Consuelo L. Waight

Exploring Connections Between Human Resource Development and Creativity

This article sets the stage for exploring the connections between creativity and human resource development (HRD). It signals the significance of exploring creativity and HRD by looking at knowledge workplaces, workforce projections, work values, occupation projections, on-the-job training, and entrepreneurship. The article also shows how research on creativity and HRD has examined similar learning and performance variables.

Connecting HRD and Creativity: From Fragmentary Insights to Strategic Significance

The previous articles indicate that there are connections between creativity and human resource development (HRD) but that these connections are fragmented. The growing strategic concern with creativity and the workforce and the workplace presents a challenge to all those concerned with HRD. This article focuses on the underlying themes among the six articles and presents concerns with meanings, strategies, and challenges.

Valuing the Adult Learner in E-Learning: Part Two--Insights from Four Companies

Purpose – To investigate how the adult learner is valued in e‐learning corporate settings.Design/methodology/approach – Case study methodology was used for this research. Four Fortune 500 companies that had active e‐learning initiatives for a minimum of four years were selected. Data for the development of the four cases were collected via semi‐structured telephone interviews. The questions that guided data collection and case development are: what is the e‐learning context in your organization?; How is the adult learner valued in the e‐learning environment?; What considerations must be addressed when valuing the adult learner in e‐learning environments within corporate settings?Findings – Four case studies emerged from data collection and revealed that adult learners are being valued and supported in corporate e‐learning settings. A comparative analysis of the case studies with the Waight and Stewart conceptual model showed that the e‐learning teams are complying with all factors for the exception of tra...

Influences for selecting engineering: Insights on access to Social Capital from two case studies

This paper employs the theory of social capital to explore the educational experiences and academic career decisions of engineering undergraduates. Two case studies are presented from a larger mixed-methods project which investigated the experiences of ethnically and socio-economically diverse female engineering students at an urban research university. Participants completed an online survey, which included items about reasons for selecting engineering and information sources utilized in doing so. Additionally, semi-structured interviews explored participantspsila perceived supports and barriers for college and career plans. Triangulation of survey and interview data yielded insights regarding the relations between social capital and studentspsila academic and career decision making processes. While both participants first became interested in engineering during middle school, their reasons for entering the field and access to information about engineering were very different. The social capital inequity apparent in these cases can be attributed in part to parental educational attainment and occupation.

Case Study: Collaborative Creation of an On-Line Degree Program.

Faculty collaboratively developed an on‐line Bachelor of Science degree in Consumer Science and Merchandising (CSM). Part‐time faculty and technical support services supported the four‐member team. Small grants assisted in the creation and redesign of all CSM major courses for on‐line delivery. Issues of appropriate learning strategies, student access, technical capabilities, curriculum design, resources, and assessment were addressed. The case illustrates the opportunities, challenges, and benefits college professors can face when developing an on‐line degree program.

The Value of an Undergraduate HRD Degree: An Exploratory Investigation of Perceived Employability and Career Success:

The Problem Undergraduate human resource development (HRD) programs are becoming increasingly popular. However, there is little research available regarding the outcomes of the alumni of these programs and the value that they attribute to their undergraduate HRD degree. The Solution In this exploratory study, a survey was used to assess the value of an undergraduate HRD education among graduates of an undergraduate HRD program. Perceived employability and subjective career success were used as measures to assess the value of an undergraduate HRD degree from the perspective of alumni from an undergraduate HRD program. Academic achievement was also considered for the possibility of impacting the perceived value of the degree. Descriptive statistics are used to report the findings related to perceived employability and subjective career success. The Stakeholders The results of this study are useful to undergraduate HRD program administrators and alumni who are interested in the career outcomes of undergraduate HRD students in the first few years following their graduation. These administrators and alumni can use the results to market and describe the value of an undergraduate degree in HRD. An additional stakeholder group includes potential students who may seek clarification on the experiences of graduates of the undergraduate HRD programs that the potential students may be considering.