Rethinking undergraduate curricula: A Delphi study of human resource management and industrial and organisational psychology

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study is to bring clarity to the confusion about the interconnectedness, similarities and differences between the fields of Human Resource Management (HRM) and Industrial and Organisational Psychology (I&OP), for the purposes of curriculum development. The Delphi technique was used to gather data from 13 participants (five international and eight national). Analysis was done interpretively using Atlas.ti. Results indicate that HRM and I&OP are distinct but interrelated fields of study and can therefore be presented in separate but interrelated undergraduate curricula. Opsomming Die doel van die kwalitatiewestudie is om duidelikheid te verkry oor die verwarring rakende die interverwantskap, ooreenkomste en verskille tussen die velde van Menslike Hulpbronbestuur (MHB) en Bedryfs- en Organisasie Sielkunde vir die doeleindes van kurrikulumontwikkeling. Die Delphi tegniek is gebruik om data van 13 deelnemers (vyf internasionaal en agt nasionaal) te versamel. Ontleding is op ’n interpreterende wyse gedoen deur gebruik te maak van Atlas.ti. Die resultate toon dat MHB en Bedryfs- en Organisasie Sielkunde onderskeibare, maar verbandhoudende studievelde is en daarom aangebied kan word in afsonderlike, maar interverwante voorgraadse kurrikula.

Keywords

• Undergraduate curricula, human resource management, industrial and organisational psychology