Tacit beliefs of human resource developers: Producing unintended consequences

The tacit beliefs of human resource developers about their own learning and training practices are examined using Argyris's theory-of-action perspective and mapping technique. The potentially dysfunctional, unintended consequences of these beliefs are identified and compared using interviews with fifty-seven human resource developers at a government agency, a high technology corporation, and a research hospital. Similar beliefs among participants were found in the study. This article describes the subjects' belief that training is magical or political, defines these terms according to Argyris's and Freire's terminology, and discusses the findings from the interviews. Human resource developers should explore the nature and validity of the beliefs that guide their practice.