Involvement in a number of action-learning programmes and associated development opportunities has led the Professional Development Centre Limited to question the relevance of a strict adherence to the "rules" of action learning as described by Reg Revans. A deliberate focus of one such programme to a financial services organisation…

Action research is a method of organizational development and improvement often used in educational settings. This study implemented an action research process in an alternative school that serves students with significant special needs. The action research process was implemented by classroom teams who developed a research question, collected and…

Organizational leaders often work to retain their employees and teach them the knowledge needed in becoming future organizational leaders. The purpose of the study examined in this article was to determine how mentoring within Camp Adventure Child and Youth Services contributes to the development of students selected to deliver programs to…

Purpose: With rapid industrialization and population growth in the urban and rural areas in India, the demand for public transport has risen sharply. In the fast changing scenario in the public transit sector, the role of a bus depot manager (DM) has also undergone substantial transformation. This paper aims to identify and gauge the…

Purpose: This paper aims to review the relevant literature on training needs assessment (TNA) with an objective to provide users/beneficiaries of TNA with the understanding of its growing concept, multiple uses (outcomes), and valuing these uses (antecedents). Design/methodology/approach: To conduct the literature review on uses of TNA, the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that drive a firm's decision to invest in training in India's IT-enabled services/business process outsourcing (ITeS/BPO) sector. It aims to consider a much-neglected area and an often-cited need to consider external factors, especially the needs of an organisation's clients in a firm's…

Results-based management (RBM) is an approach to programme planning and management that integrates strategy, people, resources, processes and measurements to improve decision-making, transparency and accountability. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) began the adoption of a RBM model with its 2003-2006 Three-Year Plan. This led to a significantly…

Author explains organization development and tells why individually-oriented training is ineffective unless integrated within the context of an overall organization improvement. (Author/SP)

The organizational development strategy of the W. T. Grant Company, an overlapping group teamwork approach, is directed toward accountability, planned change, individual recognition, experience-based behavior, group morale, smooth information and communication flow, and decision making. (EA)

Review of the current state of human-resource-development literature includes definitions, models, and dominant biases. The review concludes that the literature is fragmented and reflects a diverse range of issues and opinions. (73 references) (SK)

The author stresses the importance of planning in setting up company training programs and the need for performance and instructional objectives. (MF)

The interview with Edgar B. Speer, chairman and chief executive of the United States Steel Corporation, focuses on the company's training and development activities. The role of the training department in management development is discussed. (EC)

Discusses how those who learn basic human performance technology (HPT) skills can expand expertise in three directions: extended HPT (including generalist, project manager/integrator, and implementation specialist); specialized HPT; and HPT linked to related fields. Presents examples of applications of each alternative. (JKP)

The article discusses the Insurance Industry Training Council's development, its purpose, and goals in training since its inception in 1968. (BP)

Explores concerns over the direction the field of organizational behavior is developing. Karl Weick identifies approaches to theory building that are misleading. Peter Frost identifies blind spots in teaching and application. Walter Nord compares both papers. The authors offer their views on directions in which the field might move. (Author/BEF)