HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT - 2025/6

Module Overview

MANM006 provides students with an introduction to human resource development (HRD).  It explores the topic from a variety of perspectives through the use of relevant theories, current research and business and organizational practice.  The module is aligned closely with the core text book which has been written specifically for this module and in alignment with the CIPD curriculum and learning outcomes: Sadler-Smith, E  (2022) Human Resource Development: From Theory into Practice.  London: SAGE.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

SADLER-SMITH Eugene (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Face to face sessions as follows:

‘Welcome and Introduction’

‘What is Human Resource Development (HRD)?’

 ‘Theories of Learning’

‘Strategy and Human Resource Development’

‘Planning Learning and Development’

‘Designing Learning and Development’

‘Evaluating Learning and Development’

‘Soft Skills’

‘Organizational learning and the Learning Organization’

‘Module Review’

‘Assignment Workshop’

The core text book which has been written specifically for this module and in alignment with the CIPD curriculum and learning outcomes (and which replaces Sadler-Smith (2006)) is: Sadler-Smith, E  (2022) Human Resource Development: From Theory into Practice.  London: SAGE.  For contents and the book’s learning outcomes (which align with the above aims, outcomes and contents) please visit the SAGE website: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/human-resource-development/book272256

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

n/a

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is Coursework  and is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate all of the intended module learning outcomes. 

In situations of EC or individual resit, there is an alternative Coursework assessment.

Formative Assessment and feedback is provided during workshop activities. .Students are actively encouraged to take advantage of student consultation and feedback contact time with the module leader for individual feedback.

Module aims

• Learning is a vitally important source of competitive advantage for business organizations;
• Benefits of learning and HRD for individuals, organizations, and wider society can be significant, and that managing the processes of individual / organizational learning and development is a key business capability in the information age and the knowledge economy;
• HRD is an essential part of Human Resource (HR) managers' and general managers' roles, therefore for you, as a Masters' student of HRM a good understanding of HRD is a vital aspect of your professional and general management education.
• This module provides students with an introduction to human resource development (HRD). It explores the topic from a variety of perspectives through the use of relevant theories and business and organizational practice. The aim of this module is to argue that:

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to enable students to meet the objectives outlined above and the CIPD objectives (see other information below)

Teaching and learning methods include:

• Lectures


• Workshop continuous with Lecture


• Self-directed learning (Independent reading; Surrey Learn resources web-links etc)

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM006

Other information

The module addresses the ‘five pillars’ as follows:

Global and cultural: the module covers, in the introduction, the three megatrends of globalization, demographics and technological change.  The entails a discussion of global social and ethical issues.  This is covered in depth in chapter 8 of the set text.

Sustainability: this aspect is covered by reference to learning and the ‘only sustainable source of competitive advantage’.  This is a major theme and is in fact the title of chapter 13 of the set text.

Employability: the module focuses on the practices of designing, delivering and evaluating learning and development in organizations.  The assessment is geared toward testing business communication skills, case study analysis skill, etc. in order to test students’ knowledge of these substantive issues (e.g., chapters 9 and 10 of the set text)

Digital Capabilities: the module looks at e-learning and how it can be applied in organizations to provide fit for purpose learning and development solutions and as part of an overall learning ecosystem (e.g., chapter 11 of the set text).

Resourcefulness and resilience: the students are encouraged to reflect on their own personal learnings and learning experiences (chapter 4 of the set text) in order to make sense of the module content first-hand.  The issue of metacognition is discussed explicitly in the learning theory section (and figures in chapter 2 of the set text)

The module is designed to meet the Learning Outcomes of the CIPD unit – 7OS02 Learning and Development Practice:

1. Understand the external environment and internal organizational context for learning and development

1. analyze the impact of the external environment on the organizational strategy, including the importance of horizontal and vertical alignment
2. critically evaluate the organizational strategy in relation to learning and development strategy and policy
3. evaluate the influence of the internal environment on learning and development
4. analyze how learning professionals may create effective business cases in order to gain investment in learning activity

2. Understand the design, delivery and impact of learning and development interventions

1. evaluate a variety of methods through which learning professionals may assess learning needs
2. critically analyze the role of learning needs analysis within the design and delivery of learning
3. critically evaluate the major stages in the design, delivery and impact measurement of learning, including how decisions are influenced by context
4. evaluate the importance of individual and organizational commitment to continuing professional development

3. Understand major theories of organizational learning and the characteristics of the learning organization

1. critically analyze the concept of organizational learning and its application within organizations
2. evaluate the conceptual differences between organizational learning and the learning organization
3. critically analyze a variety of factors that influence knowledge transfer processes
4. examine how organizations may develop learning cultures

4. Understand the role and application of technology within the design, delivery and impact measurement of learning

• critically analyze factors influencing the advance of technology within learning
• assess the role of technology within the design, delivery, and impact assessment of learning
• discuss the methods through which technology may facilitate collaborative approaches to learning
• analyze the importance of data security and protection within the learning function

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.