HAZARA UNIVERSITY OF MANSEHRA DHODIAL

Assignment no. 01

Subject: Advance HRM

Submitted to: Dr.yasir

Submitted by: abidullah
Semester: (MS)1
Submission date: 30 june 2020
 Write a concise and comprehensive research essay on,
“Role of Human Resource Development (HRD) in Improving Individual and
Organizational Performance”
Support your arguments with the help of recent research.
The essay should be around 5 pages in length including references. It must be type written and
prepared following the formatting guidelines of APA Manual.
Essays must be submitted by email before 12 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, 2020.

Introduction
Human resource development is a mechanism in shaping individual and group values and beliefs
and skilling through learning-related activities to support the desired performance of the host
system.
Although HRD definitional research may appear to be a niche in the overall human resources
literature, it has increasing importance in organizations and societies, particularly in the
globalization process. With increased global integration embracing and engaging in diverse
sociopolitical system.
HRD definitions have been entertained in the literature for more than four decades . Extant
literature seems to be on a continue, from a refusal to define to a broad definition claiming HRD
benefit the whole of humanity , with numerous definitions in between that are similar to one
another. Collectively, these definitions may illustrate certain aspects of HRD’s functional role,
yet when taken alone, they hardly offer a holistic view of HRD . The assertion by Ruona (2000)
still appears to be valid.A major barrier for HRD professionals is that our work and what we
stand for are not well understood by others. Some would also argue that we do not yet well
understand ourselves either. A glaring gap in the literature is that the definitional research has
largely been following an

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A theoretical path, resulting in definitions hardly complying with the standards of robustness
required. It is well-accepted that definitions are “subject to revision as a result of future
theorizing, either because the initial formulation was wrong or because the concept itself has
changed in the meantime”. To contribute to the on-going discourse in HRD definition research
and extend the research to the overall human resources literature, we adopt a theory development
approach to theorizing a new definition of HRD.
As a point of departure, we clarify that what we are defining for HRD is variously presented in
the literature as a profession a process, or a practice (Watkins, 1989). We focus on HRD as a
profession and a field of research because these are umbrella terms referring to HRD as a social
and organizational phenomenon, a HRD processes and practices represent the HRD mechanisms
and are responsible for observed HRD phenomenon. Therefore, to define HRD is to define the
mechanisms responsible for the phenomena that are observable and verifiable in organizational
or social settings. In what follows, we first present the method used for the study. We then report
the findings derived from keywords and content
analyses of selected definitions, including analyzing an argument of “refusal to define HRD.”
Based on the findings, we examine the gap and inadequacy of existing definitions and theorize
new HRD definition. Finally, we highlight the implications of the new definition for future
research.

Pragmatism view of HRD

The value o Pragmatism for HRD is as apracticalandanti-foundationalistphi-
losophythatfocusesonthefuture,concerned with improving the conditions that enable individuals
to the rive in their every day lives).A key point in th description is that Pragmatism does not look
backward to idealistic or foundational principles for guidance as much as it looks forward
informed by systematic inquiry and experience ,open to the conditions that affect people’s
everyday live since the present and near future . Pragmatism is focused on making sense of
people’slivesandhelpingtosolvetheproblemsofindividualsand communities.

Pragmatism provides to HRD are the emphasis on inquiry for understanding,the Devaluation of
idealistic objectivity and truth,and the centrality of practice and experience.Under pinning all of
this is the understanding of the fallibility of Our research,theories and practices.Another valuable
contribution is the rejection of Dualism s that fosters operations between mind and body,subject
and object,learning And performance ,persons and context,and theory and practice .These
dualism's impede the utility and integration of knowledge with every day life for The practical
betterment of humanity.
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The opportunity for applying the principles of Pragmatism and practice theories to HRD is
timely. The nature of organizations and work is rapidly changing within an increasingly
complex, evolving, and reflexive world . Today’s organizations have been characterized as more
decentralized and fragmented than ever, comprised of a more diverse and socially complex
workforce, and subject to a more rapid pace of change . Such internal complexities are now
compounded with increasingly divergent and conspicuous stakeholders As a result, more diverse
people in more complex organizations are tasked with solving more complex real-world
problems.
.

Implications for HRD practice

This definition can help human resource practitioners better understand the nature of HRD
practices, namely, to identify and implement effective approaches to shaping employees’ values
and beliefs according to organizational culture and performance goals, and to skills necessary
competencies and supporting the host system. HRD practitioners may enhance the perceived
value of HRD within their organizations by sharing this new definition with their partner-clients
of varying levels. Communicating the definition and goals of HRD will enhance internal clients’
understanding and appreciation of the value of HRD.

Organizational learning
Argryis describes two levels of learning that occur in organizations. The first is single-loop
learning which results from the organization considering the consequences of its actions when
the consequences do not match the desired outcome. This discrepancy enables the organization
to modify the actions it takes. The second level is double-loop learning which occurs when an
organization's reaction to a discrepancy is to examine and possibly modify the theories-in-use
upon which the action is based. Double-loop learning, though rare, allows the organization to
improve its capacity to learn.

performance improvement
Several authors emphasized that learning needs to be tied to the organization's strategic
objectives, as a method for improving performance. The theme of performance or performance
improvement also kept emerging from the HRD definitions as a fundamental theory of HRD
from a US American perspective. There are several scholars who have written about a theory of
performance, who wrote extensively about human competence. Gilbert defined human
competence as a 'function of worthy .Weinberger: Commonly held theories of HRD
performance' , and proposed four 'leisurely theorems' in his writings:
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(1) human competence is a function of worthy performance;
(2) that human competence is inversely proportional to the potential for improving performance.
(3) that for any accomplishment, a deficiency in performance always has, as its immediate cause,
a deficiency in behaviour.
(4) human accomplishments can be viewed at several levels of generality
.
There are six performance factors that can be manipulated to enhance individual, group and
organization performance.

1 consequences, incentives and rewards;

2 data and information, the feedback and standards of performance;
3 resources, tools and environmental support;
4 individual capacity, the capabilities of an individual's performance;
5 motives and expectations, internal views the employees hold;
6 skills and knowledge.

Gilbert (1978) designed what he called the 'behaviour engineering model. He suggested that this
model could serve as an analytic tool for identifying performance problems and their causes.
Gilbert proposed that the costs of improving human performance be viewed as investments in
human capital (economic theory), which yield returns valued by both organizations and
individuals in terms of their performance potential. Gilbert's model can be applied as a theory of
performance improvement to HRD. Rummler and Brache utilized Gilbert's behaviour
engineering model as a foundation for the human performance system. The human performance
system applied only to the individual level in the model. This system consisted of six
components:
1 Performance specifications: standards, output.
2 Task support: the resources that are available.
3 Consequences: those that are aligned to support the desired performance.
4 Feedback: do the performers receive information about their performance?
5 Skills/knowledge: do the performers have the skills/knowledge to perform?
6 Individual capacity: are performers physically, mentally and emotionally able to perform?
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The high-performance work system was recognized as a third theory of performance
improvement that can be applied in the HRD field. Organizational improvement strategy based
on employee involvement is proposed by Lawler .it states that when employees are involved,
(a) they are motivated to perform,
(b) they have a higher commitment to the organization, and consequently,
(c) the quality of their work improves.
This employee involvement is a component of high-involvement management which is a core
principle that can be viewed as another theory of performance. An additional theory of
performance is that of human performance technology. This is defined as 'the process of
improving an organization's performance through the abilities of personnel . Jacobs coined the
phrase human performance technology and roots it deep in systems theory. Consequently, this
theory of performance will be reviewed in the systems component.
The Gestalt view (cognitivism) is concerned with the holistic cognitions an individual has about
his or her world and the way they determine his or her perceptions. Field theory is another name
for cognitivism. This view is based on learning occurring primarily through exposure to
information that is presented logically.

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 References

Introduction of HRD
(Ruona, 2002, Walton, 2002)Human Resource Development Quarterly.
(Lee, 2001, 2014)Proceedings of the Academy of Human Resource Development.
(McLean and McLean, 2001,)
(Wang, 2008; Wang and Swanson, 2008) The idea of national HRD: an analysis based on
economics and theory development methodology
(Brown, 1998, p. 116)Foundations of Human Resource Development.
(Ruona, 2000 Core beliefs in human resource development a journey for the profession and
its professionals)

Pragmatism view
Rumens, N., & Kelemen, M. (2013). American pragmatism and organisation studies: Concepts,
themes and possibilities.
Margolis, J. (2002). Reinventing pragmatism: American philosophy at the end of the twentieth
century.
(Fenwick, 2010; Gibb, 2011; Gosney & Hughes, 2016)American pragmatism and organisation
studies: Concepts,
themes and possibilities.
(Gibb, 2011; Neubert, Mainert, Kretzschmar, & Greiff, 2015; Ruona & Coates, 2012)
(Head & Alford, 2015)

Organizational learnig
Argyris, (1990) Overcoming Organizational Defenses: Facilitating Orgnnizational
learning, Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

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performance improvement
(modified by Rosenberg 1996 performance of individual in organization (beginning with Gilbert
in 1978)
(Rummler and Brache 1995; Swanson 1995)
(Lawler (1986)Involvement Management: Participative Strategies for Improving Organizational
Performance,
(Swanson 1992)Human Resource Development Research
Handbook, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler,
(Rummler and Brache (1988, 1995)The systems view of human performance and Training.
(Werthmeier, Kohier, Kofia and Rogers are some key contributors in this area (Hergenhahn and
Olson 1992)

***______Thank you_______***