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This paper aims to review technical vocational education and training (TVET) literature, identify different components of the TVET system and develop a conceptual framework that integrates human resource development (HRD) and national human resource development (NHRD) outcomes. The renewed focus on technical vocational education and training (TVET) is important for human resource development (HRD), as it expands current understanding of its role in economic development through workforce training. National human resource development (NHRD) perspectives recognize the role of TVET in linking regional and national economic development strategies. Furthermore, TVET’s focus on literacy education, poverty alleviation and inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable populations emphasizes social development outcomes that are critical for NHRD. Using this background, the integration of HRD and NHRD outcomes into one conceptual TVET framework for addressing workforce, economic and social development outcomes has been proposed.

A targeted literature review approach was used for exploring relevant research on TVET systems, identifying the components which support and/or inhibit its effectiveness and an integrative framework that connects education, workforce development, social development and economic development was developed.

Three major themes were identified. The first theme identifies nine sub-themes that make an effective TVET system. These are as follows: national TVET policy, regional TVET policy, training, participation, curriculum, coordination of stakeholder institutions, individual and institutional attitudes toward skill development, managing supply-demand mismatches and economic and social development outcomes. The second major theme underlines the increasing overlap and connection between workforce development, social development and economic development strategies. In the third and final finding, effective TVET systems are positioned as the linking pin connecting the four TVET components (skills, education, innovation and knowledge) to the strategic goals of workforce development, economic development and social development.

Integrating national and organizational-based HRD strategies is a unique focus and reflects the broader examination of the differences in the relationship between corporate HRD and more traditional TVET systems. It is argued that the role of TVET in social and workforce development at the regional and societal level cannot be ignored. HRD and NHRD outcomes were integrated by utilizing TVET as a framework for linking economic, social and workforce development strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze a new research topic, national human resource development (NHRD) for neglected but critical components of economics foundation and accumulated international development research and practices.

Through a targeted literature review on NHRD writing, major development economics theory, and international development literatures, this study conducted a critical content analysis.

The findings in the paper are: current research on NHRD has not advanced our knowledge in economic development, human development, and human resource development under different cultural contexts; the HRD concept used by economists means human development (HD), the domain of HRD should not be extended to HD and HRD scholars should understand the different meaning of the same terms used in different fields determined by the contextual and historical background of the field; NHRD should be renamed as HRD national policy studies, and should be firmly based on economic foundation and incorporating accumulated knowledge in international development. Otherwise, the idea of NHRD is to reinvent the wheel with much less scholarly rigor.

HRD research should be firmly based on its theoretical foundations and accumulated knowledge in other related areas. HRD should not define itself by a concept defined by another field, even with the same wording.

As HRD national policy studies, HRD professionals may contribute economic development by analyzing HRD‐related policy implementation and propose policy recommendations by working with existing development communities.

This paper is important for HRD scholars to explore a new research and practice frontier. It calls attention to properly positioning HRD's role in national economic development and clarifies some misunderstandings in the NHRD literature.

The paper aims to examine the relationship between human resource development (HRD) and organizational and national competitiveness and identify research opportunities for Chinese human resource management (HRM) scholars.

Literature and document review.

HRD and innovation is not only critical for economic development, but also for political, technological, socio-cultural and environmental developments. The state and organizations, particularly multinational corporations, play an important role in developing human resources and their capability in innovation. Through a brief review of recent HRD national policies and MNC organizational practices, the paper presents a number of research topical areas, including HRD national system and policy formation and related mechanisms, national and organizational HRD program evaluations, comparative HRD research, and international agencies' involvement in national HRD system in relation to MNCs' efforts in developing human capital.

This essay presents research opportunities in Chinese HRD and innovation that may not only contribute to the HRM literature, but also inform HRD policy formation, implementation, and evaluation, as well as organizational practices.

The aim of this paper is to review published conceptual and research papers within the field of international, comparative and cross‐cultural HRD.

The paper's approach is a targeted literature review focusing on papers within the mainstream HRD journals, as well as a small number of non HRD journals.

The literature review revealed that international, comparative and cross‐cultural HRD is an emerging subfield of study. In general the authors were able to categorise the literatures into the three trajectories specified. However, they noted contradictions and confusions within the literature.

The paper is solely theoretical in nature; however, it does identify gaps for further research. The authors highlight specific research questions within each trajectory as well as proposing a global HRD construct.

The paper is particularly valuable to scholars interested in theorising and researching international, comparative and cross‐cultural HRD. It sets the scene for the special issue on the three trajectories, and identifies possible avenues for future theorising and research.

The aim of the paper is to present the findings of a definitional review and comparative study of HRD definitions. It also reports the results of comparing and contrasting a synthesis of the “intended purposes” and “processes” constituting these definitions against various definitions and conceptualisations of organisational development (OD) and coaching.

A targeted literature review was conducted to identify and collate a comprehensive range of HRD, OD, and coaching definitions/conceptualisations. These were then subjected to forms of content and thematic analysis in search of similarities and differences.

The literature review has revealed many “contradictions”, “confusions” and “controversies” concerning the identity of HRD. Results from the definitional review suggest two or more of four synthesised “core purposes” of HRD are embedded explicitly or implicitly within the respective HRD definitions examined. Furthermore, these HRD “core purposes” and “processes” are virtually the same as those associated with OD and coaching

The definitions used in the study were limited to those that define HRD practice at the individual, group and organisational level, and are based on conventional and predominantly western conceptualisations. A challenge and dilemma arising from our findings bring into question the notion of HRD, OD, and coaching as unique and distinct fields of study and practice. Rather, the evidence implies there may be a compelling logic for these three fields to converge into a unified disciplinary domain concerned with “people and organisation development”.

The paper is particularly relevant for scholars interested in HRD theorising and/or developing HRD theories on the basis of empirical evidence. This is because they need to know whether the foci of their studies lie inside or outside the boundaries between HRD and other related domains. It may also be of interest to practitioners who wish to identify themselves as HRD professionals, as opposed to OD or coaching professionals.

This paper seeks to address the recent challenges in the international human resource development (HRD) research and the related methodological strategy.

This inquiry is based on a survey of literatures and integrates various comparative research strategies adopted in other major social science disciplines.

Based on comparative strategies found in other disciplines, the authors propose a framework to advance comparative HRD research and theory development.

The proposed framework emphasizes methodological consistency in HRD research and improving the relevance and rigor in theory development. It also highlights the required qualities of comparative researchers.

This is an initial effort in analyzing the emerging comparative HRD literature for an alternative framework to advance methodological research on HRD theory building.

This paper aims to explore the applicability of Strategic HRD in Mauritius. Additionally, it assesses if Mauritius, with a high HDI factor, can take the lead on Strategic HRD in Africa.

This paper used a mixed-approach questionnaire. A sample of 21 managers was contacted and received a response rate of 67 per cent.

Most organisations in Mauritius do not practice human capital development at a strategic level but rather at a tactical one. Strategic HRD is mostly practiced at the implementation level of the business strategy rather than at the formulation stage of the mission, vision and strategy itself. However, the practice of strategic human resource development stays a minority within some very few organisations, as they acknowledge the benefits that Strategic HRD brings along.

The limitation of the sample considered for this research is a relatively small one to be representative of the Strategic HRD practices in Mauritius as a whole. It identifies implication for improving the current Strategic HRD state in the island.

The paper directly impacts on the Strategic HRD practices of organisations and reveals loopholes to be remedied within the present HRD systems.

This paper not only proposes a first research in terms of Strategic HRD in Mauritius but also assesses the island’s position as being an HRD leader in Africa. Simultaneously, it provides a tailor-made conceptual framework for Strategic HRD in Mauritius.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed literature on university-based human resource development (HRD) courses and programs.

The methods used in this paper are integrative literature review and content analysis.

Only 71 peer-reviewed articles that address university-based HRD courses and programs in any way were found. Forty-six were empirical studies and 25 were either conceptual or editorial in nature. The majority of articles focused on HRD courses and programs in the USA and the UK. Perspectives from other countries were nearly absent. Many of the claims about the content and quality of HRD courses and programs were not supported by empirical evidence.

HRD courses and programs are offered in universities around the world. Almost nothing is known of their content, quality or methods. Future research on these courses and programs should focus on the relevance of curriculum to the needs of organizations.

While HRD research and practice are concerned with learning and development, topics related to the learning and development of future HRD scholars and practitioners are rarely addressed in the HRD literature. This is the only comprehensive review of the small-body peer-reviewed literature on university-based HRD courses and programs. It provides a summary of the findings of empirical research on HRD courses and programs, and an analysis of the warrant for the claims about these courses and programs.

The purpose of this paper is to define the impact of the investment in training in education by the European Social Fund (ESF) in four Eastern countries, namely, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Hungary. Those countries have some political, cultural, social and economic similarities and share some common ground in the human resource development (HRD) sectors.

The authors use the human capital theory with some extensions to analyze the context, operations and impacts of the ESF in the Visegrad four (V4) countries between 2007 and 2013. The authors use three levels of methodology to access each one of those problems.

The authors conclude that the ESF helped building the vocational training system in those countries, and to help them get near the equilibrium of high skills of the V4 Western European neighbors, and therefore, this one was a success story. However, quality issues remain to be addressed that may hinder the continuation of the success in the future.

The research could be enlarged in time and space and deepened in terms of methodology. This is one a first clarifying step. Theoretical work should become aware of the dichotomy between absorption and scientific logic.

Detailed and precise evaluation practices must be implemented to guide and assess the policy.

Precisely because funds are scarce this paper enlights the dilemma and the tension between quantity and quality in the European HRD policy, this is an important social problem.

The study is original because even if the HRD in those countries had already been studied (Sheehan and Buchelt, 2016), no study analyzing specifically the ESF in those countries has been carried out so far. The authors use an innovative methodology and address questions on context, operations and impact, which are also innovative and very relevant.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the factors and conditions that influence national human resource development (NHRD) in Brazil. In this paper, the transitioning nature of the political, economic, social and educational conditions; the current challenges and trends that may impact NHRD; and the current status of NHRD research in Brazil are examined.

A search of the research literature focused on the political, economic, cultural, social and educational environment and the research associated with NHRD in Brazil was conducted. After searching several databases, including Academic Search Complete, Google Scholar, ERIC and EBSCO, several articles were selected and analyzed based on the depth of description of the conditions and research.

Among the factors discovered, race, gender and educational equality are still concerns. The complex nature of the relationship between the Brazilian Government, its people and organizations, as well as the efforts of Brazil’s multinational and indigenous organizations to address their national development needs, are also presented.

Brazil is currently and projected to be a long-term player in the global economy; however, it struggles to cope with conditions incongruent to the country’s long-term success. This paper frames the conditions and suggests ways of moving forward through human resource development practice, policy and research in Brazil.