Learning in SME Networks

This project has developed from our previous studies on regional small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and is an integral part of our on-going research on learning and knowledge management within SMEs

Previous research has highlighted that despite a lack of formal business training, many firms survive and prosper due to the creativity and innovation of the management team that leads them. They demonstrate outstanding dynamic capabilities that allow them to adapt to the changing business environment and achieve ‘success’ in an increasingly competitive world. Many of these firms rely on experience, their own resources and an extended network of social and business relationships to respond to changes and to create opportunities. This network of informal learning, or ‘the university of life’, is not well understood, and yet it may provide an alternative route to business support that can be tailored to individual needs and situations.

Our aim in this project is to:

- Understand how management’s informal learning contributes to success.
- Understand how managers use that learning to create excellent organisations.
- Understand better the role of networks in the informal learning process.
- To develop a ‘toolkit’ for owner-managers and business support advisors that can be used to better direct interventions through informal learning opportunities.
- Recommend changes to policy support, and encourage informal learning networks in small businesses.

 Project Partners
Our main partner in the project is the Business Support Team of the Northwest Development Agency. Partners in an advisory capacity include the Forum of Private Business, Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI), and Wigan and Leigh College.