MN2508 Human
Resource
Management
Lecture Seven: Human
Resource
Development
In this session:
learning outcomes
• To introduce and define the concept of
‘human resource development’ (HRD)
and distinguish it from training.
• Examine the rationale for engaging in
development.
• To examine the systemic training
model adopted by many organisations
• Look at a real-world example of
Unconscious Bias Training
What is human resource development?
From HR perspective:
“[HRD] comprises the skilful planning and facilitation of a variety of
formal and informal learning … processes and experiences, primarily
but not exclusively in the workplace, in order that organisational
progress and individual potential can be enhanced through the
competence, adaptability, commitment and knowledge-creating
activities of all who work for the organisation.
(Harrison & Kessels 2004, p. 89)
What is human resource development?
From an employee perspective:
“the growth or realisation of a person’s ability and potential through
the provision of learning and educational experiences”
(Armstrong 2006, p. 535)
What is human resource development?
It is not the same as training!!
Context: growth of knowledge economy / tech sector – areas requires high
level of knowledge and specialist skill.
More broadly:
• Employees increasingly seen as an asset to company success – innovation
& creativity → competitive advantage.
• Employees much more likely to change job roles in a way requiring new
knowledge → portfolio of skills, proven ability to learn/adapt
What is human resource development?
Training
• ‘Deficit’ model
• One size fits all approach
• Formalised learning
• Takes place in context of work
• Narrow focus
• Intermittent
Development
• Realisation of potential
• Individual difference
• Diversified learning practices
• May utilise non-work context
• Broad focus
• Continuous
What is human resource development?
“an important aspect of the ‘learning as acquisition’ approach is the
tendency to treat knowledge and skills transfer as unproblematic.
It is assumed that the knowledge and skills gained are well defined and
readily codified.
It therefore follows that once individuals have acquired [knowledge]
they will be able to apply what they have learned in new contexts
without difficulty.”
(Felstead, A. 2014, p. 124)
What is human resource development?
“An alternative standpoint is provided by the ‘learning as participation
metaphor’ … It conceives of learning as a process that is primarily
social and situated … Hence the approach is interested in explaining
how people learn at work in a relatively naturalistic way, through
helping each other, by performing tasks and through experience in
general … The issue of learning transfer is treated as problematic: if
learning is conceived as a process embedded in particular social
activities, it follows that learning cannot be transported easily from one
situation to the other.
(Felstead, A. 2014, p. 124)
What is human resource development?
Strategic human resource development:
“a coherent, vertically aligned and horizontally integrated set of learning and
development activities” (Garavan 2007, p. 25)
McCracken & Wallace (2000):
Training – no integration of learning with organisation mission
HRD – development determined by corporate strategy
Strategic HRD – bilateral relationship between development and strategy
Part 2: Why
undertake
HRD?
Why undertake HRD? – Organisations
(Wilton 2019, p. 284)
Why undertake HRD? – Organisations
The learning organisation:
“an organisation that facilitates the learning of all of it’s members and
continuously transforms itself” (Pedler et al., 1988)
Linked to distinction between ‘high road’ / ‘low road’ HRM strategy:
• High road strategy involves developing skilled workforce able to
deliver high quality goods/services.
• Low road strategy involves cost minimisation, therefore high levels of
training unlikely to be considered valuable.
Why undertake HRD? – Organisations
Strong signifier of the kind of HR approach which the company is
committed to:
“investing in learning and development has become a ‘litmus test’ of
whether or not employers have adopted [soft HRM], or the
‘developmental humanism’ of the Harvard School”
(Bratton & Gold, 2022, p. 206)
Developing employees demonstrates that you are investing in them
and, therefore, that you value them.
Why undertake HRD? – Organisations
Development = productivity, profitability
Breaking this down, benefits may include:
Put negatively, if employers fail to invest in development, employees
are more likely to display negative behaviours and, ultimately, leave.
Reinforcement of culture Enhanced employee commitment
Reduced labour turnover Improved social standing
Why undertake HRD? – Organisations
In spite of these supposed benefits there is little evidence that
development actually leads to increased productivity.
In particular the causality remains unexplained:
investment in development → higher performance
high performance → increased investment in development
However, there is qualitative evidence that development increases
employee commitment.
? ?
Why undertake HRD? – Employees
According to Heery & Noon, HRD has four advantages to employees:
1. It makes the employee more valuable to the organization and
thereby improves security of employment;
2. it enhances career opportunities within the organization;
3. it increases an individual’s employability outside the organization
because of his or her broader skill/competency base;
4. if it broadens the scope and responsibility of work, it can raise the
intrinsic (psychological) reward employees derive from their jobs.
(Heery & Noon 2017)
Why undertake HRD? – Employees
Human capital theory:
Idea that individuals invest in themselves through developing
talents/skills in order that they increase their economic value.
Understanding of development as something managed by individuals –
employability skills
Aligned with idea of meritocracy →
people succeed based on talent/skills, i.e. hard work leads to reward
Why undertake HRD? – Employees
Critiques of human capital theory:
Access to learning / opportunity to develop not equally distributed
within society, therefore ability to invest in human capital not a level
playing field.
• Outside of workplace: development involves financial cost
(e.g. university tuition fees).
• Inside of workplace: some employers more willing to support
development (more likely to be associated with high paying job
roles)
Why undertake HRD? – Employees
Critiques of human capital theory:
Shift in responsibility away from employer and onto employee
“the shift towards an emphasis on [development] has been
commensurate with the growing expectation that employees will take
more responsibility for their own learning” (Wilton 2019, p. 279)
Shouldn’t emphasis be on employers to ensure that people are able to
carry out the job they want them to perform?
Why undertake HRD?
The example of the McDonalds Management degree apprenticeship
demonstrates a commitment to a high-road approach to development.
Can expect apprentices will be more highly committed, on-board with
corporate culture, will become skilled in a way tailored to job.
Contains some elements of HRD and training: realisation of potential but
quite narrow in scope and unclear if this is ongoing.
https://people.mcdonalds.co.uk/early-career-opportunities/management-
degree-apprenticeship-programme/programme/
Part 3:
Human resource development in practice
HRD in practice
(Wilton 2019, p. 292)
HRD in practice
Systematic training model → rational, linear, simple approach to
development
According to Marchington & Wilkinson (2008) the model perpetuates a
closed system, creating barrier between linking between other aspects of
HRM, as well as with wider strategic objectives.
According to Gold (2007) it is a model more suitable to thinking about
formalised training. Nevertheless, it is widely used by organisations.
To what extent can this model support Human Resource Development?
HRD in practice – Assessment
Boydell (1976) – L&D needs can be identified at three levels:
Organisational identifying needs at an organisational level based on strategic
direction
Job/occupational associating needs with performance in specific job role
Individual identifying needs of individuals in relation to performance
requirements
HRD in practice – Assessment
HR approach dictates decision over whose development is supported:
•High road → proactive development approach, more likely to facilitate
developing all employees (the ‘learning organisation’).
• Low road → reactive approach based upon identifying gaps in
individual knowledge that need to be filled, less valuable employees
likely to be left behind – back to training
HRD in practice – Design
Formalising the aims and objectives of the learning intervention
(i.e. what should the learning achieve?)
• Behavioural change
• Productivity/efficiency gains
• Specific knowledge or skill gains
Defining these desired outcomes leads into the evaluation stage.
HRD in practice – Delivery
(Wilton 2019, p. 297)
HRD in practice – Delivery
On-the-job/off-the-job (does training take place in work situation?)
• Off-the-job training (often formal / classroom-based)
→ greater structure, clearer connection between objectives and
outcomes
• On-the-job learning (e.g. job shadowing, secondment, job rotation)
→ facilitates effective transfer of knowledge into work context, less
controlled leading to possibility of creation of poor working practices.
HRD in practice – Delivery
Coaching/mentoring:
Form of development where employee forms a learning relationship
with a senior colleague (mentoring) or line-manager (coaching).
• Denotes commitment to long-term development of the employee.
• Effectiveness depends on the skill-level / availability of mentor/coach
• Coaching may develop tension in managing and developing roles of
line-manager
HRD in practice – Delivery
e-learning: “learning that is delivered, enabled
or mediated using electronic technology for the
explicit purpose of training in organisations”
(CIPD, 2009, p.9).
Benefits Costs
Reduction in cost due to ability to reuse Requires specialist training to develop
Increased availability/access Skills / hardware needed to use
Potential to personalise / ‘gamify’ Lack of learner support
Easier to assess / monitor engagement Hostility to e-learning platforms
HRD in practice – Evaluation
Assessment of the extent to which objectives have been achieved
(therefore determined by objectives established at the design stage).
Kirkpatrick (1987) provides model of evaluation:
Reaction feedback from learners (can fail to distinguish between learning
experience and value to job performance)
Learning measurement of learning through testing acquired skills, attitudes, etc.
Behaviour assessment of impact on job performance through performance
management processes
Results holistic evaluation of training of individual, team, organisation
Part 4: Unconscious bias training
Unconscious bias training – context
Unconscious bias training connected with diversity management
Diversity management approach focusses on “creating a working
culture that seeks, respects, values and harnesses difference”
(Schneider, 2001, p. 27)
Differs from equal opportunities approach:
• Creation of level playing field
• Behaving as though differences do not exist.
Unconscious bias training – context
Attempts to manage diversity point to role of HR and line managers in
promoting inclusivity and challenging problematic attitudes.
Learning/development key component of this:
• Educating employees on different aspects of cultural awareness
• Persuading employees to question their own beliefs
Unconscious bias training intended to get employees to examine
unconsciously held beliefs which influence their behaviour.
Unconscious bias training – case study
Recently a number of companies have engaged in unconscious bias
training for employees after high profile incidents involving
discrimination.
• April 2018, Philadelphia: two black men were arrested in Starbucks
after manager claimed they were trespassing after they refused to
buy drinks or leave the store.
• The two men said they were waiting for a friend to arrive before
ordering (the friend arrived as the men were being arrested).
Witnesses reported being in the store for a long time without having
been asked to order/leave
Unconscious bias training – case study
• In response Starbucks closed over 8000 stores and offices for the
afternoon of May 29th 2018 in order to deliver a ‘learning session’ on
diversity.
• Employees asked to work in small teams to complete a workbook, this
was accompanied by numerous videos discussing relevant issues.
Unconscious bias training – evaluation
General agreement over the need to manage unconscious bias
but, questions over the effectiveness of unconscious bias training…
“[W]hile diversity training is often well received by participants and can
have short-term results, it doesn’t usually show a sustained impact on
behaviour and emotional prejudice” (CIPD, 2019, p. 25)
Unconscious bias training – evaluation
Potential issues with UBT:
• Emphasis on changing employee attitude (i.e. unconscious bias is a
problem with employees) – danger of being considered in isolation,
rather than in terms of organisational culture.
• Short-term / one-off training rather than sustained effort –
attitudes formed over long time, changing requires the same.
• UBT only addresses those whose problematic behaviour is a result of
unconscious attitudes – what about overt discrimination?
Unconscious bias training – evaluation
“What is the point of UBT if the measurement technique shows
everyone is biased, there is no proven link between knowing about bias
and changing behaviour, only one sub-group (aversive racists) are
likely to self-reflect enough to perhaps change their behaviour, and
the type of change will likely have least impact on the most
pernicious everyday racism in the workplace?”
(Noon, M., 2017, p. 205)
Noon points to the existence of other forms of diversity training which
may be more effective in promoting diversity.
Conclusions
• Development is an integral element of the HR function –
aligning with other functions such as performance
management and reward.
• Development strategies are closely connected with
strategic decisions, once again highlighting the importance
of HR at a strategic level.
• Most organisations pursue a systematic approach to
training and the development of training involves many
decisions.
• Unconscious bias training has been one of the most
prominent forms of employee development in the 21st
century so far.