Joakim Tell

The emergent prerequisites of managerial learning in small firm networks

Descriptive studies have shown that co‐operation in networks produces better possibilities for higher‐level learning than small firms can organise on their own. Previous studies of learning in networks, however, have not considered how the prerequisites for higher‐level learning develop over time in networks. This paper reports on a seven‐year participant observational study of two different network constellations. A conclusion from the study is that the learning in networks of small‐firm owner/managers is based on trust and has emergent prerequisites. These prerequisites are reciprocity between learning actors, the learning actors’ receptive and confronting capacity, and the transparency of the dialogue in the networks. Over time these prerequisites develop and create better opportunities for higher‐level learning.

Business Simulation Exercises in Small Business Management Education: Using Principles and Ideas from Action Learning.

Recent calls to close the rigour-relevance gap in business school education have suggested incorporating principles and ideas from action learning in small business management education. In this paper we discuss how business simulation exercises can be used as a platform to trigger students’ learning by providing them with a platform where they can merge theory with practice. We provide theoretical arguments accompanied by illustrations to show how such initiatives can create a more student-centred teaching structure than what is usually practised in contemporary business school education. This may in turn work as a potential bridge between the safe harbour of traditional classroom teaching and the more chaotic and complex world of managerial practice.

Managerial strategies in small, fast‐growing manufacturing firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to create a better understanding of the strategic management behavior of top managers in small, fast‐growing manufacturing firms.Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data have been collected in Sweden through both a survey of the 100 fastest growing small firms during 2000 and the development five years after (2001‐2006), as well as through structured observations of the working days of top managers in six fast‐growing manufacturing small firms.Findings – Managers in small, fast‐growing manufacturing firms are engaged in many different activities. However, a few activities tend to take the majority of their time. These activities are either operational (for instance, activities related to production, marketing and sales) or administrative (for instance, activities related to the firms’ personnel and to financial issues). Looking at the managers’ activities from a strategy management point of view, they spend very little time on strategic activities. This finding m...

Product Development in SMEs: a literature review

Product Development (PD) in Small and Medium-sized Firms (SMEs) is a long-neglected research area, and little cumulative work has been conducted previously. The purpose of this paper is to provide a first overview of the area of PD in SMEs. In doing so, we draw upon a sample of 149 peer-reviewed research papers selected from an initial sample of 5694 papers. The review provides tentative answers to issues such as the analytical and methodological approaches of the papers, which topics or areas of research have been focused on by previous scholars, and what kinds of topics that are well covered.

What Do Owner-Managers In Small Firms Really Do? Differences In Managerial Behavior In Small And Large Organizations

Abstract The research presented is a replication of Mintzberg’s on managerial work. The article focuses on owner-managers in small manufacturing firms in an initial attempt to reveal the nature of the work undertaken by this type of managers. The purpose is to describe what they do and to compare their behaviour with that of managers in large and intermediate organizations as described by Mintzberg and Kurke & Aldrich. Our study compliments an earlier small-scale study on managerial behavior in small firms and includes sufficient data to test Mintzberg’s propositions on managerial work. Empirically this paper draws on an observational study that deployed the method of structured observation. The daily activities of the small-firm owner-managers in our study are characterized by, among other things, informality and constant interruption as the process by which their work is organized. This differs partly from the results found in the studies of managers’ work in larger organizations, where formal and planned activities serve more often as the procedure through which the managers design their work. Of Mintzberg’s seven propositions, we found support for four, although with some hesitation. This calls into question the asserted generality of several such propositions. Our study indicates that there seem to be certain myths about what small-firm owner-managers really do, myths that need to be considered in future research.

Business model innovation in the agri-food sector: a literature review

Purpose – Because the business model (BM) is a fairly new concept, research is lacking on business model innovation (BMI) in certain industry sectors. One such sector is the agri-food sector. Using a systematic literature review (SLR) of peer-reviewed journal articles published from 1990 to 2014, the purpose of this paper is to examine the where, when, and how of the use of BMs and BMI in the agri-food sector. Design/methodology/approach – A web-based search was conducted to identify peer-reviewed journal articles that contained a combination of “BM” or “BMI” with agriculture-related and food-related terms (e.g. “agri-food sector”). After winnowing out irrelevant and duplicate articles, 505 articles were chosen for analysis. Findings – Using categories, the paper analyses various data about the selected articles. The categories include research settings, units of analysis, methodologies, and theories. Based on this analysis, the paper finds that these agri-food sector articles are primarily qualitative, e...

Towards inter-organisational empowerment? : Employee participation in the development of a network of small enterprises

In this paper, a unique development in a network of small enterprises is presented and discussed. This is the creation of a network of employees that, in the first phase, had a function in parallel with the network of their managers, and which, over time, has led to tighter integration, by means of incorporating more employees in development work. The importance of trust and dialogue will be highlighted as well as the significance of both explicit and tacit knowledge. Finally, attention will be drawn to this network structure as a form of inter‐organisational empowerment of employees. This is an extended and modified version of a conference paper that was written by Marieke Hoekstra, Max Lundberg and Joakim Tell for the 5th Annual International Conference on Post‐compulsory Education and Training, Queensland, Australia, 26‐28th November, 1997.

Management Development in Small Firms: Understanding the Learning Dilemma for Small Business Managers

In this study, we link discussions about management development in small firms to the work environment of small business managers. In particular, our aim is to examine management development as an experiential process carried out in daily managerial practice. Using structured observations of managerial work, we found that small business managers operate in work environments with rich opportunities for learning. However, we also found that various and unexpected interruptions and problems typically fragment their workdays. In addition, such managers lack peer support and guidance and have few external interactions and little internal communication. As a result, small business managers find themselves in a learning dilemma that, in the long run, may limit their creativity and innovation. Based on these empirical findings, we draw conclusions about support for work-based management development in small firms.

The diffusion of green innovation technology in the construction industry: European passive house knowledge transfer to China

The booming Chinese construction market has created both economic growth and environmental problems. Some 65,000 buildings in Europe have been constructed in accordance with the voluntary construction standard called Passive House that aims for energy efficiency. In China, however, by 2015, only 20 such projects were planned and only two Passive House projects were completed. In this paper, we identify and describe the barriers to the diffusion and adoption of Passive House construction in China. We review the relevant literature (Chinese and Western) and conduct two case studies of Passive House construction in China. Two broad groups of barriers - the bounded rationality of construction developers/managers and the high transaction costs of green innovation - are found to be most responsible for the slow diffusion and adoption of the Passive House concept in China. Unless these barriers are overcome, prospects for the advance of green technology in the Chinese construction market are unfavourable.

Business Model Innovation in the Agri-food Sector

The purpose of this article is to deepen our understanding of what we know about business model innovation in the agri-food sector, both from a theoretical as well as a practical perspective. The methodological approach used in the paper is built on interviews, focus groups and observations of agricultural entrepreneurs and agricultural advisors in the agriculture sector and a review of over 500 peer-reviewed research papers for the period 1990-2014. The findings of the study indicate that entrepreneurs within the agri-food sector ought to shift focus from only a producer perspective to also include an entrepreneurial perspective, e.g. to focus on business model innovation. Based on this knowledge the authors present implications for research and practice. The research field is young and broad, but developing, and in need of stronger theoretical foundations. This article is based on a combination of a systematic literature review of a new emerging field as well as empirical in-depth interviews, focus groups and observations.