Early History of the Fields of Practice of Training and Development and Organization Development

The Problem: While the time and place of the birth of the Academy of Human Resource Development are documented, the field of human resource development (HRD) has historical roots that began decades earlier with the emergence of training and development and organization development as fields of practice. The Solution: This article addresses the early history of training and development and organization development, and begins with the influence of World War II on work-related education and training and ends in the mid-1990s. It traces the origins of the field up to, but not including, the founding of the Academy of Human Resource Development in 1994. The historical development of training and development and organization development is shown to be a confluence of historical events and the intellectual contributions of seminal thinkers. The Stakeholders: Stakeholders for this article are researchers, practitioners, and others interested in the history of training and development and organization development

The Persistence of Working Poor Families in a Changing U.S. Job Market: An Integrative Review of the Literature

This article explores the persistence of working poor families in the United States— families that live on the threshold of poverty despite at least one family member working full-time. The persistence of poverty in the United States has been exacerbated by recent changes in the job market that have altered the composition and availability of jobs due to technological unemployment, the polarization of jobs, declining job quality, and stagnation in job growth. The relationships between the persistence of working poor families and these changes in the job market are examined. The article concludes with a review of human resource development (HRD) research on poverty and the working poor, and a discussion of the implications of the persistence of working poor families for HRD research and practice

Talent Development of Refugee Women

In almost all refugee populations approximately half are women (Martin, 2004; UNHCR, 2014). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) describes refugees as individuals who are forced to migrate to other countries due to war, civil unrest, or fears of persecution. Not only do refugees receive no protection from their own government, it is frequently their own country that has threatened their personal security and freedom. Refugee women face particular challenges when integrating into new communities, especially industrialized countries. Young women may unexpectedly be required to assume the role of caregivers or sole breadwinners when traditional heads of household are unable to learn local languages, or have difficulties adapting to the workforce. Older or single mothers lack the traditional support and friendship networks that extended families provide (Yakushko, 2010). Often unprepared for the new work environment, many refugee women lack sufficient language skills, technological experience, or cultural competence to adequately support a household or even themselves. Past experiences of trauma may exacerbate the difficulties of transition (UNHCR, 2008). Part of claiming a rightful place in the host countries is full participation in society. Women who are alone or who are heads of household must be assisted with the tools and training that will permit them to acquire housing, transportation, healthcare, and other necessities, with the eventual goal of being fully independent and contributing members of their new communities. Preparing for the workforce through talent development is the first step on their journey of independence and empowerment (Yakushko, Backhaus, Watson, Ngaruiya, & Gonzalez, 2008). In this chapter, we will discuss how potential talent can be identified and developed during the critical stage of pre-employment of refugee women resettling in industrialized countries

Refugee Students in Community Colleges: How Colleges Can Respond to an Emerging Demographic Challenge

This practice brief provides recommendations for community college leaders in addressing the educational needs of refugee students in community colleges. Despite increasingly diverse immigrant populations at community colleges, there is limited research examining refugee students and their needs in higher education settings. Educational needs related to social support, cultural competency of the campus community, and financial assistance are found to be salient for refugee students. Implications for community colleges are discussed from the perspective of validation and community cultural wealth. Strategies that meet the needs of refugee students include expanding social networks that involve local community organizations, developing specific support programs for refugees, facilitating culturally-responsive teaching and learning practices, and considering demographic trends of refugees in strategic planning efforts

the Implications for Learning Theory

On behalf of

What HRD Is Doing—What HRD Should be Doing: The Case for Transforming HRD

Human resource development (HRD) is no longer expected to be the primary agency for promoting learning and development among employees. Today, HRD is diffused and integrated into a broad range of leadership and supervisory roles. As more responsibility for learning and development is assumed by others, what is the role of HRD? Although HRD has largely adapted to sharing more of its traditional responsibility for learning and development, the field has also encountered challenges and criticisms. We juxtapose recent adaptations and advances in HRD with perspectives on the dilemmas, challenges, and criticisms of HRD as seen by those outside the field of HRD. Grounded in a comprehensive review of recent literature, the authors seek to provide a balanced perspective on HRD’s strengths and weaknesses and to conceptualize a new perspective on HRD and its transformation for the future

The Changing Nature and Organization of Work: An Integrative Review of the Literature

Economics, demographics, technology, and other factors are changing the composition and availability of jobs. Newer forms of freelance, contingent work, also known as gigs, are gradually eroding traditional jobs. A venue that affords employment opportunities for a growing number of gig workers has become known as the platform economy. Those engaged in the platform economy already represent 10.1% of the U.S. workforce. This article explores the factors that give rise to these new work structures and examines the new opportunities they offer for employment and income. The social and economic consequences of the growth of these new work structures, intended and unintended, for workers, consumers, employers, and the public are discussed. The article concludes with a synthesis model of human resource development (HRD) research and the implications of the growth of these new types of work for HRD theory and practice

Refugee Students in Community Colleges: How Colleges Can Respond to an Emerging Demographic Challenge

This practice brief provides recommendations for community college leaders in addressing the educational needs of refugee students in community colleges. Despite increasingly diverse immigrant populations at community colleges, there is limited research examining refugee students and their needs in higher education settings. Educational needs related to social support, cultural competency of the campus community, and financial assistance are found to be salient for refugee students. Implications for community colleges are discussed from the perspective of validation and community cultural wealth. Strategies that meet the needs of refugee students include expanding social networks that involve local community organizations, developing specific support programs for refugees, facilitating culturally-responsive teaching and learning practices, and considering demographic trends of refugees in strategic planning efforts