resource development: trends, opportunities and...

61Resource Development: Trends, Opportunities...

Resource Development: Trends,Opportunities and Challenges

Pradeep Kautish*

Globalisation and liberalisation of economies around theworld surfaced as a primary trend affecting organisationsacross boundaries and thus the domain of HRD. The issuessuch as general competencies for HR with flair of competitiveadvantage, strategic interface, standards of practice,certification/credentialing, ethics and integrity woulddetermine the success of HR in future (Torraco and Swanson,1995). Learning will be the most differentiating factor forthe organisations in times to come. The changes in globalmarket dynamics, technology and the structure of labourhave made organisations more complex, dynamic andknowledge based. This requires the HRD profession tounderstand the work dynamics, the composition of work force,diversity and the seemingly interpersonal relationshipnetworks, the fluctuating market indices and complex mindsetof knowledge workers towards learning, career patterns andsocial mobility. This article explores the domain of HRD,ethical framework, emerging trends, future challenges andthe agenda for research in the context of human resourcedevelopment domain and the complex patterns of work andemployment for next generation reforms in the field.

HRD Practices inContemporary Industries

EditorsP. Surjith Kumar

N. PanchanathamPublished by Global Vision Publishing House

* Assistant Professor, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Plot No: 1, BambalaInstitutional Area, Pratap Nagar, Sanganer, Tonk Road, Jaipur- 302033,Rajasthan.

62 HRD Practices in Contemporary Industries

Introduction

HRD as a profession is passing through a critical phase sinceits inception and inclusion as a major discipline in managementsciences. One of the biggest concerns about the HRD profession isits receptiveness and ability to adjust to changing environmentalconditions in organizations. Globalisation surfaced as a primarytrend affecting organizations and thus HRD in realm of cross culturalcommunication, diverse management and competitiveness withbusiness value propositions (Metcalfe and Rees, 2005; Sklair, 2001;Sparrow et al., 2004). There are many issues to consider includingcrossing boundaries of time, space, geography and culture, economicissues, culture clash, working virtually, coping with increasedbureaucracy and exploitation issues arising out of countries withfewer restrictions. The implications of globalisation include a needfor the profession to better understand and integrate interculturalpractices into global organization, rather than assuming myopicapproach in imposing one sided view on people across cultures.McLagan and Suhadolnik (1989) have identified fifteen functionalroles (such as marketer, change agent and evaluator, etc.) andproposed models that related to the contribution people made toHRD objectives. Gilley and Eggland (1989) simplified these roles tofour, the manager, the learning specialist, the instructional designerand the consultant. HRD must also reflect deeply about the effectsof globalisation on all aspects of work and culture then proceed indeveloping specific methods for workplace learning andorganisational change. The changes in global market dynamics,technology and the structure of labour have created work, i.e.,much more complex, abstract and knowledge based.

This requires the HRD professionals to understand the workdynamics, the composition of work force and the seeminglyinterpersonal relationship networks, the fluctuating market indicesand the complex mindset of knowledge workers towards learning,career pattern and social mobility. Organisations will increasinglyneed to operate and compete for customers on a worldwide scale.They will need to use global sourcing of human resources, capital,


technology, facilities, resources and raw materials. Organisationsare finding that they require the HR policies and processes thatembody a global culture, yet recognise local differences. Globalcapabilities as well as local cultural sensitivity to employees, customersand patterns will become critical to success of the organisation.The global local balancing act also involves need for members ofthe organisation to feel that they belong to a global enterprise andyet feel accountable for their contributions in a more local sense(Ulrich & Smallwood, 2002). In the backdrop of globalisation andits impact on HRD profession and practices, this article will criticallyexamine the domain, emerging trends in HR, ethical issues, challengestherein and the agenda for research in future in subsequent sections.

Literature Review

Herling (2000, p.20) defined human expertise as “displayedbehavior within a specialized domain or a related in the form ofconsistently demonstrated actions of an individual that are bothoptimally efficient in their execution and effective in their results”.The term ‘Human Resource Development’ was introduced byLeonard Nadler in Miami Conference of American Society ofTraining and Development (ASTD) in the year 1969. As an applicationoriented discipline, HRD requires sound theory to be backed bysystematic theory building as well as confirmation in practice(Lynham, 2002). Swanson and Holton (2001) defined “HRD is aprocess of developing and unleashing human expertise throughorganization development (OD) and personnel training anddevelopment (T&D) for the purpose of improving performance”.HRD, as a profession, has a choice about how to address thepresent realities, trends and future challenges. Historically, HRD hasbeen focused on the issues related to worker’s development concernslike training and career development (McLagan, 1989; Miller, 1996;Sammut, 2001). HRD is primarily focused on complex phenomenasurrounding people functioning and management in organisations,HRD practitioner cannot be satisfied with the common erroneousidea of research that exists apart from practice (Swanson, 2003).


Some time this connection is confused with the popular ideasof theory-in-practice or theory-in-action (Argyris, 1994). HRD as afield of academic study is relatively recent and primarily of Americanorigin (Metcalfe and Rees, 2005). HRD has expanded beyond trainingand development to corporate strategy interface, individual, teamand organisational learning, career development and planning andknowledge management with intellectual capital (Walton, 1996;Walton, 1999a; Walton, 1999b, Walton, 2001). HRD professionalscan either be too possessive towards their identity or risk thelegitimacy of their existence by alienating themselves from the realitiesof fluctuating environmental responses to the world of business.HRD’s sphere of interest and intended impact has been expandedfrom the individual level to encompass teams and organisationallevels moved from a focus on the performance of tasks toencompass the effectiveness of processes and systems. Thesechanges have happened at a time when organisations increasinglyseek links between learning and performance and view knowledgeand learning as key differentiators between themselves andcompetitors. Herein, the focus shifts from the outcome dynamicsto the baseline approach of HRD and its professional domain andadaptability with the changing circumstances. Nadler (1970) coinedthe term HRD in the late 1960s to differentiate between training,development and education three separate activities undertaken byemployees within as organisational setting. McLagan, (1989) andMcLagan & Suhadolnik, (1989) expanded it to include those aspectsof organisational life that have development as their primary focusand accordingly incorporates training and development, careerdevelopment and organisation development within its remit. Walton(1999) argued that the domain of HRD as a body of practice andfield of study has historically been primarily concerned with securingan organisation’s skill base which has been extended far beyondthese original parameters to incorporate an array of approaches toindividual, organisational and even societal learning. Ruona et al(2003) highlighted the dilemma pertaining to the HRD professionand its inability to identify its core competencies and competitiveadvantages.


The major stumbling blocks before the profession include itsinability to define and differentiate itself with respect to otherprofessions especially those which are highly related. The need ofthe hour is to identify general competencies, standards of practice,certification/credentialing and increased use of the AHRD standardson ethics and integrity (AHRD, 1999). McGuire et al. (2002)highlighted the culturally binding nature of HRD literature, researchand practice. The domain of HRD is shifting from a reliance onbehaviourism to a broader more transformative conception oflearning, spurred in past by the need for continuous learning in theworkplace, requiring informal and incidental learning strategies.Indeed, applying a resource-based theory to HRD would advocatethe value of skill formation arising from tacit knowledge, action-centered learning, learning from mistakes, learning by doing and asa byproduct of other activities into daily work routines that makesthem ‘resource mobility barriers’ because competitors will findthem difficult to imitate. Walton (2001) pointed out, in HRD thereare many alternative discourses by which the domain has beeninterpreted, reflecting different fields of interest and targets forinvestigation, each competing for contested space, and representingdifferent levels generality. He provided the following examples ofcompeting discourage that has affected HRD during the years,presented as a series of either – or questions.

• Is HRD a subset of HRM or an independent- albeit linked –domain?

• Is HRD a synonym for training and development orsomething broader?

• Is HRD concerned exclusively with adult learning or withlearning from cradle to grave?

• Is HRD concerned with the acquisition of expertise or withlearning in the round?

• Is HRD concerned primarily with individual learning ororganisational performance?

• Is HRD a body of practice or an academic field of study?


• Is HRD concurred exclusively with international learningprocesses or does it incorporate accidental learningprocesses?

• Is HRD, an extension of training and development with aspecific orientation toward organisational learninginterventions designed to improve skills, knowledge andunderstanding, or does it have wider, more holistic originsfocusing on “the interplay of global, national, organisationaland individual needs? (Stead and Lee, 1996).

The work of Gilley and Egglund (1989) brings out thecontradictions inherent in adopting a purely instrumental, employerand performance driven position. They argued that calling people‘human resources’ indicates an instrumental and asset basedresources with similar connotations to ‘financial resources’ and‘capital resources’.

Emerging Trends

As stated earlier, the forces of globalisation has altered thedomain of each profession including HRD. The churning which istaking place at all levels in post modern organisation, vis-à-vis theenvironmental uncertainties affecting the mode of business hasredoubtable implications on HRD. The uncertainties which will bediscussed subsequently serve as drivers of change for organisationalrestructuring and renewal. Chermack et al. (2003) have identifiedsix major uncertainties confronting HRD which are listed in thefollowing order:

• Competition for the “expertise elite”.• Globalisation.• Locus of control - organisations or individuals.• Marketability of Knowledge.• Next age.• Technological explosion.HRD professionals also have an important opportunity to validate

their role in developing human resources. HRD’s traditional role in


developing expertise in human and organisations is becoming evermore important (Burke, 1995; Eichinger and Ulrich, 1998) and thedemand for HRD interventions that provide a consistent and increasingdemonstration of return on investment can be expected to rise(Hodgets et al, 1999). The role of HRD may face drastic change inthe face of an almost wholly individualistic workforce managingand creating their own space in organisations.

HRD may be required to accommodate an increasingly modularcustom base, providing a variety of skill based training andknowledge sharing and do so while aligning all of them with strategicorganisational processes. The dynamic and turbulent businesslandscape calls for better competitive advantage flair initiatives fromHR processes and systems at place. To add greater competitiveadvantage in organizational development, HR must devise strategicvalue proposition for all stake holders and with cost effectiveness.Brockbank (1999) has suggested that HR can add strategic valueeither reactively or proactively. In its strategically reactive mode,HR assumes the existence of a business strategy and adds value bylinking HR practices to the business strategy and by managingchange. In its strategically proactive mode, HR creates competitiveadvantage by creating cultures of creativity and innovation, byfacilitating mergers and acquisitions, and by linking internal processesand structures with ongoing changes in the marketplace (Brockbank,1999). The strategic importance of HRD to organisationalperformance has been increasingly underscored (Brockbank, 1999;Grieves and Redman, 1999). Wilkerson (1997) reported, from anMIT study, that 90% of HR related costs were found to be relatedto administrative and service delivery whereas, 10% are found to bedevoted to strategy, organisation development, and executive trainingand development the things that are perceived by organisations tohave the most value. The requirements for generating sharing andmanaging organizationally relevant knowledge in technologicallydemanding workplace will provide an increasing role and pressurefor HRD. However, it is likely that those priorities will be set by theengagement of HRD professionals in addressing a variety of


uncertainties in the environment. Kuchinke (2003) identified fewcontingency factors such as HRD structure and staffing, HRDservices and product HRD planning, delivery and evaluation whichwould determine the success of HRD in changing environmentwhich are explained in the following lines.

(a) The structure and staffing of HRD in organisations will beinfluenced by industry characteristics, including technical,regulatory and institutional and by organisation size.

(b) Organisations will have to decide on investment in HRDbased on cost – benefit considerations and weigh investmentin HRD products and services against other forms ofbuilding, maintaining and increasing human capital. Givenuncertain returns on investment, organizations will investconservatively in HRD and focus on system maintenancerather than system change.

(c) Organisations will support multistage HRD core processes,such as instructional systems design or action research, byassessing the need for each stage and implement HRD coreprocess steps based on the expected utility of each step.

The ASTD / AHRD (2001) future search conference discoveredthat despite the differing HR practices and disagreements across theglobe, some common grounds could be evolved and stressed uponfor consensual approach which is listed below:

1. Creating synergy between research and practice.2. Leveraging available technology without losing the human

touch and social component of learning.3. Striking a healthy balance between work life and personal

life.4. Striving to create humane workplaces.5. Acknowledging intellectual capital as the life blood of the

organisation.6. Developing a sense of social responsibility.7. Embracing globalisation.


8. Adapting multiculturalism.9. Partnering in the fundamentally changing role in education.10. Managing knowledge and learning effectively.11. Developing partnerships and collaboration internal and

external to the organisation.12. Fostering lifelong learning.HRD professionals today need critical knowledge about the

emerging trends (Phillips, 1999). They must learn to navigate realtime change. Developing ability to anticipate the future in the faceof uncertainty, disruptions and chaos will be an essential part ofleading the 21st century enterprise. Complex and fast changingtrends must be integrated into business strategy. An understandingof key future trends will drive opportunity for HRD professionalsworldwide. Key questions that must be integrated into future businessstrategy are: How will changing customer demographics affect thebusiness strategy? What workforce shifts will attract talent? Howwill future economic trends affect labour market? What newopportunities does technology offer? What role will globalisationand trade play in the future? What are the essential strategies tobuild an agile organisation and navigating opportunity? The HRDprofessionals should not isolate themselves from the business realities,and outcome impact on the organization’s bottom-line. They shouldrespond to the emerging trends in work, organizations, and theglobal economy. The major emerging trends as identified in humanresource and management literature are listed below for analysisand research:

1. Human capital, the value of talent will be the most valuableresource in the 21st century.

2. More disruptions are comings in the form of emergingmarkets, security breaches and changing customerdemographics.

3. The organisations will rely on new leaders who are awareof how to attract talent, manage innovation, set high visionand execute profitability. There is a new paradigm aboutleadership that is emerging.


4. Knowledge engineering, the formation and networking ofknowledge that which creates results is the true asset ofthe 21st century.

5. Diversity at workplace is increasing in its importance as abusiness and social issue.

6. Increase in self guided and team learning.7. Organisations with large numbers of part-time or temporary

employees continue to struggle with issues how to trainthem.

8. Increasing focus on the strategic role of HR.9. Benefits becoming uniquely different according to

organisation based on business and type of employees.10. Technology solution to administrative tasks on rise.11. Increasing issues of how to motivate employees and what

do they really want?12. Increasing importance of culture/culture change.13. Shift toward short cycle competency methods and emphasis

on team and process competencies.14. Align behaviour with firm goals need to develop high

commitment work systems and high performance culture.15. Career change as a way of life.16. HR role in globalisation increases – training, expatriation

and repatriation, etc.17. Increasing use of personality inventories in employee

selection.18. Organisational justice is an increasing area of interest for

HRM.19. Corporate and organisational citizenship or CSR issues are

gaining increasing importance.20. Reputation considerations – issues of power and control

will shift as the role of HRM changes.21. Demand for young work force the organisations no longer

interested to allow the graying employees to work.


22. Work force litigation will raise further for example sexualharassment, gay rights, love contracts, etc.

23. Outsourcing will be the international norm.24. Shorter skill life cycle.25. Employability rather than employment.The trends shown above have the potential to influence the

functioning of organisation greatly and may steer the organisationalmobility towards success if addressed with care. The trends serveas whistle blowers and propel the organisation to adjust itself to thechanging environment. This article proposes the HRD professionalsto think beyond their role and relationship parameters and focus onthe relative construct of time and outcome relationship variables,engage in scenario plotting, design, analysis and strategic action toaddress the issues already mentioned.

Ethical Dimensions in HRD

Human resource development (HRD) may be seen as one ofthe more moral management function (Fisher, 2005). This partintends to familiarise the ethical dimensions of HRD profession andpractice in globalise world. Hatcher (2002) has expanded this beliefinto an argument that HRD departments have a leadership role intransforming their organisations into good corporate citizens.Woodall and Douglas (1999) identified and challenged this intrinsicgoodness of HRD assumption. They initiated an ethical critique ofHRD practices that are designed to manipulate people to adoptbehaviours and values that are beneficial to their employees (Fisher,2005). There is an ongoing debate on increasing the professionalismamong HRD practitioners by developing codes of ethical conductas a response to the ethical problems faced by the profession(Burns et al, 2001; Marsick, 1997; Ruona, 2000; Russ-Eft, 2004;Russ-Eft and Hatcher, 2003; Stewart, 2003). The globalisation ofcapital and labour itself offers ample scope to deal with the ethicalchallenges posed by transnational corporations in dealing with theculturally sensitive people across the world. Stewart (2003) arguedthat HRD is unalterably ethical because it requires moral choices to


be made. These choices, he argues, are complex, which impliesthat they may involve sacrificing some ethical ends in order toachieve others. Academy of Human Resource Development (1999)phrase it like “Making ethical decisions can be difficult becauselong range social responsibility considerations may conflict withimmediate needs. Or, ethical principles may seem even to be inconflict with one another. Finally, at times we are forced to chooseamong bad options”.

The growth of knowledge economy, changing patterns of workincluding outsourcing and off shoring, rise of expatriate workforce,emphasis on decent work practice of ILO and host of other peoplerelated issues have widened the scope of dialogue on ethicalengagement of workforce. The imposition of company culture acrossthe cultures or the adoption of an alien culture within a culture addsmomentum to the debate. The issues such as racial discrimination,wage disparity, cultural hegemony, equal opportunity in employment,dismantling the local skill base, employment vs. employability, jobsecurity vs. income security, humanistic approach vs. task approach,corporate citizenship vs. profitability, sons of soil policy and altruismare not only the determining factors in constructive engagement inbusiness, but also affect the people dimensions as well. Russ-Eftand Hatcher (2003) documented the extensively on the debate for aglobal HRD code of ethics. They have examined the ethical codesof several different HRD-related organisations (covering HRD,training, educational research, management, organisationdevelopment).

The following principles appeared in almost all of these codes:respect for people rights and dignity, competency and professionaldevelopment, integrity and professional responsibility. They alsoreferred Hofstede’s (2001) work which shows that cultures differon the following dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance,individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity and longvs. short term orientation. Hofstede also claims that low powerdistance cultures hold that ‘all should have equal rights’ whereashigh power distance cultures hold that ‘power holders are entitled


to privileges’. The ways in which these two types of cultureswould interpret ‘respect for people’s rights and dignity’ might bevery different or might lead to the elimination of this particularprinciple because of a lack of agreement. Another area ofconsideration would be that of theory development and research.Methods for ethical decision making with the realm of HRD need tobe developed as has been done for individuals within organizations(Jones, 1991) or human resource management within multinationalcorporations. The creation of an ethical code for HRD profession isnot enough to address the ethically relevant issues. The need of thehour is broad based interaction and networking among HRDprofessionals to evolve a code of ethics for themselves and adhereto that basing upon the principle of self monitoring and evaluation.

Challenges in HRD

The challenges for HRD profession are numerous and multi-dimensional. The complexities are growing in each passing day andthe future holds countless challenges and uncertainties so many thatit often feels overwhelming and simply easier to ignore on thepremise that the future can never be known. It is true that thefuture cannot be known, and it is also true that the pace of changeis accelerating, there are more uncertainties than ever before andthe firm strategic planning is a dying science (Mintzberg, 1994).Though the organizations are equivocal about the strategic role ofHRD in developing a culture of performance and learning, but theyare skeptical about the strategic contribution of HRD to the bottom-line of the organization which affect HRD’s credibility, influence,impact and its continued ‘separateness’ in the organisation. HRDpractitioners in a long run may be required to prove their criticalexistential realities responding to the uncomfortable queries on ‘returnon investment’. As stated earlier, HRD’s identity and its contributionto the bottom-line and the competitive advantage vis-a-vis to otherfunctions will be singularly tested in the realm of business outcome.

The coming years will see the widening circle of stakeholdersand their influence on organisation to focus on community outreach


and extend its protective arm to the most vulnerable in society aswell as those exploited by organisations themselves (Ruona et al2003). The issues such as standards and professionalism includinggeneral competencies for HR, standards of practice, certification/credentialing standards on ethics and integrity would determine thesuccess of HR in future. Learning will be the most differentiatingfactor for the future organisation. The coming years will demandthat learning occur faster, in more diverse places, across morecultural and national boundaries and with more efficiency (Flanagan,1999). The real challenges for HRD are to find new ways toimplement learning technologies that are efficient and effective andthat deliver immediate, strategic and influential results. Mclean andMcLean (2001) and Bates (2003) remarked that HRD professionmust include not only economic development and workforcelearning, but it must also be committed to the political, social,environmental, cultural and spiritual development of people aroundthe world. Global success depends on utilizing the resources anddiverse talents and capabilities of the broadest possible spectrum ofhumanity. Marquardt and Berger (2003) identified seven areas inwhich HRD can positively affect the forces of globalisation and canmaximise the beneficial elements and limit its dehumanising forces.However, the most significant value and greater leveraging for HRDprofessionals emerges from focusing on the following areas:

1) Political development2) Economic development3) Organisational and workplace learning.4) Education and vocational training.5) Global leadership development.6) Technology and knowledge.7) Environment sustainability.The HRD professionals should focus on these areas which

have potential to affect the lives of people both inside and outsidethe workplace. If HRD professionals ignore concentrating on thesecritical issues, they will continue to remain on the periphery of


creating and sustaining meaningful and long-term change for global,national and community development. Marquardt and Berger (2003)also noted that in the future, HRD professionals in all parts of theworld could strengthen their role in helping individuals, organizationsand nations to:

• Acquire knowledge: encourage the creation of knowledgelocally through research and development as well as tappingand adapting knowledge available elsewhere in the world.

• Absorb Knowledge: ensure universal basic education withspecial emphasis on extending education to traditionallydisadvantaged groups, create opportunities for lifelonglearning, and support tertiary education for careeradvancement.

• Communicate knowledge take advantage of new internationaland communication technology through increasedcompetition, private sector provision, and appropriateregulation to ensure that all people have access.

As globalisation has become part of our lives, HRD should takethe opportunity to reconsider its role in shaping local, national andglobal development with respect for human and environmental needs.As practitioners of human relations and learning, HRD professionalshave the potential and capacity to influence individuals, organisations,local and national governments and global entities in building a moreintegrated global future that recognizes internationalinterconnectedness. HRD professionals should prepare themselvesto face the challenges of future considering their role andresponsibilities in relative to globalisation at many levels, from personaldevelopment to organisational progress to global stewardship. HRD,if properly designed and implemented, can work towards thebetterment of people, institutions and communities around the world.

Agenda for Future Research

The issues highlighted in this article offer enough scope togenerate research arguments and set agenda for future research.Most HRD professionals would agree to the relevance of researchbased assumptions and analysis in developing theoretical framework.


However, most of the existing theories in HRD offer too little forpractice forum and continuing professional education. Theoreticalresearch in HRD has established itself and is now at a point wheremany avenues exist for further contributions to the field. Possiblyareas for future research include new HRD theory, theory buildingresearch methods, HRD’s theoretical foundations and published workthat includes both the theory building research process and thetheory itself. The HRD research would help in developing thepotential to lead the changing nature of the organisation, managementand work practices fundamentally. The researchable interest areashaving wider ramifications include diversity at workplace, changingcompensation and benefit plans, outsourcing HR function, HR andstrategic role, HRD measurement and evaluation, culture/culturechange, competency modeling and short cycle competency method,patterns of work and career, re-sourcing intellectual capital,organisational justice and citizenship, issues of power and controladult learning, development of personality inventories for employeeselection, etc. The phenomenological interpretations and itsrelationship to human resources cannot be ignored.

The HRD field deals with issues that are complex and involvehuman interactions. An awareness of the wholeness of life is criticalto gaining an understanding of the complexity of issues and topicsthat are explored by the HRD researchers. Because phenomenologyis situated in the life world, this methodology can assist theresearchers in gaining an understanding of the complexities of humanlife and its relationship at workplace (Gibson and Hones, 2003).Similarly, HRD researchers who are interested in applying theirknowledge to organisational interventions are most likely to make adifference when they construct research that focuses on howorganisations make meaning of events and phenomena rather thanon base facts, devoid of context. Swanson and Holton (2001) notedthat as an applied discipline, the idea of research is fundamental toadvancing HRD. In that HRD is focused on people functioning inorganisations, HRD scholars cannot be satisfied with the commonidea of research that exists apart from practices. The scholarly ideaof research in HRD must be judged within the HRD research


community itself and have credence among scholars and researchersin related disciplines. Swanson (2003) also noted that all the time,good practice should not be confused as research in name or intent:practitioners choosing to engage in the research process need tolearn and honor rigorous research methods. The idea of research iscentral to HRD scholarship and is not central to routine HRDpractices.

CONCLUSIONHuman resource professionals perform a multiplicity of roles in

organisations as discussed in the article. There is a need to alignand link HRD interventions with the business plans and objectivesto add value to their presence. They are required to solve new andevolving challenges and forge partnerships with professionals fromother functional areas when faced with a new problem or opportunity.The future of the profession represents one where HRD practitionersskills will be recognized and valued and arguments for the supportof learning are supposed to be tested. They need to find time toanalyse and focus on their own professional and career development.The issues and challenges highlighted in the article reflect thenecessity for integrated efforts on the part of scholars andpractitioners of HRD. They need to look beyond the set boundariesand engage themselves in validating their presence and set standardsfor themselves in evaluating the role and relationship tangle inorganisational context. The future, though uncertain, offers enoughscope for introspection and serves as a framework for envisioninga roadmap to success. The HRD profession needs to workout afine balance between visibility and credibility and negate the perceivednotion that HRD is visible, but not credible enough in adding valueto organisation’s bottom-line, growth and success. This article leavesfuture theories, models and research to address this puzzle ofvisibility and credibility index and other complexities of HRD.

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