Based on important findings from the four investigations in this special issue, this article discusses strategies that Human Resource Development (HRD) and Human Resource Management (HRM) personnel can use to minimize the unlawful termination of employees with disabilities and thereby preserve the diversity they bring to the workforce. HRD and HRM practitioners are constantly faced with the challenges of managing diversity given the rationale that a diverse workforce is more productive and more representative of the American population (Selden & Selden, 2001). Lack of awareness of the various forms of disability and of diversity management skills—key skills a good HRD practitioner ought to have—often results in conflict and mistrust, all of which can lead to failure to achieve individual, process, and organizational performance goals (Kochan et al., 2002). Diversity management, therefore, must take into consideration the various forms of disability—physical (mobility impairment and chronic illness), sensory (visual and hearing impairment), cognitive (mental retardation and learning disability), and emotional (depression and other psychological conditions)—as they interact with different (a) workplace demands and tasks; (b) attitudes and expectations of employers and coworkers; and (c) perceptions of people with disabilities themselves. To manage disability as a diversity issue, it is imperative that HRD and HRM practitioners, employees, management, and organizational leaders understand the meaning of disability as a diversity factor in the workplace and the potential impact of disability on critical HRM and HRD practices related to job retention and termination.

This study examined the effects of a leadership training program on participants’ emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) scores. It sought to determine if the program made a significant difference in the EQ scores of participants by comparing their scores prior to and after the training. Findings are presented that should help practitioners wishing to incorporate emotional intelligence training programs in their organizations explore how to design programs that are most effective in improving performance. Limitations of the study and implications of the findings for HRD theory building, research, and practice are also discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a leadership training program on participants’ emotional intelligence scores. The target population for the study consisted of participants in leadership positions. Seventy‐one participants from over 30 countries took the pre‐test, and 45 subjects of the sample participated in the second training and took the post‐test. The findings of the study show that there was growth in mean scores a year after training and coaching had occurred.

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This case study examines how an international nongovernmental organization (NGO) sought leadership development in response to organizational challenges of accelerated growth and increased employee turnover aggravated by physical separation, political and legal issues associated with operating in fifty-one countries on five continents. This case study is based on the partnership between a team of academic consultants and key stakeholders in the NGO. We explore the dynamic role and changing requirements that evolved over the course of a three-year relationship with the organization as it tried to address issues of precipitous growth and program sustainability.

This case study addresses the emerging need for technology-focused development for an international humanitarian organization whose mission is to further community sustainability and citizen empowerment through agricultural and animal husbandry projects. This case study, based on a multi-method needs assessment conducted in both the US headquarters as well as abroad, explores how the organization might address issues of growth and program sustainability throughout the fifty-one countries on five continents where the organization maintains programs by focusing on the development of technology support systems in its country programs.

Qualitative methods can be useful tools to evaluate the effectiveness of distance education programs. This analysis examines an interpretive case study conducted using a hermeneutic phenomenology approach to investigate how nontraditional undergraduate students in a bachelor’s degree completion program perceived their lives, work, and education as members of a Human Resource Development (HRD) cohort. The technology-intensive, distance-learning program served students in rural communities, as well as a small group of students on the main University campus. The blended technology program included compressed interactive video (CIV); Blackboard, a web-based classroom management system; and a face-to-face weekend gathering each semester of students and faculty from current cohorts. The significance of the case study is in the relationship between a distance education program and the transfer of HRD knowledge to lives, work, and community roles.