HRD is a management function that evolved over the years. The historical development of the HRD function has close relationship with how employees were treated at work. An employee was treated as an ‘animate tool’, later in history as a slave, and then a servant leading to master-servant relationship. In the scientific management era, people management function focussed on ‘how to get things done’; and in the motivation era employees had to be motivated to extract maximum work. It is in the human relations era, importance of human dimensions was brought out. By this time two distinct people management functions were slowly evolving, one to establish relationship between management with workers, government and other constituents of business; which is known today as Industrial Relations function (IR). The other function that deals with employees, starting from recruitment and selection until the separation in organizations is known as Personnel Management (PM). Human Resources Development (HRD) function is a much later development, evolved to focus on how to develop of human resources though activities like training and development.
HRD activities got impetus in India with L & T taking major initiatives in the year 1974 and then in the very next year by State bank of India with the professional help of two HRD pioneers, Dr. Udai Pareek and Dr. TV Rao. Both these organizations established powerful HRD departments building on their existing IR and Personnel functions. By 1991 a good number of organizations started the HRD initiatives and established HRD function. Today HRD is seen as a well established function in Indian organizations.
The proposed course on ‘Human Resources Development (HRD)’ intends to make available the body of knowledge along with the functional implications to the participants of this program. In short, this course addresses the fundamental question- how to develop human resources in organizations to meet the emerging business demands?
2. OBJECTIVES
The specific objectives of the course are the following:
2.1 To familiarize the students with the HRD field and conceptual framework in the context of people related management functions
2.2 To enable students to pick up the skills relating to design and implement HRD systems in organizations
2.3 To familiarize and develop competencies required to manage HRD processes relating to HRD function
2.4 To equip with the students with the skills to develop and use tools that are essential to develop human resources
2.5 To equip the participants with competencies that are essential to be successful people development manager
3. COURSE MODULES AND CONTENTS
The course has ten modules with 20 sessions. Module wise contents are given below:
3.1 MODULE 1: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: (The module besides introducing the course set the context for the rest of the modules to follow)
3.1.1 HRD Context: Individual, organization and societal level analysis
3.1.2. HRD theorization: The HRD framework
3.1.3 The Supportive HRD framework
3.1.4 HRD Philosophy, Vision and Mission
3.1.5 HRD Values
3.1.5 HRD Application fields- Beyond organizations
3.1.6 Strategic Human Resources Development (SHRD)
3.2 MODULE 2: POTENTIAL AND POSSIBILITIES OF HUMAN RECOURSES (This module discusses the potential orientation of human resources – What human recourses are capable of achieving given the very nature of human being)
3.2.1 Human Resource Potential
3.2.2 Human Potential and stretched target Paradigm
3.2.3 Human Resource Potential Vs. Managerial competencies
3.2.4 Stretched targets and Stress
3.2.5 Managing Human Resources Potential in organizations
3.3 MODULE 3: DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING HRD SYSTEMS (The module focuses on various HRD systems through which HRD function is carried out in organizations. The module also intends to build skills that are essential to design and implement HRD systems in organizations. Some of the emerging HR practices like HR shared services, High performance work systems and Competency based HR practices will also be covered in this module)
3.3.1 Career Related HRD systems
3.3.2 Work Related HRD Systems
3.3.3 Development related HRD systems
3.3.4 Renewal related HRD systems
3.3.5 Culture related HRD systems
3.4 MODULE 4: HRD PROCESS (HRD is a process driven function that addresses behavioural and interactional dimensions of people development activities in organizations)
3.4.1 HRD process of Individual
3.4.2 HRD processes of Role
3.4.3 HRD process of team
3.4.4 HRD processes of organization
3.5 MODULE 5: DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING HRD TOOLS (Ability to design and use development tools calls for technical skills as in the case of assessment/development centre or even competency mapping. Today there is large number of HRD tools and some of such tools will be taken up in this module)
3.5.1 Behavioural Event Interviewing (BEI)
3.5.2 Competency mapping
3.5.3. Assessment/ Development Centre
3.5.3. 360 Degree Feedback
3.5.4. Mind mapping
3.3.6 Appreciative Inquiry
3.3.7 Future search/Large Scale Interactive Events (LSIE)
3.6. MODULE 6: HRD AND MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES (Competency at role level leading to high performance is a focus area of HRD and this module looks at competency both at role levels and functional level)
3.6.1 The HRD Manager
3.6.2 HRD competencies checklist
3.6.3 Identifying, assessing and developing HRD Competencies
3.6.4 HRD function and competency Mapping
3.7 MODULE 7: HRD AND LINE MANAGERS (The success of HRD is attributed to the ability of line managers to implement the same in their respective area of work. This module addresses the HRD role of line managers in implementing HRD systems, processes and tools)
3.8. MODULE 8: HRD AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT (HRD has a major role in managing change in organizations. The module outlines the role of the function and HRD functionary in managing change.)
3.9 MODULE 9: HRD AUDIT (HRD audit is a comprehensive HRD evaluation method and tool pioneered by Academy of HRD. In this module other ways of evaluating HRD will also be looked into).
4. PEDAGOGY
A mix of conceptual presentation, Case discussion, Worksheets and Group Work will be used to enable participants to learn the modules effectively. Each participant will also be asked to work on an emerging HRD field to capture the HRD systems, processes and tools specific to that sector. Course material will be made available to students for personal reading learning along with the progress of the course.
5. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
5.1 Individual written Assignment: 20%
5.2 Project Work in groups: 20%
5.3 Quizzes: 25%
5.4 End term: 35%
6. READINGS
MG Jomon. (2008). HRD Manuscripts (Unpublished).
MG Jomon. (2003). HRD in Real Time, National Institute of Personnel Management, Cochi.
Udai pareek and TV Rao. (2003). Designing and managing Human Resource Systems. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. PVT. LTD. New Delhi.
TV Rao (1996). Human Resources Development: Experiences, Interventions, strategies, Sage Publications, New Delhi.
TV Rao. (2000). HRD Audit. Response Book, Sage Publications, new Delhi.
Padaki et al. .(eds.) . (2005). Emerging Asia: An HR agenda, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company limited, New Delhi
Balaji C. et al. . (eds.) .(1998). Leading change through Human Resources, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company limited, New Delhi
TV Rao et al. (eds.). (1994). HRD in the new economic Environment, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company limited, New Delhi
Udai Pareek and TV Rao. (1988). Pioneering Human Resources Development: The L&T System, Academy of Human Reosurces Development, Ahmedabad
Udai Pareek et al. (eds.) . (1992). Managing Transition: HRD response, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company limited, New Delhi
Udai Pareek. (1997). Evaluating Human Resource Development, Jaipur HRD Research Foundation, IIHMR, Jaipur
Udai Pareek et al. (eds.) .(2002). Human Resource Development in Asia, Oxford & IBH publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi
Uma, Pareek and Jomon. (eds.) .(1996). Road to empowerment: HRD experiences with workers and support staff, Academy of HRD, Ahmedabad
Dharni et al. (eds.). (1996). Aligning Human Resources processes: Challenges of Development, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company limited, New Delhi
Armstrong, M. (1999). A Handbook of Human Resources Management practice. 7th Edition. London.
Dave Ulrich. (1997). Human Resource Champion. Harvard business School Press.
Lee, G.and Beard, D. (1994). Development centres: Realizing the potential of your employees through assessment and development. Mac Graw Hill Book Company, England.
Falconer James. (2002). Emergence Happens! Misguided Paradigms regarding organizational change and the role of complexity and patterns in the change land scrape. Emergence. Vol.4. Issue1/2, Pp. 117-130.
Rensink, Ronald A. (2002). Change Detection. Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 53 Issue 1, p245, 33p
Dave Ulrich et. al. 2001. The HR Scorecard. Harvard Business School Press.
Woodruff, C.(1990). Assessment Centres: Identifying and developing competences. London Institute of Personnel management.
Thornton III, G.C.&Byham, W.C.(1992). Assessment centres in human resource management. USA: Addison Wesley Publishing Company.
Appelbaum, E., Batt, R. (1993). High Performance Work Systems: American Models of Workplace Transformation. Washington, D. C.: Economic Policy Institute.
Lawler, E.E., Mohrman, S.A., Ledford, G.E. (1995). Creating high performance organizations: practices and results of employee involvement and total quality management in Fortune 1000 companies. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.