Conceptualizing the Marginalization Experiences of People with Disabilities in Organizations Using an Ableism Lens

Existing literature on disability inclusion in the workplace has done little to confront the structural inequalities facing people with disabilities and has instead focused on ideas of assimilation strategies. As a result, in HRD there is a conflation between disability research and research that is “critical.” The purpose of this conceptual article is to examine the persisting influence of ableism on the marginalization experiences of people with disabilities in organizations. Specifically, the present article conceptualizes the effects of ableism on the hiring, retention, and promotion of people with disabilities in organizations. The critical analysis of everyday work experiences of people with disabilities in ableist organizations as offered in this article calls for organizations to fundamentally rethink how they can better support this world’s largest minority group. Implications for HRD research and practice will be discussed.

The Contribution of Phenomenology to HRD Research

Phenomenology is an interpretive research methodology that has direct application to human resource development (HRD) because it helps explicate the essence of human experience. The authors argue that recognizing phenomenology as an integral methodology for HRD research is essential for the field to have a more complete understanding of the holistic nature and complexity of experiences that are relevant to HRD practice. This article reviews philosophical foundations of phenomenology that translate into a research methodology providing a distinctive contribution to the knowledge base of HRD. The application of research concepts based on the lifeworld perspective is explored with respect to guiding the phenomenological research process, using an illustrative example from one of the authors' research studies. The authors review the current state of phenomenological research in HRD and propose an agenda for future research in the field.

Lynham S, N. McLean G. Investigating the HRD cube and explicating extant paradigms of HRD

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to focus on the issue of paradigms in human resource development (HRD) and validate the HRD cube as a synthesized model of HRD praxis and to explicate some of the extant paradigms of HRD.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study was carried out by examining the text of articles published in Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD)-sponsored journals over a specific period. Sixteen articles published in AHRD-sponsored journals were treated as if they were the representative voice(s) of their author(s). Data units were axially coded and sorted into one of seven pre-determined categories based on the axioms of theory, research and practice. Then, data units were open coded using the constant comparative method, and themes were developed.

Findings

– Axial coding results identified a dominant emphasis on practice. The accumulation of units representing research and theory were comparatively smaller. Evidence of shared perspectives was found that emphasized the practice axiom. Open coding results identified representative themes within each of the axiom-based categories of theory, research and practice. Six themes developed in the theory category, nine themes developed in the research category and six themes developed in the practice category.

Originality/value

– The results support the overall construction of the HRD cube. Given the initial validation and support of the HRD cube and of the components described within the theory, research and practice sides within these 16 articles published in AHRD-sponsored journals, at least 18 prospective paradigms of HRD were identified.

Illustrating Relevance, Questioning Norms, and Creating Space

Scholarly dialogue in HRD (Human Resource Development) has become gradually more accepting of essential conversations regarding equity and social justice in research. However, much work remains in bridging the gaps between this scholarship and the practice of HRD. One way to create change is through teaching, as the ways in which we choose to educate students of HRD inevitably shapes the future of the field. In reflecting on one of my own works, “Identity matters: A critical exploration of lesbian, gay, and bisexual identity and leadership in HRD,” it occurred to me that even well-meaning and skilled instructors could struggle to incorporate its ideas into the dialogue in their classrooms and research. Thus, the purpose of this essay is to use “Identity Matters” as an explicatory example in discussing how emerging critical perspectives could be taught.