Introducing a New Paradigm for 21st-Century HRD

Abstract

The Problem Workforce development is a pressing challenge in today’s society, yet the discipline of HRD is not contributing toward research or practice solutions. This gap is a product of current paradigm undergirding HRD—the paradigm implicitly favors nonworkforce development issues, problems, and challenges. The Solution The article calls for a paradigm shift in HRD to focus the work of the discipline on enhancing the public good through workforce development. The article provides an in-depth description of how paradigms can change in the social sciences, so that stakeholders (HRD researchers and practitioners) can take intentional actions to facilitate and nurture the change. Finally, the article provides specific research and practice suggestions for expanding HRD’s role in the workforce development domain. The Stakeholders HRD researchers and practitioners; employees and employers.

Advancing national human resource development research: suggestions for multilevel investigations

“…Osman-Gani and Tan (2000 AQ6) and Osman-Gani (2004), for example, have highlighted the importance of investment in NHRD to the growth of Singapore. NHRD can also help countries and individuals cope with recession and global downturn (Panagiotakopoulos 2015;Storberg-Walker 2012).…”