This paper builds on existing theoretical and empirical research on employee engagement and proposes a theoretical model of the antecedents and outcomes of the construct. Using Dubin's (1978) theory-building methodology, it identifies job design and characteristics, supervisor and co-worker relationships, workplace environment, and individual characteristics as the major antecedents to employee engagement. The paper also proposes that job demands and employee perceptions of HRD practices serve as important moderators to the relationships between job design and characteristics, supervisor and co-worker relationships, workplace environment, and employee engagement. Employee engagement, in return, plays a salient role in enhancing employees' job performance and organizational citizenship behaviors as well as in reducing turnover intention. A theoretical model, laws of interaction, research propositions, and implications for research and practice are discussed.

Given the growth of the literature addressing the issue of the research-practice gap in human resource development (HRD) and related applied fields, the study provides an integrative review of the literature in the management, applied psychology, and HRD fields. We synthesize the targeted literature across the three fields into seven major themes. Informed by the review, we suggest a comprehensive model of key components of knowledge production in applied fields affecting the interplay between research and practice. We close with discussing the potential actions for HRD scholars and practitioners to facilitate the convergence between research and practice.

Purpose This study aims to explore key factors influencing the work of interdisciplinary university research teams of small size. Design/methodology/approach This is a multiple-case study of four interdisciplinary university research teams of small size in which science and/or engineering was an important component. Findings Data analysis revealed 17 critical factors classified into five groups. Although some factors were more influential than others, it was rather multiple factors at various levels of analysis, and not a single factor, that influenced the work of research teams. Another important finding was the identified need to develop project management capacity of university researchers. The study also revealed two strategies, conditioned on the availability of funds, that small university research teams use as a way to adapt to situational demands and research opportunities. Originality/value Although previous research examined various aspects pertinent to the work of industry research teams and large research groups, empirical research into interdisciplinary university research teams of small size has been limited.

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In light of recent calls to embrace multilevel, nonlinear, and open systems perspectives for theorizing and practicing human resource development (HRD), this article reviews key tenets of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and its applications as relevant to HRD. Specifically, the article discusses the four areas where the usage of CHAT could inform HRD scholarship: (a) systems theory and thinking in HRD, (b) HRD and learning, (c) HRD as design science, and (d) the interplay between research and practice in HRD. Recommendations for further developing CHAT applications in HRD research and practice are provided.

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This study examines the relationship between behavioral courage and job performance, and explores the possible effects of organizational level and gender on this relationship. With a sample of managers from mid- to large-sized for-profit organizations in the United States, we found that behavioral courage was positively associated with job performance. Our results also revealed significant differences in supervisors’ ratings of behavioral courage between employees at low and high organizational levels. The effects of behavioral courage on job performance did not vary by organizational level. In turn, the moderating effect of gender on the association between behavioral courage and job performance was supported. The study results provide important theoretical and practical implications in the fields of organizational behavior, leadership studies, and human resource development. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

With the growing influence of intergovernmental organizations such as the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the scope and complexity of human resource development (HRD) activities have expanded. Informed by an institutional theory perspective, we examined the evolution of HRD as well as HRD-related programs in ASEAN to illuminate the mechanisms and conditions shaping HRD in ASEAN. Our primary sources were archival data from ASEAN from 1967–2021 and relevant publications of international development agencies that feature HRD-related activities in the region. Our analysis suggests that the establishment of an intergovernmental organization (i.e., ASEAN), with its continuing efforts towards economic cooperation and community building among its member states, was central to the emergence and development of Regional HRD in Southeast Asia. This inquiry advances understanding of the role of intergovernmental institutions in influencing HRD activities. The study also showcases the critical role of HRD in furthering common interests around economic and socio-cultural initiatives in ASEAN.