Masculine rationality pervades organizations and organizational theory but remains largely unexplored and or studied by human resource development (HRD) researchers and practitioners. This essay defines rational masculinity and summarizes its origins and effects on women in the workplace. Current literature supports the need for increased…

Although supportive work-life initiatives have advanced in recent years, existing literature shows inconsistent outcomes regarding the adoption and effectiveness of these initiatives. In this conceptual paper, we aim to highlight that an individual's ability to freely negotiate and decide how to manage the relationships between their paid work and…

The purpose of this paper is to examine underlying factors that hinder the expatriate experience and the ways quality-controlled training methods can be delivered to them in order to acclimatize into different cultures. Companies see transatlantic business expansion as a critical piece of their agenda in the quest for greater market share. In this…

The purpose of this article is to explore the competencies required and exhibited by human resource development (HRD) professionals during a crisis. Keeping the current COVID-19 pandemic in the foreground, we examined the industrial, change management, and crisis management literature to illustrate how HRD professionals successfully helped their…

The advent of technology has drastically impacted the existing ecosystem of the organization so much so that it has resulted in increasing generation divide in the workforce. In order to effectively address this looming issue, many organizations are jumping into this bandwagon of implementing an inverted form of mentoring relationship called…

This article begins a series on promoting research through social media. This opening article focuses on how and why two human resource development journals have expanded their social media activities. Particular attention is given to the intentionality behind creating and implementing a social media plan to bridge the traditional field of…

The practice of Human Resource Development (HRD) work often occurs in consulting opportunities at ongoing businesses, agencies and non-profit organizations. These are the spaces where human resources development (HRD) consultants hone their skills and affect change in work settings. Consultants in HRD utilize skills not only across the HRD field…

All employees within the workplace must be treated fairly and equitably including those with disabilities who may require accommodations that serve to increase access to and maintenance of competitive employment. Human Resource Development (HRD) researchers and practitioners have experience in accommodating employees with disabilities but are now…

A corporate executive provides an amusing and reflective account on her experience of being downsized. This "day in the life" perspective documents the feelings of an individual who found herself served with "divorce papers" from a job that had, in many ways, defined her identity. Her personal story shines the spotlight on…

Adult educators often struggle with finding creative ways to help students understand adult learning theories and applications of those theories in professional practice. Media analysis of popular culture can uncomplicate this task by engaging learners in understanding concepts, principles or theories (Baumgartner & Merriam, 1999). The purpose of…

Paradigms aid organizational researchers in their quest to find the "truth" of a particular event, phenomenon, activity, or topic and by providing them a framework with which to make assumptions about the nature of society and reality. According to Burrell and Morgan (1978), organizational researchers use one of four paradigms:…

Examining media artifacts as a learning method has received little attention in human resource development (HRD) despite it being a predominate form of information and influence in popular culture. As Giroux (2002) opines, media functions as a form of public pedagogy by offering situations and contexts through which viewers can vicariously…

Bullying is a serious problem in contemporary American society. Many adults are now suffering from bullying, which has conventionally been thought of as a childhood behavior. While a general form of bullying has been focused on by contemporary scholars, specific types of bullying (racist bullying and homophobic bullying) have not well been…

Concept maps can be used as both a cognitive and constructivist learning strategy in teaching and learning in adult education and human resource development. The maps can be used to understand course readings, analyze case studies, develop reflective thinking and enhance research skills. The creation of concept maps can also be supported by the…

This article features the University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education, a nonprofit organization representing leading United States universities that offer graduate programs in career and technical education (CTE) and human resource development (HRD). The mission of the Council is to be a recognized force in shaping the future of…