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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach for the teaching and delivery of HRD practices, professional skills and theory that challenges the modernist orthodoxy of contemporary organisational life and the requirements of professional bodies. Design/methodology/approach -First, the territory of a critical HRD pedagogy is defined within practices that respect human freedom and individual dignity as opposed to instrumentalism and target setting. Second, it will advocate an approach for a HRD pedagogy that has its roots within the lost paradigm of sentimentalism that emphasises the belief in the goodness of humanity informing the romantic notions of human imagination, creativity and respect for the individual that is realised through the dialogical process. Findings -The findings, evinced by vignettes, advocate a critical HRD pedagogy and the development of professional skills that base their values and ethics within emancipatory practices if organisations are to create and support sustainable learning environments rather than those located within the conventional wisdom of modernist orthodoxy. Practical applications -This paper calls for a critical HRD pedagogy and learning environments where individuals are engaged in the transformation of their socio-historical-political worlds and advocates dialogue is central to classroom practice if it is to realise the potential and creative impulses of individuals. Originality/value -This paper contributes to the critical HRD discourse in the development of knowledge, skills, values and professional practice by addressing the constraints of classroom practice in its response to the demands and tensions of professional bodies. It explicitly develops a critical HRD pedagogy that has implications for the assessment of HRD programmes and of their resourcing.

This paper reports two case studies of the use of the business excellence model (BEM) in two small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) which entered the 1999 East of England Excellence (EEE) regional Quality Award. The experiences of these organisations will be discussed highlighting their journey towards the adoption of the BEM and eventual entry to the EEE quality award. The studies were undertaken to broaden the understanding of the use of the BEM in SMEs where accounts within this sector of industry and commerce are not widely reported. Although the two organisations that took part in the research are different, one being in the manufacturing sector and the other a public service provider, the studies reveal many commonalities in their approach and adoption of the BEM and eventual entry to the EEE quality award.

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