Reports on a study of human resource development (HRD) as a professional field in Finland. Describes HRD as a strategic activity, relationship with adult education, historical and current features, characteristics of practitioners, and future challenges for workplace training and development. (Contains 50 references.) (SK)

Responses from 380 South Korean, Taiwanese, Thai, and Singaporean human resource managers in multinational and indigenous companies revealed significant differences between the two types in degree but not form or type of human resource development activity. U.S.-owned firms had higher activity levels. Strategic human resource orientation was…

Depicts the following aspects of training and development in the United Kingdom: public-policy strategy and infrastructure, corporate policies and strategies, organization and delivery of training, the training and development profession, and trends in the use of training. (SK)

Some Chinese organizations are moving away from production-oriented traditions. Resource-rich enterprises are using formal education to select and develop an elite. Organizations with less access to highly qualified recruits are also less likely to provide extensive training. The gap between organizations in terms of employee development is likely…

A survey of training and development (T&D) policies and practices in 252 Indian and 174 British companies found significant differences in key T&D responsibility, corporate commitment, needs analysis, and evaluation design. There were similarities in causes/drivers of T&D; aims, levels, and timing of evaluation; instruments used; and…

With employees in many organizations now expected to act as if they are self-employed in order to preserve their employability, managers need to assume new responsibilities to provide career coaching. Some outputs of career coaching are education of staff in career self-management, guidance of staff in the use of career analysis and planning…

A research study, based on a survey of the literature, sought to: (1) analyze recent economic, technological, and sociological trends in Japan; (2) analyze how those trends have or have not had an impact on Japan's historical and currently famous approach to the management of its human resources; and (3) based on findings, present arguments for or…

This publication highlights the role of the tutor (a person providing on-the-job training to new hires and persons moving into new jobs while still functioning in the same or a similar job, rather than being a full-time trainer) in industry through a comparative study of these four European countries: Austria, France, Germany, and Spain. Following…

In France, a "Very Small Enterprise" (VSE) is defined as a legally independent company with fewer than 10 salaried employees. VSEs are characterized by a great deal of movement in the creation, transformation, and disappearance of jobs and the extent of turnover, which seems tied with intensive use of public employment programs, notably…

Suggestions for administrators who wish to implement Japanese management techniques in higher education are offered. These techniques are more than establishing quality circles; instead they propose different value structures that link employees and the organization. The organizational structures that typically exist in higher education and the…

This document contains a series of papers on the topic of continuing training for technological change in business and industry. The papers focus on examples of training for technological change in several countries of Western Europe. The five papers included in the report are "Training for Continuing Training and Education" (A.…

This handbook is intended for managers who wish to develop human resources in their organizations, particularly where women are currently underrepresented. It provides a positive model for the successful equal opportunities manager and a checklist of activities that will lead to the successful implementation of equal opportunities. The handbook…

The nature, extent, and likely future of outsourcing in the United Kingdom was examined through an extensive literature review and interviews with small numbers of local authorities, companies, and contractors. Despite the limited data available, it appeared that outsourcing is concentrated in ancillary activities and is relatively marginal, both…

These three papers were presented at a symposium on human resource development (HRD) in selected nations moderated by Alan Mumford at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development. "Perspectives of United States Expatriates in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France on Expatriation and the Role of Their Sponsoring…

Data gathered in theoretical and field studies on human resources development carried out by international and national teams and through site visits were analyzed to show developing themes and issues in human resources, particularly in the area of skills development. Some of the issues and themes that will have an impact on the future of skills…