Rick Holden Liverpool Business School UFHRD Research Committee

UFHRD Mission “To create, develop, and inform leading – edge HRD theories and practices by promoting professionally focused qualifications, co-operative research initiatives, consultancy interventions”

Critics of HRD research and its status  HRD is not an academic discipline (Kuchinke, 2001)  HRD research must ‘up its game’ (Thorpe,2009)  HRD research is barely scratching the surface (Sadler- Smith, 2014)  HRD research must ‘sharpen its toolkit’ (Kuchinke, forthcoming)  A diversity of perspectives – unhelpful given need for a distinct identity (Poell, 2007)  Will HRD survive (Short et al, 2003)?

Champions of HRD research and its status  The subject is healthy…both in terms of quantity of research and as driver of change vis management / work (Stewart 2005)  HRD makes a contribution to the overall knowledge base of the social science ….the theme of training transfer and evaluation has been the most valuable (Jeung et al, 2011)  The RAE should not be allowed to distort or minimise the value and quality of research currently being produced and published on HRD (Stewart, 2007)

The Honorarium  Key link to Mission  Annually, since  Small scale  32 completed projects

Evaluation: Main Findings  Perceived well… “a rare case of funding that is exclusively for HRD research”  Impact Kick starts research Enhances research capability Outputs (Figure 3)

Main Findings  Perceived well… “a rare case of funding that is exclusively for HRD research”  Impact Kick starts research Enhances research capability Outputs (Figure 3) Extends and sustains research beyond the specifics of Hon project (Figure 5)

Main Findings  Perceived well… “a rare case of funding that is exclusively for HRD research”  Impact Kick starts research Enhances research capability Outputs (Figure 3) Extends and sustains research beyond the specifics of Hon project (Figure 5)  Contribution to Forum Mission (Figure 7)

On the other hand….  Is HRD research measurable better, different, more significant than without the Honorarium ? Evaluation revealed: - a lack of collaborative work - Something of a ‘rag bag’ of projects / initiatives - Minimal attention to theory (cf RAE report re Mgt Ed and Dev) - A tendency for one-offs; little ‘building’ from one year to another - Hon researchers face a dilemma…loyalty to Forum (and its associated journals) v pressure from institutions wedded to ‘orthodox’ view of research assessment

Theory / Conceptual Underpinning 4 The Practice of HRD14 The Teaching and Learning of HRD14 Table 1: The focus of Honorarium research projects

On the other hand….  Is HRD research measurable better, different, more significant than without the Honorarium ? Evaluation revealed: - a lack of collaborative work - Something of a ‘rag bag’ of projects / initiatives - Minimal attention to theory (cf RAE report re Mgt Ed and Dev) - A tendency for one-offs; little ‘building’ from one year to another - Hon researchers face a dilemma…loyalty to Forum (and its associated journals) v pressure from institutions wedded to ‘orthodox’ view of research assessment

Conclusions and Question  The UFHRD Research Honorarium is a successful ‘cottage’ industry.  It does help initiate and sustain HRD research  Its impact in any national assessment is marginal  Does it stick with a proven formula, albeit at ‘cottage’ industry level of impact, or seek greater influence and impact in the politics of social science research….  How might the Honorarium assist HRD research to ‘up its game’ ?