A Study on the Purpose, Definition, Role, and Competency of Human Resource Development in the 21st Century

21세기 인적자원 개발의 목적, 개념, 역할 및 역량에 관한 연구

The nature of work which is changing has increased the importance of HRD within organization. Also, these changes are making HRD shift its paradigm : from the segregated, closed, operational & administrative, dependent, utilitarian view to the integrative, open, strategic & facilitative, interdependent, generative view. The shifts of the perspective on HRD cause HRD professionals rethink the purpose and definition of HRD, and the role & competency needed to HRD in 21st century. The findings which are drawn through literature review and researcher’s intuition based on a long field experience are as follows. First, The function of HRD has recently been much more important then that of the past. Second, There is no consensus over the conceptual identity of HRD. Nonetheless, it is apparent that the preferred activities of the HRD function is performance improvement. Third, It is too difficult that we should define clearly the role & competency of HRD because of diverse perspectives on them. But we find much evidence converging to support the fact that the role & competency of HRD should be extended from the sole focus on training & development to adding the additional role & competency of change agent, who includes planning, implementing, and managing change.