The Routledge Companion to Human Resource Development

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21245
• Published date: 01 March 2016
• Date: 01 March 2016

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, vol. 27, no. 1, Spring 2016 © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) • DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.21245 155

The Routledge Companion to Human Resource Development , edited by

Rob F. Poell , Tonette S. Rocco , and Gene L. Roth . Abingdon, England, and

New York, NY : Routledge , 2015 . 694 pages; GBP£140; US$225 (hardback),

US$227 (Kindle), ISBN: 978-0-415-82042-4 (hardback); 978-0-203-38644-6

(e-book).

The Routledge Companion to Human Resource Development comprises “those

themes and authors that we felt could not be omitted in any internation-

ally relevant HRD handbook” (editors ’ Preface, p. xiv). Accounts of human

resource development (HRD) practices “across planet earth” are its distinc-

tive feature: 11 of the 53 chapters cover 14 countries and 2 regions—the

Middle East and the European Union. Only Russia (discussed in Wilson,

2012 ) and “stahns” of central Asia are unaddressed. Many of its 97 contribu-

tors from 30+ countries lead the field (biodata informs on institutional and

journal affiliations). Several chapters have coauthors from different cultural

backgrounds. They raise thought-provoking questions, not only for research

but also about tomorrow ’ s world. Consider: “ Will national citizenship remain

relevant as the global community addresses diversity and inclusion? ” (p. 635). Its

nine sections comprise origins of the field, adjacent and related fields, theoret-

ical approaches, policy perspectives, interventions, core issues and concerns,

HRD as a profession, HRD around the world, and emerging topics and future

trends. The editors’ Epilogue presents a “conceptual matrix” that is a “synopsis

of the present, future and intrigue of HRD” (p. xiv).

This review focuses on content; further information on any aspect is

available at jdewarw@gmail.com .

Section I: Origins of the field:

1. The history, status and future of HRD (Monica Lee)

2. Andragogy (Joseph W. M. Kessels)

3. Adult learning (Knud Illeris)

4. Technical and vocational learning (Stephen Billett)

5. Continuing professional education, development and learning (Barbara

J. Daley and Ronald M. Cervero)

While other authors take a historical perspective, with Lee maintaining

that practitioner aspirations will determine HRD ’ s future, Billett discusses the-

ory-practice issues in vocational education and training (VET). Chapters 2,

3, and 5 address adult learning. Illeris lucidly explains its distinctive features;

Daley and Cervero focus on life-span professional development, specifically

medicals’ “directed self-learning,” a twist on a term from andragogy.