This core textbook, edited by five leading scholars of the subject, provides a comprehensive overview of the key topics, debates and themes in this increasingly important field. Balancing research-led theory with industry best-practice to provide students with a definitive overview of HRD, the book draws on the international experience of its authors to tackle topics as diverse as leadership and managing development, change and diversity, workplace learning, and graduate employability. The book's approachable yet thorough writing style and lively presentation helps students to understand the topic from a critical perspective while also demonstrating how HRD plays out in reality.

This is an essential textbook for undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students of Human Resource Development on HRD or Business and Management degree programmes.

New to this Edition:
- New contributors and revised content, including additional coverage of careers, career management and employability
- More international coverage, especially of the EU
- Inclusion of topical subjects including employee engagement, skills shortage and business partnering
- Improved student-friendly pedagogy and updated figures and diagrams to appeal to different learning styles
- Thoroughly updated references and web links

Jeff Gold is Professor of Organisation Learning at Leeds Business School, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK.
Rick Holden is Visiting Research Fellow at Liverpool John Moores University, UK.
Paul Iles is Professor of HRD at Glasgow Caledonian University, UK.
Jim Stewart is Professor of HRD at Coventry Business School, University of Coventry, UK.
Julie Beardwell is Head of Department, Corporate Development at Leicester Business School, De Montfort University, UK.