Human Resource Development Review

This article presents a multilevel model of group learning that focuses on antecedents and consequences of interpersonal congruence, transactive memory, and feedback processes. The model holds that members’ self-verification motives and situational conditions (e.g., member diversity and task demands) give rise to identity negotiation behaviors (i.e., self-disclosure and feedback sharing). The effects of identity negotiation on interpersonal congruence, the transactive memory system, and ongoing group processes are influenced by team process interventions such as team-level feedback and group facilitation. Situational changes may renew identity negotiation that, in turn, leads to changes in the transactive memory system. Directions for research and practice focus on the use of feedback to facilitate interpersonal congruence and transactive memory and increase goal achievement and continued group development.

This article defines management as a source of organizational competitive advantage and from the view that managers are some of the employees most vital to a firm. According to influential theories in the field of strategic management, such human assets should be protected, governed, and developed internally. In contrast to the traditional view of core competence, this article suggests that firms have to use external as well as internal resources to develop employees with unique and valuable capabilities and skills. The article makes the argument that a mix of internal and external developmental resources might be an important mechanism in the creation of management development as a dynamic capability or as a means to develop human assets that are one of the main sources of competitive advantage.

This study presents a theory of critical components that affect the effectiveness of computer-based instruction (CBI) for adults. The theory was developed to provide a framework for research to explain or predict effective learning by adults using a desktop computer. The five conclusions drawn from this theory are as follows: (a) the characteristics of self-directedness and computer self-efficacy of adult learners play an important role in designing CBI for adults; (b) CBI design is interwoven with the units of self-directedness, computer self-efficacy, learning goal level, instructional design, and external support; (c) learning goal level affects instructional design strategy and the instructional control component of CBI design; (d) external support and instructional support are needed to provide a positive CBI experience; and (e) the theory draws together the isolated variables researchers consider important in the adult learning process and aligns them to provide effective CBI.

The work of the human resource development (HRD) practitioner is continuously evolving. Human resource development is now expected to make a strategic level contribution and contribute to individual and organizational effectiveness. Human resource development practitioners are increasingly required to network and build relationships to obtain support, resources, information, and knowledge. The accumulation of social capital is considered important in determining individual career success and role performance. Given the importance attached to the relationship-building dimension of HRD practitioners’ roles, we posit that those with access to valuable social capital will be more successful in their careers and role performance. We propose a model that incorporates network and content perspectives of social capital. We argue that various characteristics of the HRD practitioner’s network results in network benefits. These network benefits mediate the relationship between characteristics of the practitioner’s social capital and role and career outcomes. The article then highlights the implications of our model for HRD research and practice.

During the past 2 decades, numerous theories have been postulated to test the compositional effects of member characteristics on group and organizational performance. However, the impact of team composition on performance and moderating variables potentially affecting this relationship is still not clearly understood, and research endeavors have, consequently, produced mixed and inconsistent findings. This review, therefore, synthesizes the current theories and models of team diversity into an integrative theoretical framework by conceptually refining key variables to examine the multidimensional facets of the relationship between team diversity and performance. The implications of this review for future research and organizational practices are also discussed.