Human resource development (HRD) resilience: a new ‘success element’ of organizational resilience?

Abstract

Endlessly changing business and economic landscapes urge organizations to become resilient to ensure business survival and growth. Yet, in many cases, business world is becoming turbulent faster than organizations are becoming resilient. Relevant research indicates the ways through which organizations could respond to unforeseen events, mainly through suggesting that individual and group resilience could lead to organizational one. However, research is nascent on how particularly human resource development (HRD) resilience could be built, and thus to contribute to organizational resilience as well. Within today's business uncertainty and complexity, HRD resilience comes in line with the developmental strategies of organizations.Therefore, the purpose of this perspective article is to set the foundations of the term (HRD resilience) in order to initiate a dialogue around its ability to make a substantial contribution to organizational practice, and thus to be seen as a new 'success element' of organizational resilience.

In a time of COVID-19 pandemic, stay healthy, connected, productive, and learning: words from the editorial team of HRDI

“…In summary, HRD professionals can play a strategic role as change agents in supporting employees across different occupations and industries to engage in frequent, substantive, interactive, and authentic communication with colleagues, thus, enabling them to perceive high proximity with each other in virtual spaces and develop a shared identity as a means to build resilience (Mitsakis 2019;Wang, Hutchins, and Garavan 2009). HRD professionals can lead the discussion on how to prepare individuals, teams, and organizations of this new normal, how to prepare WFH and displaced workers to be ready for the future of work, and how to work with and manage the change of organizations.…”

Digital human resource development: where are we? Where should we go and how do we go there?

“…The future of HRD hinges on how the discipline harnesses the strategic use and intent of technology while at the same time satisfying the high-touch need for human connection (Swanson and Holton 2001). In the light of the chaos and uncertainty unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bierema (2020) and Mitsakis (2020) note that the time is ripe for HRD to create a new normal by setting new standards for global workplace justice, inclusion, and health and provide intellectual leadership and scholarly practice to organizations.…”

How People Come Back to Workplaces During the Pandemic: three dimensions of intervention for new emotional performance conditions

“…The second dimension involves the challenge to introduce more diversity in working teams. Facing unfamiliar conditions requires an innovative approach to current and potential circumstances (Mitsakis 2019). Creativity is urgent in the face of the collapse of classical models.…”