Three presentations are provided from Symposium 16, Improving Human Resource Development (HRD) Practice through Research, of the Academy of HRD 2000 Conference Proceedings. "Why HRD Practitioners Can Lack Respect: Sizing the Credibility Gap between What Top Managers Want and HRD Professionals Deliver" (Robert L. Dilworth, Timothy McClernon) reports a study in which HRD scholars and practitioners looked at issues and available research to arrive at 10 reasons why HRD practitioners can be seen as outside the mainstream of business and lack credibility. "Issues in Human Resource Development in Central and Eastern Europe" (Geoff Chivers) describes a study of problems, causes, and solutions. A large scale empirical study in the Baltic States and Slovenia is combined with data from less formal visits to organizations in Central and Eastern Europe and the literature to generate conclusions and recommendations for improvements. "Human Resource Professional Support for Work-Based Management Development" (Jean Woodall) reports the following findings of a project investigating senior HR professionals' awareness and encouragement of work-based management development: they were very enthusiastic about this activity, but were not well-informed about the forms it could take; were uncertain about the acceptability of using developmental challenges; and did not have conscious strategies for support, guidance, and facilitation through work-based activities. The papers contain references. (YLB)