Pro-growth small businesses: learning 'architecture'

Bergin-Seers, Suzanne and Morrison, Alison (2002) Pro-growth small businesses: learning 'architecture'. Journal of Managment Development, 21 (5). pp. 388-400. ISSN 02621711

Abstract

Internationally, a certain market failure has become apparent in terms of the effective engagement of small business owner-managers in business support programs, and in the wider concept of life long learning. There exists a cultural gap between support agencies and the small business sector's perceptions of the utility of formal support and learning interventions to the business performance of their business. Therefore, this paper extends knowledge and understanding within this context relative to what constitutes small business owner-managers' learning disposition, means, obstacles and organisation to be confronted and what form of new 'architecture' needs to be designed to support learning. A theoretical framework supports the analysis of findings from a research project based in Melbourne, Australia, which serves to illuminate pertinent issues towards informing more sensitised support interventions with respect to pro-growth small businesses. Specifically, the attribute of a learning culture was identified as a factor contributing to growth in small businesses, and may represent a distinguishing characteristic between effective and non-effective economic performers.

Item type Article
URI https://vuir.vu.edu.au/id/eprint/2016
Subjects Historical > RFCD Classification > 350000 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
Historical > Faculty/School/Research Centre/Department > School of Hospitality Tourism and Marketing
Keywords business development, corporate culture, small business, learning culture
Citations in Scopus 25 - View on Scopus
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