Human Resource Development

COURSE OBJECTIVE
Students will achieve a fundamental understanding of human resource development (HRD) practices in contemporary organizations. Specific applications of HR development highlighted in this course include evaluation frameworks and practices, employee wellbeing and retainment, individual career coaching, and the role of HRD in organizational change processes. Finally, a basic understanding of designing, implementing, and scientifically evaluating training interventions will be conveyed.

COURSE CONTENT
Different approaches to HR development can be captured and integrated from an open systems perspective of organizations. This perspective views employees as the constituting elements of teams and departments, which in turn form the organization. From this perspective, developing employees’ skills and fostering their talents becomes essential for initiating and maintaining organizational change.

Students will learn about recent trends in HR development, evidence- based practices and approaches to HR development in contemporary organizations, and the state of the art in evaluation research for testing and establishing the efficiency of HR development measures. On this basis, students will acquire a basic understanding of the factors that drive successful training design, implementation, and evaluation in organizations. A blend of lectures, discussions, case studies, practical examples, and team presentations will promote this understanding.

TEACHING METHODS
Lectures, case studies, and team presentations aimed at applying and transferring knowledge about HRD research and practice.

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT
Students are expected to actively participate in team exercises, including small field studies, case studies, and team presentations in class. All team presentations and accompanying written summaries will be graded. Attendance during team presentations is strictly mandatory.

There will be a written exam (multiple choice) at the end of the class. Both the team presentations and the exam need to pass minimal requirements in order to obtain credits for this class.