The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions, however, may pose a threat to this offshore ecosystem. It is estimated that by 2030, AI could create 800 million jobs but also erase 730 million jobs (Rahman & Akter, 2024). In addition, the falling cost of AI tools and platforms has accelerated their diffusion across industries, making them accessible not only to multinational corporations but also to mid-sized firms and start-ups. This democratization of AI raises urgent questions about the future of work, workforce readiness, and the role of HRD in equipping South Asian employees with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven economy (Nabi, 2019; Rana & Khalid, 2025).

While global discourses have emphasized the strategic advantages of AI, there is limited scholarship on its impact on South Asian workers who face diverse challenges, including skill gaps, cultural expectations, and policy constraints. This special issue aims to explore South Asian experiences and perspectives to understand how AI adoption—now cheaper and more widespread—will reshape workforce development and what interventions are needed to build resilient, adaptable talent pools.

Objectives

1. To explore how the affordability and accessibility of AI are reshaping workforce dynamics in South Asia.
2. To identify skill gaps and strategies for upskilling and reskilling employees in the face of rapid technological change.
3. To generate insights into how organizations, governments, and educational institutions can collaboratively prepare South Asian workers for an AI-enabled future.
4. To expand HRD theory by situating AI-driven workforce transformations within the cultural and socioeconomic realities of South Asia.

Suggested Topical Areas

Contributions may include but are not limited to:

1. Affordable AI and Workforce Transformation
   • How cheaper AI tools are being adopted in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
   • Case studies of industries where low-cost AI is disrupting work practices in South Asia.
2. Reskilling and Upskilling for the AI Era
   • Training and development strategies to prepare employees for new AI-enabled roles.
   • Comparative approaches across South Asian countries to bridge digital skill gaps.
3. AI and the Future of HR Roles
   • How the falling cost of AI shifts traditional HR roles and responsibilities.
   • Competencies HR professionals need to support AI integration at scale.
4. Equity, Inclusion, and Cultural Dynamics
   • How cheaper AI can either bridge or widen inequality in access to skills and opportunities.
   • Cultural attitudes toward technology adoption and resistance in South Asian workplaces.
5. Policy and Institutional Interventions
   • The role of governments and industry associations in creating accessible AI training pipelines.
   • National and regional strategies for building AI-ready workforces.
6. Comparative Perspectives and Future Trends
   • Lessons from South Asian countries leading in AI-enabled workforce development.
   • Predictions for the next decade of AI adoption and workforce shifts.

Submission Guidelines

Contributors will be invited to submit a 400–500 word proposal including:

• Title, author details, and affiliation.
• Abstract (150 words; 3–4 keywords).
• Problem statement and significance to HRD theory and practice.
• Brief literature review.
• Proposed methodology and justification.
• Alignment with the special issue theme.
• Implications for HRD theory, research, and practice.
• References (APA 7th edition).

Note: The Special Issue will also include one Book Review. Please let the editors of the Special Issue know about your intent by sharing the title of the book you wish to review and how it links to the overall goal of the Special Issue.

Important Deadlines 

• Proposals submission deadline – December 15, 2025
• Notification to authors about proposal acceptance – January 15, 2026
• First draft due – June 30, 2026
• Review decision to authors – September 15, 2026
• The targeted publication time of the entire special issue is 2027.

Potential Impact

This special issue will:

• Highlight how cheaper AI technologies are disrupting workforce structures in South Asia.
• Identify critical skill-building strategies to prepare employees for the AI era.
• Provide practical insights for HRD professionals, policymakers, and educators to design inclusive AI-readiness programs.
• Advance HRD scholarship by theorizing AI-driven workforce transformation from a South Asian perspective.

For questions or to discuss a potential submission, please contact:

• Dr. Bhagyashree Barhate (barhate@txstate.edu)
• Dr. Sami Jabarkhail (sami.jabarkhail@auib.edu.iq)
• Dr. Ajit Bhattarai (ajitbhattarai@isu.edu)
• Dr. Gertrude Hewapathirana (gertrude.hewapathirana@gmail.com)

References

Rahman, M. A., & Akter, S. (2024). The transformative role of AI in reshaping employment trends across South Asia. Revista Romana de Economie, 59.

Nabi, M. K. (2019). The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on workforce in emerging economies. Global Journal of Management And Business Research, 19(8), 50-59.

Rana, V., & Khalid, G. (2025). Artificial Intelligence (AI) and South Asian Economies: Navigating opportunities and facing challenges. In South Asian Economic Development in the Era of Global Turbulence (pp. 145-157). Routledge.

Special Issue Call for Papers: International Journal of Human Resource Development: Practice, Policy and Research Role of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in workforce development

Submission Deadline: 2nd May 2025

Guest Editors:

Dr Alan Johnston, York St John University, York, UK

Dr Steven Cock, York St John University, York, UK

Ms Susie Walsh, York St John University, York, UK

Queries and submissions to a.johnston@yorksj.ac.uk

In 2018, the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for TVET (Billet, 2018) published a report focussing on improving the image of TVET training programmes and emphasised the relevance of such discussions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably Goal 4, highlighting the importance that TVET has to play in improving the future prosperity of countries and industries across the globe (Bhattarai, 2020). As such, TVET should be fundamental to governmental industrial strategies that often emphasise the need to raise overall productivity and address key skill gaps and shortages (Fayyaleh andFogarty, 2024). In the current global economic climate, what does the future therefore hold for Degree Level Technical and Vocational Education and how will this impact on workforce development over the coming decade?  

This special issue is an opportunity to reflect on the impact that TVET has on skills development within the workforce on a global scale, as many modern economies and industries struggle with raising skills and competencies in their workforce. Over the past 10 years there has been a significant amount of research on addressing the skills agenda, and the role that TVET has to play in addressing it.  Most of this research has focused on the delivery of TVET programmes. This special issue seeks to focus on the outcomes of TVET from either the organisational perspective or that of the student / graduate.  The special issue will seek contributions from those involved in Degree Level TVET programmes from both academic and practitioner perspectives, with the primary focus to bring together a collection of papers which provide critical insight into the effectiveness of process, based upon examining and understanding the relative success of TVET outcomes from different key stakeholder perspectives.

List of indicative topic areas includes but is not limited to:

• Employer perspectives of TVET provision and outcomes

• Part time and full time dilemmas 

• Student experience of undertaking the TVET programmes.  

• The duality of student and employee

• Organisational benefits of TVET: productivity, effectiveness and quality.

• Employer – Provider partnerships and workforce development

• TVET and Organisational Learning: Learning Cultures

• Government approaches to TVET

Word count:

Journal article: 5000- 8000 words

Perspectives paper: 2000 words

Timeline:

2nd May 2025 Deadline for article submission

23rd May 2025 Reviewed and decisions made - feedback given

4th July 2025 Deadline for papers version 2 

25th July 2025 Reviewed and amendments suggested and sent back out (or accepted)

11th August 2025 Deadline for papers version 3 (if required)

1st September 2025 All copy editing done and ready to be published 

References

Billett, S. (2018) Virtual conference report on Improving the image of TVET. UNESCO-ENEVOC TVeT Forum. 16-24 July 2018. 

Bhattarai, P.C. (2020) Reforming Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Sector: What next? International Journal of Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Higher Education.  5 (1) 106-112

Fayyaleh, N. and Fogarty, L. (2024) Transforming Vocational Education in Palestine by integrating 21st Century Skills.  Journal of Education in Muslim Societies. 5 (2) 31-47

Special Issue Call for Papers: International Journal of HRD: Practice Policy and Research: Coaching and Mentoring in the workplace, and its impact on learning at multiple levels

Guest Editors:

Dr Jenni Jones – queries and submissions to jenni.jones@wlv.ac.uk

Dr Sanghamitra Chaudhuri 

Background and Relevance:

Coaching and mentoring have a long and multifaceted history (Cox et al., 2023; Garvey & Stokes, 2022;). Coaching and mentoring have multiple meanings and are subject to contextual variations (Garvey & Stokes, 2022; Western, 2012). Therefore, attempts at a universal definition still remain a quagmire (Clutterbuck, 2015). However, there is a general awareness that they are both developmental, learning relationships where support and challenge are provided to improve awareness, realise aspirations, achieve personal outcomes and to maximise potential (Jones & Smith, 2022.)

One size does not fit all. Finding the best ways to create learning opportunities that can have a sustained impact on learning in the workplace at all 3 levels; individual, team and organisational learning has always been the holy grail. Adult learning theory or Andragogy (Knowles et al., 2020) reminds us that adults learn through a combination of learner-centred factors enhancing the chances of adults being motivated, more open and more ready to learn, including being self-directed and having scope to share their own experiences and to apply their learning - all of which are ensured by good coaching and mentoring. All good coaches and mentors know that one size does not fit all (Jones & Smith, 2022), and that learning needs to be tailored to each and every learner. 

For this reason, coaching and mentoring as learning interventions are on the increase within the workplace, and as such are starting to replace traditional workplace training interventions, as employees are finding the more bespoke, more personal, more applied nature of coaching and mentoring is a better fit for their learning (CIPD Reports, 2023) and can often be a more cost effective way for the organisation to develop their employees. Businesses are forever changing; trying to survive in the ever volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world (Maini et al., 2020), with the recent healthcare crisis, greater global competition, greater pressures towards cost savings and greater need to offer flexibility to embrace an ever changing, more diverse and more demanding workforce. 

Over time, different types of coaching and mentoring have evolved to meet these needs e.g. team coaching, reverse mentoring, etc. but measuring their impact has not always been easy.  Measuring the impact of any learning interventions, including coaching and mentoring has always been difficult to do (Andreanoff, 2016) as it is often offered alongside other interventions, which make it difficult to single out the impact clearly and the learning is often not always immediate or tangible; this may be difficult to do but not impossible.  

This Special Issue will aim to demonstrate the impact of coaching and mentoring on learning in the workplace by embracing the different types of coaching e.g. career, team, group, executive, performance, manager as coach etc., and mentoring e.g., sponsorship/developmental, informal/formal, reverse, reciprocal, peer etc., in the workplace. It will seek to highlight the contribution and impact of coaching and mentoring interventions on the learning at all 3 levels; individual, team and organisational, in each of the organisational case studies shared.    

Format and structure:

We are looking to collate 6 research papers and 3 perspective papers. 

We are hoping to encourage contributions from all 6 continents: UK & Europe, Asia, Africa, North America/Canada, South America and Australia/Oceania, not unlike the CIPD People Profession (2023) reports, although divided up in a slightly different way. 

We are hoping to encourage these research papers and perspectives papers from a mixture of sectors; private, public and not for profit sector. By doing so, we hope to share insights across all sectors and continents as we feel this will be appropriate for the international UFHRD audience of IJHRDPPR. 

We are looking for research papers and perspective papers to address a different type of coaching and/or mentoring (albeit it formal/informal, internal/externally led coaching and mentoring interventions etc). All will need to be based within an organisation and will need to demonstrate learning and impact at all 3 levels: individual, team and organisational. 

Typical article structure to be followed; abstract, keywords, introduction, literature review, methodology, analysis/findings and discussion (at all 3 levels; individual, team and organisational), including implications/relevance for HRD practitioners, together with research limitations and thoughts for the future. For perspective papers, see previous editions of the journal for examples of layout. Please follow APA 7th edition format.

Word count:

Journal article: 5000- 8000 words

Perspectives paper: 2000 words

Timeline:

November 4, 2024 Deadline for article submission

November 25, 2024 Reviewed and decisions made - feedback given

January 1, 2025 Deadline for papers version 2 

February 3, 2025 Reviewed and amendments suggested and sent back out

February 28, 2025  Deadline for papers version 3 

March 17, 2025 Final changes suggested, made and returned

April 1, 2025  All copy editing done and ready to be published 

References

Andreanoff, J. (2016). Coaching and mentoring in higher education: A step by step guide to exemplary practice. Red Globe Press

CIPD (2023). People profession survey reports. Retrieved September 3, 2024 from https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/people-profession-survey-2023/

Clutterbuck, D. (2015). Everyone needs a mentor. 5th ed., CIPD. 

Cox. E., Bachkirova, T. & Clutterbuck, D. (2023). The complete handbook of coaching, 4th ed. Sage.

Garvey, R., & Stokes, P. (2022). Coaching and mentoring – theory and practice, 3rd ed. Sage.

Jones, J. & Smith, H. (2022). A comparative study of formal coaching and mentoring programmes in higher education. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 11(2), 213-231.

Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., Swanson, R. A., Swanson, R. and Robinson, P. A. (2020). The adult learner–The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development, 8th ed. Routledge.

Maini, A., Saravanan, Y., Singh, T. A., & Fyfe, M. (2020). Coaching skills for medical education in a VUCA world. Medical Teacher, 42(11), 1308-1309.

Western, S. (2012). Coaching and mentoring–A critical text. Sage.

• How to think strategically and speak to Executives about the business case for HRD.
• How to prepare HRD for the impact of AI.
• How to create rapid and flexible HRD interventions that promote organizational agility.
• How to partner within organizations and with external consultants to deliver agile and customized solutions.
• How to leverage knowledge management in HRD.
• How to adapt to the wave of external and user-generated content.
• How to blend different formats and sources into coherent HRD offerings.
• How to offer horizontal development opportunities where promotion isn’t an option.
• How to prepare HRD professionals for a changing and uncertain career.
• How to develop professional networks and build social capital.
• How to enhance HRD’s value proposition in the talent and labor marketplace.

We’re also looking for episode sponsors. Sponsorship offers access to 3,500 listeners worldwide and costs just $750 for the first half of an episode and $600 for the second half. To secure your slot for Season 5, contact office@ahrd.org.

Finally, a reminder that the HRD Masterclass series has already released 44 episodes that provide free access to over 60 hours of content from over 100 HRD experts from around the world. These are perfect accomplishments to classes or for self-development. For full details, check-out https://www.allbypodcast.com/hrd-masterclass.

Special Issue Proposal: 

"Expanding Boundaries: Empowerment Pathways for Women of Color"

Guest Editors:

Dr. Shinhee Jeong, Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Tyler

Dr. Sanghamitra Chaudhuri, Metro State University  

Eunbi Sim, Ph.D. Student, University of Georgia

Introduction:

This special issue of New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development calls for scholarly works that delve into diverse methods of empowering women of color. The oppression experienced by women of color is qualitatively distinct, leading to complex challenges that intersect at personal, professional, and societal levels, thus necessitating focused and deliberate attention (Juan, 2016; Williams, 2014). Despite a rapidly expanding literature and numerous efforts aimed at addressing these issues, significant challenges persist. This underscores the need for more diverse and innovative research to grasp the complex, intersectional nature of these experiences (Sims, 2022; Sims & Carter, 2022; Sim & Jeong, 2023). We encourage scholars to extend the discourse beyond traditional narratives, embracing studies that challenge established paradigms, introduce innovative methodologies and interventions, and highlight underexplored contexts and identities (Choo & Ferree, 2010; McCall, 2005; Sim & Jeong, 2023). Such contributions are vital for empowering women of color.

Submissions may explore, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Interventions for empowering women of color, including policies and strategies, and their effectiveness (e.g., coaching, mentoring, leadership development).

• In-depth explorations into the experiences of women of color across various contexts and focusing on diverse aspects (e.g., different ethnic/racial groups, women of color with an additional marginalized identity).

• Comparative studies across cultures, geographies, and systemic structures.

• Theoretical advancements that enhance our understanding of the experiences of women of color.

• Studies employing transformative, pragmatic, or post-modernist research paradigms.

We welcome contributions from a wide range of disciplines and perspectives to foster a comprehensive and diverse dialogue. This initiative presents an opportunity to expand the research horizon on women of color, challenging the existing status quo and laying the groundwork for new insights and understandings.

Timeline: 

• Call for Paper Announcement: May 1, 2024

• Full Paper Submission starts: September 29, 2024  

• Full Paper Submission Deadline: November 30, 2024

Submission Instructions:

• A paper needs to be labeled as FirstAuthorLastName_NHAEHRD_WoC. Please include a separate title page with the title, author(s) names, degrees, and institutions. 

• Please submit your paper by emailing it to Eunbi at esim@uga.edu, while also cc'ing Dr. Jeong at jeongsh00@gmail.com and Dr. Chaudhuri at sanghamitra.chaudhuri@metrostate.edu. Use the email subject “Special Issue Submission.” The editors of the special issue will review the submissions for consideration. Should your paper be accepted for the next phase, we will move forward with the peer review process, followed by an additional timeline that will be provided subsequently. 

• All submissions must adhere to the guidelines set by NHAEHRD, detailing formatting, style, and other critical aspects of submission preparation, available at (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/nhaehrd). 

• Word Count: Articles may range from 20 to 40 double-spaced pages, inclusive of text, tables, figures, and references.

References

Choo, H. Y., & Ferree, M. M. (2010). Practicing intersectionality in sociological research: A critical analysis of inclusions, interactions, and institutions in the study of inequalities. Sociological Theory, 28(2), 129-149. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9558.2010.01370.x

Juan, M. J. D., Syed, M., & Azmitia, M. (2016). Intersectionality of race/ethnicity and gender among women of color and white women. Identity, 16(4), 225-238.

McCall, L. (2005). The complexity of intersectionality. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 30(3), 1771-1800. https://doi.org/10.1086/426800

Sim, E., & Jeong, S. (2023). Mapping the future of intersectional research in human resource development: An integrated literature review. Human Resource Development Review, 22(4), 554-581. https://doi.org/10.1177/15344843231205066

Sims, D. C. (2022). Women of color and leadership journal: Advances in developing human resources expanding our voices? A review of human resource development literature on women of color leaders over the last decade. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 24(3), 163-172. https://doi.org/10.1177/15234223221101423

Sims, C. M., & Carter, A. D. (2022). Preface: Women of color and leadership. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 24(3), 155-162. https://doi.org/10.1177/15234223221101424

Williams, J. C. (2014). Double jeopardy? An empirical study with implications for the debates over implicit bias and intersectionality. Harvard Journal of Law & Gender, 37, 185-242. 

The book will be used in graduate and undergraduate courses in HRD, Human Resource Management, Organization Development (OD), Adult Education, and Evaluation. It is intended as a practical response and application flowing from the recently published book, Ethics and Human Resource Development: Societal and Organizational Issues, edited by Russ-Eft and Alizadeh (2024) with Palgrave Macmillan. Ethical dilemmas and misconduct present enormous challenges to organizations, and to HRD, HRM, and OD professionals. This book seeks to address these challenges by presenting case studies including discussion of the influences and the issues to be addressed.  

Each case study should be a maximum of 1000 words, use APA format, and contain the following information:    Abstract (50-75 words)  Context: Describe the setting, including organization type (e.g., higher education, business & industry, government, health care, non-governmental organizations, military) and size (e.g., small-medium sized enterprises (SMEs), large national organizations, global organizations) . Background: Describe the key players and the situation leading to the ethical problem, dilemma, or issue. Ethical Dilemma: Provide details as to the ethical dilemma confronting the key players and potentially the organization in point. Discussion Questions: Include three to five questions. Author Name(s): Your name or names and institution(s) as you want it to appear in the publication. References Please also provide the following information as a separate document:

Applicable Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) Standards on Ethics and Integrity and/or th e Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Code of Ethics Case Study Analysis: Your analysis of the case study, with reference to applicable AHRD Standards or CIPD Code and potential resolution or solution of the ethical issue. Provide an Epilogue, if applicable.

The publication schedule includes:

After final submission by the editors to Palgrave Macmillan, the case studies and entire manuscript will proceed through copy-editing before final publications takes place in 2026.

We want this book to include different types of organizations, problems, and issues. Case studies  will be selected for inclusion in the book based on their ability to contribute to the book’s purpose. Given that we want an honest reporting of the case study, we require that, if this is an actual situation, the organization’s name be anonymized as well as the names of decision makers and individuals involved in the case study. As we review the case studies, we will follow up with each contributor with feedback and questions, as needed. 

If you are interested in submitting a case study, please contact Darlene Russ-Eft at:

drusseft@purdue.edu .

You will need to submit an abstract and an outline of the case study by September 15, 2024.