A review of the Seventh International Conference of the Academy of HRD (Asia Chapter) in Bangkok, Thailand (2008): a system theory perspective

This article will follow an open-system theory approach within the human resource development (HRD) framework to provide a review of the Seventh International Conference of the Academy of HRD (Asia Chapter) in Bangkok, Thailand, 3-6 November 2008. From this vantage point, the paper considers themes evident in the conference parallel session topics as inputs, the actual sessions and conference activities as processes, and the benefits the authors gained from the conference as outputs. Each of these elements took place in an environment formed by the overall conference theme of 'Ethics and Quality of Worklife for Sustainable Development'. The article concludes with the authors' thoughts about implications for future conferences and research that can be seen as the feedback contribution in the open-system model.