As employee preferences change and organizations adapt and transform as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, new research opportunities are present for HRD scholars interested in training and development, organizational behavior, job design, change management, the creation of healthy and productive workplaces, and more. In the face of new opportunities for research, we discuss the value of revisiting grounded theory methodology as a resource for generating theory in HRD contexts. As a methodology, grounded theory is a useful tool for exploring processes and building theory grounded in data. In this paper, we examine the potential of grounded theory to contribute meaningfully to the research and practice of HRD by discussing the historical development of grounded theory, the current state of grounded theory research in HRD, and the implications of grounded theory work on the future of HRD scholarship.

Maintaining a strong group of fundraisers amidst high turnover rates is essential to the financial health of nonprofit organizations. One issue potentially harming fundraisers' success and continued presence in the field is the negative reputation sometimes associated with fundraising work. This exploratory study uses Stigma Management Communication Theory and content analysis of in‐depth interviews with current and former university fundraisers to investigate how fundraisers communicatively manage stigmatizing messages associated with their occupation. The findings suggest that current fundraisers use a greater number and variety of stigma management strategies than former fundraisers described using. The findings also highlight the potential consequences and distinctions among ways of using humor to manage stigma messages. These findings can be translated into orientation and training programs for fundraisers, teaching them successful ways of framing their occupations and work.

Federal correctional officers (COs) face a compelling amount of professional stress and rigid professional expectations. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP), in an effort to improve employee wellness, has instituted a number of policies and programs addressing gender, sexual harassment, the treatment of inmates, and the role of the BOP in rehabilitation efforts. As a result, COs are navigating how they see themselves and their role within the BOP. Using interviews with 26 federal COs, we use the communication theory of identity (CTI) to explore how correctional workers are communicatively managing their professional identities as the BOP's policies shift. Officers described idealized professional identities in oppositional gendered terms (e.g., masculinity is privileged; femininity derided). Female-identifying officers described being unable to meet professional ideals, and some male-identifying officers struggled enacting their masculinity. However, COs described managing gaps between their personal and professional identities in ways that elucidated connections, rather than separation, between officers. We provide theoretical and practical implications from participant voices, including the use of CTI to better understand identity work processes in workplace contexts.

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