Greetings!  As Chair of the HR Division, I’d like to tell you about some of our new initiatives.  Not a member of the HR Division?  Maybe you should be.  The biggest issues facing organizations today are human and social capital issues … and that is HR!  If you think the HR Division is only for those interested in traditional, transactional HR activities, think again.  We are still the place for those topics, but the HR Division’s domain is much broader, encompassing all aspects and perspectives on the employment relationship at the individual, group, organizational, societal, and cross-cultural levels. If you are happy with your current Divisions or Interest groups, you can add an additional division for just $9 more a year. The easiest time to do so is when you renew your Academy membership but it can be done anytime by emailing your request to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

            My goal for the HR Division is that it be viewed as a relevant and valuable resource for the professional needs of all of its members.  Towards this end, the HR Division has initiatives underway aimed and better understanding and meeting member needs regardless of geography, institution size or focus, career stage, or topical interests.  As some examples, a Practice Liaison Committee is exploring ways to connect practitioners and researchers so that HR Division members can help organizations solve their problems while gaining access for research.  Our Teaching Committee is working on creating a vibrant community of practice around the teaching of HR and is exploring the possibility of a teaching conference.  The International Committee is identifying international conferences with which we can partner and our Ambassadors’ program, representing members in 50 countries, continues to grow and help us better understand and meet the needs of our global members.  Our Membership and Communications Committee is looking into how we can better use new media to help members interact and the Division review that is underway will allow us to identify additional ways to better serve our member’s needs.  Check out the HR Division’s website (www.hrdiv.org) for more on all these initiatives and others.  

            The HR Division’s program at the 2009 AOM meetings in Chicago was filled with great sessions, workshops, and recognitions of achievement, and networking events.  The 2010 conference in Montreal is shaping up to be even better.  The range of professional development workshops and consortia offered by the HR Division is another example of how we meet member needs regardless of interest, geography, focus, or career stage.  Please submit your ideas for Professional Development Workshops and your Scholarly work to the HR Division.  So if you are a member of the HR Division, I encourage you to become more involved and, if you are not a member, I encourage you to think about joining.  In either case, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let me know ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).   

            – Howard J. Klein, HR Division Chair, The Ohio State University