The business of training and performance improvement has always been cyclical, with the fortunes of human resource development (HRD) and performance improvement professionals rising and falling with the economic fortunes of the workplace. The current economic downturn and nascent recovery represent an opportunity for HRD and performance…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine organizational practice to investigate what insights could be gained to support and extend existing theory. Design/methodology/approach: Adopts a clinical approach, e.g. not a priori or an academic one where data are mangled to fit a theoretical stance. Findings: Data analysis reveals four…

The purpose of this research is to explore the possibility of viable learning organizations based on identifying viable organizational learning mechanisms. Two theoretical foundations, complex system theory and viable system theory, have been integrated to provide the rationale for building the sustainable organizational learning mechanism. The…

The concept of synergistics is presented as a model for organizational behavior. The writer contends that, within a systems approach to education, utilizing the idea of synergistics, which capitalizes on human resources as an input to the system, dramatic changes in education can take place. (Author/DN)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to set out an argument for a way to design, implement and manage IS with an emphasis on first, the learning that can be created through undertaking the approach, and second, the learning that may be created through using the IS that was implemented. The paper proposes joining two areas of research namely,…

The author analyzes human resource planning, in which he gives the various aspects of career development a report card that, the author states, shows the field is far from achieving its self-stated goals. He states that succession planning and systems approaches would help this situation. (CT)

The success of an organization depends on a satisfied, challenged work force. Career planning is a key element in efforts to reach this goal. The author presents a strategy for developing a career planning system which takes account of the individual employee's needs within the corporate structure. (CT)

This document contains three papers from a symposium on human resource development (HRD) and performance outcomes. "Going to the Next Level of Growth: Employing Systems Thinking to Make Effective Interventions" (Carol Ann Zulauf, Joseph A. Ilacqua) shows how a systems view enables organizations to find the most effective point for…

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…

A group of human resource development (HRD) practitioners participated in an innovative session on managing culture in the e-workplace. The session objectives were as follows: (1) bring cultural patterns of the e-workplace to the forefront; (2) discuss the impact of culture on performance improvement in the e-workplace; and (3) share resources for…

This report examines how adopting the shared services model of human resources (HR) services delivery can help businesses achieve better alignment between their HR service and specific business needs. Chapter 1 provides background information on the research project underlying this report, which included the following data collection activities:…

This book, which is designed for human resource (HR) practitioners, details the principles and applications of succession planning, shows how succession planning is conducted, and explains its place in relation to other HR processes and business priorities. The introduction describes the book's intended audience and provides a brief overview of…

An innovative session was conducted to introduce session participants to a concept and researched model for linking organizational culture and performance. The session goals were as follows: (1) give participants a working knowledge of the link between business culture and key business performance indicators; (2) give participants a hands-on…

The feasibility of integrated health human resources planning (IHHRP) was examined. The analysis focused on the following topics: ways of integrating labor market indicators into service planning; whether planning is sufficiently responsive and flexible to retain relevance and validity in rapidly changing health systems; different models and…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on standards and certification in human resource development (HRD). "Implementing Management Standards in the UK" (Jonathan Winterton, Ruth Winterton) reports on a study that explored the implementation of management standards in 16 organizations and identified 36 key themes and…