The Cultural Context of Human Resource Development

Culture is a powerful determinant in how human performance problems are perceived and how their solutions in the form of employee development interventions are created, implemented and evaluated. As a lens, cultural frames color both the role and importance of human resource development (HRD) as a field of scholarly endeavor and as a professional area of practice.

This book addresses the most critical cultural bonds that influence today's work force, bonds which are shaped by our societial, organizational, and occupational backgrounds. Contributions begin with an explanation of why an anthropological understanding of our field is so important to HRD. This book goes beyond the concept of culture as a "variable of interest" by offering theoretical and case illustrations of culture at work.