Learning and Development

Citation

(2007), "Learning and Development", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 21 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/dlo.2007.08121cae.001

Learning and Development

A round-up of some of the best book reviews recently published by Emerald.

Learning and Development

Rosemary Harrison, CIPD, London, 2005

As a fourth edition this book represents a fresh, up to date and sometimes challenging look at the increasingly complex world of learning and development. Rosemary Harrison’s experience as an academic, chief examiner for the CIPD, consultant, and notable author enables her to present a balanced and insightful view of the field, incorporating both current issues and future challenges. The potential readership of the book ranges across HRM and HRD practitioners, CIPD students and non-CIPD students, and students studying for Masters level degrees. Equally, it is of interest to managers from a cross section of business disciplines who have an interest or responsibility for learning and development.

The preface to the book states three explicit aims, namely to meet the needs of the postgraduate market; to encourage high professional standards in learning and development and to provide an update for readers interested in learning and development. The text is divided into four parts covering 17 chapters, however the way that the book is structured and presented does not feel as if it swamps the reader with an overload of information.

Part 1 “Understanding the field” sets the scene for learning and development in an organisational context, and highlights business and educational challenges and changes which have emerged, particularly over the last three years. Part 2 “Getting to grips with practice” examines the role of learners and practitioners in relating learning and development to performance, workplace learning and knowledge creation in a way which requires changes to the inputs and perceptions of both parties.

Part 3 “Making a business contribution” looks at the learning and development agenda in a variety of sectoral settings. In doing so it covers business partnerships, strategy, planning and creation of ways in which learning and development can add value within and outside traditional organisational boundaries.

Part 4 “Building for the future” concentrates on the contribution that the processes of career planning, leadership and management development can potentially make in building future organisational capacity. The final chapter highlights key issues arising from the text and their impact on learning and development practitioners and professionals.

As a core resource, the text has much to offer. Theory, research and practice are addressed in equal measure. Each chapter has an introduction of purpose and key issues and a conclusion summarising main areas covered. Within each chapter there is also the structured opportunity to pause and take a reflection break to review understanding. Case studies, figures and tables break the text up into readable chunks. The glossary of terms at the beginning of the book is extremely useful as are the further information sources (including websites, books and articles). The reference section is a testament to how up to date this book really is. The book has obvious appeal to CIPD members and students and has a “Revision guide” that complements the core text. A “Tutor manual” for those using the core text can also be accessed on the CIPD web site.

The text has an obvious strategic flavour to it and as such is of as much interest to those seeking the building blocks of learning and development strategy, as to those already involved at strategic level. The wealth of information contained in the book means that it is not the type of text that you sit down and read at one sitting. The reflection breaks are there for a reason. Overall the book makes a valuable contribution to the field of learning and development and represents real value for money for the prospective purchaser.

This review was published in Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 38 Number 1, 2006