The Psychology of Human Resources Development: A Consequent of Radical Cultural Change in America

The purpose of this paper is to outline some of the principal features of an exciting new field concerned with developing HUMAN resources in organizational settings, i.e., aiming at maximizing employees' pertinent talents, productivity and well-being in the service of organizations. The Psychology of Human Resources Development has arisen of practical necessity from the array of functions and employee services commonly performed by personnel departments since the beginning of this century and their more recent consequents, departments of human resources development. These services and functions in turn were further stimulated by the growing social turbulence subsequent to the early 1960's and the economic prosperity of the 1980's. Upon close examination, however, the sophisticated deployment of these functions and services actually necessitated substantial psychological knowledge and that of allied disciplines. Moreover, in the current, rapidly emerging arena of global competition among businesses, it is clear at present that America's economic fate will turn importantly upon how well business organizations can promote and effectively utilize the intelligence and skill of its workforce. To this end, and those previously stated, it is the mission of the Psychology of Human Resources Development to explore any tactical methods and related subject matters within the purview of ethical decorum that are helpful in promoting the development of employee abilities and general well-being for organizations' strategic ends.