1. I was first inspired to study the identification and development of high potential employees from the human resources management perspective, which is inherently a multidisciplinary approach. Although my dissertation project seems a long way away, now is a good time to dive into the body of evidence and theory surrounding this important issue. Understanding how to identify, motivate, and develop high potential employees is something that can add value to an organization and increase its overall productivity, effectiveness, and competitiveness in a dynamic market environment.
My research has thus far introduced me to a number of different theories and approaches to studying this topic. For example, some research focuses on theories of motivation and is more within the realm of psychology. Other studies take a more sociological approach or even the anthropology of business approach to show how organizational culture and structure impact decisions related to the identification and development of high potential employees. Some research is phenomenological and exploratory. There is less qualitative research to measure the effectiveness of specific HRM practices or interventions than qualitative research due to the relatively new nature of this research area. I have also appreciated the studies that take a more global approach, showing...
Some studies have been focusing more on resource-based approaches that focus on organizational needs, whereas others have taken more of a humanistic approach to focus on what employees need for self-actualization and fulfillment.
2. Because of the dearth of evidence on what specific methods or interventions work to identify and develop high potential employees, it would be especially helpful if I could contribute to the growing body of evidence by designing a quantitative study for my dissertation. Of the main quantitative research designs (experimental, quasi-experimental, descriptive, correlational and causal comparative), the most straightforward approaches for studying high potential employee HRM would actually not be experimental. As valuable as experimental research is for its robust internal validity, it is too difficult to control for variations among employees and leadership styles in each company, let alone to use the same methods and interventions on different…
