Jeff Gold

It's all action, it's all learning: action learning in SMEs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that action learning (AL) may provide a means of successfully developing small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approach – The literature around SME learning suggests a number of processes are important for SME learning which similarity, it is argued, are encompassed in AL. AL may therefore offer a means of developing SME. This argument is then supported through the results of a longitudinal qualitative evaluation study conducted in the north‐west of England, which involved the use of AL in 100 SMEs.Findings – The paper finds that the discursive and critical reflection aspects of the set environment appeared to be of great utility and importance to the SMEs. Sets also had an optimum level of which helped them find “common ground”. Once common ground was established set members often continued to network and form alliances outside of the set environment. SME owner‐managers could discuss both personal and business. Finally, AL offered the ...

A Conceptual Model of Management Learning in Micro Businesses: Implications for Research and Policy

Purpose – This article proposes the development of a conceptual model to help understand the nature of management learning in the micro business context and to inform research and policy discourse. Design/methodology/approach – The model is developed on the basis of a literature search and review of academic and grey literature. Findings – The model highlights the unique nature of the micro business learning environment. Meeting the diverse interests of micro business managers is a major challenge for agencies seeking to promote and deliver management and leadership skills. An intervention approach founded upon the relationship between the micro business manager and the intervention agency is crucial to the successful design and delivery of relevant services. Research limitations/implications – The research identified a lack of literature associated with learning in the micro business context. The model should therefore be considered as partial, to be tested in practice and subject to revision as new understanding unfolds. Practical implications – The conceptual model suggests that the foundation of successful intervention should be the interests of the managers themselves. Closer relationships between a flexible supply-side and the micro business manager provide the foundation to improve the relevance of these interventions in the micro business context and to encourage access to learning opportunities amongst the employed workforce. Originality/value – The research subject and the development of a unique conceptual model may be of use to researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.(Publication abstract)

Immaturity The Constraining of Entrepreneurship

We introduce conceptions of ‘enacted cognition’,‘practical authorship’ and ‘maturity’ that help us to investigate entrepreneurship as an activity. The first two stem from social constructionist per...We introduce conceptions of ‘enacted cognition’,‘practical authorship’ and ‘maturity’ that help us to investigate entrepreneurship as an activity. The first two stem from social constructionist perspectives on patterns of recognition and the articulation of knowledge respectively (Shotter, 1993; Vygotsky, 1986). The third is found in Kant’s (1784/1991) essay ‘What is Enlightenment?’ By combining these, our research highlights those factors that prevent entrepreneurs developing maturity and so embedding their ideas within the wider economic and social activities of their community. A novel e-postcard methodology is employed with 44 UK entrepreneurs to investigate these factors from the entrepreneurs’ own judgements. Implications for the development of a new methodology, for the conceptualization and development of entrepreneurial activity and learning among small firm managers, and for policy are discussed.

Smashing into the glass ceiling for women managers

Examines the subject of the glass ceiling for women managers and empirical research within a Metropolitan District Council. Looks at the causes of, effects of, and solutions to, the glass ceiling for women managers within an organisation in the UK. Concludes that the glass ceiling for women managers is a complex phenomenon. The results of the empirical research show that a glass ceiling for women managers exists within the council. The causes of the glass ceiling are wide ranging including a lack of career counselling and development for women, a lack of management development for women, attitudes of male councillors and managers, the expected role of women in society, conflicts between personal and work life, and the organisational culture within which women work. The effects of the glass ceiling for both the employer and women managers are analysed and solutions to the problem are explored.

Social constructionism: a theoretical framework to underpin support for the development of managers in SMEs?

Policy documents stress the importance of learning and knowledge to the competitiveness of the economy. The documents draw attention to the positive impact on economic performance although the link between management training and small firm performance remains empirically contested. Many outside agencies, and particularly those which are publicly funded, face significant difficulties in bringing new learning to smaller organisations. In particular, generalised notions, recipes and tool‐kits of techniques for how small business managers should be developed can easily be dismissed as irrelevant by the small business managers themselves. This would suggest a methodological gap which highlights the failure of many interventionist frameworks. Argues that this gap can be bridged by taking a social constructionist view to supporting small business managers and the development of their organisations. Provides an introduction to the key ideas of social constructionism and their relevance to understanding the support process underpinning the development of managers in smaller businesses. Concludes with a discussion of the implications of social constructionism for those involved in researching, evaluating and developing services to support management development in small business organisations.

What is the future for the human resource development professional? A UK perspective

This paper seeks to explore the validity of HRD as a profession in the UK both now and into the future. The source of professional status is explored and Freidsons (2001) ideal type of professionalism is used to assess the status of the HRD professional. It is suggested that the constitutive aspects of disciplinary knowledge and activity for the HRD professional field remain in flux, with inherent instability and lack of permanence in the foundations of professional expertise. The key forces for change in HRD work in the future are explored, leading to the development of four scenarios for the future of the HRD profession. It is concluded that, for the future of the HRD profession to be sustained and grow, the professions expertise and practice must concern the values and interests of others who face uncertainty and difficulty in relation to learning at work.

Let Me Tell You a Story: An Evaluation of the Use of Storytelling and Argument Analysis in Management Education.

Social constructionist perspectives are becoming increasingly influential in organisational and management studies. Evaluates an experientially based personal development module on a management diploma that was re‐designed according to social constructionist ideas about learning and managerial activity. In particular, the paper assesses whether storytelling and argument analysis are viable elements in experientially based teaching, and considers how they mediate the processes of learning and action. It is concluded that storytelling and argument analysis are viable techniques, that they facilitate multiple perspective taking and negotiation and help in the creation of intelligible solutions in joint action with others. While accepting that there are a number of difficulties with the approach, we suggest that it provides management educators with another method of experiential learning, and that it is particularly appropriate to those wishing to encourage managers to explore and develop social construction...

“Cracking the tough nuts”: mentoring and coaching the managers of small firms

A recent learning programme funded by Sheffield TEC, targeted specifically at “tough nuts”, i.e. small organisations with no history of formal training and development for those in management positions, is examined. The background to the approach based on mentoring and coaching is explained. Findings from an impact study of 20 case organisations are presented.

Responses to job insecurity

Purpose – This paper aims to focus on a career perspective to investigate the association between employee experience of job insecurity and work‐related behaviors, specifically discretionary extra‐role and impression management behaviors. A second purpose is to analyze the interaction effect of perceived employability and job insecurity on extra‐role and impression management behaviors.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a sample of 207 supervisor‐subordinate dyads in Korean banking and financial institutions, the relationships between job insecurity and extra‐role or impression management as two career behaviors are tested. The interaction effects of employability and job insecurity on behavioral options are also tested.Findings – The results showed that the perception of job insecurity led to both reduced extra‐role and impression management behavior and the intensity of withdrawal increased as employability increased.Research limitations/implications – The findings provide a fundamental new insight ...

Learning and story‐telling: the next stage in the journey for the learning organization

Examines how the idea and practice of the learning organization (or company) has made swift and rapid progress in the UK, and as a label, it is one that many organizations aspire to. States that it would seem that many of the aspirants are having a hard time trying to convince others of the validity of learning organizations. Argues that the visions commonly associated with the learning organization may just reflect a particular way of talking or a story about the world which is not sufficiently shared by others to prompt joint action. Goes on to examine the way learning may occur in organizations through ways of talking or story‐telling within nets of collective action. Utilizes a story about normal work in an organization to show how ongoing relationships contribute to a diverse pattern of learning within the organization. Finally, argues that if organization leaders are really serious about making the learning organization vision a reality, they will have to work a lot harder and be a lot cleverer to make their voices heard and listened to ‐ they will have to become better story‐tellers.