Human Resource Development Review

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes scholarly practice, non-empirical research in human resource development (HRD) faces distinct challenges that existing guidance has not addressed. Non-empirical scholarship—including systematic reviews, bibliometric analyses, conceptual articles, and theory articles—makes its contribution through the quality of the author’s intellectual engagement with ideas, a process that AI can support but cannot replace. This editorial articulates why non-empirical work demands careful attention to AI use, proposes a typology distinguishing legitimate, contested, and illegitimate applications across six research touchpoints, and establishes reporting expectations for non-empirical submissions. Grounded in the Academy of HRD Standards on Ethics and Integrity, we address AI’s current limitations for conceptual and review scholarship, its implications for scholarly equity, and the pragmatic-substantive distinction central to transparent disclosure. We offer eight reporting expectations and discuss implications for reviewers, editors, and the field.

This systematic review synthesizes conceptual and empirical research on remote work within Human Resource Development (HRD) to clarify how it has been defined, theorized, and examined. The review also identifies barriers, challenges, and success factors shaped by technological demands, boundary-management complexities, relational dynamics, and the organizational supports necessary for effective implementation. Further, across the literature, remote work yields diverse outcomes related to performance, engagement, psychological well-being, social connection, learning, and career growth. These findings demonstrate that remote work is not a uniform practice but a multidimensional configuration shaped by relational, technological, and organizational conditions. Building on these insights, the review outlines future research directions and practical implications for supporting effective, equitable, and sustainable remote work within HRD.

As society enters the knowledge-driven era, the value of knowledge as a strategic resource has consistently increased. For decades, HRD scholars and practitioners have paid attention to knowledge sharing in order to enhance development and performance. However, individuals tend to deliberately conceal their knowledge because of the perceived advantages of keeping their knowledge to themselves. This knowledge-related behavior, knowledge hiding, is now pervasive but remains underexplored in the HRD field. To address this gap, this study conducts a scoping review to map how knowledge hiding has been examined in relation to HRD and to propose integrative frameworks for future research. The review synthesizes findings across diverse disciplines, identifying conceptual trends, gaps, and contextual conditions influencing knowledge hiding in workplace settings. The study challenges the dominant academic discourses that have long widely emphasized knowledge sharing by introducing knowledge hiding as a distinct and socio-strategic behavior worthy of independent scholarly attention. It offers theoretical and practical implications for HRD professionals, including actionable strategies to mitigate knowledge hiding and foster supportive organizational climates.

Unethical practices in organizations have posed challenges to the established approaches to developing an ethical workforce, both at universities and in the workplace. Whereas prior literature reviews predominantly focused on ethics education in academic institutions, evidence from ethics training in the workplace remains fragmented. This paper reviews 41 empirical studies on workplace ethics training with a focus on reported training outcomes and research designs. Overall, our findings indicate a positive impact of ethics training programs and point to some mixed results. We outline trends in ethics training across the reviewed studies, discuss researchers’ overemphasis on the cognitive processes of moral development, and the tendency to examine convenient outcomes. Informed by the findings, we propose a framework that categorizes ethics training outcomes by levels of analysis and time. The framework underpins outcomes that have received empirical support and those that remain to be explored. In particular, we propose the concept of ethical safety as a precondition for ethical behavior in groups and organizations. We conclude with recommendations for future research and practice on ethics training in the workplace.

The future of work is being fundamentally reshaped with evidence indicating that AI is eliminating entry-level roles for graduates worldwide faster than organisations, organisational workforce development, and national human resource development (HRD) systems can respond, creating what is now termed the “Jobpocalypse phenomenon.” This phenomenon has major implications for HRD and its body of theory, research, and both country- and organisational-level practices. In this commentary, we consider and examine the scope and implications of the Jobpocalypse phenomenon, and argue that firm-level AI adoption decisions have the potential to produce system-level consequences. We challenge the foundational assumption within HRD that early-career pathways for developing technical and managerial talent will naturally replenish themselves. To address the complexities of the Jobpocalypse Phenomenon, we take a novel approach focused on our dual positionality as “junior” and “senior” scholars and co-authors, providing a distinctive analytic vantage point. In our analysis of the Jobpocalypse phenomenon, we identify three nested paradoxes embedded within this phenomenon: (i) the development versus efficiency paradox, (ii) the individual-talent versus systemic-pathways paradox, and (iii) the AI tool versus AI architect paradox. We propose three interconnected theoretical reconceptualisations that update HRD’s analytical focus and derive a research agenda with guiding questions that direct scholarly and practitioner attention to this contemporary phenomenon. We additionally outline what country-level and organisational HRD systems can do to address this phenomenon.

This systematic review on intrapreneurship - individual level, HRD focus - addresses three research questions: What is the definition of intrapreneurship? What are its antecedents and outcomes? And how can it be integrated into HRD practices? Following the PRISMA protocol, twenty-six articles were included (peer review, English written, Q1 or Q2). Using the analysis matrix method, intrapreneurship was defined as an employee-initiated behavior comprising six core dimensions: communication and information, innovativeness, networking and influence, new ventures and opportunities, personal initiative, and risk-taking. Antecedents emerged from personal capabilities, perceptions, personality, self-attitudes and relational contexts. Outcomes included increased knowledge, performance, and participation in innovative projects. Theoretically, positions intrapreneurship as a developmental mechanism central to HRD, offering a novel and original conceptual framework supported by McLagan’s (1989) seven HRD dimensions. For practice, provides HRD professionals with a strategic tool to intentionally integrate intrapreneurial behavior into their learning and development practices.

Organizations often face a critical decision: should they hire externally or invest in developing internal talent? Organizations that prioritize internal talent development are classified as adopting internal labor market (ILM), where training and development (TD) become essential. However, the relationship between labor market structures and TD practices remains underexplored. This paper addresses this gap by examining how ILM strategies influence TD practices and identifying unique TD needs associated with internal talent development. Utilizing an integrative literature review, we identified four themes: adaptation to the job and organization, upskilling and reskilling, career development, and distinctions from external labor market (ELM) practices. Our findings reveal how labor market contexts create meaningful disparities in TD practices, offering practical insights into ILM organization-specific training needs. This paper advances ILM and human capital theories while providing HRD practitioners guidance for designing strategic TD initiatives aligned with internal career development and organizational goals.

In Human Resource Development (HRD), the term “transformation” is frequently invoked to describe profound personal change, yet it often lacks a precise and actionable definition. This absence of conceptual clarity risks reducing transformation into an ambiguous ideal rather than a rigorous, researchable construct. To address this gap, this article examines how transformation has been defined and applied, critically reviews its theoretical underpinnings, and identifies limitations in current usage. Drawing from intersecting frameworks, transformative learning (TL), posttraumatic growth (PTG), and Jungian individuation, the analysis integrates their strengths while addressing conceptual shortcomings. The article proposes an actionable, theoretically grounded definition of individual transformation that captures the nature, process, and outcomes of deep, irreversible personal change in ways that advance both scholarly understanding and HRD practice.

This article follows calls in the HRD literature to support multiteam system (MTS) learning. The objective of this article is to review the literature on external team learning (i.e., learning outside teams) to provide insight about team learning in MTSs and associated recommendations for future research. A review of 51 studies (42 quantitative, 10 qualitative) from 42 papers is guided by fundamental questions about how to enact external team learning (i.e., what, who, and when) and how to ensure a psychologically safe environment to foster that learning. The primary impact of this review is to the scholarly literature on external team learning and MTSs by identifying considerable overlap between these topics and nuances about each that have yet to be sufficiently assessed. The findings from this review provide the basis for nine recommendations for future research on theory, methods, and practical applications of external team learning.

As organizations seek to enhance team collaboration and productivity, team-level job redesign has become a critical focus in organizational psychology and management. However, research mainly emphasizes individual-level redesign, leaving gaps in understanding how teams collectively shape their work. This systematic scoping review synthesizes evidence on team-level job redesign in organizations, with two objectives: (1) identifying study characteristics; and (2) analyzing concepts and practices teams use to shape jobs and improve well-being and performance collaboratively. Using a mixed studies review approach, which incorporates evidence from both qualitative and quantitative research designs, we searched electronic databases (e.g., Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus) and gray literature for empirical studies published in English from January 2000 to September 2025. After screening 12,946 studies, 90 met the inclusion criteria for the final analysis. These studies varied in methods, interventions, and outcomes. The review not only synthesizes key findings and identifies important knowledge gaps but also offers recommendations to advance research and practice in team-level job redesign. Beyond mapping existing studies, it introduces a typology of team-level job redesign initiatives – ‘cross-functional’, ‘bottom-up’, and ‘hybrid’ – providing a structured framework to integrate diverse approaches and guide future research.

We present a systematic review of 64 empirical studies that examine the links between ageism and career-related outcomes. Adopting a social cognitive theory lens, our review distinguishes between and integrates various manifestations of ageism under the umbrella of age stereotypes toward others and perceived age-related stereotypes/discrimination. We suggest two stages of career outcomes, with Stage 1 comprising three pathways that mediate the links to Stage 2 outcomes. Our review shows that when employees experience ageism, their relationships with employers, work, stress, and abilities can change, shaping career behaviours and outcomes in both positive and negative directions. Our findings provide insight for both individuals and human resource development (HRD) practitioners on how ageism at work influences career outcomes and, more broadly, offer learning around how age-friendly environments can be supported.

The long-lasting effects of organizational socialization have been a source of motivation for scholarly inquiries. However, owing to a consistent increase in newcomers’ turnover rate since 2021, newcomers’ socialization needs even more attention as retaining and successfully onboarding new recruits is reported to be more challenging in the post-pandemic times. This study quantitatively consolidates empirical research on 38 organizational socialization relationships and outcomes conducted over the past three decades. It also tests the moderating effects of a newcomer’s career stage on the focal relationships. The study employed the meta-analysis structural equation modelling approach to analyse a sample of 123 studies, encompassing 755 effect sizes across an aggregated sample of 198,698 respondents. The results validate pre-encounter-accommodation and accommodation-adaptation relationships and also extend the multistage model of organizational socialization by supporting interrelationships among pre-encounter-OSTs, and accommodation-adaptation factors. Additionally, the results showed emerging paths between socialization factors. The strength of the examined relationships showed significant variations across three career stages of newcomers, which provides beneficial implications for organizations and HR professionals.

Caregiving and self-care are essential activities for the sustainability of our society. However, existing work-life relationship theories overlook these vital aspects of adults’ lives. Our understanding of the interactions between unpaid caregiving, self-care, and paid work, as well as the potential advantages of better integrating these different domains, remains limited. The expected increase in caregiving and self-care needs resulting from social changes requires the development of strategies to support working adults in managing demands across multiple life domains. Based on the experiences of intensive caregivers, the proposed Life Domains Synchrony model incorporates care and self-care as essential life activities, expanding our understanding of the impact of work-life relationships on caregivers’ ability to develop and thrive in the workplace. The proposed model highlights the importance of discussing care within organizations and presents both theoretical and practical implications.

Human Resource Development (HRD) plays a critical role in advancing learning at the individual, team, and organizational levels by enabling cognitive mechanisms such as Transactive Memory System (TMS). Although TMS was originally conceptualized within the framework of general system theory, prior research has predominantly emphasized its implications for team performance, with limited attention to its integration within HRD scholarship. To address this gap, the present study systematically reviews TMS research published between 2000 and 2025 through the lens of general system theory, positioning TMS as a developmental mechanism within HRD. The review synthesizes the literature into an integrative framework that identifies key developmental and relational inputs, as well as outcomes across individual, team, and organizational levels, while also incorporating relevant moderators. Importantly, the synthesis not only highlights specific HRD practices that contribute to the development of TMS but also proposes a future research agenda calling for deeper and more nuanced exploration of the HRD –TMS linkage.

The synergy between human creativity and technology is key to competitiveness in today’s workplace, where creativity fuels organizational success. Despite growing attention to digital creativity (DC), defined as a unique form of creativity that generates novel and practical ideas within a digital environment or through digital technology, a holistic understanding of it in the workplace (DC-W) remains lacking in the human resource development (HRD) literature. To address this gap, this systematic review synthesizes three key aspects of the literature: theoretical and conceptual foundations, technology applications, and drivers of DC-W. Our findings establish a foundational understanding of this evolving concept, highlighting sociotechnical and sociocultural perspectives and the dual roles of technology in enhancing DC-W. We also present the multilevel drivers of DC-W. Building on our review, we propose theoretical and practical implications and outline future research directions, focusing on conceptual foundations, HRD interventions, and the dark side of digital technologies.

The main aim of this paper is to analyze the transfer of technical and non-technical skills from the perspective of the mental trilogy of cognition, conation, and affectivity to propose a comprehensive explanatory model. Research on training shows that training is relevant if trainees can transfer what they have learned in the workplace; however, transfer of technical skills differs from the transfer of non-technical skills. The main argument of this research is that the differentiation during the transfer of technical and non-technical skills is due to the mental processes that facilitate learning. From the point of view of practical implications, this work contributes significantly to the understanding of the differentiation between the transfer of hard and soft skills; consequently, companies or organizations can provide specific support to employees who need reinforcement or help for the transfer of skills, considering the singularity of each of them as technical and non-technical skills.

Workplace incivility (WPI), though a subtle and ambiguous form of mistreatment, can have severe ramifications. With the recent rise in attention to workplace incivility in the Human Resource Development (HRD) field, there is an acknowledgement of its potential to seep and spiral, calling for greater investigation into mitigating its consequences. We review the literature on coping with WPI (using the Theories, Context, Characteristics, and Methodologies (TCCM) framework) with a view to direct attention to this understudied aspect and to surface its potential to either perpetuate or stall the spiral and spread of WPI. We argue for greater HRD attention towards coping, highlighting its linkage with organisational climate. In doing so, we outline several practical implications for the HRD managers and future research avenues for the HRD and other scholars.

This conceptual review describes a framework for human resource development (HRD) assessments and interventions for strengthening leader-follower relationships based on their communications, functional support of each other, and attachment styles. The framework combines leader-follower exchange theory for HRD through communication processes, psychological safety, and attachment theory into three increasingly deeper tiers of possible intervention. Relationship development starts with assessment of conversations and ways to improve the leader’s and follower’s psychological safety and quality listening. Further analyses focus on ways to support their mutual affirmation and respect and avoid or overcome co-dependence, conflict, and indifference. Deeper assessment and training focus on ways to strengthen their secure attachment and address relationship anxiety or avoidance. Implications for HRD practice and research are discussed.

Considerable challenges arise for managers and human resource development professionals while designing non-traditional (distributed) work arrangements that ensure productivity and foster the continuous learning and growth of employees. In this paper, we thus explore, analyze, synthesize, and systematically present the main insights emerging from the intersection of distributed work (DW) and work design domains. Specifically, an overlap approach to a multi-technique bibliometric review was adopted and a DW design framework established. The proposed framework unifies, corroborates, and extends existing conceptual models, thereby: (1) improving understanding of the current conceptual landscape; and (2) identifying promising future research directions. The paper also offers practical advice on how to successfully introduce and align DW arrangements with corporate-wide goals, human resource policies, and employee development priorities.

This paper unpacks the dominant concepts of international students, a demographic of increasing significance within the global talent pool. This study explore how past research identifies international students to reveal the contradictory nature of terminology that could serve as a barrier for talent identification and development within organizational settings. We propose the definition and introduce five criteria for discussing who international students are from the talent development lens. We also suggest avenues for future research. Clarifying the concept of international students is crucial for identifying and understanding their nature and characteristics, which in turn facilitates their development into valuable talent.