Human Performance Models Revealed in the Global Context

Citation

Wang, V.C.X. (2012), "Human Performance Models Revealed in the Global Context", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 20 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2012.04420caa.013

Human Performance Models Revealed in the Global Context

Article Type: Suggested reading From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 20, Issue 3

Victor C.X. Wang and Kathleen P. KingInformation Age Publishing, 2009, ISBN 9781607520108

In the book edited by Wang and King, nine authors representing nations of five continents have critically summarized the relevant human resource development issues in their respective countries. Various challenges faced in improving human potential transcending the nations’ boundaries are also explored and analyzed in the book.

The introduction by King emphasizes the relationship between employee performance and the core organization values. Placing culture as a basis for learning context, King urges the readers to explore human potential improvement measures around the world. Complementing information presented in the introduction, chapter 1 draws upon conceptual knowledge from the adult learning theories. Henschke, in the chapter, highlights stages of organizational change and why it is vital to invest in developing the most precious resources in organizations – humans.

Chapter 2-7 cover three main themes: global education and training needs, current HRD issues, and historical human performance issues. Chapters 2 and 7 visit the human performance issues in China and India respectively. Whereas Wang explores the changing face of human capital in light of the strategies used by the Chinese government, Sharma visits the human performance management issues concerning the Indian IT sector. Sharma also reviews the social, economic, educational, and demographic frameworks in the Indian context.

Human performance issues in Europe and the US are presented in chapters 3 and 4, respectively. Strohschen discusses historical background during the post Second World War era while introducing human performance improvement efforts in Europe. Strohschen also stresses learning from training and education efforts elsewhere in the world to improve human potential in Europe. Connected to the European experience, Banks highlights the gap between knowledge delivery and conceptual understanding concerning human performance in the USA. Additionally, Banks examines training, motivating, and developing employees for improving productivity.

Chapter 5 explores current human resource development issues in Africa, while Chapter 6 scrutinizes the history of human performance issues in South America. The authors Nafukho, Kobia, and Huka explain performance contracting – a management tool which defines the mutual performance obligations of the parties in contract and is based on the results and not merely the processes – its implications, and how it is employed to enhance productivity in Africa. Nafukho et al. supported their claims well through an empirical study and also provided recommendations. Contrasting the contemporaneous approach used by Nafukho et al., Beck uses history to discuss factors influencing current government policies and trade agreements along with evaluation of grassroot level human performance improvement measures in various South American countries. The role and impact of non-governmental organizations in developing individuals to rise above the mere level of sustenance is also captured in the chapter.

Largely the authors are successful in scrutinizing strategies of improving human potential, in their respective countries of discussion. The introduction succeeds in communicating the importance of learning human resource development measures across countries that serves as a foundation for the rest of the chapters. Chapter 1 complements the introduction well and succeeds in generating interest in the text. Throughout the chapters, inclusion of sufficient background information before discussion of critical issues aids understanding. For example, grounding arguments in history and theories has provided a sound basis for the discussions in chapters 3 and 4 respectively. Including the empirical study in chapter 5 has boosted the authors’ discussion of performance contracting measures in Kenya. Similarly, connecting the efforts in the past with the present has made chapters 2 and 7 more useful. Examples from various South American countries have given comprehensiveness to chapter 6.

The progressive transition from one idea to another and subheadings facilitates understanding of concepts. The book is informative, comprehensive, and provides a succinct yet complete picture of how human performances are shaped in the past. However, more in-depth discussions about the application and relevance of historical developments and theoretical knowledge would have further enhanced the usefulness of the book. Although relevant historical developments in the field of human resource development are presented in the chapters, their current practical implications in the organizations are missing in some chapters. A few examples of human performance management issues in the organizations operating in the countries of discussion would have been of great use to the practitioners and scholars in the field of human resource development.

Nevertheless, all chapters are very well organized and follow a lucid style of presentation. The book provides a wealth of knowledge compiled and presented in an easy to understand format. Useful information is presented for practitioners, scholars, students, and researchers to understand the current human resource development efforts, issues, and challenges across the nations. Overall the book is a systematic, in-depth, interesting, and enriching compilation of vital information on human resource development issues that transcend global boundaries.

Reviewed by Vishal Arghode.

A longer version of this review was originally published in Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 35 No. 3, 2011.