Preferred human resource development activities and their functions: Differences in perspective between managers and employees

Irina Lilova*, Robert Frans Poell

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

Abstract

This exploratory study uses the learning‐network theory as a framework to investigate how managers and employees differ in their preference for the human resource development (HRD) activities of employees and in the functions they attribute to HRD. The research design was quantitative and cross‐sectional. Data collection took place in six countries in Europe, Asia and North America. A new instrument was used, which views work improvement (WI), career development (CD) and personal development (PD) as three main functions of HRD that can serve managers and employees. Results show that managers and employees prefer different HRD activities for employees to undertake; respectively, formal courses and programs over job experiences, and vice versa. The two groups also differ in the scores they give to WI and PD as relevant functions that employee participation in HRD can provide. It is concluded, therefore, that differences between managers and employees in their views of the relevance of HRD activities should be taken into account in theory and practice when organizing employees’ HRD activities.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)185-201
JournalInternational journal of Training and Development
Volume23
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Keywords

  • ANTECEDENTS
  • INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PATHS
  • PARTICIPATION
  • PROBLEMATIC PERSPECTIVES

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