The human resource development scholar as a disciplined rebel

✍ Scribed by Greg G. Wang

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 47 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1044-8004
• DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.20060

✦ Synopsis

McLean' s (2010) guest editorial raised an important issue with respect to the human resource development (HRD) scholar' s research mindset. In this editorial, I would like to build on this line of critical thinking by adding to it an additional aspect that is implicitly assumed. That is the discipline of HRD scholar as rebel. The purpose is to emphasize important issues for HRD junior scholars to avoid being rebellious without disciplined consideration, and avoid running into problems found in some existing HRD literature.

Undoubtedly, the progress and advancement of scientific research, including HRD knowledge creation, is largely dependent on rebelling ideas and related research efforts. Discipline is a critical requirement in HRD scholarly research, particularly in the contemporary research context in which no research topic is likely to start from scratch.

Looking at the definitions of "discipline" in dictionaries, I found the following related entries:

a system of rules of conduct, or method of practice; a rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity; training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language; Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary).