Ashton and Felstead (1995) acknowledge the widespread consensus that training and development should be encouraged. However the important thing to note in this statement is the word should; in reality effective training is costly and requires expertise, and the benefits are often not immediately tangible. In many cases organisations simply are not prepared to invest in training. Holden (1994) believes that the recognition of the importance of training in recent years has been heavily influenced by the intensification of global competition and the relative success of economies like Japan, Germany and Sweden where investment in employee development is considerable. Technological developments and organisational change have gradually led some employers to the realisation that success relies on the skills and abilities of their employees, and this means considerable and continuous investment in training and development. This has also been underscored by the rise of human resource management with its emphasis on the importance of people and the skills they possess in enhancing organisational efficiency. Such HRM concepts as "commitment" to the company and the growth in the "quality" movement have led senior management teams to realise the increased importance of training and development or so logic would suggest. In considering this change it is important to note that some commentators have taken this even further, describing human resource development (HRD) as a discipline in its own right and one which is as important as HRM. Examples of organisations placing emphasis on HRD as a discipline related to HRM, but meriting separate attention, are few and far between.