Human Resources Development in Organization – Conceptual Fundamentals and Research Approaches

Authors

  • Assoc. Prof. Dr Margarita Atanasova Department of Human Resources and Social Protection, Faculty of General Economics, UNWE image/svg+xml Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37075/YB.2012.1.05

Abstract

The current study presents a critical analysis of the contemporary views on human resources development in organizations, whose conceptual fundamentals are related to the resource-based view of the firm as well as the theory of human capital, and from these standpoints a methodical framework for research approaches in this field is being developed. The study reveals the core characteristics of human resources development in organizations as a process for employees’ human capital improvement. Human resources development in organizations is being analyzed as a complicated amalgam of processes, realized on the individual and organizational levels, during which certain resources are being transformed into a result, benefiting not only the individuals and the organizations, but also society.

References

Beleva, Izkra Spasova, Tsanov, Vasil Mishov, & Velkova, Doktcha Angelova (2009). Working Conditions and Quality of Employment in Bulgaria: Trends and Interactions. Sofia: Avangard Prima. ISBN: 978-954-323-609-1

Beleva, I., Tsanov, V., Lukanova, P., & Atanasova, M. (2009). The Bulgarian 'approach' to achieving better flexibility and security in the labor market 2009-2011. MTSP. URL: https://www.iki.bas.bg/gavkavost-i-sigurnost-na-pazara-na-truda-v-balgariia (accessed 2011-10-01)

Europe 2020, Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth. (2020). European Commission. SOM (2010) 2020

Vladimirova, Katya (2007). The Human Potential for Economic Growth and the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian Economy. Economic and Social Measurements. Yearbook of UNWE, 123-174. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37075/yb.2007.1.04

Franz, Wolfgang (1996). The Labor Market. Sofia: Forum 2000. ISBN: 954-8929-01-5

Dulevski, Lalko Stoychev (2010). Labor Market. Sofia: Ciela. ISBN: 978-954-28-0700-1

Evgeniev, Evgeni Georgiev (2007). Changes in Labor Activity. Sofia: Shans AD. ISBN: 978-954-92179-3-3

Iliev, Yosif (2006). Human Resource Management – A Necessary Transition from Theory to Practice in Bulgarian Corporate Business. Yearbook of UNWE, 147-170. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37075/yb.2006.1.04

Kazakov, Atanas (2010). Human Capital: Conceptual Framework and Functional Methodology. Research Papers of UNWE, 7-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37075/rp.2010.1.01

Towards a European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning. (2005). European Commission. SEC (2005) 957

Leizer, Edward P. & Gibbs, Michael John (2009). Economics of Personnel. Sofia: Klasika i Stil OOD. ISBN: 978-954-327-059-0

Lukanova, Pobeda Vasileva (2012). Labor Resources - Implementation and Preparation (1990-2011). Sofia: Avangard. ISBN: 978-619-160-006-9

Interim Review of the "Lifelong Learning" Programme (No. СОМ (2011) 413). (2011). European Commission. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/BG/HIS/?uri=CELEX:52011DC0413 (accessed 2011-10-01)

Evaluation of the Impact of the National Strategy for Lifelong Learning for the Period 2008-2013. (2012). Ministry of Education and Science. URL: https://www.mon.bg/mon/strategii-i-politiki/otsenki-i-analizi/ (accessed 2011-10-01)

National Strategy for Continuing Professional Training for the Period 2005-2010. (2014). National Assembly. URL: https://www.strategy.bg/bg/strategy-documents?fieldOfActions%5B0%5D=20&page=2&order_by=title&direction=desc (accessed 2014-04-25)

New Skills for New Jobs, Anticipatory Forecasting of Labor Market Needs and Provision of Corresponding Skills (No. COM (2008) 868). (2008). European Commission. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=swd:SEC_2008_3058 (accessed 2011-10-01)

Pavlov, Neno (2008). Labor Markets and Unemployment. IK Faber. ISBN: 978-954-775-999-2

Paunov, M. (2006). Strategic Management of Human Resources. Sofia: University Publishing House "Stopanstvo". ISBN: 954-494-607-1

Sotirova, Maria Georgieva (2007). Flexible Employment Systems and Deregulation of the Labor Market. Plovdiv: Paisii Hilendarski University Press. ISBN: 978-954-423-406-5

Spasov, Kiril (2004). Professional Studies. Sofia: Apis. ISBN: 954-9899-87-X

Conclusions of the Council on a Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training.

Todorov, Todor Dobromirov (2012). Hidden Unemployment in Bulgaria - The Effect of Discouraged Workers and Forced Part-Time Employment. Ekonomicheski Issledvaniya, 1(2012).

Shopov, D. & Atanasova, M. (2009). Human Resource Management. Sofia: Trakia-M.

Goudswaard, A. & de Nanteuil, Matthieu (2000). Flexibility and working conditions : a qualitive and comparative study in seven EU member states. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

Daguerre, Anne & Etherington, David (2009). Active Labour Market Policies in International Context: What Works Best? Lessons for the UK. Department for Work and Pensions.

Argiris, C. (1992). On Organisational Learning. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.

Argiris, C. & Schon, D. (1996). Organisational Learning: A Theory of Action Perspective. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley.

Armstrong, M. (2006). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. London: Kogan Page.

Badescu, M. (2006). Measuring the Outputs and Outcomes of Vocational Training – towards a Coherent Framework for Indicators. European Commission.

Barney, Jay (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108

Bassanini, Andrea, Booth, Alison, De Paola, Brunello Maria, & Leuven, Edwin (2005). Workplace Training in Europe. IZA.

Becker, Gary S. (1962). Investment in Human Capital: A Theoretical Analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 70(5, Part 2: Investment in Human Beings). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/258724

Becker, Gary S. (1975). Front matter, Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, with Special Reference to Education. New York: Columbia University Press.

Behringer, F. & Kapplinger, B. (2005). Enterprise-provided Training and its National Context: Towards an Explanatory Model. European Educational Research Association. URL: https://eera-ecer.de/ecer-programmes/conference/16/contribution/28130 (accessed 2014-04-25)

Beruvides, Mario G. & Koelling, C. Patrick (2001). An investigation of the work characteristic composition in blue-collar, white-collar, and knowledge work. International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 1(2/3/4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1504/ijhrdm.2001.001011

Bollerot, P. (2002). Labour Shortages and Employability: A European and International Approach. International and Social Security Review, 55(3), 19-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-246x.00130

Bontis, Nick (1998). Intellectual capital: an exploratory study that develops measures and models. Management Decision, 36(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/00251749810204142

Bontis, Nick (1999). Managing organisational knowledge by diagnosing intellectual capital: framing and advancing the state of the field. International Journal of Technology Management, 18(5-8). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1504/ijtm.1999.002780

Bontis, Nick, Crossan, Mary M., & Hulland, John (2002). Managing An Organizational Learning System By Aligning Stocks and Flows. Journal of Management Studies, 39(4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6486.t01-1-00299

Bontis, Nick, Chua Chong Keow, William, & Richardson, Stanley (2000). Intellectual capital and business performance in Malaysian industries. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 1(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930010324188

Boone, Jan & Ours, Jan C. van (2004). Effective Active Labor Market Policies (No. Discussion Paper No. 1335). IZA.

Borjas, G. (2008). Labour Economics. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Brewster, C. & Hegewisch, A. (1999). Policy and Practice in European Human Resource Managenet. London: Routledge.

Buyens, Dirk & Wouters, Karen (2005). Continuing vocational training in Belgian companies. Journal of European Industrial Training, 29(4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590510597151

Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, CIPD (2001). Professional Standarts. URL: https://www.cipd.org/en/membership/professional-standards/ (accessed 2011-10-01)

Collin, A. (2001). Learning and Development. Human Resource Management: A contemporary approach (Ed. I. Beardwell and L. Holden).

Crouch, C. (1998). Skills-based Full Employment: the Latest Philosoper's Stone. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 35(3), 367-391. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8543.00059

Crouch, C., Finegold, D., & Sako, M. (1999). Are Skills the Answer?. NY: Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198294382.001.0001

Dearden, L. & Reed, H. (2005). The Impact of Training on Productivity and Wages: Evidence from British Panel Data. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 68(4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1920/wp.ifs.2005.0516

Descy, Pascaline & Manfred Tessaring (2002). Training and Learning for Competence, Second Report on Vocational Training Research in Europe: Executive Summary. CEDEFOP.

Dess, G. & Picken, J. (1999). Beyond productivity: how leading companies achieve superior performance by leveraging their human capital. New York: American Management Association. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.37-1023

European Commission, Communication Towards Common Principles of Flexicurity: More and Better Jobs through Flexibility and Security (No. COM/2007/0359 final). (2007). European Commission. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52007DC0359 (accessed 2011-10-01)

Dierickx, Ingemar & Cool, Karel (1989). Asset Stock Accumulation and Sustainability of Competitive Advantage. Management Science, 35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.35.12.1504

Downes, Andrew S. (2007). Human Resource Development and Management in the Caribbean: An Introduction. Journal of Eastern Caribbean Studies, 32(4).

Monitoring and Analysis of Flexicurity Policies. (2009). EMCO Reports. ISSUE 2 /July 2009

European Report on Quality Indicators of Lifelong Learning (No. COM 2002/0629 final). (2002). European Commission. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2002:0629:FIN:EN:PDF (accessed 2011-10-01)

Finegold, David (1993). Breaking Out of the Low-skill Equilibrium. Education Economics, 1(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09645299300000010

Finegold, D. & Soskice, D. (1992). The Failure of Training in Britain: an Analysis and Prescription. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 4(3), 21-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/4.3.21

Cörvers, Frank & Kriechel, Ben (2008). Future skill needs in Europe, medium-term forecast, synthesis report. Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training).

Garavan, Thomas N., Morley, Michael, Gunnigle, Patrick, & Collins, Eammon (2001). Human capital accumulation: the role of human resource development. Journal of European Industrial Training, 25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/eum0000000005437

Garavan, Thomas N., McGuire, David, & O’Donnell, David (2004). Exploring Human Resource Development: A Levels of Analysis Approach. Human Resource Development Review, 3(4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484304271669

Garvin, D. (1994). Building a Learning Organization. Business Credit, 96(1).

Garvin, D., Edmondson, A., & Gino, Fr. (2008). Is Yours Learning Organisation. Harvard Business Revew.

Gourlay, Stephen (2001). Knowledge management and HRD. Human Resource Development International, 4(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13678860121778

Grant, Robert M. (1991). The Resource-Based Theory of Competitive Advantage: Implications for Strategy Formulation. California Management Review, 33(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/41166664

Grant, Robert M. (1996). Toward a knowledge‐based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250171110

Gratton, L. & Ghoshal, S. (2003). Managing Personal Human Capital: New Ethos for the "Volunteer" Employee. European Management Journal, 21(1).

Grieves, Jim & Redman, Tom (1999). Living in the shadow of OD: HRD and the search for identity. Human Resource Development International, 2(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13678869900000012

Hackman, J. Richard (1980). Work redesign and motivation. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.11.3.445

Hall D. T. (1984). Human Resource Development and Organizational Effectiveness, Strategic Human Resource Management.

Harrison, R. (2002). Learning and Development. London: CIPD. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2006.04414dae.001

Hitt, William D. (1995). The learning organization: some reflections on organizational renewal. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 9(8). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/01437739510097996

Jacobs, R. (2004). Systems Theory Applied to Human Resource Development. Systems Theory Applied to Human Resource Development (Ed. D. Gradous).

Jackson, Susan E., Hitt, Michael A., & DeNisi, Angelo S. (2003). Managing knowledge for sustained competitive advantage : designing strategies for effective human resource management. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

JE Jones (1981). The organizational universe. The 1981 Annual Handbook for Group Facilitators (Ed. J. Jones and J. Pfeiffer).

Kaplan, R. & Norton, D. (2004). Measuring the Strategic Readiness of Intangible Assets. Harvard Bisiness Review.

Kluve Jochen (2006). The Effectiveness of European Active Labor Market Policy. IZA Bonn. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.892341

Kolb, D. (1976). Management and Learning Process. London: Jossey Bass.

Lado, Augustine A. & Wilson, Mary C. (1994). Human Resource Systems and Sustained Competitive Advantage: A Competency-Based Perspective. The Academy of Management Review, 19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/258742

Lam, A. & Lundvall, B. (2004). The Learning Organisation and National Systems of Competence Building and Innovation. How Europe’s Economies Learn: Coordinating Competing Models, 109-139. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199203192.003.0005

Lavezzi, Andrea Mario (2006). ON HIGH‐SKILL AND LOW‐SKILL EQUILIBRIA: A MARKOV CHAIN APPROACH. Metroeconomica, 57(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-999x.2006.00236.x

Leitch, C. & Harrison, R. (1996). Learning Organization: the Measurement of Company Performance. Journal of European Industrial Training, 20(1), 31-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/03090599610105264

Lengnick-Hall & Lengnick-Hall (2003). Human Resource Management in the Knowledge Economy. San Francisco, CA: Berret-Koehler.

Lepak, David P. & Snell, Scott A. (1999). The Human Resource Architecture: Toward a Theory of Human Capital Allocation and Development. Academy of Management Review, 24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1999.1580439

Leschke, J., A. Watt, & Finn, M. (2008). Constructing a European Job Quality Index. ETUI.

Macduffie, John Paul (1995). Human Resource Bundles and Manufacturing Performance: Organizational Logic and Flexible Production Systems in the World Auto Industry. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 48(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/001979399504800201

Mertens, L. (2004). Training, Productivity and Labour Competencies in Organizations: Concepts, Methodologies and Experiences. Montevideo, CINTERFOR: International Labour Office.

Nadler, L. (1970). Developing Human Resources. Houston: Jossey-Bass Publishers. ISBN: 0-87201-166-6

Nahapiet, Janine & Ghoshal, Sumantra (1998). Social Capital, Intellectual Capital, and the Organizational Advantage. The Academy of Management Review, 23(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/259373

Nestler, K. & Stimpson, A. (2008). Building a More Complete Picture of VET. CEDEFOP.

Nonaka, Ikujiro & Takeuchi, Hirotaka (1996). The knowledge-creating company: How Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation. Oxford: Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-6301(96)81509-3

Nonaka, Ikujiro & Nishiguchi, Toshihiro (2001). Knowledge Emergence: Social, Technical and Evolutionary Dimensions of Knowledge Creation. New York: Oxford University Press.

OECD (2001). OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2001. OECD. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/sti_scoreboard-2001-en

Ogrean, Claudia, Herciu, Mihaela, & Belaşcu, Lucian (2009). Searching for Sustainable Competitive advantage-From Tangibles to Intangibles. Journal of US-China Public Administration, 6(47).

Orlando, R. & Johnson, N. (2001). Understanding the Impact of Human Resource Diversity Practices on Firm Performance. Journal of Management Issues, 13(2).

Otero, Manuel Souto (2007). Access to post‐compulsory education and training: economic, sociological and political determinants and remaining research gaps. Comparative Education, 43(4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03050060701611961

Ordóñez de Pablos, Patricia (2004). Human resource management systems and their role in the development of strategic resources: empirical evidence. Journal of European Industrial Training, 28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590410542701

Pepper, A. (1994). Managing the Training and Development Function. London: Gower. ISBN: 0-566-02977-4

Rodriguez Perez, Jesus & Ordóñez de Pablos, Patricia (2003). Knowledge management and organizational competitiveness: a framework for human capital analysis. Journal of Knowledge Management, 7(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/13673270310485640

Peteraf, Margaret A. (1993). The cornerstones of competitive advantage: A resource‐based view. Strategic Management Journal, 14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250140303

Prahalad, C. K. (1983). Developing strategic capability: An agenda for top management. Human Resource Management, 22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.3930220304

Rastogi, P.N. (2000). Sustaining enterprise competitiveness – is human capital the answer?. Human Systems Management, 19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/hsm-2000-19306

MA Reid & HA Barrington (1999). Training interventions: Promoting learning opportunities. London: CIPD.

J Reynolds (2004). Helping people learn: strategies for moving from training to learning. London: CIPD.

Ronald, W., McQuaid & Colin Lindsay (2005). The Concept of Employability. Urban Studies, 42(2), 197-219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0042098042000316100

Ruona, W. (2001). System Theory as a Foundation for Human Resource Development. Foundations of HRD (Ed. Berrett-Koehler Publishers), pp. 114-122.

Senge, P. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation. London: Doubleday Century Business.

P Senge, A Kleiner, C Roberts, R Ross, & B Smith (1994). Moving forward, thinking strategically about building learning organizations. The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook (Ed. Senge, P., Kleiner, A., Roberts, C., Ross, R., Smith, B.).

Skills for Europe's Future: Anticipating Occupational Skill Needs. (2009). CEDEFOP.

Sloman, Martyn (2003). Training in the Age of the Learner. London: CIPD.

SA Snell, MA Youndt, & PM Wright (1996). Establishing a framework for research in strategic human resource management: Merging resource theory and organizational learning. Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management (Ed. Ferris, G.).

Snowden, D. (1997). A Framework for Creating a Sustainable Programme. Knowledge Management: A Real Business Guide.

Stiles, P. & Kulvisaechana, S. (2012). Human Capital and Performance: A Literature Review. Judge Institute of Cambridge, University of Cambridge.

Swanson, R. (2004). Performance is the key. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 6(2).

Swanson, R. & Holton, E. (2001). Foundations of Human resource Development. N.Y: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13678860110059311

Thite, Mohan (2004). Strategic positioning of HRM in knowledge‐based organizations. The Learning Organization, 11(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09696470410515715

Walton, J. (2000). Strategic Human Resource Development. Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/pr.2000.29.6.816.3

Warhurst, Chris (2008). The knowledge economy, skills and government labour market intervention. Policy Studies, 29(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01442870701848053

Weinberger, Lisa A (1998). Commonly held theories of human resource development. Human Resource Development International, 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13678869800000009

Wernerfelt, B. (1984). A Resource-based View of the Firm. Strategic Management Journal, 5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250050207

European Commission: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport & Culture (1995). White Paper on Education and Training. Commission of the European Communities. URL: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/8722c9fb-71da-435f-94b6-33aab67eb081/language-en (accessed 2011-10-01)

Wick, Calhoun W. & León, Lu Stanton (1995). From ideas to action: Creating a learning organization. Human Resource Management. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.3930340207

Wright, Patrick M., Dunford, Benjamin B., & Snell, Scott A. (2001). Human resources and the resource based view of the firm. Journal of Management, 27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/014920630102700607

Zuboff, Shoshana (1988). In the Age of the Smart Machine. New York: Basic Books.

Downloads

Published

2012-12-17

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Atanasova, M. (2012). Human Resources Development in Organization – Conceptual Fundamentals and Research Approaches. Yearbook of UNWE, 1, 139-194. https://doi.org/10.37075/YB.2012.1.05