Foundations of Human-resource Development (2nd ed.)

Citation

Swanson, R.A. (2010), "Foundations of Human-resource Development (2nd ed.)", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 18 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2010.04418gae.001

Foundations of Human-resource Development (2nd ed.)

Article Type: Suggested reading From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 18, Issue 7

Richard A. Swanson and Elwood F. Holton III, Berrett-Koehler, 2009, ISBN: 9781576754962

Foundations of Human-resource Development examines the underlying history of HRD, presents critical theoretical and philosophical foundations, and provides models and processes of a subject that is growing in importance.

The authors define HRD as “a process of developing and unleashing expertise for the purpose of improving individual, team and work process, and organizational-system performance.”

The book consists of 21 chapters, divided into seven sections addressing: an introduction to HRD; theory and philosophy in HRD; perspectives of HRD; developing expertise through training and development; unleashing expertise through organizational development; advancing HRD; and HRD into the future.

Each chapter begins with an outline of the contents and ends with questions for the reader to contemplate. There is a detailed bibliography, plus numerous diagrams and tables. In addition, there are a number of e-resources, which include many of the diagrams to be to be found in the book.

Although it presents a largely US-centric view of HRD, it provides sufficient generic and universal principles for this not to be an impediment to readers beyond the USA.

The time of publication, in early 2009, was at the height of the credit crunch and a few reflections by the authors may represent a backlash to unbridled capitalism. This is important, since HRD specialists are closely involved with organizational responses to economic adversity and should operate in an ethical manner – which is why the theories of HRD are diagrammatically presented resting on an ethical foundation.

One encouraging recurrent theme is the challenging approach the book makes to its subject. One example is skepticism about the significant numbers of HRD specialists and products making unsubstantiated claims, for example on accelerated learning.

The book concludes with a chapter addressing some of the challenges of HRD.

Reviewed by John P. Wilson, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.

A longer version of this review was originally published in Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 42 No. 1, 2010.