Enhancing the trustworthiness and credibility of human resource development: Evidence‐based management to the rescue?

What HRD Is Doing—What HRD Should be Doing: The Case for Transforming HRD

“…The literature reviewed to this point indicates that HRD has adapted to these changes and is capable of meeting the evolving needs of those it is intended to serve. HRD has built an extensive record of innovative research and practice over the years that continues today in work that emphasizes evidence-based HRD (Gubbins, Harney, van der Werff, & Rousseau, 2018) and new models for conducting theoretical literature reviews (Turner, Baker, & Kellner, 2018) and for creating sustainable careers in today’s rapidly changing work environment (McDonald & Hite, 2018). Although HRD’s adaptations and responses to the forces driving change have been effective, there have also been some challenges and criticisms of the field, and these should also be reflected in this article.…”

“…Another topic of HRD research, curiosity, seems to be a reasonable subject for inquiry as the capability to conduct research relies, in part, on one’s inquisitiveness and curiosity (Guo, Zhang, & Zhai, 2010; Reio, 2019). Rather than studying curiosity for its own sake devoid of a work-related context, Reio and Wiswell (2000) demonstrated the relationship between state and trait curiosity and socialization-related learning and, using the self-perceptions of participants, the relationship between curiosity and interpersonal and technical skill knowledge. Training continues to be offered on the damaging effects of sexual harassment and discrimination (Walsh, Bauerle, & Magley, 2013) as though adults in the workplace are unaware of their harm.…”

Examining Evidence-Based Change Agency Practice in Anglo and Non-Anglo Countries: Implications for Professional HRD Practitioners

“…It has been argued that for managers and HRD practitioners, including trainers, developers and other people and organisation developers such as OD specialists and executive coaches, to become truly expert they need to use the findings of high-quality management and HRD-related research to inform, shape and evaluate the effectiveness of their change agency practice (Hamlin 2001b ). More recently, it has been argued that HRD practitioners should strive to become more critically reflective and truly evidence-based to improve their effectiveness and credibility in the eyes of senior executives and managers (Gubbins et al 2018 ; Hamlin 2007 ; Holton 2004 ; Kearns 2014 ). Similarly, Rousseau and Barends ( 2011 ) have argued the case for human resource/human resource management (HR/HRM) practitioners in general to become evidence-based, and Grant ( 2003 ) has called for evidence-based approaches to practice in the field (and business) of professional coaching.…”

Organizational Change and Development

“…Drawing upon the views of numerous well-respected writers, I have argued in the past that for managers, trainers, and developers (including other 'people and organization developers' such as OD specialists and executive coaches) to become truly expert, they need to use the findings of high quality 'management' and 'HRD-related' research to inform, shape, and evaluate the effectiveness of their change agency practice (Hamlin, 2001b). More recently, I and other authors have argued that HRD professional practitioners should strive to become more critically reflective and truly evidence-based so as to improve their effectiveness and credibility in the eyes of senior executives and managers (Gubbins, Harney, van der Werff & Rousseau, 2018;Hamlin, 2007;Kearns, 2014). Similarly, Rousseau and Barends (2011) have argued the case for HR [HRM] practitioners in general to become evidence-based, and Grant (2003) has called for evidence-based approaches to practice in the field (and business) of professional coaching.…”