Ross E. Azevedo

A Response to Wang and Swanson's Article on National HRD and Theory Development

Wang and Swanson (2008) have provided a critique of the current state of the research and theory of national human resource development (NHRD). In this article, the authors provide a critique based on the following issues: insistence on a single paradigm of truth or reality, theory development methodology, the bounding process, the definitional process, scope of NHRD efforts, and reliance on economics (and only development economics).

Agency theory from the perspective of human resource development

This paper reviews and examines the development of agency theory and its components, the relationship between the principal and agent, and further explores its implications for the field of HRD. Understanding the foundations, functional utility, and implications is important both for HRD scholars and practitioners, as the field is striving to motivate productivity of employees in todays complex and dynamic workplace environment, where the ways in which business is conducted are changing. This paper contributes to our understanding of how organisational principals and agents interact and how HRD programmes and functions may benefit from the opportunity that agency theory offers to address the challenges which this phenomenon presents.

Examining Agency Theory in Training & Development: Understanding Self-Interest Behaviors in the Organization.

Agency theory has been discussed widely in the business and management literature. However, to date there has been no investigation about its utility and implications for problems in training & development. Whereas organizations are still struggling to develop and implement effective training programs, there is little emphasis on the self-interest behaviors of the trainers and how these motivations may impede the training process. Agency theory can help inform our learning and understanding of possible outcomes in this scenario. Consequently, this article is the first to explore agency theory within the training & development framework and offers propositions for research and practice. Implications for organizational policy and performance outcomes are also discussed.

Measuring the Effects of Learning Styles: Is a Little Knowledge Dangerous for Excellence in Management Education?

This is an experimental group/control group inquiry into the use of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory as a learning tool as well as a diagnostic tool. The idea is to assess whether it is possible to alter the perception of learners on the divergence of learning styles through an appropriate conditioning process so as to improve learning. One group was conditioned through tying the nature and objective of classroom learning exercises to the four-stage learning cycle of Kolb as a way of using the Kolb Learning Style Inventory experience as a strategy to improve learning; the other was not. Postexercise testing revealed results contrary to expectations. Furthermore, implications for teaching and learning are discussed.

The Economics of Utility, Agency, Theory, and Human Resource Development

The problem and the solution . Rational self-interest economic behavior of individuals may lead to undesirable outcomes for the institution. The principal—agent problem and its potential solutions deal with the ways that organizations must pay close attention in the relationships to optimize their physical and human resources for organizational success. Human resource development can play a significant role in facilitating a positive principal—agent relationship.

Migration, unemployment dispersion and the Phillips curve

Abstract Policy-makers have long known that the complexity of the labor market creates the potential for a wide variety of strategies to be utilized to improve the ‘wage inflation-unemployment’ trade-off. This research assesses the potential effect of two unemployment-reducing strategies — reducing the dispersion of unemployment rates and increasing labor-force migration. The results of the regression analysis suggest that an approach which encourages labor-force migration would be more efficient than the present shot-gun approach of CETA and other manpower programs. Cost estimates also suggest that it is more expensive to improve the Phillips curve through employment expanding expenditures than it is to improve the curve through migration inducement.

Examining tournament theory in academe: implications for the field of human resource development

In a unique approach to applying theory to practice based on concepts of participant observation, this paper discusses and analyses potential applications of tournament theory to the academe with specific implications to the field of human resource development (HRD). For purposes of this paper, tournament theory, originally intended to explain large compensation packages given to CEOs and other executives, provides analysis and predictions for academe and specifically to the field of HRD, where predictions are not very optimistic for those entering the field as academics. The paper argues that tournaments in academe are becoming more complex and more difficult to compete and win, thus making it much more difficult to advance in the academe.