ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Following unheard-of global shifts, Malaysia's higher education system is facing more and more BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible) environments. Institutions and academic staff must embrace agile, adaptive, and emotionally intelligent strategies in place of traditional human resource development (HRD) approaches in these environments. The purpose of this review article is to investigate how HRD practices can be successfully modified to assist academic staff in flourishing in such uncertain circumstances. The goals are specifically to: (1) determine whether the BANI framework is applicable in the Malaysian higher education setting; (2) pinpoint HRD tactics that tackle emotional and cognitive complexity; and (3) suggest adaptable methods to improve academic performance and resilience. This study synthesises findings from 35 sources, including peer-reviewed journals, institutional reports, and national policy documents published between 2018 and 2024, using a narrative literature review methodology. The development of emotional intelligence and resilience, the adoption of agile and flexible learning pathways (such as micro-credentials), the encouragement of adaptive and distributed leadership, and the creation of institutional mental health and psychosocial support systems are the four key HRD focus areas identified by thematic analysis. The results highlight the necessity of a paradigm change away from conventional, one-size-fits-all training models and towards comprehensive, human-centered HRD procedures. These tactics are crucial for institutional innovation and sustainability in addition to academic survival. Higher education in Malaysia can better equip its faculty to thrive in a time of growing complexity and unpredictability by adopting the BANI lens.
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