With posttraditionalism and postmodern frames of reference firmly established in social theory and many of the applied social sciences, including management, the question of the role of postmodernism in human resource development (HRD) theory needs to be asked. The purpose of the article is to explicate the contribution of postmodernism to HRD, distinguish posttraditionalism from the recently emerged stream of critical perspectives on HRD, and to argue for the contribution of postmodern readings of HRD theory to better understand the complex landscape of contemporary organizations, employees, and learning and development functions. Starting with a historical analysis of the meaning of the Enlightenment, and various modernist perspectives, the article describes the central tenets of postmodern theory and their implications for the theory and practice of HRD and argue for its important role in broadening and enriching the field of HRD.
It should be no surprise that there has been steady attention to evaluation of human resource development (HRD) interventions and their connection to organizational performance. Understanding and quantifying impact is essential for the credibility of HRD interventions and an increasing necessity for organizations choosing among various investment options for their continuous improvement. However, there is a paradox between how organizational leaders value financial and performance data while, in actuality, interventions are primarily evaluated by measuring participant reaction (Mattson, 2003;Pershing & Pershing, 2001). This issue is more perplexing when recognizing that organizations often have the resources to pursue more in-depth evaluation approaches if prioritized. Evaluation efforts overwhelmingly assess participant reactions and rarely identify bottom-line impacts or returns on investments.Furthermore, the breadth of evaluation theories has not been deeply embraced in HRD evaluation research and practice potentially resulting in narrow perspectives of evaluation (Shadish, Cook, & Levition, 1991). Evaluation theories AbstractHuman resource development (HRD) evaluation has often been criticized for its limited function in organizational decision making. This article reviews evaluation studies to uncover the current status of HRD evaluation literature. The authors further discuss general evaluation theories in terms of value, use, and evaluator role to extend the discussion to more comprehensive multiple views of evaluation. The comparison of this literature suggests that evaluation in human resource development has been limited by narrow perspectives. The authors attribute this narrow notion of evaluation to a lack of theoretical consideration of the roles, value, and use of evaluation and a lack of analysis of paradoxical dynamics around HRD evaluation. This analysis provides several implications and future directions for HRD evaluation in the field. KeywordsHuman resource development, evaluation, evaluation theory New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25 (2) 7can serve as a comprehensive guidance to provide a clearer understanding of evaluation goals, dynamic functions around evaluation value, use and roles of the various stakeholders. PurposeThe gap between actual HRD evaluation focus and desired evaluation outcomes suggest the need to further understand theoretical underpinnings that inform evaluation. Therefore the purpose of this paper is to review the HRD evaluation literature and to introduce new perspectives based on a review of evaluation theories from outside the field. We seek to understand the following research questions:•What is the current status of evaluation literature in the HRD field?•How do evaluation theories inform the field for further directions in evaluation research?In order to address these questions, this paper reviews the HRD evaluation literature. Then the paper integrates general evaluation theory to help inform the research and identify areas for new re...
This article provides a framework for encouraging further dialogue concerning the role of information professionals in supporting the technology commercialization efforts of entrepreneurs, researchers, and small businesses. After a brief introduction to the technology commercialization process, the roles of university engagement in commercialization activities are discussed. The paper concludes with questions for consideration focused on the role of the information professional.
The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty: The Eroding Work Experience in America presents insights from Americans who share their experiences related to critical issues concerning work alongside relevant literature describing the psychological impact of work. The author argues for a need to infuse psychological perspectives while including workers' voices into research concerning labor and work issues. These voices are from those on the front lines of rapid workforce changes. Furthermore, he argues that, holistically, Americans will see no advancement toward a "just and dignified approach to working" without including those workers who are most affected (p. 193). The purpose of the text is to extend readers beyond an economic view of numbers and data in articulating work and labor issues through rich narratives from people about their work experiences. The author points to decades of missed opportunities in research that have failed to capture working Americans' voices; sadly, he explains, economics has been the defining force informing public policies concerning work and how society understands it. This point and the central thesis that all workers deserve dignified and accessible employment serve as motivating forces behind this piece.Blustein leverages interview data and his experience as a therapist, career counselor, professor, and researcher in psychology and workforce development to inform the writing and convey Americans' psychological experiences concerning work. The book consists of a preface, nine chapters, notes, and an index. Each chapter begins with an introduction composed of historical or personal frames of reference for the material. Interview vignettes and emerging themes follow this section. The final part of each chapter introduces more recent psychological and sociological research, which aids further insight into work during periods of uncertainty, such as recessions and job eliminations due to technological advances.Chapter 1 embraces the significant role work plays in fulfilling psychological and social needs, while Chapter 2 explores human ambition for survival. Thus, combining the research presented in Chapter 1 and the vignettes in Chapter 2 permits readers to visualize Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Blustein presents stories concerning individuals' struggles for financial security after the Great Recession, which correlates to the hierarchy's safety and physiological needs. Chapter 3 expands the discussion of needs, explaining that being with others is key to an individual's well-being. Blustein also devotes attention to emerging constructs that impede the benefits of working with others, such as automation and harassment.Chapter 4 explores how individuals construct meaning and purpose in life and connect with the greater social good through work. These narratives offer a glimpse into the lives of those experiencing a deep connection to work, the social impacts of work, or those who struggle to find work. Bluestein discusses the experience of individuals' motivation for working in...
KIFC1, a kinesin-14 family protein, plays an essential role in centrosomal bundling, a strategy employed by cancer cells to avoid multipolar mitosis in the presence of amplified centrosomes. However, its function is not required for normal diploid cell division, suggesting that KIFC1 is an attractive therapeutic target for human cancers. We have recently reported the first small molecule inhibitor of KIFC1, AZ82 [1]. AZ82 binds specifically to the KIFC1/microtubule (MT) binary complex, and inhibits the MT-stimulated KIFC1 enzymatic activity with a KI of 0.043 µM. AZ82 effectively engaged with the minus-end directed KIFC1 motor in HeLa cells to reverse the monopolar spindle phenotype induced by the inhibition of the plus end-directed kinesin Eg5 by AZD4877, consistent with what was observed with genetic knock down of KiFC1 by siRNA. Additionally, treatment with AZ82 caused centrosome declustering in BT-549 breast cancer cells with amplified centrosomes. Here we further describe the chemistry approach and related structure-activity relationships that led to the discovery of AZ82. [1] http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/cb400186w Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):C55. Citation Format: Michelle L. Lamb, Jiaquan Wu, Keith Mikule, Wendy Wang, Nancy Su, Philip Petteruti, Farzin Gharahdaghi, Erin Code, Xiahui Zhu, Kelly Jacques, Zhongwu Lai, Tao Zhang, David Boulay, Gurmit Grewal, Nicholas Keen, Bin Yang, Claudio Chuaqui, Claudio Chuaqui, Huawei Chen. Discovery and optimization of inhibitors of the KIFC1 motor protein. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C55.
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