Category: Human Resource Development

The Link Between Research and Practice: Experiences of HRD and Other Professions ~ My Article

Another of the articles I worked on for some time was also just published in the current issue of the journal Advances in Developing Human Resources — The Link Between Research and Practice: Experiences of HRD and Other Professions.

I will repeat the abstract:

Creating synergy between research and practice is viewed as the basis for creating successful and meaningful HRD outcomes and is fundamental to the maturation of the profession. Given this, there is naturally an interest in the strength of the relationship between research, theory, and practice, and this has been reflected in the journals of the Academy of Human Resource Development from their inception. In this article, the authors summarize some of the key points from the last 10 years of those journals and put them in the context of research-to-practice experiences in other professions. We conclude that HRD practitioners, practice, and professionals are hampered by the lack of connection between practice and research in the field.

I appreciate the work and support of my co-authors, Darren and Sophia!

Practitioner Perspectives on the Gap Between Research and Practice ~ My Article

One of the articles I wrote was just published in the current issue of the journal Advances in Developing Human Resources — Practitioner Perspectives on the Gap Between Research and Practice: What Gap? This article was several years in the making, and I am thrilled all our efforts have finally come to fruition.

I will repeat the abstract:

The research-to-practice gap within HRD is an increasingly important focus of research.This study empirically investigates this issue from the perspective of practitioners, who are directly asked about their use of research. Results suggest that practitioners use "research," though the term is not used in the same way that those who engage in academic and scholarly research use it. This peer-reviewed research is perceived to not be reaching practitioners, who instead turn to their own communities of practice to meet their research needs.

The biggest surprise with our findings is how the term “research,” as in “we are doing research,” means so many different things to different people. I hope this work helps move the discussion within the area of scholar-practitioners along.

Research as a Political Device

This presentation is an interactive discussion on the structures of research as they are used politically, to keep people in hegemonic power and the order of things. What an interesting concept. Wayland Walker is speaking about these issues, and how various civil rights movements move forward while still maintaining the status quo.

Nice discussion at the beginning of the process about methodological perspectives, and from which frameworks he is working in (such as post-structuralism). Interesting about the concept of speaking differently depending on who is in the room, namely queer space. Have not heard that concept before.

Who makes knowledge in adult education? Interesting ethnographic question about this. This group is usually tenured professors who buy and sell education and training. The ritual acts are known as research. The shamans are peer reviewers. I really like hearing about this. He is continuing about how research takes on almost religious or cultural senses. Academia in the US is a religious sense in qualitative methods is listed as the real, in that triangulation and reproducing coding and such are now issues brings qualitative to quantitative.

Interesting perspective that qualitative work is becoming increasingly quantitative. Mixed methods is increasingly being used, so qualitative will have just enough quantitative. In this way, qualitative is increasingly seen as a step toward quant.

There is a great discussion about packaging funding and grant requests in order to get the funding, and then balance the research and advocacy (in whatever perspective) with it. This can be seen as a political issue. Interesting how much there are discussions about funding. Is that what academia has sunken to, constant talk about money? Perhaps in this way, working out in industry is more straight-forward?

Disrupting the theory/practice binary. Reminds me of the work I do in AHRD.

Are there academics in the trenches in adult education? Are adult educators involved in the fight and the movement for social change?

Human Resource Management Help Needed

Are you a Human Resource Management (HRM) professional or manager? If not, do you know one?

I am redesigning and teaching a graduate Human Resource class in the Fall, Research Process and Methodology at New York University, and I am looking to speak (briefly) with HR professionals to ask them one simple question:

  1. What research skills or methods do you or your team need to know and understand to do your job?

If anybody can direct me to any responses, please either email me at jk904 (at) nyu (dot) edu or please comment below. I want to meet the needs of my future students, and what better way to do this than by asking people already in the field?

Thank you.

AHRD 2009 Call for Papers

If the ASTD 2009 call for papers were not enough, the call for papers for AHRD (Academy of Human Resource Development) 2009 is also online and available. AHRD is one of my main professional organizations, and I was not able to attend it this year. The major change? Longer full papers can be submitted as well as Refereed Presentations and Scholar-Practitioner Presentations.

I am interested in doing some research and submitting it, though I have to narrow down my ideas!

BTW, the submission dates for AHRD is August 25, 2008 and the one for ASTD is July 15, 2008.