Human Resource Development: The Field

Here, in one-source, is a highly readable explanation of the field of human resource development. Providing a "big picture," the book covers the history of human resource development, how the field is structured, the program areas, the field's international orientation, the major roles taken by practitioners, and careers and career preparation.Based on the assumption that human resource development is a professional area of practice whose major goal is to develop the skills of employees at all organizational levels, the book identifies what is central to the field while showing how professionals may be located and function in diverse organizational settings.Among its features, the book: Attempts to delineate and differentiate the field from other areas of study while acknowledging that human resource academic programs may be administered by an amazingly wide array of scholarly departments; Argues for ideal positioning and ideal ways of functioning relative to the field; And provides standard, normative definitions and classifications that can be used across disciplines.Helping professionals and students a1ike become familiar with human resource development planning, training management, and career and organization development activities and programs - the volume is an ideal preparation for those entering the field.