posted on 2017-12-06, 00:00authored byA Coetzer, J Campblee
The seemingly persistent focus of SME researchers on formal approaches to employee learning, and their apparent strong preference towards ‘snapshot’ quantitative surveys of training practices as a research method, has meant that our understanding of informal employee learning processes in SMEs has been underdeveloped. To address this research gap, an exploratory descriptive study involving interviews with 50 owners/managers was conducted. The aim was to uncover people management practices employed by the owners/managers. The research found that employees acquired knowledge and skills primarily through informal interactions with workplace models and through ‘natural’ learning processes. Another finding was that employee recruitment and selection practices have unintended ‘side’ effects on employees’ learning. Implications for policy development, management practice, and future research are discussed.
Funding
Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)
History
Editor
Kennedy J; Di Milia V
Parent Title
Proceedings of the 20th ANZAM Conference [electronic resource] : Management : pragmatism, philosophy, priorities
Start Page
1
End Page
17
Number of Pages
17
Start Date
2006-01-01
ISBN-10
1921047348
Location
Yeppoon, Qld.
Publisher
Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management
Place of Publication
Lindfield, NSW
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Open Access
No
External Author Affiliations
Department of Management and Enterprise Development; International conference;
Era Eligible
No
Name of Conference
Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management. International conference