Disability and International Human Resource Development: The Role of Regulative, Normative, and Cultural-Cognitive Elements

Abstract: While human resource development (HRD) research has increasingly explored HRD-related phenomena around the world, one area of HRD research that remains siloed and unexplored in international contexts is disability. The purpose of this study is to explore the conceptualization of disability in international HRD. This is accomplished through content analysis of the case of Southeast Asia and its regional intergovernmental organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. We employ an institutional theory lens to explore the regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive elements of disability in HRD that are present in the case of Southeast Asia and its regional organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. We discuss implications for future research including empirical studies of the experiences of people with disabilities in HRD contexts around the world.