Diversity and coherence : a study in human resource development
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2004
Open Access
Copyright Clearance Process
- Recently Added
- In Progress
- Open Access
This item is open access.
This research study is concerned with examining human resource development (HRD) as a
career field. In so doing the research study attempts to present a picture of the nature and
structure of careers of those who practise in this field in Australian organisations. This line of
investigation has been pursued by researchers for other career fields such as teaching and
management. Such research has added to the maturation of these occupational fields and
provided insights for the ongoing development of practitioners aspiring to or seeking to
maintain careers in these fields of practice. This line of research, however, has not been
pursued as part of building a more complete understanding of human resource development.
The lack of research examining HRD from a career perspective could be seen as needing to be
addressed to assist this field of practice attain greater maturity as an occupational field. Such
research potentially will provide those who practise or wish to practise in this field with
informed insights into the nature and structure of careers that are available to them. Further,
such research could be seen also as being timely given the recent attention by governments
throughout the developed world to the processes of skill formation as a way of building
national capability and increasing competitiveness, and, the increased interest by
organisations in employee development and learning initiatives as a way of building
organisational capability and improving organizational performance.
This research project therefore attempts to illuminate this field of practice from a career
perspective. In so doing it uses the literatures of HRD, careers and changing organisational
practice as three disparate yet interrelated lens to examine the dimensions and characteristics
of HRD careers and to surface questions that need to be asked to bettcr understand this area
as a career field. This research project argues that such sources are relevant given the dearth of
direct research about HRD as a career field. The project also draws on findings from two
empirical research studies. One of these studies is a survey-based study that was completed
by HRD practitioners or their supervisors. The second empirical component comprised a
series of in depth interviews with 12 HRD practitioners about their careers in this field of
practice.
Findings from these sources allow the research project to argue that the nature of careers in
HRD can be explained by the dynamic interplay of forces originating from individual
aspiration, capacity and self agency, the shifts in practices which are occurring in
contemporary organisations as well as from the diverse and evolving nature of the field of HRD.
These forces and the interplay between them determine the direction and movement
within individual HRD careers. They also shape what could be seen as consistent career
patterns and common career experiences of practitioners in this field even though it is
recognised that there is considerable diversity in the models of practice associated with this
occupational area. This research project therefore argues that coherence can be seen in HRD
careers even if at times this area as a career field lacks the regularity or orderliness of some
other career fields. Findings from studies showed consistency in career structure and some
career experiences. Findings also indicated at a very embryonic level a commonly held sense
of occupational identity can be seen as existing amongst practitioners who come from this
area of organisational practice.
The report of this study concludes with some general implications for ongoing development
of practitioners drawn from these findings about careers.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: