This research charts the evolution of human resource development (HRD) in Australian organisations over a critical 13‐year period and analyses the effect of the company size, industry sector and ownership pattern on HRD practices. The analysis is based on standardised data extracted from 793 responses to the 1996, 1999 and 2008–09 iterations of the CRANET Australia surveys. Seven sub‐indices and one overall index of HRD were constructed to monitor the level of ‘sophistication’ over time in different aspects of HRD practice and explore the ‘performance’ versus ‘learning’ dichotomy established in the HRD literature. The analysis revealed an aggregate decrease in HRD sophistication across all organisational types but divergent movement within the seven sub‐indices, with decrease in ‘learning’ oriented practices and an increase in ‘performance’ oriented practices. Only limited differences were found between public and private sector organisations. Higher levels of HRD sophistication were present in larger companies and industry sector had a significant effect on a majority of HRD practices.

This study charts human resource development (HRD) practices in locally owned private sector companies (APS) and subsidiaries of overseas-headquartered multinational companies (MNCs) located in Australia from 1996 to 2009.Using data from three iterations of the CRANET Australia survey, the research analyses the degree of difference between APS and MNCs, tests whether HRD practices are increasing in sophistication and if there is convergence or divergence between the two groups. The influence of company size and industry category is also explored as separate independent variables. The results suggest a decreasing overall level of HRD sophistication, that MNC subsidiaries are generally operating at a higher level of sophistication than APS companies and that there is directional, but not final, convergence.