Rod P. Githens

Toward a reframing of action research for human resource and organization development Moving beyond problem solving and toward dialogue

We propose a framework for viewing action research (AR) by considering the level of criticality and the emphasis on methodological process. Specifically, we propose conventional AR, critical AR, and dialogic AR as three broad categories for considering AR. This framework is explored through discussing the philosophical foundations upon which these approaches rest and providing examples of AR studies and conceptual writings in the organizational change and development literature. This literature appears to be dominated by perspectives and discourses close to the conventional AR paradigm, which does not actively acknowledge value stances. A central point of the article is that dialogic AR, informed by pragmatic philosophy and philosophical hermeneutics, represents an emerging, promising perspective. Dialogic AR’s primary concern is to create understanding and mutual learning in and through dialogue while also leading to practical solutions. Practical implications of dialogic AR are also considered, in particular the conditions that need to be present for critical dialogue to flourish and the organizational realities that prevent such dialogue.

LGBT Employee Groups: Goals and Organizational Structures:

The problem and the solution. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees oftentimes face isolation, difficult workplace climates, and inequitable benefits and policies. LGBT employee groups offer a space for social support and provide an organized platform from which employees can advocate for changes within their workplaces.We provide a social and historical background on LGBT employee groups and provide a framework/continuum for understanding different approaches to operating these groups.These groups vary in their organizational structures and in their goals. Groups can adopt emergent organizational styles or take more orderly and structured approaches to organizing. Goals for these groups include bringing broader social change and improving organizational effectiveness. These groups provide human resource development that benefits individuals, organizations, communities, and societies.

Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgendered People and Human Resource Development: An Examination of the Literature in Adult Education and Human Resource Development

Issues related to human resource development (HRD) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people such as workplace inclusion, employee affinity groups, and LGBT-specific diversity initiatives are being addressed in organizations more often now than ever before. This article explores the existing literature on LGBT issues in HRD and adult education through a systemic review to determine what research exists and what future directions are necessary. This review revealed a small core of research related to these issues. Existing work is mainly conceptual, and there is a lack of quantitative work. Topics of focus are related to organizational change and diversity efforts, with very little research on HR policy, career development, and workplace education. Key findings include that HR professionals have primarily served in a reactive role, rather than leading on these issues.

Tacit Knowledge Barriers in Franchising: Practical Solutions.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify barriers that hinder tacit knowledge transfer in a franchise environment and offer a compendium of solutions that encourage franchisees and franchisors to leverage tacit knowledge as a resource for competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from the research on franchise organizations there are five barriers to tacit knowledge transfer that present a challenge to both vertical and horizontal information flow in a franchise environment. It is suggested that when specific behaviors and processes are adopted to encourage sharing tacit knowledge it is possible to reduce tension and promote collaboration in the franchise relationship.Findings – Barriers to tacit knowledge transfer in franchise organizations include: Trust, Maturation, Communication, Competition, and Culture. Ideas for fostering knowledge sharing are offered.Research limitations/implications – The factors identified only partially explain why there may be resistance to sharing ...

Diversity and Incivility: Toward an Action-Oriented Approach

Some individuals experience incivility at work based on others’ perceptions of whether they are different from the norm. Incivility, the often-unintentional violation of social norms, can occur as a result of perpetrators’ unconscious prejudice. Such activity can result in decreased employee satisfaction, increased likelihood of looking for another job, and decreased mental and physical health. Employers can take these threats seriously by considering how to integrate diversity initiatives and incivility initiatives. Common diversity interventions might unintentionally lead to increased acts of incivility due to the likelihood of suppressing true feelings. In addition, programs that encourage diversity awareness development and continuous introspection have been criticized for not leading to meaningful action. This article culminates in addressing how diversity initiatives might be reimagined using an incivility framework that seeks to integrate an action orientation.

Academic Performance, Age, Gender, and Ethnicity in Online Courses Delivered by Two-Year Colleges

This study investigated the effects the demographic variables age, gender, and ethnicity and their interactions had on academic performance in online courses delivered by public two-year colleges in Kentucky. The study controlled for previous academic performance measured by cumulative grade point average (GPA). The study used a random sample (N = 320) of all students who had enrolled in at least one online course delivered by the institutions of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System in the spring 2008 semester. A linear hierarchical multiple regression acting as ANCOVA served as the main analysis, with the order entry as follows: cumulative GPA; independent variables (age, gender, ethnicity); interaction vectors; and product vectors. Final course grade served as the dependent variable. The results of the analysis indicated that only cumulative GPA was a significant predictor, explaining approximately 40% of the variance of the final grade. Although differences in final grades were present among the variables age and ethnicity, these differences disappeared when controlling for cumulative GPA. Significance of the results and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Online Contract Training: Applying Organization Theory to Reconcile Competing Missions within Community Colleges

Community colleges in the United States have become major providers of human resource development services, particularly through offering workforce development training to local employers. The addition of workforce development services to community colleges is a fairly recent phenomenon. Some see workforce development efforts as diluting community colleges’ historic mission of providing affordable and accessible opportunities for students to transfer to 4-year institutions. The addition of online training has created additional stressors, because of increases in costs, opportunities for outsourcing, and increased opportunity for serving those outside of the local community. Using an organizational theory framework, this conceptual article addresses the competing emphases in the community college mission and attempts to understand how various types of institutions overcome internal and external barriers in introducing online workforce development through organizational change initiatives.

Using needs assessment as a learning tool in the product development process: A case study of a quick service restaurant chain

Purpose – The purpose of this case study was threefold. First, to examine whether a needs assessment can work in the context of an organization’s new product development process to identify the gap between what “is” occurring and what “should” be occurring. Second, to investigate how a well-known stakeholder classification system can be adopted in a practitioner setting. Third, to identify why the new product development process derailed in a quick-service restaurant chain. Design/methodology/approach – A Fortune 200 quick-service restaurant chain provided the setting for a case study on the new product development (NPD) process. Data were gathered from multiple stakeholder groups using interviews and a survey questionnaire. Findings – Findings support the adaptability of needs assessment as a learning tool to help organizations identify and address performance gaps. A second finding was the applicability of the Mitchell et al. (1997) classification system to identify and prioritize groups of stakeholders...