ABSTRACT
International Human Resource Development (IHRD) is conceptualized as consisting of three distinct strands: international, comparative, and Cross-cultural. These three strands informed the thinking behind the selection of the conference theme. The purposes of this chapter are threefold: to outline how international comparative and cross-cultural HRD was chosen as the theme of the conference; to present the content of the keynote speech, and finally, to explore how international, comparative and cross-cultural HRD has developed since 2004. IHRD is about examination of HRD in a world-wide context. However, in 2004 it could best be described as a subject matter in the embryonic stages of its development. Since 2004, steady growth has occurred in a number of the strands that were the focus of the presentation. In this sense therefore, this chapter contributes to the IHRD debate by clarifying the landscape of the discipline in 2004 and in 2011. It describes covered and uncovered topics as well as the research approaches and methodologies adopted by HRD scholars.
