In the preface to the fifth edition of Learning and Development Rosemary Harrison, a prominent academic and former Chief Examiner for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), stresses that "in its organisational context, L&D no longer constitutes an area of work for beginners". Something of this complexity is reflected in the tone of the book; throughout, the focus is on the integration of L&D with corporate strategy, the encouragement of high professional standards in the field, and a critical evaluation of the challenges facing the L&D sector today. The text has been substantially revised since previous editions and draws heavily on CIPD research available at the time of writing in mid-2008. While this largely pre-dates the global economic downturn, Harrison explicitly recognises the pressures on L&D in times of recession, and her calls for the function to add value to business processes seem both relevant and timely in the current business environment.
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