Roles, competences and outputs of HRD practitioners ‐ a comparative study in four European countries

Early in the 1990s, at the University of Twente it was felt that research was needed on the content of human resource development (HRD) jobs in Europe. In the USA such studies had been initiated by Nadler in the early 1980s. Studies that built on his work were “Models of excellence” and “Models for HRD practice”, both undertaken by the American Association for Training and Development (ASTD). The International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction studied the qualifications needed by training managers, training instructors and training evaluators. The only research done in Europe, as far as we know, was a large‐scale study by the Training & Development Lead Body, carried out in, and concentrating on, the UK. The University of Twente aims to contribute to a description of the HRD field in Europe by describing job profiles of European HRD practitioners in terms of tasks as well as roles. Additionally, a comparison between the role analyses in the USA and European countries is made to check the validity of the US‐roles for Europe. The outcomes will be helpful in defining job profiles and (in a later stage) developing standards for HRD practitioners, both of which are important elements in the development of a profession. The outcomes can be used by HRD practitioners in their individual development.