| This dissertation is concerned with the unification of four sources of knowledge: internship experiences, the literature addressing general issues in professional education, the literature addressing the field and practice of human resource development in specific, and a questionnaire designed to survey the opinions of practitioners and educators currently at work in the field of human resources. Each of these resources is brought to bear on the problem of how the development of a professional identity can be initiated and sustained in the human resource practitioner-in-training.; Human resource development, as a newly emerging field, has certain characteristics that make the task of developing a professional identity an especially difficult one: the field of practice is defined in many ways, practitioners enter the field from a variety of different routes, the nature of practice has changed over time, and necessary competencies, curricula, and an educational process have yet to be agreed upon.; The importance of developing a professional identity, for the human resource practitioner, is not to be identified with the traditional trappings commonly associated with professional status. Because professionals do not generally test their assumptions publicly, it is especially important that practitioners learn effectively to monitor their performance. This need is highlighted because even as the practice of human resource development becomes increasingly solidified, the field will always remain a "soft" science. Therefore, practitioners must be prepared to function and thrive within the vicissitudes of this type of professional climate. Human resource practitioners-in-training need to develop an internal process of self-development and assessment that allows them continually to identify with the responsibilities and obligations of their professional roles.; This dissertation, then, addresses the problem of how human resource practitioners-in-training, as well as the educational institutions that they attend, can best support and sustain this process of professional role development. Further, even though the beginning formation of one's professional identity usually occurs in a school setting, attention is also directed to the ways in which these professionals can remain life-long learners throughout their careers. |
