The Evolution of Human Resource Development

The term human resource development was in use since the 1980s. Understanding the historical evolution of HRD is important for understanding the modern concepts of HRD clearly.

Early Apprenticeship Training Programs

The origin of HRD can be traced to the apprenticeship training programs in the eighteenth century. To meet the growing demand for manufactured products, the companies recruited additional employees without vocational or technical school education. They were educated and trained under a master, usually for several years until they become experts in making.  The apprenticeship model was also followed in the training of physicians, educators, and attorneys.

Early Vocational Education Programs

The first recognized privately funded vocational school was established by DeWitt Clinton in New York City in 1809. The purpose of vocational schools was to provide occupational training to unskilled people to make them employable. In 1917, United States Congress passed the Smith-Hughes Act which granted funds for the promotion of vocational education. Today vocational education system is the most important part of the education system worldwide which fills the skill gap.  

Early Factory Schools

The factory schools were set up by the companies to meet the increasing demand for engineers and skilled labourers fuelled by the rapid industrial revolution.   The early factory schools were established by Hoe and Company, Westinghouse in 1888, General Electric, Baldwin Locomotive in 1901, and International Harvester in 1907. Most of the factory schools focused on mechanical and machinist training programs. Different from apprenticeship programs, the factory schools were shorter in duration and had a specific focus on the skills needed to do a particular job only.

The Human Relations Movement

The factory system and growing demand for increased productivity resulted in frequent exploitation of unskilled workers. The mounting employee dissatisfaction level in the factory system caused diminishing productivity of the factory system. Mary Parker Follett and Lillian Gilbreth initiated the campaign for the “human relations” movement demanding better working conditions for humans in the factories and for considering the importance of human behaviour on the job. The human relations movement attained popularity and further studies advocated for ensuring social structure in the workplaces. Abraham Maslow’s theory on human needs and the Hawthorne experiments of Elton Mayo established the need for effective management of human resources and the need for the development of employees in the organizations.  

The Establishment of the Training Profession

During the Second World War, the industries were largely engaged in supporting the requirements of the war by producing various tools and defense-related products. The US government established the Training Within Industry (TWI) Service to coordinate training programs across defence-related industries and to teach their programs at each plant. Many companies established their own training departments with instructors trained by TWI. In 1942, the American Society for Training Directors (ASTD) was formed to establish some standards within this emerging training profession. In 1949, the TWI had trained over 23,000 instructors.  

The emergence of Human Resource Development

During the 1960s and 1970s, the growing demand for employee involvement in many organizations required more trainers to train employees. The focus of training and development (T&D) concentrated on interpersonal skills such as coaching, group process facilitation, and problem-solving. Following the trend, ASTD approved the term human resource development to encompass this growth and change. Further, the famous books on HRD by Leonard and Zeace Nadler were published and helped to clarify and define the HRD field. In 2004, ASTD is the leading professional organization for HRD professionals with approximately 70,000 members in over 100 countries. The emphasis of HRD initiatives is performance improvement viewing organizations as high-performance work systems