My career has been spent looking for innovative ways of looking at the human resource development field, and my students gain a great perspective on how to add their voice to our field by working with me.
Professor
I’ve been recognized many times for my work in the human resource and development field, including receiving the Academy of Human Resource Development’s Outstanding Scholar Award and being inducted into their Scholar Hall of Fame. I’ve been a pioneer in looking at the deeper nature of learning and change, something that is critical to understanding how individuals in the workplace learn informally.
Part of my research has also led to an articulation of the dimensions of how learning needs to be put together within an organization, which in turn led to an assessment called the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire, a measurement that has been used across the country and around the world. This measurement helps organizations become more intentional about their strategy for learning, leading to improvements in the companies as a whole.
My students have also gone on to great success. Two of my students have won the Dissertation of the Year Award from the Academy of Human Resource Development, and another was awarded the Scholar of the Year Award. I ask a lot of my graduate students because I want them to reach this level of nationally and internationally recognized scholarship.
Learn more about Karen Watkins.