Richard A. Swanson

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Richard A. Swanson (1942) is an American organizational theorist and Distinguished Research Professor of Human Resource Development and the Sam Lindsey Chair at the University of Texas at Tyler, known for his synthesis work on the financial research related to human resource development.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Work 3 Publications 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Biography

Richard A. Swanson is born 1942. He received a B.A. at The College of New Jersey in 1964 and a M.A. in 1966. In 1968 he also received an Ed.D. from the University of Illinois.

Swanson has worked at the University of Minnesota from 1979 until 2005, and since 2005 Professor Emeritus of Human Resource Development and Adult Education University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN. He is also Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since 2006 Swanson is Distinguished Research Professor of Human Resource Development and the Sam Lindsey ChairCollege of Business and Technology at the University of Texas at Tyler.^[1]

Swanson has been organizationally active for a long time. As a start in 1968 he initiated and directed an effort by the Department of Industrial Education in recruiting disadvantaged undergraduate from Ohio's center cities. Among the three dozends other activities he has been president of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD), and at the end in 2007 he Chaired the HRD Faculty Search Committee (UTT).^[1]

Swanson is founding editor of "Advances in Developing Human Resources", a scholarly journal sponsored by AHRD, and founding editor of the "Human Resource Development Quarterly", the research journal of AHRD and American Society for Training and Development.

Swanson is awarded in 1993 by the American Society for Training and Development a national award for his scholarly contributions to the human resource development profession. In 1995 this Society named their annual award for the outstanding manuscript in each volume of the HRDQ after Swanson. He received an Outstanding HRD Scholar Award in 2000, in 2001 by the AHRD and received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois College of Education.^{[1] [2]}

[edit] Work

Swanson works in the field of performance improvement and organizational change, results assessment, and the strategic roles of human resource development. His recent work has focused on theory building research and HRD theory. He consulted with major corporations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Africa.^[3] His further research interests are in the fields of Human resource development (HRD) and adult education, Adult learning, Cost-benefit analysis, Strategic planning and Performance improvement and assessment. Threaded through his work is the recognition and integration of psychological, economic, and systems theories as the foundation of HRD practice. Much of my recent work has focused on the theory of HRD and the advancement of theory building research.^[2]

[edit] Publications

Swansons has written and co-authored some zeven books and more then 200 articles and other publications. A selection:^[1]

• 1988. Forecasting Financial Benefits of Human Resource Development
• 1990. Performance appraisal : perspectives on a quality management approach. With Gary N. McLean, and Susan R. Damme, editors.
• 1996. Analysis for Improving Performance: Tools for Diagnosing Organizations and Documenting Workplace Expertise.
• 1999. Results: How to Assess Performance, Learning, and Perceptions in Organizations
• 2001. Foundations of Human Resource Development
• 2001. Assessing the Financial Benefits of Human Resource Development
• 2005. The Adult Learner
• 2005. Research in Organizations.
• 2007. Analysis for improving performance : tools for diagnosing organizations and documenting workplace expertise

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Richard A. Swanson homepage.
• Homepage at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.
• Richard A. Swanson Research Excellence Award homepage.