Claire Massey

Crossing fields: the case of a multi-disciplinary research team:

There are increasing opportunities for researchers to work in multi-disciplinary research teams; however, the extensive literature on research practice barely refers to the challenges inherent in this approach. The article describes the experience of a multi-disciplinary team which was engaged in investigating the nature of technological learning in relation to productivity improvement in the dairy farming industry in New Zealand. The largely qualitative, multi-method approach taken to the project by the team is described, and the description supplemented by reflection on the factors that led to the key decisions in the research design process, and the consequences of these decisions.

Delivering enterprise education in New Zealand

The aim of enterprise education is to develop in individuals (particularly the young) a set of skills and attitudes that will allow them to be both job creators and job seekers, and help them contribute to the “knowledge economy”. In New Zealand there is heightened interest in the potential contribution of enterprise education to these goals and the promotion of self‐employment as a legitimate work option. At the same time, participation levels in enterprise education programmes for secondary school students such as the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) are increasing. There are also moves to expand the types of enterprise education programmes available. However, there is little empirical evidence in New Zealand that demonstrates the impact of programmes like the YES, or which looks at the different ways in which such programmes are delivered. Deals with one of the objectives of an evaluation of the YES programme, where the researchers sought to identify attributes of effective programme delivery from the perspective of the key stakeholders. Concludes that “best practice” in this context is inappropriate as it implies that a single model of practice exists.

Business assistance for SMEs: New Zealand owner‐managers make their assessment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the business assistance realities of New Zealand small and medium enterprise (SME) owner‐managers in order to better understand those experiences in terms of their ability to identify and use what is provided.Design/methodology/approach – Site visits were made to 51 small firms that had been recruited from a random sample of 500 New Zealand firms that employed up to 50 full‐time equivalent staff and were in the “manufacturing” or “service” sector. An interview was then carried out with the owner‐manager of the firm.Findings – The owner‐managers of some SMEs interact with the support infrastructure regularly, while others do not. The sources of business assistance most frequently accessed where not necessarily those that were subsequently perceived as being the most useful or significant.Research limitations/implications – The findings are limited in their generalisability due to the research methodology and research context. However, the conclusions will b...

Learning by doing: six dimensions of complexity in researching SMEs

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to present practical methodological insights into doing research with the owner-managers of small and medium enterprises. Design/methodology/approach - Practical methodological lessons are reported from a project involving interviews with owner-managers of a set of 50 firms recruited from a random sample of 500 New Zealand “manufacturing” or “service” firms employing 5-50 full-time staff. Findings - The experiences of the project team were reflected on, refined, and presented as six practical “lessons” to be considered by others contemplating engaging with SMEs to achieve a research objective. Research limitations/implications - The findings are subjective (in that, they are the opinions and experiences of the researchers involved) and are derived from a specific context (the SME sector in New Zealand). Originality/value - The paper contributes to the small, but growing, body of literature that specifically deals with “good practice” research methodology in relation to small firms.

Employee practices in New Zealand SMEs

Governments around the world are increasingly focusing on initiatives that encourage business improvement and build “firm capability”. A particular target of such initiatives has been the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. As the way in which this sector contributes to a countrys economic and social goals has become more widely understood, there has been a growing emphasis on encouraging the owners and managers of these enterprises to engage in “best practice” initiatives. The assumption is that best practice will lead to increased levels of firm performance and economic growth. In New Zealand the Ministry of Economic Development has undertaken a study of business practice and performance based on a framework initially developed by the Australian Manufacturing Council in 1994 for a survey on the manufacturing sector. The study is now in its third iteration and for the first time incorporates all sectors of the economy. This paper presents the results relating to employee practices in small firms from the most recent study.

Aiming for organisational learning: consultants as agents of change

Suggests that interaction between managers and consultants may be a way for learning organisations to continue learning and developing. Looks at a study into the relationship between professional consultants and their clients to identify two leading factors in influencing whether organisational learning occurs. These imply that the consultant is central for the achievement of organisational development and success. Examines two specific cases and concludes that within this context, there are a number of factors that influence whether organisational learning can be achieved, including role assignment and linking individual development to organisational development.

Exploring Firm Development in the Context of New Zealand SMEs

Abstract The relative strengths and weaknesses of ‘stages of development ‘ models for explaining small firm growth have attracted significant research attention. Despite this there remains little consensus regarding the ways in which SME owner-managers and their firms experience growth, and the transitions and milestones it comprises. In an attempt to heed the call for ongoing investigations into this phenomenon this paper reports on a project investigating the topic in the context of New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Findings from 50 interviews with small firm owner-managers are reported, along with conclusions and suggestions for future research.

Enterprise assistance: responses from the public and private sectors

One of the consequences of the rising profile of the SME sector is that many countries have some sort of “enterprise assistance” programme. In some countries there are extensive government‐funded programmes, often delivered by a network of governmental agencies. However, increasingly the distinction between public and private sectors is irrelevant, with the emergence of a new option for clients: agencies that are publicly funded but which deliver their services using a model that has been drawn from the private sector. This has implications for the clients of such services, as well as the service providers themselves. In a number of countries where the “private sector” model is being adopted for the delivery of “public good” services, the agencies involved in designing the policies and delivering the programmes are facing considerable challenges in moving from one model to the other.

Is the Training Train Out of Control? A Case of Evaluation Failure from New Zealand

There is a noticeable absence of robust debate over the decision to deliver free or subsidised training programmes to those running small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), Many governments offer these schemes, despite the lack of empirical evidence that programmes aimed at individuals contribute positively to firm performance and therefore to economic growth. A similar situation probably exists in the firms that participate in training; a lack of robustness in the way they ensure a relationship between the training selected and the needs of employees in the context of their jobs. This paper explores the issues facing both firms and government agencies in New Zealand as they make decisions about investing in training as an enterprise development strategy. It is suggested that the way in which firms and government agencies behave in relation to training investment decisions is flawed: those involved follow received wisdom, act upon hunches and appear indifferent to ensuring that their respective investments are maximised. This situation will continue until it is realised that training is a key developmental strategy and gaining value from training events means that more rigour needs to be applied to planning and evaluation.

Critical yet invisible: the “good wife” in the New Zealand small firm

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to move away from the studies that have to date only focused on “visible women” (those who are running businesses as owner‐managers or as active partners, i.e. as copreneurs) to a focus on those that are largely invisible. These are the women who are involved in small firms but who are not copreneurs, and who do not have clearly acknowledged and/or formalised roles.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on data collected as part of a research programme that involved 250 in‐depth interviews carried out with owner‐managers in manufacturing and service firms throughout New Zealand over a two‐year period.Findings – The findings from the interviews suggest that there are many women playing critical roles in New Zealand small firms whose contributions are unacknowledged, and which may be also unseen and unpaid. These women (typically as wives of owner‐managers) are contributing invaluably to the futures and fortunes of those firms – albeit from “behind the scenes...