Encyclopedia of Human Resource Management, Critical and Emerging

Book Preface

Encyclopedia of Human Resource Management, Critical and Emerging Issues in Human Resources (Volume 3)

Why is this volume important?

Volume Three focuses on a number of issues that are increasingly important to HRD professionals in today’s competitive environment. As human resources becomes more of a strategic partner with the business, the topics addressed in this volume relate to the concerns of most C-level executives, for example, where are our leaders coming from and how do we develop our people for leadership positions? What is the role of HRD in helping us achieve our long-term business strategy? What are some of the major challenges that HRD professionals have to deal with in today business environment?

What can you achieve with this volume?

The articles in Volume Three were written to give the reader a more in-depth analysis of some of today’s critical HR issues. Some of the articles provide an in-depth discussion of a current topic, while others introduce a new way of approaching a familiar challenge. In all cases, they have been designed to stimulate critical thinking and refl ection. The articles should stimulate the reader to explore a topic more extensively, and the references included with each article provide a path for this investigation.

How is the volume organized?

This volume is divided into three categories. Part One: Leadership and Learning provides thought-provoking information on a variety of topics associated with identifying and developing leaders as well as innovative approaches to leadership development and learning. Part Two: Strategy and Measurement refl ects on human resources’ role in becoming a strategic corporate partner. This section also tackles the issue of assigning metrics to what an HR professional does and using those metrics to measure the outcomes of our initiatives. Finally, Part Three: The Evolution of Human Resources reviews various aspects of our professional evolution that has brought us to where we are today. The continuing need to evolve as HR professionals is also addressed.