HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT:

Introduction.
Human resource development is any process or activity that, either initially or over the long
term, has the potential to develop…work-based knowledge, expertise, productivity and
satisfaction, whether for personal or group/team gain, or for the benefit of an organization,
community, nation, or, ultimately, the whole of humanity (McLean and McLean, 2001).

While the outcome of development is for the betterment of human lives, it is also human ability
that provides the input for development & growth. One of the writings of Adam Smith argued,
before the Industrial Revolution, that efficient use of labour would lead to high production,
growth, and a rising standard of living. As such at present, a nation's most important resource -its
people- is still the key to economic opportunity and social improvement. Human resource
development, in this sense, is the process of developing human skill or competence in producing
goods and services in the society. Thus scientists, engineers, agronomists, doctors, judges,
administrators, teachers and journalists etc., who are engaged in producing goods and services in
the society, in one way or other, are all human resources.

Leonard Nadler, professor emeritus, George Washington University, first introduced the concept
of Human resource development. According to Nadler human resource development includes –
“Those learning experiences, which are organized for a specific time and designed to bring about
possibility of behavioral change.”

Human resource development is mainly concerned with developing skills, knowledge and
competencies of people. It is a people-oriented concept.

Education
Education is an integral force in society. A human being, in real sense, is not a human until
he/she is educated. Proper education helps to develop innate talents, which are the human
resources. According to a UNDP expert, education has two purposes: development of physical
skill and intellectual competence of men; and pursuance of humanity and the cultivation of
character in every person. Human Resource Development recognizes the need of education for
improving and developing the men and women, the human resources, mentally and spiritually.
The capacities of the people should be enhanced for a nation to advance, and thus for
modernization, for political development, and for economic growth.

Culture.
The culture of any group of people is that set of beliefs, customs, practices and ways of thinking
that they have come to share with each other through being and working together. Culture also
influences the Human Resource Development. In a country like India, where people have
descended from a variety of race, culture comprises of humanity, tolerance, unity, secularism,
and closely knit social system, and hence is concerned only with common human welfare.

Religion
Religion can be defined as a belief in a Supreme Being and worshipping and obeying values and
practices set down by the Supreme Being. Proper understanding of religious belief is needed for
improving relationship necessary for teamwork and spiritual development of the human
resources. This is true especially for a country like India, where religion plays a significant role
and has become an integral part of the entire Indian tradition with people of different religion
living and working together thus strengthening harmony. However, discrimination may lead to
conflicts and unity, which is very essential for nation-building, gets lost. Thus religion has a
significant impact on the economic, political and social development of a nation.

CONCLUSION

Development of a nation largely depends upon the ability of the human, being the resource. Thus
for any nation utilization of this resource either by proper education for creating mental and
spiritual awareness and improving their innate talents, or by maintaining firm relationship by
understanding each other’s beliefs, feelings and behavior.

REFERENCES.

• Human resource development and teacher education- Noorjehan N. Ganihar, Shivanand

V. Nayak.
• http://organizationcultures.info/2010/03/30/hrd-practices-organization-culture-in-india/
• Definition of HRD: key concepts from National and International context-Haslinda
Abdullah,Faculty of Economics and Management,University of Malaysia.
• The Influence of Culture on Human Resource Management Processes and Practices-
Dianna L. Stone.
• Human Resource Development in Community Development-A case study within
Religious Community-Nadir N. Budhwani and Gary N. McLean, University of
Minnesota.
• http://www.indianmirror.com/culture/cul1.html