Five distinct generational cohorts, from the Silent Generation (born 1920s-1940s) to Generation Z (born 1996-2010s), are active in the workforce. These cohorts are defined by shared characteristics shaped by pivotal historical events influencing their worldviews and work behaviors. Each generation presents unique challenges due to differing…

Masculine rationality pervades organizations and organizational theory but remains largely unexplored and or studied by human resource development (HRD) researchers and practitioners. This essay defines rational masculinity and summarizes its origins and effects on women in the workplace. Current literature supports the need for increased…

The racism experienced by African Americans in the workplace is a microcosm of the larger society in which dominant ideologies are present and in power. Current events have continued to expose the racialized system of oppression that serves as a silencer, an erasure, and the literal death sentence of African Americans. Human resource development…

Although supportive work-life initiatives have advanced in recent years, existing literature shows inconsistent outcomes regarding the adoption and effectiveness of these initiatives. In this conceptual paper, we aim to highlight that an individual's ability to freely negotiate and decide how to manage the relationships between their paid work and…

The COVID-19 pandemic changed how organizational leaders managed their staff and handled operations. As those operational changes were implemented, the experiential learning theory (ELT) was practiced by the leaders, staff, and human resource development (HRD) practitioners. In general, employees' operational practices were created to work in a…

Women make up almost half of the workforce, but only a small percentage are ever promoted above middle management (Zarya). Although more women are working now than ever before, the numbers of high-level management positions still are primarily occupied by men, and the reason for this imbalance is still unclear. Why are women not able to break that…

The focus on outcomes of employee development pales in comparison to the significant financial investments organizations make in offering employee development opportunities. Most attention, as it appears, has been focused on the outcomes and benefits of conducting training -- both for employees who participate in training and the effects on…

This article focuses on how HRD research can better address some of the barriers to inclusive career development and secure employment. Beginning with the concept of decent work, we suggest expanding the scope of studies on workplace inequities, encouraging HRD to push further into disparities facing under-represented identity groups and including…

The idea for a pre-conference session focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues in human resource development (HRD) seemed an appropriate topic for an international conference on HRD. The LGBT rights movement has been closely linked with the world of work and the opportunities made available through shifts from an agrarian…

Bullying is a serious problem in contemporary American society. Many adults are now suffering from bullying, which has conventionally been thought of as a childhood behavior. While a general form of bullying has been focused on by contemporary scholars, specific types of bullying (racist bullying and homophobic bullying) have not well been…