Theorizing Human Resource Development Practices in Extended Contexts

Abstract

Mainstream human resource development (HRD) views are based on assumptions derived from organizations and societies in the western open contexts. They are inadequate and misleading in explaining the causality and regularities of HRD practices in non-mainstream closed contexts, which account for majority countries according to the 2022 World Press Freedom Index. As the fourth study in a progressive multi-stage theorizing program, we theorize HRD as multi-level and multi-context practices to decode the causality and regularities from open to closed sociopolitical contexts. We adopt an emancipatory theoretical stance to derive law-like axioms and theorems of HRD with its corresponding host system (HIS) contexts. We do so through formal and theoretical language and abstraction. We provide illustrative cases at the organizational and national levels to demonstrate the applicability of our theorizing. We further discuss implications for HRD theory, research, and practice, as well as limitations and future research directions for continued theorizing.

Theorizing Human Resource Development Practices in Extended Contexts: Invited Reaction 1

“…The figure suggests that the closed HIS is characterized by centralized power, conformity in decision making, loyalty in accountability, and censorship in information flow. In contrast, Wang and Doty (2022) claim that the open HIS displays decentralization in power, autonomy in decision-making, competency in accountability, and transparency in information flow. One might argue, though, that such entities as the military or the secret service in open societies, function in a manner similar to the closed HIS.…”

“…I want to begin by thanking the editor of Human Resource Development Review for the opportunity to write this reaction; and I thank the authors (Wang & Doty, 2022) for their fascinating and challenging manuscript. An important part of a reaction paper is to identify those aspects of the manuscript that seem reasonable and helpful and those aspects of the manuscript that seem problematic.…”

“…On the positive side, the Wang and Doty (2022) manuscript identifies that the ways in which human resource development (HRD) activities and interventions are enacted and can differ depending upon the society and the culture of that society and the organization. Certainly, other researchers and scholars have determined cultural characteristics and differences (e.g., Hofstede, 1980, 2001; Hofstede & Bond, 1988; Hofstede et al, 2010; House et al, 2004).…”

“…Furthermore, beyond shaping and skilling, Wang and Doty (2022) also identify the usefulness of unlearning and de-skilling; and one must assume de-shaping. Both individual and organizational unlearning, de-skilling, and perhaps de-shaping must take place for new learning, skills, and attitudes to develop.…”

“…Wang and Doty (2022) make some rather bold statements concerning the open and closed environments. As already mentioned above unlearning, de-skilling, and de-shaping happen all the time for individuals and organization in the “open” Western societies.…”