The Future of HRD, Volume II

Change, Disruption and Action

Mark Loon, Jim Stewart, Stefanos Nachmias, Mark Loon, Jim Stewart, Stefanos Nachmias

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9783030524586
• eBook ISBN:
  9783030524593
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Human Resource Management
• Index: Business

This edited collection captures current thinking about and future practices and strategies for human resource development (HRD). It brings together contributions from a number of leading academics, practitioners and consultants who are active in the debate about the future of HRD. As the world of work grows ever more complex, diverse and ambiguous, there is growing interest in how technology, globalisation, changing workforce demographics and talent development can play a greater role in developing organisations for the future. In this context, HRD is a critical tool to address current complexity and offer solutions to organisational learning needs. Split into two volumes covering technology and innovation as well as the role of HRD in disrupting management and organisational thinking, these books provide analyses of the role of HRD in addressing the needs of the digital revolution.

Volume II offers a practical assessment of how HRD can drive change at an individual and organisational level through the adoption of various best practices. It provides the reader key insights into the HRD response to current issues and whether modern organisations should change their approach to learning and development. Together the two volumes offer a highly reflective, critical and insightful assessment on the foundations of HRD in the workplace.

© The Author(s) 2020

M. Loon et al. (eds.)The Future of HRD, Volume IIhttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52459-3_1

Begin Abstract

1. Introduction to the Volume: Future of Human Resource Development

Stefanos Nachmias¹ and Mark Loon²

(1)

Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

(2)

Bath Spa University, Bath, UK

Stefanos Nachmias (Corresponding author)

Email: [email protected]

Mark Loon

Email: [email protected]

Keywords

HRDFutureOrganisational action

End Abstract

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 Background to the Volume

The purpose of this section is to introduce the reader to the main themes of the book. It seeks to outline the key context and concepts explored across the chapters and enables the reader to examine the importance of understanding future trends in human resource development (HRD) across the globe. The idea of producing this volume arose from the 20th University Forum for Human Resource Development conference, in Nottingham. Participants across the globe travelled to the city to advance HRD thinking and practices and, together, celebrate the achievement of the HRD community. This was a great platform to debate how organisations prepare themselves to address future HRD in establishing effective organisations. It was the beginning of this journey to produce a set of chapters that offer the reader insightful knowledge on how to address future challenges and opportunities. It is simply not enough to highlight the important role of academic debate in organisational development, but to produce resources that can have a meaningful impact upon organisational and individual thinking. It is essential to explore how HRD influences organisations and individuals from a multi-level perspective. This entails considering the effect of context, both internally and externally, as well as employee perceptions and understanding of HRD and what this means for learning, creativity and growth. Coronavirus disease of 2019 (Covid-19) reinforces this point and the needs for HRD to shape future practices including innovation, performance, flexibility, well-being and management behaviour. The scale of the change is extraordinary as the pandemic has drastically changed the way we work, communicate and socialise in just a few days. Therefore, this volume could not be more timely given the new realities that everyone is now facing. We need to rethink how we learn, how we implement learning activities, identify new methods of learning resources and, most importantly, how technology can change the way HRD is perceived by the academic and professional community.

At a personal level, we sometimes not only found it difficult to deal with the level of ignorance amongst individuals but, most importantly, to understand existing management perceptions in addressing organisational HRD needs. We believe that any attempt to fully utilise HRD principles requires sufficient knowledge (at both individual and organisational levels), effective leadership skills and appropriate assessment of the wider business environment. It is now the time to take effective actions in changing old-fashioned perceptions on learning and development and offer the space so that organisations can feel secure in making effective changes through evidence-based information. In an increasingly technology-driven business environment, significant changes are taking place which are challenging long-standing assumptions about the nature of work and the roles that humans will play in the workforce of the future (Schwab 2016; Manyika 2017). The following section provides a further assessment of how HRD can respond to some of these challenges and changes in the future.

1.1.2 Status and Future of Human Resource Development

Over the last few decades, HRD professionals have been the cornerstone for organisational and individuals’ development. Literature provides insightful assessment on the status of HRD in business. Short et al. (2009) argued that HRD is a ‘weakened profession’ (p. 421) due to the lack of necessary influence to change management practices. As MacKenzie et al. (2012) stated HRD failed to provide real change to organisations. Its origins in training and the close links to the fields of human resource management (HRM) and organisational development (OD) offers more ambiguity with the underpinning role of HRD in organisations’ lives. Probably, this argument does not come as a surprise as we know that organisational realities offer little room to acknowledge the emerging nature of HRD to the success of any organisations. Since the late 1980s, McLagan (1983) and McGoldrick and Stewart (1996) have been highlighting the need to recognise the interrelatedness of the fields of HRD and the mutual maximisation of human resource potential in organisations. Nevertheless, we still fail to discuss criticisms about the applicability of HRD in modern organisations and whether the profession should be a distinctive part of the management debate. We know that HRD is the framework for helping employees develop their personal and organisational skills, knowledge and abilities. It can offer significant opportunities for individuals to encourage and continue to develop essential skills needed to remain competitive. However, the question is can we still afford to debate the nature and significance of HRD in modern organisations? Is there enough time to assess whether the development of skills and capabilities should be a core activity in organisational strategic planning? The answer might not be straightforward as the future looks less certain and clear; however, Covid-19 does not leave us with any room for discussion. Future change is inevitable. There is a profound shift in organisational thinking as the effects of the virus on our society highlights that technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and the internet are the only way to provide a capable transformation for generations to come with less disruption, unpredictability and future surprises. Scholars have documented examples of technology’s effects on how work is performed (Autor et al. 2003; Manyika et al. 2017), how new technologies are developed (Bergvall-Kåreborn and Howcroft 2013) and the rapidly changing skill requirements (Bell and Kozlowski 2002). In a recent article from Harvard Business Review (2019), Bersin and Zao-Saunder argued that opportunities for development have become the second most important factor in workplace happiness (after the nature of the work itself). Although most organisations might be reluctant to acknowledge its importance, identifying new skills and capabilities still remains a major business challenge. This means that HRD professionals should be responsible to embrace and lead organisational change and build individual capacity. It is the right time to change current trends on learning and invest more in changing skills requirements. The pandemic will ‘force’ organisations to reconsider their overall philosophy on learning, development and retention. After all, learning is a rising tide that lifts all boats (Bersin and Zao-Saunder 2019).

This volume offers some ‘comfort’ to those challenges as all chapters offer a critical assessment on some of the factors shaping the future of HRD. These include factors that drive change and shape the future of HRD including the effects of technology, economics and financial considerations, globalisation and the changing nature and organisation of work. Rapid and ongoing changes in the nature of work itself are changing the relationship between learning and work and making learning more integrated and connected than ever before. Covid-19 and changing demographics are simply a few factors for such a change. For example, the UK workforce has grown by 600,000 since 2010, with 60% of the growth from women entering the workforce. There are 16 million people in the UK aged 20–40 years and 17 million between 45 and 65 years. In 2000, 17 million people in the UK were aged 20–40 years and 14 million between 45 and 65 years (Department for Work and Retirement 2020). Such changes offer a unique opportunity to build robust work-centred learning programmes, helping people consume information and upgrade their skills related to future jobs (Deloitte 2019). To achieve that, HR policies should be revisited to encourage a much more people-centred approach and focus less on matching supply and demand at the lowest cost resulting, for example, in low policies. There is a need to change management attitudes towards HRD and approach change as being evolutionary rather than revolutionary. This entails continuous, informal, social learning and requires HRD professionals to become competent in creating the conditions for this to occur. The skill of implementing HRD under times of extreme change might be the tool to overcome challenges regarding its status and, most importantly, to offer effective solutions in the future. Deloitte’s (2020) future of HR in 2030 report suggests that there will be a better HRD skillset provision towards greater business understanding, change management, organisation development and use of new technologies. The report also emphasises that the skill of learning will become increasingly important and people will need to be helped to become even more effective at learning for themselves and with others.

1.2 Think and Act: Newbies, Covid-19 and Working from Home

There is no doubt that the Covid-19 virus left us with the challenge of making significant changes in our lives. The government’s requirements to stop business activities and social interaction has shifted the debate on organisational life with the use of different terminologies (for most people) including virtual meetings, virtual desks, online software, e-learning and millions of videos on how to work from home. Professionals across all industries have ended up working from home (WFH) having to navigate themselves into complex software and activities. These are the so-called newbies as they have limited experience working from home and use technology as a main work activity. There is no doubt that this is probably the most intense period of their professional life as the change of pace is unprecedented. Those who have had a significant experience of remote working are now the experts in supporting organisational strategy on remote work. It is clear that the new reality puts the newbies in the spotlight of the HRD policy development and organisations’ response to online working practices. Working from Home is suddenly perceived as the norm rather than the privilege of few individuals. Those academic and professionals that, for years have been asking for more flexibility, the introduction of e-learning and less paperwork, should be celebrating. It is now a reality. Even the more sceptical or the so-called people in denial now find that WFH is not as challenging as they thought. Of course, we should not underestimate the psychological effects of remote working and the pressures for learning fast within just a few days. Nevertheless, most organisations’ response to Covid-19 demonstrates that flexible, remote work can be achieved. Concerns about authority, lack of collaboration, socialisation and effectiveness of communication (Chen and Wu 2015) are seen as secondary issues putting pressure on HRD/HRM professionals to offer solutions to current learning gaps. What is now clear is that the newbies (either by choice or not) have been transformed into an inevitable force for organisational change. They are currently the leading force on organisational response to WFH reiterating the argument that it is now the right time for HRD to act as a strategic partner in supporting future organisational activities. We need to turn HRD, e-learning, distance learning, self-learning and online learning from being fashionable to normal, relevant and important dimensions for professional development. Uncertainty about the duration of social distancing, self-isolation and business operation restrictions offers a unique opportunity to think and reassess past practices. We need to make decisions on how skills will be utilised and whether current learning policies are in line with the new realities. There is a need for a lot of work, but, more work will eventually produce more balanced and well-structured organisations.

The above analysis shows that HRD as a profession has a great future. It is now the right time to re-recognise the value of learning in the workplace and challenge current assumptions that on-going, independent, social and informal learning is expensive and ineffective. A recent global event shows that HRD is a strategic tool adding value to organisations and addressing unexpected changes in working patterns. Learning is a skill and line managers should be able to develop appropriate activities to help the learning process. Of course, not everyone approaches learning from the same perspective; nevertheless, organisational learning could offer the ‘right’ platform for effective change and future development. The Institute for Employment Studies (2008) highlights the need to start valuing learning (aga...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Front Matter
• 1. Introduction to the Volume: Future of Human Resource Development
• 2. HRD as the Epicentre of Governance in Public Administration
• 3. Unleashing Creativity in the Workplace: Apprenticeships in the Swiss Telecommunication and Public Transportation Industry
• 4. Self-Directed Learning and Absorptive Capacity: The Mediating Role of Trust and Human Capital
• 5. Examining Evidence-Based Change Agency Practice in Anglo and Non-Anglo Countries: Implications for Professional HRD Practitioners
• 6. Coaching for Workplace Learning and Development
• 7. HRD for an Ageing Workforce
• 8. Organisational Ethics as Foundational for Organisational Health and Sustainability
• 9. Learning and Innovation Through Interfirm Alliances: The Role of Human Resource Development
• 10. Evaluation of HRD and UFHRD Conferences: Analysing the Last 20 Years and Looking at the Next 20
• Back Matter