journals and particip...

This chapter examines recent developments in what is referred to as 'critical HRD' (CHRD). The concept of human resource development (HRD) is first explained as an alternative to 'workforce development'. This includes the argument that HRD is broader in scope and so encompasses the more limited term 'workforce development'. Then CHRD is explored as...

The purpose of this article is to examine how international and joint venture organisations in all sectors rather than oil in Libya assess MTDP. This article will outline the recent situation in regards to MTDP needs assessment. Questionnaires were distributed to over 140 mangers from different sectors. SPSS software was applied, different tests we...

This paper investigates how non-oil international organisations (NOIO) in Libyan post-crisis assess management training and development programme (MTDP) needs. The current situation of MTDP needs assessment and factors that may influence MTDP are investigated. Questionnaire was distributed to (150) managers from nineteen NOIO. We find that performa...

We construct the historical development of the term ‟human resource development‟ (HRD) within the United Kingdom (UK). We argue that HRD has been introduced and employed extensively by academics but not taken up with such enthusiasm by professionals and governments. We trace the development of the term and evaluate its use in these three distinct d...

Purpose In this paper the authors seek to argue that doctoral supervision is one type of human resource development relationship in higher education (HE), and that this relationship may be close or distanced, and involve technical and social support. The paper aims to highlight the seldom‐discussed aspects of power and emotion within doctoral super...

This study aims to investigate the cognitive process by which perceived organizational justice and leader–member exchange (LMX) are channelized into role-prescribed and extra-role customer service behaviours. It proposes the mediating role of three forms of psychological empowerment (goal internalization, perceived competence, and perceived control...

We examine how students made sense of the learning that occurred within a curriculum that challenged ‘traditional’ human resource development (HRD), a curriculum informed by critical content and critical process. We draw attention to the identity work undertaken by students who were introduced to critical HRD and examine how this discourse enabled...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the proposal that curriculum designed for and about enterprise education can be sustained via a cyclical model of evaluation. Such an approach takes into consideration an important aspect of enterprise education which is “context”, a significant aspect overtly linked to the differing subject disciplin...

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Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of perceived external prestige (PEP), ethical organizational climate, and leader‐member exchange (LMX) quality in explaining organizational and career commitment, and also analyzes effects of the two commitments on motivation to participate in training and turnover intention. Design/methodology/appro...

Over the last two decades there has been a notable increase in the number of corporate governance codes and principles, as well as a range of improvements in structures and mechanisms. Despite this, corporate governance failed to prevent a widespread default of fiduciary duties of corporate boards and managerial responsibilities in the finance indu...

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to examine the meaning and value of the notion of theory as a basis for other papers in the special issue which examine facets of theorising HRD. Design/methodology/approach – A small scale and targeted literature review was conducted which focused on writings in the philosophy and sociology of science in order to...

Purpose The aim of the paper is to present the findings of a definitional review and comparative study of HRD definitions. It also reports the results of comparing and contrasting a synthesis of the “intended purposes” and “processes” constituting these definitions against various definitions and conceptualisations of organisational development (OD...

The fierce debate on CSR is often linked to different understandings of CSR from different perspectives. Although there is no strong consensus on CSR, Carroll's pyramid of CSR encompassing economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities (Carroll, 1979) is a good starting point for discussion.

Purpose – Educational programmes that are concerned with the learning and teaching of enterprise education, such as enterprise focused degrees and/or modules, could be argued to be of particular interest to human resource development (HRD) research since they commonly have an overt focus on influencing and shaping the career choices of students. Fu...

Purpose This paper seeks to analyse and explore the results of a research project, which aimed to identify recent and current research on TLA within HRD programmes. From that base the project also intended to identify areas for future research and a basis for establishing a Special Interest Group. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive review...

Purpose The paper seeks to explore the proposition that there is a need for research to address the connections between talent management (TM) and managing diversity as one example of achieving better integration and less separation in academic work on human resource (HR). Design/methodology/approach An exploratory study of one organisation at a v...

This article argues that HRD is in and of itself an ethical endeavour. HRD is defined as constituting deliberate and planned interventions in naturally occurring learning processes. Ethics is denned as the study of moral choices, or as attempting to answer the question, “what should one do?” The analysis and argument relies on an understanding of h...

Purpose This paper aims to explore how teaching and assessing reflective learning skills can support postgraduate practitioners studying organisational change and explores the challenges for tutors in assessing these journals. Design/methodology/approach Assessment criteria were developed from the literature on reflective practice and organisation...

Purpose This paper aims to explore the challenges and opportunities for expediting critical reflection in management education and development to highlight particularly how critical reflection has been facilitated within the context of a professionally focused doctoral programme. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on empirical research co...

This article has no abstract

Doctoral supervision is a complex process, and a critical success factor is the supervisory relationship. The aim of this article is to share experiences of doctoral supervision from three different perspectives, offering a view from above, below and the middle. The author was inspired by the activities associated with a recent conference. It prese...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between leader‐member exchange (LMX) and human resource development (HRD) to gain a better understanding of the LMX‐performance relationship through connecting LMX and HRD theory. Design/methodology/approach Dubin's framework is used for the purpose of linking LMX with HRD. Except th...

This article examines and critiques the UK research assessment exercise (RAE) and its implications for research and writing in HRD. It describes the process and identifies weaknesses in some of the concepts and related criteria applied in assessing and grading research outputs and in particular the notions of ‘international' and ‘world class' as st...

Purpose – Establishes a connection between the concepts of “learning organisation” and “human resources development”. Design/methodology/approach – A brief and broad overview of the current state of human research development research. Findings – One conclusion to be reached is that the subject is healthy. Another conclusion is that human resourc...

No abstract available.

This collection of essays aims at advancing knowledgeand understanding of the concept of human resource development (HRD) and itsprofessional practice, offering various definitions and choices of terms andmethods. The book has two interrelated goals: (1) to provide an overview ofcontemporary research into the practice of HRD in small organizations,...

The aim of this paper is to report on the existing corporate training and development (T&D) policies and practices in India and Britain. The data were collected from written questionnaires mailed to 252 Indian and 174 British companies. The results and discussions are based on the most prominent comparative and international dimensions of T&D such...

This paper provides an overview of the role and contribution of mentoring in the context of a degree programme in which students spend their second and third years in-company. As well as describing the process within the context of the degree, the paper examines the particular mentoring design features. Of specific interest is the shared mentoring...

The purpose of this article is to offer a contribution to enabling an understanding of the concept of the corporate university to be developed. This contribution is in the form of a conceptual framework, drawing on the significant concepts of knowledge management, organisational learning and learning organisation. The resulting framework – corporat...

This paper essentially explores the theoretical perspectives of Human Resource Development (HRD), by providing an overview of the range of theoretical paradigms, which are applied in both the USA and Europe. This affords a deeper understanding of the academic boundaries and scope of the discipline of HRD. It applies a conceptual framework to a comp...

In the UK the academic status of HRD is problematic and has only recently become a significant part of the university curriculum. Part of the 'problem' of HRD relates to the research base which underpins the subject. This article attempts to derive a conceptual 'map' of HRD in the UK. Thus, its focus is on the process of theorizing HRD rather than...

Draws on previous research undertaken by the authors which examined the notion of graduate careers from the perspective of three stakeholders, namely students, higher education institutions and small businesses. Central to the research was the notion of transferable skills and qualities which provided a shared interest for all three stakeholders. P...

In the UK the academic status of HRD is problematic and has only recently become a significant part of the university curriculum. Part of the 'problem' of HRD relates to the research base which underpins the subject. This article attempts to derive a conceptual 'map' of HRD in the UK. Thus, its focus is on the process of theorizing HRD rather than...

Highlights the rapidly growing market for corporate management education, and the emerging role business schools are playing in this market. The article draws on 30 interviews conducted with both HR managers and academics from both new and traditional universities. The first part of the article, drawing on a number of case studies, highlights a num...

This final article in a series of three provides an interpretation of the research findings reported in the second article against the conceptual models described in the first. This provides support for the view that HEIs have a role in developing both “self-awareness” and “opportunity awareness” within undergraduates to support their ability to de...

This paper reports on one aspect of a European Union-funded research project, focusing in exploring factors that influence lifelong learning. Influencing factors were categorised as those that inhibit and those that support a learning orientation. Research findings suggest that the same factors could have both supportive and inhibiting influence, h...

The paper draws on case-study research into human resource development (HRD) within three small organizations in the north-west of England. It positions the investigations within an overall framework of doctoral research, defines how the term small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) has been used, and summarizes the research design. The main content...

Reports the results of empirical research into the graduate recruitment and selection practices adopted by SMEs, and the skills being sought by employers in that sector. Describes in detail the research methods, which included interviews with large organisations to determine, alongside existing research, the extent of characteristics of SME graduat...

The first of a series of three articles examining the role of higher education in preparing graduates for “self-managing” their careers, with particular reference to small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as potential employers. Examines key trends in the graduate labour market, including the increasing numbers entering higher education (HE) and...

In this paper, we describe and report the emerging results of a pan-European research project exploring the connections between HRD practices and lifelong learning in learning orientated organisations. The project is described briefly. However, the particular focus of the paper is upon one aspect of the research - that is, identifying and exploring...

This article introduces the “Investors in People (IIP) Small Business Handicap Hurdle Model”. The model represents a significant outcome of a survey carried out within small organizations in the north west of England during 1996. The survey was a preliminary phase of a major study conducted over a period of four years. The model offers both a conce...

The notion of “learning organisation” is, arguably, gaining credibility. This article takes this position as a starting point and, in the context of the authors’ own declared assumptions and beliefs, explores the meaning and potential application of the concept. This is achieved through examination of the literature on “learning organisations”, esp...

This article strongly supports the case for more research informed practice within the field of HRD, particularly organizationally-based research conducted as part of an ‘HRD Professional Partnership’ of the kind advocated by Jacobs (1997). A UK-based example of such a partnership set within one part of the British Civil Service is presented. This...

The article describes an innovative module designed for the HND Business Studies/Administration courses in the Nottingham Business School. Several features of particular interest, for example an explicit focus on skills development, incorporation of lifelong learning values and skills, vertical integration within an overall programme and horizontal...

This paper examines the practices and reports the experiences of practitioners in a newly created ‘development’ unit, which is part of an HR Directorate in a local National Health Service Trust hospital in the UK. The case study reveals two aspects of tension between people working in HRM and those in the development function: the structural organi...

The article provides a critical evaluation of functional analysis and its centrality in the competence philosophy underpinning reform of the UK's national system of vocational qualifications. Definitions and meanings of competence are examined to locate functional analysis in its theoretical context. The origins of the use and application of the te...

Responds to Bob Mansfield's critique of the author's earlier work. Examines the criticisms put forward by Mansfield of the analysis of competence and competence-based NVQs published in earlier issues of the Journal of European Industrial Training by Stewart and Hamlin. Provides an academic and practice-oriented response and argues against the point...

Third and last of a series of articles examining the case for competence-based qualifications in the UK. Reviews the previous two articles prior to identifying strengths in the competence philosophy and methodology and weaknesses in established practice. Concludes that competence-based qualifications require modification in operation if they are to...

The second in a series of three articles which provide a contribution to the debate in the UK on the appropriateness of competence-based qualifications. Identifies and emphasizes some of the particular strengths of established qualification methodologies which provide clear advantage over the competence philosophy. Draws attention to a number of fa...

Provides a contribution to the debate in the UK on the appropriateness of competence-based qualifications. Identifies a number of weaknesses in the competence philosophy as currently defined, and a number of operational problems in implementing a national scheme of competence-based vocational qualifications. Argues that the change to competence qua...

Describes one area of the Custom & Excise organization and its introduction of a competency-based approach for its staff. Looks at the problems involved in trying to use competences where the highly-trained staff show an adverse reaction to it. Ultimately, because of this, it was adandoned for a more flexible personal development plan (PDP). This i...

An empirical study of the criteria of managerial effectiveness in UK secondary schools is described, and the implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the current controversial debate in the UK surrounding the “universal competence approach” versus the “process approach” to Management Education, Training and Development (METD). Usin...

Book Reviewed: Assessing the Value of Your Training: The Evaluation Process from Training Needs to the Report to the Board Leslie Rae, 2002. Published by Gower Publishing Ltd, Aldershot, Hants, UK.

This paper provides a review and synthesis of current practice in the field of Organisation Change and Development (OCD). Five key 'failings' of managers contributing to the low success rate of OCD programmes are identified. To overcome these 'failings' a case is made for more evidence and research - based OCD practice, particularly OD initiatives...