International HRD: What we know and don't know

Abstract International considerations are increasingly important variables in business practices today. How is the field of human resource development (HRD) keeping pace with the knowledge needed to manage and develop human resources in an international context? What have we learned since Hansen and Brooks's 1994 review of the literature in this area? This article analyzes the status of the international HRD knowledge and research base. It sets out definitions of HRD and international HRD; presents a theoretical frame, which describes the theory used to analyze the review and its findings; examines findings from HRD‐specific and ‐related cross‐cultural and organizational research to identify the status of what is known; and identifies areas for further research.