New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to explore the complexities and connections between women, femme, and nonbinary (WFN) collective social entrepreneurs, social movement learning (SML), and critical participatory action research (CPAR) within the fields of adult education (AE) and human resource development (HRD). WFN collective social entrepreneurship serves as a reaction and solution to system failures, by creating supportive learning environments. We discuss the potential of social movement learning (SML) in these collectives, offering marginalized learners opportunities for skill development, knowledge sharing, and social impact efforts. This paper proposes using CPAR as a research approach to support social movements and amplify marginalized voices. CPAR can illuminate the development and learning networks of WFN social entrepreneur collectives and emphasize the importance of inclusive and intersectional approaches in entrepreneurial education and research within AE/HRD.

The purpose of the study is to understand how Japanese women become social entrepreneurs. The challenges in fostering women’s entrepreneurship include socio-cultural traditional views on women’s roles and expectations and insufficient support systems. Despite such challenges, the rise of Japanese women as social entrepreneurs has been observed in recent years as a unique response to natural disasters and crisis situations, such as the Tohoku earthquake in 2011 and the Kumamoto earthquake in 2016. Women felt the need to make positive changes and assist their country to build back. However, limited research exists that examines Japanese women social entrepreneurs’ development throughout their lives. Women social entrepreneurs may have gone through critically reflective moments through significant life events, which can eventually change the course of their professional paths. The methods of the study include in-depth, individual interviews with five women entrepreneurs, field observations, and a review of documents, including women’s organization websites, news articles, and social media. These findings provide both practical and scholarly insights that can be useful for the field of adult education and human resource development and women’s studies, highlighting how women maneuver challenging conditions, and how they effectively learn and transition from such challenges to become successful social entrepreneurs.

An increased interest in social entrepreneurship at the organizational level has a broad impact on human resource development (HRD) professionals. Organizations with an enhanced social consciousness may employ HRD training to create awareness of social issues and facilitate social movement learning. At present, HRD literature lacks guidance on fostering social responsibility among employees. This study, utilizing Q Methodology, examines the efforts of faculty members to change the perceptions of social issues held by learners enrolled in a “business as force for good” course at their university. The findings of this study have implications for faculty members and HRD professionals tasked with improving the social consciousness of their workforce.

The high incarceration rate and systemic racism in the United States, along with entrenched social barriers, highlight the need for creative solutions to help formerly incarcerated individuals (FIIs) reintegrate successfully. This paper highlights social entrepreneurial ventures (SEVs) as powerful agents of social change, underscoring the significance of holistic approaches in successful reentry and transformation of FIIs. We delve into the potential of SEVs as catalysts for social justice within the critical HRD (CHRD) framework, examining SEV’s role in advancing learning, challenging power dynamics, empowering marginalized communities, and propelling grassroots-led social change. In doing so, we also emphasize the significance of experiential learning and dialog in cultivating collective knowledge and action within these social movements. We analyze the structural, organizational, and individual factors that demonstrate how HRD and social entrepreneurship complement and broaden modes of engagement. Ultimately, we highlight the promising synergy between SEVs and the CHRD perspective, presenting a transformative approach for both HRD scholars and practitioners and argue that by embracing the values of empowerment, equity, and social justice, HRD can play a pivotal role in fostering more inclusive, equitable, and empowering organizational landscapes.

Social entrepreneurship practices integrate aspects from the private, public, and non-profit sectors into a cohesive practice. This paper advocates for the integration of human resource development (HRD) research and practices into social entrepreneurship initiatives to drive progress and build effective organizations committed to positive social change and value creation. By exploring HRD insights on ethical organizational strategies, initiatives for workforce development, and their impact on employee engagement and attitudes, we contend that HRD professionals can significantly contribute to the success of social entrepreneurship.

Using the metaphor of a publication “pipeline,” this article offers practical tips for early-career scholars to take their ideas from concept to publication. Too often, conference presentations do not continue to publication, limiting the potential for dissemination of research work throughout the field and impeding professional scholarly growth. Here, experienced scholars share what they have found helpful to maximize publication productivity.