Human Resource Development
by Australian author Francesco Sofo
"This is a frontier piece of work, a goldmine of analysis and
interpretation. Beautifully researched, brilliantly structured and
contemporary. I cannot fault it - no stone has been left unturned. An
outstanding contribution to our field. I learned heaps."
Alastair Rylatt, award winning author, Excel HRD, Sydney
The first Australian book to address the theoretical and practical issues
of Human Resource Development.
Human Resource Development provides a refreshing examination of the field
of Human Resource Development (HRD). It illustrates the broad range and
scope of HRD. The field was popularised and first written about by Leonard
Nadler (1970) from the George Washington University as a new field of study
and scholarship as well as a discipline to be practised. This book
maintains a focus on HRD within Australia but endeavours to keep before the
reader an awareness of the international scene as well.
Human Resource Development focuses upon HRD as a means of helping people,
individuals, groups, teams, departments, public and private organisations,
to develop their full potential. It promotes the idea that we need to
scrutinise and revisit our conceptions of learning and living and the place
of learning within organisations.
Part 1 gives a comprehensive look at the big picture of HRD, the current
climate with a particular emphasis on the microeconomic context of
Australia.
Part 2 looks at the key HRD role choices on offer.
Part 3 features friendly information on current and frequently used
practice choices available to professionals in the human relations area,
thus giving them the ability to apply any of the practice choices currently
needed within their organisation.
This book also allows you to ensure that change is planned, organised and
integrated into the workplace, and that you are expanding your knowledge,
skills and attitudes to continually upgrade your capability to achieve
desired results.
The term "Human Resource Development" has become so popular over the past
ten years that many different kinds of activities related to employees have
been renamed HRD. Change management has become an important focus area due
to the recognition that the present information age and fast-growing
technological scene are continually transforming our workplaces. In
addition there are new notions of quality service expectations. The
Australian Public Service is now realising that managers should be spending
more time on people development than on other resources. We have seen a new
and strong focus on visioning and strategic thinking, occupational health
and safety, cultural diversity, people with special needs, equity and
access in the workplace, workplace training and assessment, mediation,
counselling, coaching and mentoring processes.
This book could become the sole text for any course in HRD/Training and
Developing. So comprehensive, it can be used at an introductory level, at
the graduate diploma level or by a practising professional.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Francesco Sofo is the Head of Human Resources Development and the Adult
Education Program at the University of Canberra. In the past twelve years,
Sofo has concentrated his energies in the field off Adult Education and
Human Resource Development. He has consulted in public and private
organisations and helped establish HRD research and award courses within
Australia and internationally. He has conducted major projects with clients
such as Warner Music International, the Australian Customs Service and the
Department of Primary Industries and Energy. He was director of the
Australian Business Simulation, a national competition sponsored by IBM,
The Australian newspaper and several others. In 1996 he was appointed
Fellow of the Australian Institute for Management, where he is a regular
speaker.
Published by Business and Professional Publishing Pty Limited
Distributed by Woodslane Pty Limited
Available in all good bookstores
RRP: $49.95
ISBN: 1875680748
For further information please contact Sabine Hein at Woodslane on
PH: (02) 9970 5111
FAX: (02) 9970 5002
or email:
sabinehe@woodslane.com.au
REVIEW IN MANAGEMENT TODAY, SEPTEMBER, 1999
HRD is about ensuring that change is planned, organised and integrated and
that people are continually expanding their knowledge and skills.
According to Sofo (Head of the HRD program at the University of Canberra),
the accelerating pace of change in business adds a great sense of urgency
to the need for HRD to become pro-active and to add value to organisation
by helping individuals, groups, teams and entire companies to develop their
full potential.
Managers are the new HRD practitioners, Sofo says, so they must rise to
meet the new challenges that the changed conditions of today's business
world present - and get results.
In their examination of where HRD fits in, in today's business world, Sofo
and his contributors adopt a new, multidisciplinary 'choice perspectives'
approach that enables connections to be made between HRD and areas such as
IR, adult education and HRM.
The book looks at HRD in the context of globalisation and change, but with
an emphasis on the micro-economic context of Australia. The writers discuss
the key HRD roles and competencies generally held to be critical to the
effective performance of HRD practitioners, and they examine current
practices available to professionals working in human relations.
This is a significant addition to the literature in the field of HRD.
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Francesco Sofo (PhD)
Convener, Master of Community Education (HRD)
Division of Communication and Education
University of Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: (61 2) 6201 5123
Facsimile: (61 2) 6201 5057
Email:
franks@education.canberra.edu.au
Web page:
http://education.canberra.edu.au/staff/pace/sofo/sofo.html
Visit the Faculty Web site
http://education.canberra.edu.au
1999 The Year of the Older Person
Celebrate life after 50, bring generations together to challenge
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