Established Human Resource Development (HRD) practices may elevate corporate interests and subordinate individual interests. CriticalHRDprofessionals can instead transform workplaces into a more level playing field that genuinely values diversity. Drawing on the existing theory, specifically Brookfield's (2005) marriage of Foucauldian notions of power and the critical tradition, this article explores how utilizing a model of legal power as productive, rather than repressive, can reinforceHRD’s commitment to social justice and uncouple organizations from their often repressive histories.HRDprofessionals are urged to use the critical perspective to not merely comply with labor laws that address workplace injustices and serve to reshape possibilities, but to genuinely enact social change by enhancing new power structures. This article will demonstrate the roleHRDpractitioners can play in placing critical and postmodern perspectives on power relations into practice within organizations as they respond to changes in law and policy
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