A discourse approach to theorising HRD: opening a discursive space Aileen Lawless Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK Sally Sambrook Bangor University, Bangor, UK Tom Garavan Limerick University, Limerick, Ireland, and Claire Valentin Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, UK Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss how a discourse approach to theorising human resource development (HRD) can open a “discursive space” to challenge dominant discourses within the field; enabling a more critical discourse to emerge. Design/methodology/approach – Discusses two approaches to discourse analysis, a “practice” and a “critical” approach, and illuminates how both approaches can contribute to theorising HRD. Findings – The notion of what constitutes HRD is being constantly renegotiated both in theory and in practice. While contemporary HRD discourses are many and there is fluidity in the field a dominant discourse can be identified. The authors argue that a focus on the discourses which construct and constitute HRD need to consider both the “practice” and “the order of discourse” enabling the emergence of alternative discourses within the field. Research limitations/implications – Due to word restrictions an empirical example has not been included. However, future work will address this limitation. Practical implications – The two approaches to discourse analysis discussed provide a useful framework; enabling an analysis of the dominant and competing discourses within the field of HRD. Originality/value – Discourse analysis is rarely discussed in business settings despite the evidence that applied discourse analysis focuses on questions that are of relevance to the field. This paper contributes to a perceived gap and demonstrates how discourse analysis can contribute to researching alternative notions of HRD in order to encourage a variety of conceptual developments. Keywords Human resource development, Human resource management Paper type Research paper Introduction Increasingly, language and language use is being understood as the most important phenomenon accessible for empirical investigation in social science research (Alvesson and Karreman, 2000). Consequently, discourse has become a fashionable word. In some cases underlying the use of the word “discourse” is the general idea that language is structured according to different patterns that people’s utterances follow when they take part in different domains of social life (Phillips and Jorgensen, 2002). Discourse analysis represents an extensive area of contemporary debate and research that The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0309-0590.htm JEIT 35,3 264 Received 9 February 2010 Revised 28 June 2010 Accepted 22 December 2010 Journal of European Industrial Training Vol. 35 No. 3, 2011 pp. 264-275 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0309-0590 DOI 10.1108/03090591111120412