Standards formation and the implications for HRD
European Journal of Training and Development
ISSN: 2046-9012
Article publication date: 29 June 2020
Issue publication date: 23 January 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the implications of national and international standards for human resource development (HRD) practice. It focuses on the experiences, perceptions and learning of those involved in the social construction of standards and standardisation processes.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is grounded in institutional and organisational excellence theories and adopts a qualitative approach based in social constructivism. Thematic analysis of the data obtained from 13 semi-structured interviews leads to a discussion of awareness of standards, standards adoption including constraints, and impact of standards.
Findings
The findings indicate that that there has been a disconnect between the potential impact of British Standards Institute (BSI) HR standards and what has occurred in practice with little awareness of the BSI standards among practitioners.
Research limitations/implications
This paper identifies an absence of institutional isomorphism in the HR arena and highlights the potential for a “standards-practice” gap where HR standards formation processes are perceived as detracting from flexibility and innovativeness in organisational practice.
Originality/value
This study contributes a new perspective of the implications of HR standards formation from the perspective of those involved and further contributes to the wider theorisation of standards in the HRD field.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) Research Honorarium awarded in 2018.
Both authors contributed fully and in a collaborative way to the development of this paper. Dr Heather Short was responsible for data collection and data analysis; Dr Valerie Anderson was responsible for the theorization and conceptual features of the paper.
Citation
Short, H. and Anderson, V.A. (2021), "Standards formation and the implications for HRD", European Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 45 No. 1, pp. 74-94. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-02-2020-0019
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited