The future of work is being fundamentally reshaped with evidence indicating that AI is eliminating entry-level roles for graduates worldwide faster than organisations, organisational workforce development, and national human resource development (HRD) systems can respond, creating what is now termed the “Jobpocalypse phenomenon.” This phenomenon has major implications for HRD and its body of theory, research, and both country- and organisational-level practices. In this commentary, we consider and examine the scope and implications of the Jobpocalypse phenomenon, and argue that firm-level AI adoption decisions have the potential to produce system-level consequences. We challenge the foundational assumption within HRD that early-career pathways for developing technical and managerial talent will naturally replenish themselves. To address the complexities of the Jobpocalypse Phenomenon, we take a novel approach focused on our dual positionality as “junior” and “senior” scholars and co-authors, providing a distinctive analytic vantage point. In our analysis of the Jobpocalypse phenomenon, we identify three nested paradoxes embedded within this phenomenon: (i) the development versus efficiency paradox, (ii) the individual-talent versus systemic-pathways paradox, and (iii) the AI tool versus AI architect paradox. We propose three interconnected theoretical reconceptualisations that update HRD’s analytical focus and derive a research agenda with guiding questions that direct scholarly and practitioner attention to this contemporary phenomenon. We additionally outline what country-level and organisational HRD systems can do to address this phenomenon.

This paper synthesizes a wide range of knowledge on the role of sex/gender in Learning and Development (L&D) and applies Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model to propose a research agenda for advancing women’s equity in L&D. The paper highlights how the learning and development of women are historically, culturally and socially constrained by gendered environments, norms, expectations, opportunities, and barriers. The analysis is based on a systematic-narrative hybrid literature review of a wide range of research and contributions on sex/gender in L&D. The paper argues L&D is part of a system that perpetuates inequities for women. The paper proposes a future research focus on the impact of women’s embodied transitions, the role of sex/gender in situated L&D proximal processes and outcomes, intersectionality and diversity within the category women and supporting women’s agency in L&D research and practice. The proposed research agenda is envisioned as a collaborative undertaking between scholars and practitioners.

Our review addresses a gap in Human Resource Development (HRD) by examining how cultural competence can be developed within leadership coaching. Cultural competence, the awareness, skills, and knowledge needed to engage effectively across cultural contexts, remains underexplored in coaching education and practice. Finding no integrative reviews on this topic in the coaching literature, we turned to mentoring, a related field where cultural competence has been more clearly theorized. We synthesized 59 studies to inform the Cultural Competence in Coaching (CCiC) Roundhouse, a conceptual model depicting interconnected areas of competence through a Critical Human Resource Development (CHRD) lens. The model challenges assumptions of neutrality in coaching and positions cultural competence as a critical, relational, and ethical practice. This review calls for the integration of cultural competence into coach education, credentialing, and professional standards to advance coaching as a more inclusive, socially conscious, and transformative HRD practice.

The synergy between human creativity and technology is key to competitiveness in today’s workplace, where creativity fuels organizational success. Despite growing attention to digital creativity (DC), defined as a unique form of creativity that generates novel and practical ideas within a digital environment or through digital technology, a holistic understanding of it in the workplace (DC-W) remains lacking in the human resource development (HRD) literature. To address this gap, this systematic review synthesizes three key aspects of the literature: theoretical and conceptual foundations, technology applications, and drivers of DC-W. Our findings establish a foundational understanding of this evolving concept, highlighting sociotechnical and sociocultural perspectives and the dual roles of technology in enhancing DC-W. We also present the multilevel drivers of DC-W. Building on our review, we propose theoretical and practical implications and outline future research directions, focusing on conceptual foundations, HRD interventions, and the dark side of digital technologies.

Recent challenges have made the jobs of leaders increasingly complex. A different skillset that includes Emotional Intelligence (EQ) might be required for leaders to not only persevere but also thrive amid today’s challenges. While a range of studies have examined the relationship between EQ and leadership, there have been few recent efforts to review them comprehensively and systematically. With empirical research evolving quickly and the rising popularity of EQ among Human Resource Development (HRD) professionals, there is a need to synthesize past research findings. To address this issue, we systematically reviewed 101 empirical studies published between 1990 and 2021 that investigated the relationship between leader EQ and leader outcomes in terms of leadership styles and behaviors, well-being, and performance. Our findings indicate that leader EQ is positively associated with a range of outcomes beneficial to the leader. These outcomes include not only concepts closely linked to EQ, such as relational leadership styles, but also more task-related outcomes, such as leader effectiveness. While our results do not allow for establishing causal relations, they do suggest that the benefits of EQ might be more far-reaching than previously assumed. Our findings need to be considered in the context of an ongoing debate about the distinctiveness of the EQ concept, valid measurements, and a call for increased inclusion of a potential dark side of EQ. We conclude our review by outlining practical implications for HRD professionals and key directions to further advance this domain of research.

This essay delves into the essential knowledge required for the development and contribution of theory, focusing on its definition, components, and the different methods for making theoretical contributions. I view theory not as a monumental intellectual achievement, but as a product of the theorizing process, moving away from the idea of a fully developed theory. I highlight four main outcomes of theorizing: concepts, principles, models, and theories, which exist along a continuum. Theoretical contributions involve introducing, refining, expanding, and replacing these outcomes. I also present three approaches—Theory-driven, Phenomena-driven, and Review-driven—as pathways for researchers to make theoretical contributions. The goal of this essay is to make the theorizing process more accessible and manageable for early-career researchers and doctoral students in HRD, offering guidance and support in their theory-building endeavors.

The belief that a life of passion is a life well-lived serves as a perpetual motivator to pursue work aligned with one’s passion. Both work and family are essential life domains in many people’s lives, and they often interconnect, impacting each other. In the workplace, passion is a highly desired but under-researched employee characteristic, offering benefits like positive emotions and improved performance but also carrying risks, such as inflexibility. Drawing on job demands-resources theory and conservation of resources theory, our inquiry offers an integrative conceptual framework that combines insights from positive psychology, organizational behavior, and human resource development (HRD) literature. This framework enhances our understanding of how work passion connects to the work-family interface, considering the roles of psychological capital and self-regulation failure in interactions beyond work. Our study includes implications for HRD practitioners motivated to promote change initiatives and an agenda for future research for HRD scholars.

That all academic writing should be based on a comprehensive review of previous research is well understood. Yet how to accomplish this task given the burgeoning literature in our field and in the many contributing fields of study has received surprisingly little attention in publishing guidelines in HRD and related fields. To encourage the development of HRD scholarship as a distinct and yet interdisciplinary body of knowledge, discernment, justification, and clarity about the selection and representation of the existing literature are needed in three areas. Domain specificity is concerned with the link to the HRD disciplinary base, practice relevance situates the work in a recognized HRD practice domain, and communicative interest clarifies the author’s value stance. The conclusion addresses implications for novice and experienced writers, the training of graduate and professional students, and the editorial policies of the leading HRD journals.