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THE SECOND ACADEMY PRACTICE GAP COMPARING AREAS OF FOCUS OF HRD PRACTITIONER PUBLICATIONS AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Year 2013, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 1 - 11, 01.06.2013

Abstract

In this study we compared contents of more than 900 articles from practitioner-oriented human resource development (HRD) publications (the Chief Learning Officer Magazine and the Training Magazine) and of more than 200 graduate courses taught in 10 leading HRD academic programs in the U.S. Our goal was to determine whether academic programs focus on content areas that are considered important by HRD practitioners. While the gap between HRD practice and research has been discussed in numerous academic articles, the gap between practice and teaching of HRD in academic programs remains largely unexplored. We identified three areas that are of high interest to HRD practitioners, but don’t seem to be adequately covered in academic programs: Leadership and leadership development; Organizational culture and ethics; and Social learning, social networking, and social media. We discuss each of the three areas, review related literature, and reflect on the reasons for the observed discrepancy between importance of these topics in today’s workplace and attention, paid to them in academic programs. Furthermore, we discuss how design of HRD programs could be changed to address identified gaps, and outline future research directions

References

  • Baldwin, T. T. (2000). Fundamental choices in human resource development scholarship and practice. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 7, 70-74. doi:10.1177/152342230000200311
  • Bartunek, J. M. (2007). Academic-practitioner collaboration need not require joint or relevant research: Toward a relational scholarship of integration. Academy of Management Journal, 50, 1323-1333. doi:10.5465/AMJ.2007.28165912
  • Bassi, L. (1998). Connecting research and practice through the ASTD Research Committee: Staying relevant in an electronic world. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 9, 315-317. doi:10.1002/hrdq.3920090402
  • Baylen, D. M., Bailey, M. L., & Samardzija, M. (1996). Revisiting perceptions of HRD roles: Implications for HRD curricula. In E. Holton, III (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1996 Academy of Human Resource Development conference (pp. 793-800). Baton Rouge, LA: Academy of Human Resource Development. Retrieved from http://www.ahrd.org/associations/10425/files/1996Proceedings.pdf
  • Berelson, B. (1952). Content analysis in communication research. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
  • Berger, N. O., Kehrhahn, M. T., & Summerville, M. (2004). Research to practice: Throwing a rope across the divide. Human Resource Development International, 7(3), 403-409. doi:10.1080/1367886042000246003
  • Beyer, J. M. (1992). Metaphors, misunderstandings and mischief: A commentary. Organization Science, 3, 467- 474. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2635111
  • Boyer, E. L. (1991). Highlights of the Carnegie report: The scholarship of teaching from “scholarship reconsidered: priorities of the professoriate”. College Teaching 39(1), 11-13. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27558441
  • Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L., Guttmann, M. L., & Hanson, E. E. (2003). Advanced mixed methods research design. In A. Tashakkori, & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social and Behavioral Research, (pp. 209–240). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Dare, D. E., & Leach, J. A. (1999). Preparing tomorrow’s HRD professionals: Perceived relevance of the 1989 competency model. Journal of Vocational and Technical Education, 15(2), 5-18. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ590763.pdf
  • Denzin, N.K., & Lincoln, Y.S. (Eds.). (1988). Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials. London: Sage Publications.
  • Dewey, J. D., & Carter, T. J. (2003). Exploring the future of HRD: The first future search conference for a profession. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 5(3), 245–256. doi:10.1177/1523422303254627
  • Dilworth, R. L., & Redding, J. (1999). Bridging gaps: An update from the ASTD research committee. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 10(3), 199-202. doi:10.1002/hrdq.3920100301
  • Dooley, L. M. (2004). AHRD and ASTD: Competitors or collaborators. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 15(4), 359–361. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1110
  • Emelo, R. (2011, December). The future of learning. Chief Learning Officer, 10(12), 18-21. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e7fa1783-0d11-4a0e-973d- 4d008423949d%40sessionmgr4&vid=5&hid=14
  • Graham, P., & Kormanik, M. (2004). Bridging the conference gap: A challenge to enhance the research-practice dialogue. Human Resource Development International, 7(3), 391-394. doi:10.1080/1367886042000245996
  • Greene, J. C., Caracelli, V. J., & Graham, W. F. (1989). Toward a conceptual framework for mixed-method evaluation doi:10.3102/01623737011003255 Educational Evaluation Policy Analysis, 11, 255–274.
  • Hamlin, R. G., Reidy, M., & Stewart, J. (1998). Bridging the HRD research-practice gap through professional partnerships. doi:10.1080/13678869800000038 Resource Development
  • International, 1(3), 273-290.
  • Jacobs, R. L. (1997). HRD partnerships for integrating HRD research and practice. In R. Swanson, & E. Holton, III (Eds.), Human resource development research handbook (pp. 47–64). San Francisco, CA: Berrett- Koehler.
  • Keefer, J. M., & Stone, S. J. (2009). Practitioner perspectives on the gap between research and practice: What gap? Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(4), 454-471. doi:10.1177/1523422309345122
  • Keefer, J., & Yap, R. (2007). Is HRD research making a difference in practice? Human Resource Development Quarterly, 18, 440-455. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1214
  • Kormanik, M. B., & Shindell, T. J. (2009). Perspectives on HRD scholar-practitioners: Current issues, strategic possibilities, and next steps. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(4), 536-547. doi:10.1177/1523422309344389
  • Kuchinke, K. P. (2001). HRD university education: An international research agenda. Human Resource Development International, 4(2), 253-261. doi:10.1080/13678860010006121
  • Kuchinke, K. P. (2002). Institutional and curricular characteristics of leading graduate HRD programs in the United States. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 13(2), 127-144. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1019
  • Kuchinke, K. P. (2004). Theorizing and practicing HRD: Extending the dialogue over the roles of scholarship and practice in the doi:10.1080/1367886042000299825 field.
  • Human Resource Development International, 7(4), 535-539.
  • Kuchinke, K. P. (2007). Birds of a feather? The critique of the North American business school and its implications for educating HRD practitioners. Human Resource Development Review, 6(2), 111-126. doi:10.1177/1534484307300175
  • Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury park: Sage Publications.
  • Marcus, A. A., Goodman, R. S., & Grazman, D. N. (1993). On the rigor and relevance of strategic management frameworks (Discussion paper). Minneapolis, MN: Strategic Management Research Center, University of Minnesota
  • McLean, G. N. (2008, February). Interpreting HRD practice for academics and interpreting HRD theory and research for practitioners. Preconference workshop presented at the 2008 Academy of Human Resource Development conference, Panama City, FL.
  • Moats, J. B., & McLean, G. N. (2009). Speaking our language: The essential role of scholar-practitioners in HRD. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(4), 507-522. doi:10.1177/1523422309337820
  • Myers, N. F. (2008). Bridging the theory-to-practice gap: Some thoughts from an internal OD consultant. Human Resource Development Review, 7, 469-471. doi:10.1177/1534484308324522
  • Roberts, P. (Ed.). (2011). Human Resource Development: Directory of academic programs in the United States. Tyler, TX: University of Texas at Tyler.
  • Ruona, W. E. A. (1999). Theory in “theory to practice”: Voices of practitioners. In K. P. Kuchinke (Ed.), Proceedings of the1999 Academy of Human Resource Development (pp. 888–896). Bowling Green, OH: Academy of http://www.ahrd.org/associations/10425/files/1999Proceedings.pdf Human Resource Development. Retrieved from
  • Rynes, S. L., Trank, C. Q., Lawson, A. M., & Ilies, R. (2003). Behavioral coursework in business education: Growing evidence of a legitimacy crisis, Academy of Management Learning and Education, 2(3), 269-283. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40214195
  • Rynes, S. L., Giluk, T. L., & Brown, K. G. (2007). The very separate worlds of academic and practitioner periodicals in human resource management: Implications for evidence-based management. Academy of Management Journal, 50, 987–1008. doi:10.5465/AMJ.2007.27151939
  • Short, D. C. (2006). Closing the gap between research and practice. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 17, 343-350. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1178
  • Short, D. C., Bing, J. W., & Kehrhahn, M. T. (2003). Will human resource development survive? Human Resource Development Quarterly, 14, 239-243. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1064

THE SECOND ACADEMY-PRACTICE GAP: COMPARING AREAS OF FOCUS OF HRD PRACTITIONER PUBLICATIONS AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Year 2013, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 1 - 11, 01.06.2013

Abstract

In this study we compared contents of more than 900 articles from practitioner-oriented human resource
development (HRD) publications (the Chief Learning Officer Magazine and the Training Magazine) and of more
than 200 graduate courses taught in 10 leading HRD academic programs in the U.S. Our goal was to determine
whether academic programs focus on content areas that are considered important by HRD practitioners. While
the gap between HRD practice and research has been discussed in numerous academic articles, the gap between
practice and teaching of HRD in academic programs remains largely unexplored. We identified three areas that
are of high interest to HRD practitioners, but don’t seem to be adequately covered in academic programs:
Leadership and leadership development; Organizational culture and ethics; and Social learning, social
networking, and social media. We discuss each of the three areas, review related literature, and reflect on the
reasons for the observed discrepancy between importance of these topics in today’s workplace and attention,
paid to them in academic programs. Furthermore, we discuss how design of HRD programs could be changed to
address identified gaps, and outline future research directions. 

References

  • Baldwin, T. T. (2000). Fundamental choices in human resource development scholarship and practice. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 7, 70-74. doi:10.1177/152342230000200311
  • Bartunek, J. M. (2007). Academic-practitioner collaboration need not require joint or relevant research: Toward a relational scholarship of integration. Academy of Management Journal, 50, 1323-1333. doi:10.5465/AMJ.2007.28165912
  • Bassi, L. (1998). Connecting research and practice through the ASTD Research Committee: Staying relevant in an electronic world. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 9, 315-317. doi:10.1002/hrdq.3920090402
  • Baylen, D. M., Bailey, M. L., & Samardzija, M. (1996). Revisiting perceptions of HRD roles: Implications for HRD curricula. In E. Holton, III (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1996 Academy of Human Resource Development conference (pp. 793-800). Baton Rouge, LA: Academy of Human Resource Development. Retrieved from http://www.ahrd.org/associations/10425/files/1996Proceedings.pdf
  • Berelson, B. (1952). Content analysis in communication research. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
  • Berger, N. O., Kehrhahn, M. T., & Summerville, M. (2004). Research to practice: Throwing a rope across the divide. Human Resource Development International, 7(3), 403-409. doi:10.1080/1367886042000246003
  • Beyer, J. M. (1992). Metaphors, misunderstandings and mischief: A commentary. Organization Science, 3, 467- 474. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2635111
  • Boyer, E. L. (1991). Highlights of the Carnegie report: The scholarship of teaching from “scholarship reconsidered: priorities of the professoriate”. College Teaching 39(1), 11-13. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27558441
  • Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L., Guttmann, M. L., & Hanson, E. E. (2003). Advanced mixed methods research design. In A. Tashakkori, & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social and Behavioral Research, (pp. 209–240). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Dare, D. E., & Leach, J. A. (1999). Preparing tomorrow’s HRD professionals: Perceived relevance of the 1989 competency model. Journal of Vocational and Technical Education, 15(2), 5-18. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ590763.pdf
  • Denzin, N.K., & Lincoln, Y.S. (Eds.). (1988). Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials. London: Sage Publications.
  • Dewey, J. D., & Carter, T. J. (2003). Exploring the future of HRD: The first future search conference for a profession. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 5(3), 245–256. doi:10.1177/1523422303254627
  • Dilworth, R. L., & Redding, J. (1999). Bridging gaps: An update from the ASTD research committee. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 10(3), 199-202. doi:10.1002/hrdq.3920100301
  • Dooley, L. M. (2004). AHRD and ASTD: Competitors or collaborators. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 15(4), 359–361. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1110
  • Emelo, R. (2011, December). The future of learning. Chief Learning Officer, 10(12), 18-21. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e7fa1783-0d11-4a0e-973d- 4d008423949d%40sessionmgr4&vid=5&hid=14
  • Graham, P., & Kormanik, M. (2004). Bridging the conference gap: A challenge to enhance the research-practice dialogue. Human Resource Development International, 7(3), 391-394. doi:10.1080/1367886042000245996
  • Greene, J. C., Caracelli, V. J., & Graham, W. F. (1989). Toward a conceptual framework for mixed-method evaluation doi:10.3102/01623737011003255 Educational Evaluation Policy Analysis, 11, 255–274.
  • Hamlin, R. G., Reidy, M., & Stewart, J. (1998). Bridging the HRD research-practice gap through professional partnerships. doi:10.1080/13678869800000038 Resource Development
  • International, 1(3), 273-290.
  • Jacobs, R. L. (1997). HRD partnerships for integrating HRD research and practice. In R. Swanson, & E. Holton, III (Eds.), Human resource development research handbook (pp. 47–64). San Francisco, CA: Berrett- Koehler.
  • Keefer, J. M., & Stone, S. J. (2009). Practitioner perspectives on the gap between research and practice: What gap? Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(4), 454-471. doi:10.1177/1523422309345122
  • Keefer, J., & Yap, R. (2007). Is HRD research making a difference in practice? Human Resource Development Quarterly, 18, 440-455. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1214
  • Kormanik, M. B., & Shindell, T. J. (2009). Perspectives on HRD scholar-practitioners: Current issues, strategic possibilities, and next steps. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(4), 536-547. doi:10.1177/1523422309344389
  • Kuchinke, K. P. (2001). HRD university education: An international research agenda. Human Resource Development International, 4(2), 253-261. doi:10.1080/13678860010006121
  • Kuchinke, K. P. (2002). Institutional and curricular characteristics of leading graduate HRD programs in the United States. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 13(2), 127-144. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1019
  • Kuchinke, K. P. (2004). Theorizing and practicing HRD: Extending the dialogue over the roles of scholarship and practice in the doi:10.1080/1367886042000299825 field.
  • Human Resource Development International, 7(4), 535-539.
  • Kuchinke, K. P. (2007). Birds of a feather? The critique of the North American business school and its implications for educating HRD practitioners. Human Resource Development Review, 6(2), 111-126. doi:10.1177/1534484307300175
  • Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury park: Sage Publications.
  • Marcus, A. A., Goodman, R. S., & Grazman, D. N. (1993). On the rigor and relevance of strategic management frameworks (Discussion paper). Minneapolis, MN: Strategic Management Research Center, University of Minnesota
  • McLean, G. N. (2008, February). Interpreting HRD practice for academics and interpreting HRD theory and research for practitioners. Preconference workshop presented at the 2008 Academy of Human Resource Development conference, Panama City, FL.
  • Moats, J. B., & McLean, G. N. (2009). Speaking our language: The essential role of scholar-practitioners in HRD. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(4), 507-522. doi:10.1177/1523422309337820
  • Myers, N. F. (2008). Bridging the theory-to-practice gap: Some thoughts from an internal OD consultant. Human Resource Development Review, 7, 469-471. doi:10.1177/1534484308324522
  • Roberts, P. (Ed.). (2011). Human Resource Development: Directory of academic programs in the United States. Tyler, TX: University of Texas at Tyler.
  • Ruona, W. E. A. (1999). Theory in “theory to practice”: Voices of practitioners. In K. P. Kuchinke (Ed.), Proceedings of the1999 Academy of Human Resource Development (pp. 888–896). Bowling Green, OH: Academy of http://www.ahrd.org/associations/10425/files/1999Proceedings.pdf Human Resource Development. Retrieved from
  • Rynes, S. L., Trank, C. Q., Lawson, A. M., & Ilies, R. (2003). Behavioral coursework in business education: Growing evidence of a legitimacy crisis, Academy of Management Learning and Education, 2(3), 269-283. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40214195
  • Rynes, S. L., Giluk, T. L., & Brown, K. G. (2007). The very separate worlds of academic and practitioner periodicals in human resource management: Implications for evidence-based management. Academy of Management Journal, 50, 987–1008. doi:10.5465/AMJ.2007.27151939
  • Short, D. C. (2006). Closing the gap between research and practice. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 17, 343-350. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1178
  • Short, D. C., Bing, J. W., & Kehrhahn, M. T. (2003). Will human resource development survive? Human Resource Development Quarterly, 14, 239-243. doi:10.1002/hrdq.1064
There are 39 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Alexandre Ardıchvılı This is me

Jeong Rok Oh This is me

Jeong Rok Oh This is me

Publication Date June 1, 2013
Published in Issue Year 2013 Volume: 8 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Ardıchvılı, A., Oh, J. R., & Oh, J. R. (2013). THE SECOND ACADEMY PRACTICE GAP COMPARING AREAS OF FOCUS OF HRD PRACTITIONER PUBLICATIONS AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. Bilgi Ekonomisi Ve Yönetimi Dergisi, 8(1), 1-11.