"For decades, organizations of all kinds have grasped at ways to advance the capabilities of their human capital. Training and development is a multi-billion dollar industry, but for all of that investment, talent development still tops the list of most executives'' greatest organizational challenges. The shortfall in results is due in part to the fact that most professionals in the field lack a fundamental understanding of how humans actually develop, along with a deep knowledge of the rich history of the field. The History of Human Resource Development provides seasoned and aspiring professionals alike with a comprehensive historical view of the technologies and methodologies that have evolved alongside the human beings they are aimed at. Gosney and Hughes have made a strong contribution to the field by consolidating such a sweeping history of the field to help us more effectively advance it." —Ron Carucci, Managing Partner, Navalent and best-selling author of Rising to Power: The Journey of Exceptional Executives


''Gosney and Hughes provide the most thorough review of HRD''s history in our field thus far. Their unique and thoughtful emphasis on philosophies highlights the assumptions that both define and potentially constrain HRD practice and theory. It''s incumbent on practitioners to understand and critically reflect on HRD''s foundations to shape and continuously improve their professional identity and practice. This book will be a key resource to aid in that critical process.'' —Wendy E.A. Ruona, University of Georgia, USA