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Purpose This study aims to critically examine talent management practices and strategies from ethical and responsible management perspectives. Design/methodology/approach It achieves its aim through conceptual analysis by theorising through the lenses of talent philosophies, the organisational justice theory, the stakeholder theory and extant literature. Findings A responsible talent management construct and mode to guide the practice of talent management in a socially responsible way is developed. It argues that inclusivity; corporate responsibility; and equity and equal employment opportunity are the key underlying principles of a responsible talent management system. This study further argues that responsible talent management practices promote achievement of multilevel sustainable outcomes such as decent work, employee well-being and organisational well-being. Practical implications Emphasising responsible management and ethical concerns in organisational talent strategies and practices is non-negotiable, given the current level of interest in sustainable work and employment and in the quest to achieve sustainable human and organisational outcomes through management and organisational practices. Originality/value The development of a responsible talent management construct and model is original and novel and is expected to shape thinking and drive new research directions in the field of talent management. It further contributes directly to knowledge and practice by demonstrating how organisations can manage their talents in a responsible way.

In this conceptual paper, we contextualise ongoing attempts to manage challenge dynamics in talent systems in sport. Firstly, we review the broad literature base related to biological maturation, relative age, and the proposed interventions to mitigate effects. We suggest that the relative age effect may be a population level effect, indicative of deeper phenomena, rather than having a direct effect on challenge levels. In contrast, we suggest that biological maturation has a direct effect on challenge at the individual level. Therefore, our main critique of many existing approaches to the management of challenge is a lack of individual nuance and flexibility. We suggest the necessity for talent systems to adopt a more holistic approach, conceptualising biological maturation and relative age within a broader field of “push and pull factors” that impact challenge dynamics in talent development in sport. Finally, we provide practical guidance for talent systems in their approach to relative age and biological maturation, recognising that there is no “gold standard”. Instead, there is a need to recognize the highly individual and contextual nature of these concepts, focusing on strategic coherence through talent systems for the management of selection and development processes.

Context plays a critical role in talent development, yet most national analyses continue to rely on individual-centered talent concepts. This paper highlights the limitations of traditional models for assessing how countries support talent and proposes a resource-oriented, systemic alternative. Building on the Educational and Learning Capital Approach (ELCA), this study argues that national talent development depends on the availability, accessibility, and orchestration of both endogenous and exogenous learning resources across systemic levels. By analyzing the clumping patterns of excellence in STEM, the arts, sports, and innovation, this paper illustrates the unequal global distribution of talent-supportive environments. Seven key principles for effective resource orchestration are outlined, offering a framework for evaluating and strengthening national talent ecosystems. The paper concludes that systematic assessment and strategic enhancement of national resource landscapes are critical for sustainable talent development and for ensuring that human potential can flourish more equitably across countries.

Purpose This paper aims to examine the ways in which discourses of talent management (TM) reinforce and perpetuate structural barriers of exclusion and discrimination. The argument is made that dominant TM discourses must be interrogated if authentic talent development (ATD) practices are to succeed. This interrogation will require a shift from an organizational emphasis on talent identification towards ATD’s focus on talent cultivation. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual approach is used to critically analyse TM discourses to assess the degree to which they are inclusive. Building upon the work of Debebe (2017), an alternative ATD approach is suggested that, together with the novel concept of authentic otherness, may enable scholars and practitioners to reflect upon current organizational practices and devise new approaches that encourage talent cultivation in diverse employees. This, in turn, may foster a greater sense of organizational belonging. Findings Findings identify a number of ways in which organizational norms and structures are maintained and perpetuated through dominant, mainstream TM practices. This hinders ATD for many due to social ascription processes. By exploring the concept of “authentic otherness” (Gardiner, 2017), alongside Debebe’s (2017) approach to ATD, the argument is made that systemic inequities in the workplace may be addressed when we create conditions to support the cultivation of talent for all employees. Originality/value This paper builds on recent arguments in the critical TM literature concerning the exclusionary nature of mainstream TM practices in organizations. The concept of authentic otherness is clarified and defined with a view to using this new term as a heuristic device to encourage a reflective understanding of how ATD practices can be developed.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of talent development, define its scope and identify the issues involved in formulating talent development strategies in organisations.Design methodology approach - The paper reviews the relatively scant and fragmented literature on talent development processes.Findings - The literature review revealed that talent development is usually discussed as part of a wider talent management process. The literature highlights issues concerning who is the talent to be developed, what competencies should be developed, who drives development, what is the appropriate pace of development and what is the architecture to support the development.Research limitations implications - The paper is solely theoretical in nature; however, it does identify gaps for further research.Practice implications - The paper raises a number of important questions that should be considered by organisations when they engage in talent development.Originality value - The paper contributes to a perceived gap in the literature and highlights the issues that come within the terrain of talent development.

Purpose This paper aims to describe how the multidisciplinary studies in the special issue expand and enrich the framework of authentic talent development in sociocultural context. Design/methodology/approach The study presents a framework of authentic talent development in sociocultural context and identifies key themes from the seven interdisciplinary studies of the special issue to enrich and expand our understanding of sociocultural barriers to authentic talent development for individuals from low-income and minoritized communities, including women. Findings The studies included in the special issue illustrate several ways in which social identity ascription truncates the talent trajectory of individuals from low-income and minoritized groups. They also show how ascription processes can be mitigated through policy, reformed organizational structure and practice and growth fostering relationships. Practical implications The findings of this paper have implications for developing strategies to mitigate social identity ascription in talent development in the domains of public policy, schooling and the workplace. Originality/value The special issue brings together contributions from multiple disciplines to holistically understand the nature of social identity ascription in talent development across the life course. Collectively, the contributions identify a number of complimentary tools at several levels that might allow effective mitigation of social identity ascription processes, facilitating authentic talent development for individuals from low-income and minoritized communities.

PurposeThis paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsResearchers showed how discourses of talent management (TM) perpetuate structural barriers of exclusion and discrimination. Traditional TM discourses have to be questioned if authentic talent development (ATD) practices are to flourish. This requires a change from the focus on talent identification to ATD’s focus on talent cultivation.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

In 2020, as COVID-19 impacted the world, instructional designers quickly came to the forefront of higher education, consulting, and corporate settings. Additionally, in early 2020, the Association for Talent Development (ATD) globally launched their new Talent Development Capability Model. To determine how instructional design is operationalized in various industries, we utilized the Talent Development Capability Model as a framework to review 100 online job postings from LinkedIn, Indeed.com, and HigherEdJobs.com, scanning each for the 23 capabilities identified in the ATD Talent Development Capability Model. Using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) organizational framework as our method of reviewing job postings, we found that instructional design, talent delivery and facilitation, technology application, communication, and collaboration and leadership capabilities appeared the most frequently. Educational requirements were statistically significantly associated with job sectors, as shown in our analysis. With these results and analysis, this research will inform both formal instructional design education programs and job seekers regarding how instructional design is operationalized in job requisitions. This research will also provide insights into alignments with the ATD Talent Development Capability Model and job requisitions.

This study explored partnerships between community colleges and businesses, focusing on the role of these partnerships in workforce development to address skill gaps in various sectors. It addressed the questions \"Why do industry practitioners choose community colleges for talent development solutions?\" and \"How do businesses perceive community colleges in their staffing and talent pipeline development efforts?\" Utilizing an exploratory case study approach, the research gathered insights into talent challenges in various sectors from 12 senior private sector executives who had at least 10 years of experience. Data were collected through interviews, questionnaires, and artifacts, such as strategy documents and memoranda, and thematic analysis techniques were used to code and categorize themes. The findings identified six themes in robust community college-industry partnerships, and the study examined the development of staffing strategies for industry-facing roles at community colleges to ensure those strategies are aligned with industry expectations.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the use of sophisticated talent selection processes such as gamification and training and development interventions designed to ensure that candidates can successfully navigate the talent assessment process. Gamification is the application of game elements to non-game activities through the adoption of gaming tools, and little is known about how candidates (“talent”) struggle to learn about the structural mechanics of gamification as they engage with the hidden rules of talent selection, such as goals, rules, “levelling up”, feedback and engagement in competitive – collaborative activities. The term “talent development gamification” is coined and used as an analytical tool to consider how young talent are supported by development interventions in their inter-subjectivity as they learn how to survive and win in talent selection games. Design/methodology/approach Studying hidden dynamics in development processes inherent in gamified talent selection is challenging, so a cult work of fiction, “Ender’s Game”, is examined to address the questions: “How do candidates in talent selection programmes learn to make sense of the structural mechanics of gamification”, “How does this make the hidden rules of talent selection explicit to them?” and “What does this mean for talent development?” Findings Talent development in selection gamification processes is illustrated through nuanced theoretical accounts of how a multiplicity of shifting and competing developmental learning opportunities are played out as a form of “double-consciousness” by potential organizational talent for them to “win the selection game”. Research limitations/implications Using novels as an aid to understanding management and the organization of work is ontologically and epistemologically problematic. But analysing novels which are “good reads” also has educational value and can produce new knowledge from its analysis. In exploring how “Characters are made to live dangerously, to face predicaments that, as readers, we experience as vicarious pleasure. We imagine, for example, how a particular character may react or, more importantly, what we would do in similar circumstances” (Knights and Willmott, 1999, p. 5). This future-oriented fictional narrative is both illustrative and provides an analogy to illuminate current organisational development challenges. Originality/value The term “talent development gamification in selection processes” is coined to allow analysis and provide lessons for talent development practice in a little studied area. Our case study analysis identifies a number of areas for consideration by talent management/talent development specialists involved in developing talent assessment centres incorporating gamification. These include the importance of understanding and taking account of rites of passage through the assessment centre, in particular the role of liminal space, what talent development interventions might be of benefit and the necessity of appreciating and managing talent in developing the skill of double consciousness in game simulations.