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1. Literature Review: HBR Thinking on L&D (2005–2025)

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Over the last two decades, Harvard Business Review has published more than 20 articles addressing corporate learning and development (L&D) across diverse lenses — from classic ROI frameworks to the implications of AI-driven skills gaps.

Database - HBR Articles

Key patterns from the review:

• ROI obsession: Many pieces focus on proving the financial return of training investments using Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels, Phillips ROI, or NPS-based proxies.
• Strategic linkage: A large subset stresses that training must be anchored to business priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Behavioral reinforcement: Several articles warn that single-event training rarely leads to change without continuous reinforcement, workflow integration, and managerial involvement.
• Culture as an enabler: HBR regularly links learning effectiveness to trust, safety, and a “growth mindset” environment.
• Skills for the future: More recent pieces pivot to reskilling and upskilling in the face of automation and AI.

Blind spots detected:

• A tendency to assume ideal conditions for evaluation (ample data, executive sponsorship, no legal barriers).
• Limited exploration of why L&D teams struggle to close the loop between delivery and measurable impact.
• Rarely any empirical, ground-up evidence from inside L&D functions, particularly across multiple geographies and regulatory regimes.

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2. Clustering the Field: Identifying Strategic Verticals

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Clustering: Deep Dive