How HRD Is Changing around the World

1. How HRD Is Changingaround the World Department of Agricultural and Vocational Education / BK21 Vocational Education and Workforce Development Team, Seoul National University November 10, 2006 Gary N. McLean University of Minnesota mclea002@umn.edu

2. What Is My Frame of Reference? • OD Consultant for 35 years; now, principal in McLean Global Consulting, Inc., and part-owner of hrconnection and of PerformWare • .Worked in 46 countries, mostly in Asia—primarily in Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Taiwan, China, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia recently • Employed in higher education for 41 years; 26 years in HRD at U of Minnesota, 25 of which were as coordinator

3. What Is My Frame of Reference? • Visiting Professor in HRD at: • Taiwan: Yuan-ze University, National Chung Cheng University, National Chi-Nan University, National Tsing Hua university • Thailand: NIDA, Chulalongkorn University, Mahidol University, Burapha University, Dhurakijpundit University • India: Rohilkind University • PRC: Guangzhou University, Peking/Beijing University

4. What Is My Frame of Reference? • Visiting Professor in HRD at: • Saudi Arabia: King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals • Ireland: University of Limerick • Bangladesh: Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Rajshahi University • Pakistan: NIDA • Nicaragua: URRACAN • Several in the United States

5. What Is My Frame of Reference? • Author • Over 400 journal articles, chapters, reports, proceedings • 22 books, including the just released Organization development: Principles, processes, performance • Editor • Journal of Education for Business, HRD Quarterly, HRD International, Transnational Management Development Journal, Adult Education Quarterly

6. What Does HRD Look Like Today? • Definition and parameters remain ambiguous and differ from country to country. • Throughout Asia, HRD and HRM are mostly unified in HR, though changing • HRD is increasingly being applied at national (e.g., in Korea, MOEHRD) and community (e.g., Thailand) levels.

7. What Does HRD Look Like Today? • How restrictive is it? • Training and Development, Organization Development, Career Development (McLagan) • Performance (Swanson) • Learning (Watkins & Marsick) • Much more inclusive (McLean & McLean, 2001, definition on next slide)

8. Geocentric HRD Definition “Human Resource Development is any process or activity that, either initially or over the long term, has the potential to develop work-based knowledge, expertise, productivity and satisfaction, whether for personal or group/team gain, or for the benefit of an organization, community, nation, or, ultimately, the whole of humanity.” (p. 322) McLean, G. N., & McLean, L. D. (2001). If we can't define HRD in one country, how can we define it in an international context? Human Resource Development International, 4(3), 313-326

9. International HRD Definition “International HRD (also known, perhaps more appropriately, as cross-national HRD, transnational HRD, and global HRD) is a field of study and practice that focuses on for-profit, not-for-profit, and/or governmental entities, and individuals, cooperating in some form across national borders….

10. International HRD Definition The purpose of this interaction is systematically to tap existing human potential and intentionally shape work-based, community-based, society-based, culture-based, and politically-based expertise through multiple means for the pur-pose of improving cross-national relationships collaboratively across all involved entities through greater mutual understanding, improved individual and organizational performance, improved standards of living and quality of life, reduced conflict between entities and individuals, and any other criteria that would be deemed useful by the involved entities….

11. International HRD Definition IHRD is aspirational rather than realized and serves as a challenge for continuous efforts at improvement.” Wang, X., & McLean, G. N. (2007, in print). The dilemma of defining international human resource development. Human Resource Development Review.

12. National HRD Definition “National Human Resource Development (NHRD) is an undertaking at the top level of government and throughout the country’s society that coordinates all activities related to human development (HD) to create greater efficiency, effectiveness, competitiveness, satisfaction, productivity, knowledge, spirituality, and well-being of its residents. It includes education, health, safety, training, economic development, culture, science and technology, and any factors influencing HD.” McLean, G. N. (in process). Toward a definition of NHRD.

13. How Is HRD Changing? • In Asia, there is rapid development of HRD programs in universities, which will lead to greater awareness in business. (13 programs in 9 universities in Korea) • In Asia, increasingly there is separation between HRM and HRD, while in the U.S., HRD practitioners are increasingly being expected to know at least some HRM and vice versa (e.g., GE).

14. How Is HRD Changing? • Increasingly, it must focus on the strategy of the organization to survive. • The emphasis on NHRD is growing rapidly, with increased interest in NHRD addressing oppression in organizations and assisting nations in meeting Millennial Development Goals. • Increasingly done on line (both T&D and OD)

15. How Is HRD Changing? • Outsourcing, insourcing, joint ventures, cross-border M&As, changing in immigration laws (e.g., EU), chain supply, shared services, and so on, are all creating greater awareness of globalization and the need for greater cross-cultural understanding. • Language learning (English, Chinese, Arabic) is acquiring greater emphasis.

16. How Is HRD Changing? • Employees are being selected less on their current KSAs than on their ability to “learn-to-learn.” • It is being forced to use evaluation models and methods even if they don’t work (ROI). • Coaching (both manager and external) is a rapidly growing intervention.

17. How Is HRD Changing? • With increasing use of telecommuting, HRD is having to change its delivery systems. • Maturing societies are putting pressure on HRD to provide training and CD opportunities for the retired, for women, for disabled workers, and for others who were not previously considered as core to the workplace.

18. How Is HRD Changing? • HRD practitioners are being expected to understand and participate in the implementation of what in the past has been seen as HRM: • Performance Management • Talent Recruitment, Development, Retention • Balanced Scorecards

19. How Is HRD Changing? • Because people are able to work when, where, and how they work best, HRD’s systems must be modified to accommodate such changes. • Greater emphasis on knowledge—intellectual capital, human capital, knowledge management

20. SEM Using KM Org. Innovation Performance Knowledge Management Initiatives .17 TQM Practices .64 .66 Hung, Lien, & McLean (2006)

21. Knowledge Management Effectiveness Model Structure 0.14 0.12 -0.43 OE -0.16 0.26 Culture KME 0.71 0.82 0.27 0.28 Strategy Source: Zhang, Yang, & McLean, In Process

22. What Are the Demands Faced by Practitioners? • Stress • Long work hours • Rapidly increasing body of knowledge • Political savvy • Innovation and Creativity • Change Management • Conflict Management

23. What Are the Demands Faced by Practitioners? • Work up, down, and sideways • Oxymoron – HRD virtually without interaction with people! • Mergers, acquisitions, downsizing • Responding to demographic challenges in most developed countries (aging) • Confronting corruption wherever it is found

24. What Are the Demands Faced by Practitioners? • Lifelong learning • Generalist AND specialist • Partnering strategically • Start Career Already Experienced – obviously impossible (e.g., Xcel Energy)

25. What Are the Demands Faced by Practitioners? A Dissatisfied Workforce Career Innovation Company (CI) of Oxford, England - a global survey of knowledge workers. Dissatisfaction comes from: • their sense of achievement at work (55%) • their ability to achieve work-life balance (56%) • their ability to gain new experiences (52%) • the way their skills are being used (54%)

26. An Effective HRD Practitioner Is One Who … • Knows self • Knows culture of organization • Knows extensive theory of HRD • Knows extensive HRD practice application options • Relates well with others • Writes correctly and effectively • Speaks correctly, clearly, and effectively

27. An Effective HRD Practitioner Is One Who … • Has a broad range of knowledge about many country cultures • Has a global mindset • Understands and uses business vocabulary • Can work in many cultures (country and organizational) • Maintains currency with lifelong learning

28. An Effective HRD Practitioner Is One Who … • Functions as mentor, coach, facilitator • Cares for others and is empathetic • Exhibits ethical behavior and confronts unethical behavior • Has comfort working with both genders, across ethnicities, across sexual orientations, across socioeconomic classes, with disabled

29. An Effective HRD Practitioner Is One Who … • Develops and uses effective networks (internally and externally) • Influences others • Has technological expertise • Manages knowledge effectively • Reflects on one’s own practice • Improves own processes continuously • Is a systems thinker

30. An Effective HRD Practitioner Is One Who … • Presents effectively • Works across systems and subsystems • Gathers and uses qualitative and quantitative data effectively • Follows proven HRD models and uses effective HRD interventions; avoids fads • Is comfortable with ambiguity

31. An Effective HRD Practitioner Is One Who … • Understands and uses effective assessment and evaluation processes • Integrates short-term and long-term thinking • Understands and communicates limitations of change processes

32. Innovative HRD Practice that Is Based on Existing Theory • Action Learning • Broader Application of OD • Broader Application of Organization Career Development • Knowledge Management • Systems Thinking • Organizational Learning/Learning Organization • Scenario Planning

33. Innovative HRD Practice that Is Based on Existing Theory (2) • Applying OD principles at the national level • Implementing factors that contribute to organizational commitment

34. Innovative Theories that Need Testing in Practice • Complexity Theory • Complex Systems Theory • Chaos Theory • Emotional Intelligence • Cultural Intelligence • Dialogue Processes • Organizational Alignment • Role in Mergers and Acquisitions for Cultural Fit

35. Innovative Theories that Need Testing in Practice • Role of OD in cross-cultural contexts • Competency Modeling • Can organizational cultures be changed? If so, how? • Can organizational cultures be merged? If so, how? • How can we eliminate corruption and build integrity?

36. Innovative Theories that Need Testing in Practice • Can HRD influence creativity and innovation in the workplace? If so, how? • Innovative approaches to evaluation of HRD interventions • Core competencies

37. What Practices Does Research Let Us Eliminate? • Traditional Strategic Planning – too inflexible • ROI – impossible to do for HRD • 360/multi-rater feedback for PA purposes – unreliable • Balanced Scorecard – too simplistic • Benchmarking of Results – meaningless without context and processes

38. “Hot” Topics in HRD Research • Knowledge Management • Organizational Commitment • Intention to Leave • Expatriate Preparation and Adjustment • Intellectual, Social, and Human Capital • Organizational Learning/Learning Organization • Appreciative Inquiry

39. “Hot” Topics in HRD Research • Community Development • National/Regional HRD • Technology (including e-learning) • Lifelong Learning • Innovation and Creativity • Competencies • Evaluation of HRD Interventions

40. “Hot” Topics in HRD Research • Evaluation of Employee Performance • Gender Studies/Feminism • Cross-cultural HRD • Spirituality in the Workplace • Leadership and Leadership Development • Coaching and Mentoring

41. “Hot” Topics in HRD Research • Assessment Centers • Globalizing Systems/Globalization • Ethics/Corporate Social Responsibility/ Corruption • Literacy • EQ/CQ • Societal Development/Institution Building (This is not an exhaustive list and is anecdotal. It is also based heavily on USA context.)

42. Conclusion • Human Resource Development, as a field, still has much to do to find the innovative practices that will truly help the organization, rather than the fads that can destroy an organization’s viability. • Indigenized theories and practices are always better than imported and unmodified ones.

43. Conclusion • Meeting organizational needs requires a partnership between HRD practitioners, researchers, government agencies, and professional organizations. • Each of us has a moral obligation, as HRD professionals, to participate in building the field of HRD in an ethical and responsible way. • There is a huge need for better theory and better research to support practice.

44. Conclusion • There is a huge need for practice to inform research and theory in HRD better through engaged scholarship.