'Lifelong learning' is moving from buzzword to reality for ever latger numbers of workers. Firms increasingly need their workers to be active, self-directed learners who contribute to innovations and improvements of processes, products and services. Companies that explicitly encourage and support worker learning, from a strategic perspective, are c

Contributions from a number of leading international scholars explore the boundaries of the field of Human Resource Development and present an innovative and challenging approach to HRD theory and practice.

'Lifelong learning' is moving from buzzword to reality for ever latger numbers of workers. Firms increasingly need their workers to be active, self-directed learners who contribute to innovations and improvements of processes, products and services. Companies that explicitly encourage and support worker learning, from a strategic perspective, are called 'learning organisations'. This book is the result of an European study into the changing views and practices of professionals in the field of Human Resource Development within such organisations. Focusing on Europe, the book contains authors and research from Finland, the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy. Theoretical explorations of the learning organisation and the changing face of HRD complement nearly thirty case studies of HRD functions. This book will be essential reading for both academics and professionals in the fields of HRD and lifelong learning.

This book provides a reflexive critique of the assumptions of orthodox HRD research and practice and questions the conception of humans as resources, as well as the conventional performative focus of HRD. Examining the broader social, political and economic contexts, the book offers alternative perspectives for considering both the needs of individuals and the sustainable development of organizations in post-industrial economies.

This core textbook, edited by five leading scholars of the subject, provides a comprehensive overview of the key topics, debates and themes in this increasingly important field. Balancing research-led theory with industry best-practice to provide students with a definitive overview of HRD, the book draws on the international experience of its authors to tackle topics as diverse as leadership and managing development, change and diversity, workplace learning, and graduate employability. The book's approachable yet thorough writing style and lively presentation helps students to understand the topic from a critical perspective while also demonstrating how HRD plays out in reality. This is an essential textbook for undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students of Human Resource Development on HRD or Business and Management degree programmes. New to this Edition: - New contributors and revised content, including additional coverage of careers, career management and employability - More international coverage, especially of the EU - Inclusion of topical subjects including employee engagement, skills shortage and business partnering - Improved student-friendly pedagogy and updated figures and diagrams to appeal to different learning styles - Thoroughly updated references and web links

"The book will provide both thought-provoking questions and stimulating answers to the key factors in HR development today." IT Training Human Resource Development is the ideal handbook for all professional trainers and provides core information needed by all professional students of this subject. This new second edition has been fully updated and revised, with the inclusion of three new chapters making this the most topical book in this field: *Design, Development and Application of E-learning; *Knowledge Management & Transfer; *Human & Intellectual Capital. Clearly structured with detailed sections covering each aspect of the training cycle, the book also includes sections on: *The Role of Learning Training and Development in Organisations *Learning and Competitive Strategy * The Identification of Learning, Training and Development Needs * The Planning and Designing of Learning, Training and Development *Delivering Learning, Training and Development *Assessment and Evaluation of Learning, Training and development *Managing the Human Resource Development Function Co-ordinated and edited by Dr John P. Wilson, individual contributors include Professor Geoff Chivers, Professor of Continuing Education, Sheffield University, Joan Keogh OBE and Colin Beard both senior lecturers, Sheffield Hallam University, Alan Cattall, University of Bradford plus many more leading academics in the field of Human Resource Development.

David McGuire′s student-friendly introduction looks at Human Resource Development on an individual, organisational and societal level analysing how HRD can play a major role in organisational innovation, in developing communities and society and in operating on a cross-national and international basis. Key features: Links key training design and learning theories to broader economic and societal issues for a more holistic and in-depth understanding of the field. Seven brand new chapters ensure a good fit with HRD programmes at all levels and reflect the latest developments in the field, including career development, strategic HRD, knowledge management, the environment, ethics and CSR and the future of HRD. High profile case studies in each chapter bring the theory to life including Apple, Massive Open Online Courses, Barclays, Stephen Lawrence, Lloyds Pharmacy, Marriott Hotels, Netflix, Black and Decker, Google, Colgate-Palmolive, Marks and Spencer and Valve. Case vignettes throughout the chapters highlight HRD in action and provoke critical analysis and discussion, including How a Beer Can Aided the Design of Canon’s Revolutionary Mini-Copier and The Alaskan Village Set to Disappear Under Water in a Decade. An Appendix contains advice on preparing for an HRD examination as well as example exam questions and sample answers, to ensure examination success. Chapters map to the CIPD’s requirements at levels 5 and 7 making it an ideal core text for accredited and non-accredited programmes alike.

Work-related learning (WRL) is a topic of steadily increasing interest to today’s vocational education institutions as well as organizations in business and industry. This book derives from an international HRD conference held at the University of Twente, The Netherlands. Key papers from the conference have been combined with other high-standard contributions. Together they offer an international collection of leading edge research. The book brings together contributors from various parts of the EU and the USA and includes examples of good practice and recent research on work-related learning. Work-related learning can be broadly seen to be concerned with all forms of education and training closely related to the daily work of (new) employees, and is increasingly playing a central role in the lives of individuals, groups or teams and the agenda’s of organizations. However, as this area of study becomes more prominent, debates have opened about the nature of the field, as well as about its configurations and effects. For example, some authors have a broad definition of WRL and define it as learning for work, at work and through work, ranging from formal, through semi-structured to informal learning. Others prefer to use the concept of WRL mainly in connection to informal, incidental learning processes during work, leading to competent workplace learners. Formal and informal learning are distinguished from each other with respect to the level of intention (implicit/non-intentional/incidental versus deliberative/intentional/structured). Another point of discussion originates from the different ‘theoretical backgrounds’ of the authors: the ‘learning theorists’ versus the ‘organizational theorists’. The first group is mainly interested in the question of how learning comes about; the second group is predominantly interested in the search for factors affecting learning. This book is essential reading for practitioners, researchers, teachers and students in the HRM and HRD field as well as in the field of VET.

This text provides examples of attempts to develop HRD practices in health and social care contexts within France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, the UK and the USA. Thus, this book is international in scope and appeal.