Small firms and internationalisation: learning to manage and managing to learn

By Valerie Anderson, G. Boocock. 2002

139 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Small firms contribute significantly to the UK economy, but most research into learning and work features the experience of large organisations. This article focuses on learning and work in small organisations. An interpretive framework relating to organisational learning is derived from the literature. Data on learning in small firms that internationalise are analysed to assess the extent to which models of organisational learning are applicable to the context and challenges they face. The article suggests that the large firm model of learning is inappropriate; the distinctive culture and communication systems of small organisations require different approaches to the acquisition, transmission and interpretation of knowledge. Tacit knowledge, developed through informal learning, is a priority and learning through local business networks is more important than participation in formal programmes. Advocacy of human resource development (HRD) practices based on conventional theories of organisational learning, therefore, may hinder rather than encourage performance in small organisations.

Subfields: Management of Technology and Innovation, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/6812c2ca9418d437141cbc27d049ea6219c6df32

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Management of Technology and Innovation

1. M. Morley
2. K. Hoque
3. J. Power
4. Dianne Waddell
5. David G. Collings
6. Nicolas J Bacon

In Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

1. David G. Collings
2. H. Scullion
3. M. Morley
4. J. Power
5. Dianne Waddell

Citations in the corpus

• Changing patterns of global staffing in the multinational enterprise: Challenges to the conventional expatriate assignment and emerging alternatives (2007, background): “growth of small and medium enterprise (SME) internationalization (Anderson and Boocock, 2002) and international joint ventures (IJVs) (Schuler et al.”
• The link between self‐managed work teams and learning organisations using performance indicators (2004, background): “Recent empirical research by Anderson and Boocock (2002)”
• HRM in the SME sector: valuable employees and coercive networks (2005, background): “In addition, SME owner managers appear to prefer advice from formal and informal local business links and personal networks rather than publicly funded sources of support (Anderson and Boocock, 2002).”