Why so that HRD is a much valued structure of an organization that everyone does pay a respect to these people @ work?

Abstract

Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing wholes. It is a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than things, for seeing patterns of change rather than static "snapshots." It is a set of general principles -- distilled over the course of the twentieth century, spanning fields as diverse as the physical and social sciences, engineering, and management.... During the last thirty years, these tools have been applied to understand a wide range of corporate, urban, regional, economic, political, ecological, and even psychological systems. And systems thinking is a sensibility -- for the subtle interconnectedness that gives living systems their unique character. AGPareja 04/04/2009.

Human Resource Development continues to grow in importance within organizations due to the strategic priorities of competitiveness and change. This essay research will examine the role of the HRD function and its services in an organization. Just as, this paper will investigate the perceptions on the integral rule of the HRD function with the strategy of the organization and the challenges faced by the organization in moving from a more traditionally oriented function to one that is perceived to be strategically integrated. This essay employed a combination of analytical research to explore the value perceptions of HRD and its Personnel Affairs as a major branch in its structure.

A Personal Definition of HRD         

As Ruona and Lynham (2004) have taken pains to point out, professional HRD has everything to do with philosophy, and vice-versa. Even at its most metaphysical levels—ontological, epistemic and axiological—a meaningful personal philosophy has immense practical value, as it ultimately “shapes and directs how we act in the world” (Ruona & Lynham, 2004, p. 154). Furthermore, whereas the holding of personal philosophies or world views (whether implicit or explicit) marks a feature common to all humanity, those individual philosophies can be shared with and therefore embraced by others, even in business and professional contexts (Ruona & Lynham, 2004).

Paradigms, such as the learning and performance paradigms within HRD, actually reflect ontological assumptions about the nature of reality. Learning theories in turn derive from epistemological assumptions, of the sort that philosophers have debated for centuries. Even the most rigidly scientific methodology has its basis in philosophical assumptions about reality. As Plato remarked with typical insight in the Theaetetus many centuries ago, “Knowledge is true opinion” (as cited in Copi, 1979, p. 158). It follows from all this that a coherent personal philosophy, or at minimum the recognition of philosophy’s importance, marks the logical starting point of any defensible personal definition of HRD.  

With philosophical assumptions acknowledged (if not specified), the personal approach could be said to begin at the major points of controversy within HRD theories researches, and is thus where I begin. Much debate surrounds the learning and performance paradigms, for instance, often assumed by its respective advocates to contradict one another (Swanson & Holton, 2001). Whereas learning paradigm defenders are often represented as something like liberal-minded advocates for the common worker, and performance paradigm representatives as calculating economists with no regard for the human element, to view such contradiction in fact exists. Broadly conceived, learning in organizational contexts is what links human behavior to enhanced performance. Or simply, performance improvement is the main purpose of learning in HRD. In any case, I agree with Swanson and Holton’s (2001) practically advisable concluding assessment on the matter: “By being both human and performance advocates, HRD stands to gain the most influence in the organizational system” (p. 147).

From the theories of individual learning hypothesis also vary widely, from the very basic but empirically valuable stimulus-response behavioral approach, to the constructivist school criticized by some as bordering on sheer subjectivism. Cognitivism, in which the human cognitive or thought-processing mechanisms feature prominently, is what I would deem the most effective school of learning for most professional subjects. The behavioral approach does seem the most suitable for technical and vocational education, however. My favored approach would take into account most of the major learning theories, and incorporate each when most appropriate.  

Most definitions of HRD include a thread of common “keyword” elements: human and organizational learning, expertise, behavior, performance, change, training, development. To these I would add a few of my own. First of these is the trait of boldness, or a willingness to confront issues. A training manager or organization development manager will eventually come face-to-face with the reluctance of top management to embrace development efforts in any meaningful way. These managers are typically so engrossed with meeting immediate, bottom line shareholder expectations that they simply cannot see the value of human resource development investments. An effective HRD professional will have the courage to bring the issue to a head, through persistent, even confrontational communication with management.

At the same time, I would revise the standard understanding of HRD to more fully embrace the management demand for accountability. Along these lines, I believe a sound argument could be made for HRD interventions in training, for example, as sound investments with relatively high levels of return on investment (ROI). Yet I would add to the ROI and related metrics approaches a more rhetorical “common sense” approach, in making the argument that the most important aspects of business cannot in fact be directly measured in financial terms. To a fault, managers would all agree that “leadership” is an indispensable necessity of managing a business—yet even more than training, leadership cannot be measured, nor can the presumably considerable financial returns from investing in and implementing quality leadership. 

More than anything, HRD has been redefined in terms of tireless communication. A preacher I knew years ago once said in a sermon about the marriage relationship, “The three most important things in a marriage are communication, communication, and communication.” Changing the word “marriage” to “organization” results in a statement that holds just as true. Perhaps, then, I can add my “two cents” to the HRD definition by simply adding more, and more effective, communication to the picture. Thus, to Swanson and Holton’s (2001) useful theoretical depiction of HRD as a three-legged stool, resting on an ethical rug, I would add a can of WD-40 spray lubricant sitting on top of the stool, a symbol of the effective communication that reduces unnecessary frictions and promotes more fluid interactions among organizational interests.   

Preamble

Acumen has dawned on the captains of the Organizations in the whole world whether it is Industrial, Corporate, Governmental, Non-Governmental, Social or Political Organization, about the importance of Human Resources Development (HRD), without which, healthy and sustainable Organizational Development (OD) is not possible. Glimpses of the Human History would show you that the sojourn of the Human being on this planet had been from the darkness to the light, from ignorance to enlightenment, from discomfort to comfort, from pain to pleasure, from fears of the unknown to the emancipation with knowledge, from illogic to logic, from destruction to the creativity and innovations and construction!

Human being perennially struggled to grow in its power to do the things, to achieve apparently unachievable, to control the counteracting forces of nature, to mobilize and garner the resources, to create the groups, societies, and organizations, nation states in order to make this world livable and lovable. Therefore the HRD is as old as Human being, without which we would not have been in this modern age which constantly attempts to cross the frontiers of unexplored world beyond the confines of horizons.

However in this modern world, HRD which was once a natural process for ages has undergone the change with systematic strategic approach, focused on unleashing the hidden potential to scale the newer heights of achievements and performance, aimed at fulfilling the Mission, Vision, Goals of the organizations regardless of what kind of enterprise you are running. Of all the resources HR has gained the paramount importance in the framework of running and developing the organizations. HR has become central to organizational functions at all the levels.

HR was not adequately recognized by the other functional departments and was not even taken into mainstream decision making processes of the organization for a very long time. But especially in the rapidly changing times in the view of opening of Economics, Globalization, Liberalization and Privatization, changing political equations nationally and internationally, and volatility of the changing value systems world-wide, entire business world has finally understood, accepted, and welcomed the HRD as the most effective tool for effective sustenance and growth of the organization. It is needless to emphasize that HRD is the Lifeline for OD.

What Is Human Resource Development?

• HRD is an integrated area of an organization that is responsible in defining developmental practices of organizations so they may accomplish higher levels of individual and organizational effectiveness.
• HRD uses training and development to identify, assure, and help develop the key competencies that enable individuals to perform current or future jobs with planned individual learning accomplished through training, on-the-job learning, coaching, or other means.
• HRD uses organization development as a focus for assuring healthy inter- and intra-unit relationships and helping groups initiate and manage change by facilitating individuals and groups to effectively impact on the organization as a system.
• HRD uses career development as a focus on assuring an alignment of individual career planning and organizational career management processes to achieve an optimal match of individual and organizational needs.

Core Activity of HRD

1. To bring information to the surface and bring the information to the top level managers of the various organizations regardless of the department in order to address issues.  And like a herald it will serve as the most effective tool of organizational development – finding the gap.
2. To present the skills and techniques of HRD to all members of the organization from top level managers in the organizations.
3. To present conceptual clarity for HRD in consonance with organizational Goals, Vision and Mission.
4. To identify HRD based strategies to better a governance, effective management, sustainable growth of the organization.
5. To facilitate the Change for Better (ISO, TQM etc.) at all the levels in the organization through various HRD based Interventions.  

HRD Structural Formation

The Human Resources Department (HRD) is responsible for the administration and development of the human resources of an organization. The department includes the Executive Secretariat, Department Head and HR Professionals who are responsible in defining appropriate programs for implementation.

HRD creates and implements human resource programs and methodologies that in return will result to a business model that will define metrics and output indicators. It also focuses on the development of the organizations talent and technical skills capacity in direct response to the needs of the strategic business requirement/areas, with emphasis on career development, providing technical support via human resources specialists devoted to specific departments. Ideally, HRD can be divided into; Career Development Division, Compensation and Benefits Division, and Support Services Division.

Inter departments shall coordinate to the human resources planning from the entire organization and or units and advises management on personnel matters; including staff rules and policies for international and local recruitment, compensation, benefits and retirement plans. Finally, HRD promotes institutional labor relations through communication with the staff, retirees, and the community.

The Human Resources Management (HRM) function includes a variety of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations. Activities also include managing your approach to employee benefits and compensation, employee records and personnel policies. Usually small businesses (for-profit or nonprofit) have to carry out these activities themselves because they can't yet afford part- or full-time help. However, they should always ensure that employees have -- and are aware of -- personnel policies which conform to current regulations. These policies are often in the form of employee manuals, which all employees have.

Note that some people distinguish a difference between HRM (a major management activity) and HRD (Human Resource Development, a profession). Those people might include HRM in HRD, explaining that HRD includes the broader range of activities to develop personnel inside of organizations, including, eg, career development, training, organization development, etc.

There is a long-standing argument about where HR-related functions should be organized into large organizations, eg, "should HR be in the Organization Development department or the other way around?"

The HRM function and HRD profession have undergone tremendous change over the past 20-30 years. Many years ago, large organizations looked to the "Personnel Department," mostly to manage the paperwork around hiring and paying people. More recently, organizations consider the "HR Department" as playing a major role in staffing, training and helping to manage people so that people and the organization are performing at maximum capability in a highly fulfilling manner.