Defining HRD
HRD is considered by scholars of Business Administration as a sub discipline of Human Resource
Management (HRM), concerned with developing productive skills by imparting training. HRM
scholars, Werner and DeSimone (2006 p.5) defined Human Resource Development (HRD) as:
“A set of systematic and planned activities designed by an organization to provide its
members with the opportunities to learn necessary skills to meet current and future job
demands”.
Haslinda-a (2009) expressed referring many studies that numerous attempts to define
human resource development (HRD) by academics, researchers and practitioners have led to
confusion in the literature, illustrating the elusive nature of this concept. The process of defining
HRD is made still more difficult by the evolving nature of HRD; for example, the term HRD
started out as simply “training”, and then evolved into “training and development” (T&D), and
then into HRD. Confusion also arises over the “purpose”, the “location” and the “intended
beneficiary” of HRD. This is further complicated by attempts to define HRD from an international
or global perspective. The emerging field of national HRD (NHRD) have also been explored and
debated and has had notable influence on the definition of HRD. Haslinda-a (2009) further
narrated that a disagreement arises, with some authors arguing that it is not possible or feasible
to provide a single definition of this concept. In reviewing the literature surrounding the
meaning and understanding of HRD, a number of dimensions can be seen to be influencing the
evolving and complicated nature of HRD. Haslinda-a reported, that Harbison and Myers offered
the first definition of HRD in 1964. This definition is very broad in perspective, as it elaborates
HRD in relation to culture, the economy and social and political contexts rather than individuals
and organizations. They defined HRD as: