Theoretical bridge building: the career development project for the 21st century meets the new era of human resource development

There are theoretical and discipline field links between career development and human resource development however, interdisciplinary dialogue between the two fields has been essentially limited to one way dialogue. This one way dialogue occurs from within the human resource development field due to the explicit inclusion of career development as a key functional area of human resource development. This paper will overview the theoretical foundations and traditions of each of these fields and position them against the contemporary backdrop of the 21st century. Both fields are being impacted by major changes aligned to the macro forces of globalisation, emergent new economies, the demographic tsunami, the changing nature of work, workforce development challenges and, the current global financial crisis and widespread economic recession. In addition to this, both disciplines have undergone shifts and changes in focus and coverage from what is considered traditional within each field. This paper draws upon the literature which advocates for multilevel theory building. It is argued both disciplines need to enter into engaged dialogue and interdisciplinary research as the synergy and insights generated would be beneficial for both fields. Multilevel research and theory building would produce a much richer understanding of the dynamic nature of the contemporary career and its complex interplay with occupations, organisations, industries and global economic forces.