Postgraduate Course: Human Resource Development: theory and practice (EDUA11279)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | There is increasing recognition that human resource development (HRD) can make a key contribution to the realisation of organisational objectives. This course will develop a critical understanding of the potential and limitations of the contribution of HRD policies and strategies to formulating and achieving objectives at national, organisational, group and individual levels. It will enable the development of intellectual, social, professional and personal skills to perform effectively in associated professional roles. The course requires learners to reflect critically on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint, explores the implications for professional practice, and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development. |
| Course description |
The course has 25 hours of contact teaching time. This will usually be delivered in ten 2.5-hour classes, and includes lectures, class discussion, group exercises, case studies and group and individual presentations.
Successful participation in the course will require not only attendance at the class sessions, but also work in your own time - pre-session reading, preparation for sessions, additional reading, and time spent thinking about the ideas raised on the course.
The course will examine the nature and scope of HRD theory and practice, and critically explore the changing contribution that training and development (T&D) can make towards achieving organisational strategy, the roles and practices of HRD practitioners, and approaches and perspectives on the strategic management of HRD. This will be achieved through examination of relevant literature reflecting the development of the discipline and current research and debates. Theoretical reflection will be be contextualised through case studies and reflections on contemporary practice.
Indicative content:
Human Resource Development Practice: a range of formal and informal HRD interventions and methods; application of a range of learning theories; design of L&D plans and programmes.
Contemporary Human Resource Development - definitions, debates and literatures: the notions of HRD, strategic HRD and critical HRD and their connections with L&D and human resource management (HRM).
HRD in changing organisational contexts: the contextual historical, economic, social, cultural, sector and organisational factors that influence policy and practice in HRD.
The evolution of Strategic HRD: the notions of strategy, strategy formulation and strategy process and their application in HRD; policy formulation and content; criteria relevant to selection and adoption of strategies and methods including analytical tools for establishing priorities; examples of common policies, strategies and methods in HRD.
HRD Practice and case studies: understanding of a range of stakeholder theories and models of stakeholder analysis; models of partnership working; diagnostic tools and processes, including problem formulation and analysis; notions of role, including social, organisational and professional; nature of performance measurement and associated tools; criteria for selection and design of HRD solutions; auditing L&D.
HRD, learning and change: the role of HRD in management of change and HRD contribution in change processes.
Planning, managing and evaluating HRD: producing business plans and business cases; allocation and management of resources; budget planning and control; selection and management of third party suppliers; methods and debates in HRD evaluation.
International perspectives on HRD: comparative HRD and international HRD.
The contextual meanings attached to HRD and their application to key employee groups, for example graduates, managers, professionals, women, international managers etc.
Definitions and understandings of ethics in HRD: notions of equality and diversity; notions of professionalism and professional practice; implications for and applications in professional practice of HRD.
Continuing professional development (CPD): rationales for and processes of CPD; a range of CPD methods.
National HRD: the nature and content of national and organisational policies and strategies for HRD.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Critically analyse and evaluate the formulation and implementation of processes of HRD strategies for defining and achieving current and future effectiveness at national, organisational, group and individual levels.
- Critically evaluate the potential and appropriateness of a range of HRD strategies, policies and methods with reference to relevant contextual factors.
- Lead the initiation, development and implementation of HRD strategies, interventions and activities.
- Work effectively and collaboratively with key internal and external partners and stakeholders to diagnose and manage HRD response to problems and issues and ensure clarity of role and contribution to agreed responses.
- Critically assess the role and influence the politics of HRD policy and practice in a range of contexts.
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Reading List
Blanchard, P. N. and Thacker, J. W. (2010) Effective Training: systems, strategies and practices, 4th edition, Pearson Education.
Gibb, S. (2007) Human Resource Development: Processes, Practices and Perspectives at Work, Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke.
Gold, J., Beardwell, J., Holden, R., Iles, P, & Stewart, J. (2009) Human Resource Development:theory and practice, Palgrave Macmillan
Grugulis, I. (2006) Skills, Training and Human Resource Development, Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke.
McGuire, D. (2014) Human Resource Development: theory and practice, 2nd Edition, Sage Publications.
Mankin, D. (2009) Human Resource Development, Oxford University Press.
Potoker, E.S. (2010) International Human Resource Development: a leadership perspective, Routledge.
Rigg, C., Stewart, J. & and Trehan, K. (2007) (Eds) Critical Human Resource Development: Beyond orthodoxy, Prentice Hall.
Sadler-smith, E. (2006) Learning and Development for Managers: perspectives from research and practice, Blackwell publishing.
Sims, R. (2006) Human Resource Development: today and tomorrow, Information Age Publishing.
Stewart, J. & Cureton, P. (2014) Designing, Delivering and Evaluating L&D: Essentials for Practice. McGraw Hill Education
Stewart, J. & Rigg, C. (2011) Learning and Talent Development, CIPD publishing
Swart, J., Mann, C., Brown, S. and Price, A. (2005) Human Resource Development: strategies and tactics, London, ELSEVIER Butterworth Hienemann.
Vince, R. (2004) Rethinking Strategic Learning, Routledge.
Walton, J. (1999) Strategic Human Resource Development FT /Prentice Hall.
Warhurst, C., Keep, E., and Gruglis, I. (eds) (2004) The Skills that Matter, Palgrave Macmillan.
CIPD Research Reports (various)
Journals:
Advances in Developing Human Resources
European Journal of Training and Development
Human Resource Development International
Human Resource Development Quarterly
Human Resource Development Review
International Journal of Training and Development |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Special Arrangements |
This course is open to students from other schools, however, please contact the course secretary prior to enrolling your Tutee in order to verify that there is space available; students on MSc Educational Research and MSc Education have priority. |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Usually once weekly over 10 weeks, 2.5 hour lecture and workshop session. |
| Keywords | HRD, training and development, learning and development |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Claire Valentin
Tel: (0131 6)51 6195
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Mairi Ross
Tel: (0131 6)51 4241
Email: |
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