Outsourcing in the training and development industry has been steadily increasing and shows no indication of slowing (Surgue & Kim, 2004). Gainey and Klaas's study shines light on the role of interfirm trust in effective outsourcing relationships. This reaction addresses a methodological question of the effect of the rating target on the results,…

Six theoretical perspectives on work design are examined for their contributions to our understanding of how work is organized and designed in organizations: sociotechnical systems theory, process improvement, adaptive structuration theory, the job characteristics model, technostructural change models, and activity theory. A critique of these…

This descriptive exploratory study sought to assess the values priorities of individuals and groups across various HRD occupational specialties. Findings showed that, in general, respondents felt the most important guides to the practice of HRD should be those emphasizing performance-related outcomes. However, results also showed meaningful…

The rising popularity of research partnerships between practitioners and scholars raises questions about the efficacy of current research models for in situ research that yield timely and practical results to practitioners at the same time as they meet scholarly requirements and continue to grow the knowledge base in the field of HRD. Three…

Engaging employers with youth in workforce preparation activities is widely supported by program providers as a good practice. Research, although limited, supports this practice as well. This paper describes the findings from 58 interviews with youth program providers, employers, and policy-makers that explored the inclusion of employers in…

Human Resource Management is a branch of an organization which recruits and develops personnel to promote the organization's objectives. Human Resource Management involves interviewing applicants, training staff, and employee retention. Compensation, benefits, employee/labor relations, health, safety, and security issues are a few of the aspects…

This report is California's response to the four questions that the United States Department of Education (USDE), Division of Adult Education and Literacy, requires of all states and territories receiving federal funding from the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The questions…

This qualitative study examined how trainers perceive and manage training programs with racially and ethnically diverse participants. Five themes emerged: global perspective, learning styles and culturally diverse participants, facilitation style, preparation for training with culturally diverse groups and, culturally sensitive training materials.…

An innovative way to add opportunities for the development of personal and professional competencies without adding any additional courses to a curriculum is to add individual assignments to already existing courses--a curriculum model presented in this paper as a "parallel curriculum" to the existing curriculum. The advantages of the…

This report sets out to comprehensively analyse major reviews and evaluations of programs relevant to Indigenous labour market outcomes, including national mainstream and Indigenous-specific policies. The main evaluations covered relate to the Aboriginal Employment Development Policy, the Indigenous Employment Policy, the Community Development…

Qualitative researchers in human resource development (HRD) frequently use in-depth interviews as a research method. Yet reports from qualitative studies in HRD commonly pay little or no analytical attention to the co-construction of interview data. That is, reports of qualitative research projects often treat interviews as a transparent method of…

Machine shop and metal fabrication programs across the country have struggled since the mid-1980s when the rise in global competition resulted in more manufacturing jobs going overseas. Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton, Massachusetts, was able to keep its program up and running due in large part to its…

The holistic theory of knowledge and learning offers an integrative framework for understanding the interactions of cognitions, feelings, and behavior in learning. Explicit (cognitions), implicit (behavior), and emancipatory (feelings, values, spirituality) knowledge facets interact in learning processes. Little is known, however, about the nature…

The rush of jobs from the United States to other nations has been explained by the Bush administration as a win-win situation for both technically advanced and developing countries. The free-market argument claims that the more sophisticated, complex jobs generated by an avalanche of new industries will be won by a well-trained, highly educated…

Over the past several decades, the demand in California for college-educated workers has grown. But the supply of college graduates has not kept pace with demand, and it appears that this "workforce skills gap" will not only continue but widen. This study examines the causes, magnitude, and likely consequences of the potential mismatch…