Bridging the Scholar-Practitioner Gap in Human Resources Development

Human resource professionals are an essential part of an organization; by helping to establish a rapport between employees and their managers and providing individual support, they ensure the overall well-being and success of an establishment. However, in certain sectors, such as academia or industrial settings, their role still remains unclear. Bridging the Scholar-Practitioner Gap in Human Resources Development examines the knowledge breach in the role of human resources professionals and the pivotal role they play in an organization. Featuring timely research, future implications, and practical applications of theoretical assumptions, this publication is a pivotal source for professionals, practitioners, academics, and researchers interested in the impact human resources specialists have in organizational settings.

Claretha Hughes is an Associate Professor and past Director of the College of Education and Health Professions Honors Program at the University of Arkansas, USA. She has over 24 years of diverse management, supervisory and administrative experience in organizational and workforce development. She is a member of Association for Talent Development and has published articles in the Human Resource Development Review, the Workforce Education Forum, and New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. Her book Valuing People and Technology in the Workplace: A Competitive Advantage Framework won the R. Wayne Pace Book of the Year award in 2012. She has a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech and her MBA is from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

Matthew W. Gosney is Director of Organizational Development for Hillcrest HealthCare System, USA where he manages the design and implementation of integrated talent management strategy for dozens of hospitals across the US. He has published in The Encyclopedia of E-Leadership, Counseling, and Training and is the co-author of The History of Human Resource Development. Dr. Gosney earned his doctorate in Human Resource and Workforce Development from the University of Arkansas, USA, where he was named outstanding Doctoral Student '09-10.