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1、TheoryBuildingintheHumanResourceDevelopmentProfessionSusanA.LynhamTheorybuildingandtheory-buildingresearcharestartingtodrawincreasedattentionfromHRDscholars.Thereisagrowingrecognitionoftheimpor-tanceoftheorybuildinginmaturingthoughtandpracticeinHRD.Thisarticleexamineswhatismean
2、tbygoodtheoryandtheory-buildingresearchinHRDthroughasynthesisoftheexistingliteratureandadiscussionofthecoreconcepts,issues,andchallengesassociatedwiththeorybuildinginanappliedfield.Italsohighlightstheimportanceofembracingmultipara-digmresearchperspectivesforsteppinguptothetaskof
3、theorybuildingintheHRDprofession.Humanresourcedevelopment(HRD)isconcernedwithpractice.Thus,theconversationsinthefieldoftenfocusonthehowratherthanprobefordeeperunderstandingofthewhatandthewhyofHRDphenomena(Chalofsky,1996;RuonaandLynham,1999).Yet,theory-buildingresearchisessential
4、foraddressingsomerecurringconversationalproblemsintheprofession.Theory-buildingresearchcanhelptheHRDprofessionaddressthecallforHRDthe-ory,offerameansforsteppinguptotheperennialproblemsinHRDpractice—manyofwhichareamenabletobeingsolvedthroughtheory—andprovidemethodsforreducingthe
5、incidenceofpracticebasedonincompleteespousedtheories.Itisthepurposeofthisarticletoconsidertheimportance,challenges,andtaskoftheorybuildinginmaturingtheHRDprofession.Itisnot,however,thepurposetoengageindiscourseaboutthedefinitionofHRDwithoutfirstengaginginadequatetheory-buildingre
6、search.Forthisreason,adefinitionofHRDisnotofferedinthisarticle.InthisarticleIexaminethesubjectfirstbyprovidingageneralintroduc-tiontotheorybuildinginHRD,highlightingandclarifyingkeytheory-buildingNote:IsincerelyappreciatethesupportandhelpfulcommentsandcontributionsofRichardA.Swan
7、son,WendyE.A.Ruona,ShariPeterson,andLindaL.Medin.Ialsobenefitedgreatlyfromthemanyinfor-malconversationsontheorybuildingwithRichardJ.Torracooverthepastyear,aswellaswithstu-dentsinthespring1998and1999courseonadvancedHRDtheoryattheUniversityofMinnesota.HUMANRESOURCEDEVELOPMENTQUART
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