International Journal of HRD Practice Policy and Research
Volume, 4 Number 1, 2019
ISSN 2397-4583
Editorial
In preparation for this, my last editorial as Editor of IJHRDPP&R, I decided to revisit my first such piece. I wanted to remind myself of the sorts of positioning statements we made at the start of this journey … perhaps in this way helping me to judge development over the last four years. I suggested back in 2016 that the focus of writing for this Journal needed to value “academia and practice as strategic partners in practice-research-practice learning cycles”. Ultimately it is for the reader to judge but for my money we have made definite headway here. Perhaps not as strongly as I might have hoped but as friendly colleagues keep telling me the Journal is still in its relative infancy. In the same positioning thinking this first editorial also raised the notion of HRD scholarly practice. It talked of ‘crafting a new language’. It was critical of work destined to be read only by a handful of academics and which failed to address an HRD practice agenda. It has not been easy to persuade practitioners to contribute along these lines but I do believe we now have a growing body of examples which help to encourage others to follow their lead. The lead article in this issue by Steve Keyes and colleagues, focusing on creating network of system leadership and practice across one of the largest cities in the UK, would seem an excellent case in point.
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Articles
People and Systems — Creating Networks of System Leadership and Practice | Steve Keyes, Organisational Development Lead for Leeds UK, Manraj Singh Khela, Head of Partnerships, Health Partnerships Team Leeds UK, Frances Storr, Director, Levati, Bradford UK, John Walsh, Organisational Development Lead, Leeds Community Health NHS Trust UK
Abstract
Our health systems are under pressure from increasing demands within a challenging and changing landscape. There is a need for new approaches that are joined up, relational, co-created and co‑delivered. Without them there is a risk of poor experiences, a worsening of health and social outcomes and inefficient use of increasingly scarce resources.
This paper reports a move towards a system leadership culture with an approach and a methodology for creating that. This requires people from different organizations with different cultures and governance to work together as if they were one organization.
This paper focuses on a major Organizational Development initiative in the city of Leeds, England to create the conditions and framework for such an approach. It reports on a methodology for creating a community of system leaders who work across the system for the benefit of the people of Leeds. A complementary aspiration of this paper was to propose a new field of theory — Dynamic System Theory — which is a derivation of Organization Development and which would benefit from further research.
One of the key achievements of this work has been an increasing distributed leadership across localities which is the key to the leadership of a complex evolving system. This has focused on people, communities and relationships, discovering common ground and connection to a bigger aim.
Key words: organization development, systems theory, system leadership, networks
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From Narrow to Open: Improving Learning Readiness through Learning Orientation | Roland K. Yeo, Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Saudi Arabia and University of South Australia, Australia, Jessica Li, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA
Abstract
The paper aims to discuss the potential of improving individual readiness for informal learning through the understanding of learning orientation. Learning orientation is how individuals engage in learning as determined by their self-concept, experience, learning readiness, learning sense, and learning motivation. A person’s learning orientation is influenced by contextual factors affecting individual learning capacity. In turn, learning orientation is facilitated by problem solving, sensemaking, and mental framing, particularly when individuals are confronted by challenges outside their work routine. Problem solving can facilitate individuals’ sensemaking of circumstances by enhancing their mental framing, which may support or hinder their subsequent problem solving experience. Problem solving is a cognitive process that influences the way individuals interpret a situation for further action. Sensemaking is a spontaneous interpretive process while mental framing is more of a decision making process generating potential scenarios and actions. The paper offers implications for Human Resource Development (HRD) research and practice.
Key words: Learning, context, learning orientation, problem solving, sensemaking, mental framing
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Developing a Competency-Based Credentialing Framework for National Human Resource Development | Vijay Krishna, American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Abstract
The United Nations has frequently highlighted the role of human resource development as a remedy for undeveloped and underdeveloped countries to overcome their economic deficits. In the last two decades, there has been a growing interest in applying national human resource development (NHRD) for capacity building and economic growth. However, much of the focus of NHRD has been on structures and delivery rather than on outcomes, competency evaluation, and performance. Historically, countries have relied on educational offerings to supply human capital. There is a growing concern that the educational world is not preparing people for the ‘newer’ jobs. This disconnect between education and employment has led to an increased emphasis on industry aligned credentialing systems. Based on the premise that performance-based assessments are integral to a competency-based education system, this paper links education and employment by industry-recognized personnel certification and presents a credentialing framework to support NHRD. The framework integrates all credentials from high school diplomas to degrees, apprenticeships, vocational training, and certification. The implications for NHRD are tremendous considering the impact on economic development.
Key words: credentialing, certification, workforce development, national HRD
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Power Relationships within the UK Police Service: Towards Enhanced Female Career Progression | Janet Astley, Leeds Beckett University
Abstract
This paper aims to consider the potential for using power relationships positively to enhance the career progression of senior female police officers by the implementation of sustainable and cost-effective HRD interventions. Women have long been under-represented at senior ranks in the UK service due to a plethora of reasons. Understanding those reasons and embedding effective opportunities for personal development, such as mentoring and networking are considered. The combination of the efficient use of the personal development review system alongside addressing issues in relation to both public and internal perceptions of women’s’ capability and potential by adopting good HRM practices and policies are likely to increase female representation and reduce the attrition of talent. The use of existing senior officers, regardless of gender, to act as coach/mentors alongside recognising the value of internal and national networks may reap benefits for the service increasing its diversity and shifting the organisational culture to becoming more representative of modern society.
Key Words: gender, policing, diversity, career development
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Do Competency Frameworks Influence Business Performance? An Empirical Study of the Nigerian Banking Sector | Kalama Adefe, Sunderland Business School, Derek Watson, Sunderland Business School, Joyce Liddle, Newcastle Business School
The competency-based management system has grown to become one of the most influential HRM tools of the 21st century. However, there remains limited empirical data addressing the relationship between the adoption of a competency framework and organizational performance. The study reported upon in this paper is based within the Nigerian banking sector. A qualitative methodological approach was adopted, employing interviews with employees of the top ten high street banks in Nigeria. The result of the field data was subsequently analyzed using NVivo in order to achieve the aim of the research. The findings revealed that competency-based management frameworks are being used and that indeed they are a key management tool within the selected Nigerian banks. Importantly, the findings clearly suggest the adopted competency frameworks are having a positive impact on the banks’ performance.
Key Words: competency, competency framework, HR systems, performance, banking, Nigeria.
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Capacity Building, Human Resource Development (HRD) and Bahrainisation: Perceptions of Senior Public Sector Employees in Bahrain | La’aleh Alaali, Arab Open University, Bahrain, Christopher J. Rees, Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, UK
This paper reports the findings of Phase 2 of the study, initially reported upon in this journal in 2018 (Alaali & Rees, 2018), and in which we explored the association between Capacity Building and HRD. In Phase 2 of the study, we use the case of Bahrain’s nationalization programme (Bahrainisation) to examine the perceptions of senior government employees towards Capacity Building and HRD. A total of 20 senior government officials were interviewed in order to ascertain their views about the links between Capacity Building and HRD and also the factors which they consider to be critical to the outcomes of the nationalization programme. The findings reveal that the interviewees viewed HRD activities to be an integral element of national Capacity Building. These practitioners also identified the important role of lifelong development activities such as education and training in Capacity Building. Further, in findings which complement the conclusions drawn in Phase 1 of the study, it was found that the interviewees emphasized sustainability and national level considerations, such as legislation and occupational standards, as integral features of Capacity Building as opposed to HRD. In contrast to Phase 1, the interview data also drew attention to the importance the interviewees placed on research data to inform Capacity Building initiatives at the national level. These findings are discussed with reference to subjects such as the inter-disciplinary nature of Capacity Building and HRD and also emergent work on evidence-based practice.
Key Words: Capacity Building, human resource development, nationalization; Bahrain, Bahrainisation
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HRD Forum
Scoping the Future of the Journal | Sarah Minnis, Anthology Consulting and Western Carolina University, USA, Mark Loon, Bath Spa University, UK
HRD Forum — Viewpoint
The incoming Editors of the Journal outline their thoughts on future contributions to the Journal.
Scholarly-based and reflective practitioners of human resource development (HRD) have a unique opportunity to both make use of the research published in The International Journal of Human Resource Development Practice, Policy & Research as well as contribute their knowledge and perspectives from practice to inform ongoing research in the field. Practitioners of HRD are on the front lines of utilizing promising practices derived from research implications as often as they are grappling with emerging challenges impacting an increasingly technologically and globally diverse population. It is this position as practitioners who are engaged with the literature on HRD that excites us. With a variety of paper types being introduced by the new journal co-editors, we hope practitioners will bring their experiences to bear in articles aimed for an audience interested in considering how practice informs research and research informs practice in human resource development.We welcome contributions that not only inform our readers of ‘what is new’ but also in a manner that is cogent. Differentiating the types of papers guides contributors to develop more rigorous and focused articles, within a word count range that maintains the attention and interest of readers. Of course, we recognize that, for example, an article can begin with an evaluation of the implementation of a new training programme, which then goes on to conceptualize a new approach based on lessons learned. Nonetheless, a high quality article that reports an evaluation of a programme will entail a description of the aims of the programme, methodology, results and its comparison with the programme aims, and recommendations. Such level of detail in itself merits the focus on an entire paper.
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Learning to Boost Creativity in Teams | Rob Sheffield, author of ‘Innovation Catalysts’, in interview with Rick Holden (Editor, IJHRDPP&R)
HRD Forum —Viewpoint
Introduction
Dr Rob Sheffield is a leadership development consultant and innovation coach with Bluegreen Learning. He is a Visiting Fellow at the University of the West of England. After four years in the writing, his book “How Leaders Learn to Boost Creativity: Innovation Catalysts” has recently been published. I wanted to find out a bit more about the book and in particular to explore some of the HRD issues and implications that the book embraces and encapsulates. To begin our discussion, I ask Rob why he wrote this book.I wrote my book for several reasons. First, I wanted to draw attention to the converging of the need for and means of learning and applying creativity and innovation skills. Societies, cities, organizations, and individuals want them. A couple of illustrations add weight to this view. The World Economic Forum 2016 report forecast that by 2020 complex problem-solving skills will be the most needed workplace skills, and creativity will be the third. And in 2018 a survey by Deloitte of 10,455 millennials asked them to identify their priorities for business. In third place, behind “Generating jobs/provide employment” and “Improve society” came “Innovate/develop new products and services, generate ideas”. Second, while trust and confidence in organizational leadership is generally low across the globe, the experience of myself and my colleagues is that we often work with leaders who learn and apply these skills. They do so in under-the-radar ways without seeking much attention, while improving others’ lives by bringing clear value through changes they introduce. Third, I wanted to make clear that creativity and innovation skills are learnable. While few know it, we have around 50 years of research and teaching to draw upon and help us.
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