Fostering Learning, Development, and Change – SLHRD Faculty Reach Extends Globally

BATON ROUGE - Respected, world-renowned, published researchers in the human resource development and industrial and organizational psychology fields. This WAS an accurate description of the faculty within the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development (SLHRD). Today, we can add book authors to that description.

The mission of the School and its faculty is to prepare leaders to foster learning, development, and change in individuals, organizations, and global communities. There is no better way to reach the general population than through published works. In the last 6 years alone, the faculty of SLHRD has published numerous books and texts; reaching the global market. More recently, Drs. Oliver “Ozzie” Crocco, Petra A. Robinson, and Tyree Mitchell have authored or made major contributions to 5 books in the last 2 years.

Oliver “Ozzie” Crocco, EdD was a Lecturer and Head of International Campus Life at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. During four years living and working in Thailand, Dr. Crocco collaboratively developed a certificate program in organizational development offered to community-based organization workers in Myanmar and along the Thai-Myanmar border. In his first book, Developing Human Resources in Southeast Asia: A Holistic Framework for the ASEAN Community, he provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to human resource development (HRD) in Southeast Asia and offers a holistic framework for the phenomenon of Regional HRD in Southeast Asia. It argues that viewing HRD in ASEAN as a complex adaptive system is the most effective way to understand the expansive and multifarious processes and activities involved in Regional HRD.

“As a region, Southeast Asia continues to emerge as one of the most dynamic and compelling in the world with a need to develop its human resources to further its independence, economic prosperity, and sovereignty. By focusing on a regional perspective of HRD, this book establishes the missing link between National HRD and Global HRD. Offering a framework for understanding how HRD policy and practice function within a dynamic ecosystem, this book appeals to scholars, students, practitioners, and policymakers alike, particularly those interested in ASEAN.”

-Oliver Crocco, EdD

Petra A. Robinson, PhD has researched colorism, professional development in the academy, and learning in online environments, while maintaining a laser focus on studying and understanding issues related to diversity, equity, social justice, and belonging, primarily in adult and higher education contexts. Dr. Robinson has passionately pursued projects and engaged in other scholarly activities aligned with these research goals. At the heart of her research agenda is a desire to promote and advance equity and social justice while also supporting individuals in developing a comprehensive skill set needed to thrive in diverse organizations and dynamic global environments. Over time, Dr. Robinson’s work has become more international in nature, embracing global citizenship as a focal point informed by the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“As an indication of this, my most recently published books center on facilitating adult education to meet the learning needs of adults in the 21st century, developing critical, non-traditional literacies that help promote equity and social justice, and on how adult education can be leveraged to advance the UNESCO agenda for sustainable development. I am proud to have contributed chapters on diversity and inclusion in adult learning and adult learning in online settings to The Adult Learner: The Definitive Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development (9th ed.). Co-editing Global Citizenship for Adult Education: Advancing Critical Literacies for Equity and Social Justice gave me the opportunity to feature the Critical Literacies Advancement Model that I conceptualized with the aim of framing and furthering our understanding of different non-traditional literacies necessary for promoting equity and social justice. The experience of co-editing Advancing the Global Agenda for Human Rights, Vulnerable Populations, and Environmental Sustainability further solidified my commitment to positive social change through adult education on a global level.

I am ever grateful for the opportunities I have had to pursue meaningful work relevant to the way we theorize and understand the practical implications of current topics in adult education and human resource development. I am also thankful for having excellent research and writing partners who have contributed to the global nature and the international perspectives shared in these books.”

-Petra A. Robinson, PhD

Tyree Mitchell, PhD focuses his research on understanding leadership processes within and across groups in organizations. His book with University of Toronto Press, Searching for Trust in the Global Economy, provides insight into the cultural differences that emerge when working with global businesses and forging trusting partnerships.

“There were several reasons why I wanted to writeSearching for Trust in the Global Economy. When I was a visiting scholar at Northwestern University before I came to LSU, my colleague and friend, Jeanne Brett, and I were interviewing managers from all around the world about how they search for trustworthy business partners and what ultimately influences their decisions to trust potential business partners. We ended up interviewing 82 managers from 33 different countries. After presenting our work at a major international conference, publishing a peer-reviewed journal article on the topic, and publishing a paper in Harvard Business Review about our work, we still had so much to share about what we learned about searching for trust around the world. The topic is important, as business relationships characterized by trust are important for global economic development. The topic is also unique, as there are books on cultural etiquette, books on culture with maybe a chapter on trust, and entire books on trust written primarily from a Western perspective. We captured such valuable insights from international perspectives that we felt could help people all around the world build strong business relationships characterized by trust. Our work is also timely, as global supply chains have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with trust being an important factor in improving the global economy. Related, all 82 interviews were conducted prior to the pandemic. So, Jeanne and I were curious if what we learned about searching for trust still applied in a COVID-19 world. So, we went back and interviewed 21 of our 82 managers in 2020 and learned even more about the process of searching for and deciding to trust and added those insights to the book. I truly hope people enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Searching for Trust in the Global Economy is a book about how managers from different cultures go about deciding to trust potential business partners. It offers a simple, evidenced-based framework that can help global managers navigate how to develop relationships characterized by high levels of trust. By describing how and why the process of searching for and deciding to trust varies in different cultures, this book provides practical advice for leaders in business, government, and not for profit and NGO sectors who are responsible for building new relationships in the global economy.”

-Tyree Mitchell, PhD

We hope that you will join us in congratulating Drs. Oliver “Ozzie” Crocco, Petra A. Robinson, and Tyree Mitchell on this monumental achievement.

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About SLHRD

The LSU School of Leadership & Human Resource Development (SLHRD) offers programs dedicated to producing world class practitioners, leaders, and instructors in two areas of focus: Agricultural Education and Leadership and Human Resource Development.

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About CHSE

The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Information Studies, the School of Kinesiology the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development, the School of Social Work, and the University Laboratory School. These combined schools offer 8 undergraduate degree programs, 18 graduate programs, and 7 online graduate degree and/or certificate programs, enrolling more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,120 graduate students. The College is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is committed to improving quality of life across the lifespan.

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