Learning to learn: A case for developing Small Firm Owner/Managers

Purpose: The paper seeks to contribute to the management development debate by providing insight on the dynamics of organisational learning and human interaction in the SME firm. The paper sets out to consider how a practice based perspective of knowledge is useful in this regard. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is theoretical in its intent and adopts a social constructionist view of knowledge and learning. Using qualitative analysis the paper establishes a review of the current literature by highlighting the centrality of knowledge and learning. Findings: Literature has suggested that critical aspects of learning within the SME firm are based around contextualised action, critical reflection and social interaction. A limited number of studies account for how practice is configured and influenced, in terms of value, uniqueness and scope of what is known, and how these influences can vary depending upon the contexts in which knowledge is being used, and potentially used. Practical Implications: There is a strong recognition in many of the empirical studies of learning and its use in the SME firm, that knowledge is gained through practice as opposed to formal instruction. What current research does not reflect is the changing nature of knowledge research in the wider organisational community, which has focused its attention towards the situated nature of knowledgeable activity or knowing in practice. Originality/Value: The paper argues that learning through practice, with its focus on real world issues and lived experiences, which are contextually embedded in the owner-manager's environment, may provide a better means of successfully developing practitioner focused owner/managers

Developing knowledge through different spaces in work-related settings: insights from the United Kingdom

This article will discuss the notion of spaces as learning contexts and explore how this concept can enhance our understanding of experiential learning in work-related settings. This article aims to consider how employees learn and develop their knowledge through different pathways, and through the different learning spaces in which they are building on their knowledge. The research has demonstrated that employees develop their knowledge through different environments that are often associated with different types of learning spaces: (1) formal learning spaces/academic spaces (which relate to learning through formal courses) and (2) experiential learning spaces (which relate to learning experientially, e.g. from day to day workplace activities). The articles draws on the concept of the learning space as a framework for illustrating the interplay between employees’ learning styles and different types of learning environments

Conceptualising the research–practice–professional development nexus: mobilising schools as ‘research-engaged’ professional learning communities

This paper argues the need for coherent, holistic frameworks offering insightful understandings as well as viable, connected and synergistic solutions to schools in addressing pressing problems arising from the acknowledged gaps between research, practice and professional development. There is a need to conceptualise a comprehensive conceptual framework that rationalises, constructs and connects salient professional development concepts and practices fit for purpose in twenty-first-century schools. Specifically, three themes conceptualise existing problems faced by schools and their possible solutions: first, bridging the research–policy–practice gap by mobilising knowledge more effectively through knowledge producers and consumers working collaboratively; second, valuing and integrating both tacit knowledge and academic coded knowledge; and third, raising the professionalism and reflectivity of teachers and leaders. However, a new organisational and human infrastructure is needed to enable these solutions to be realised in school practice. Arguably, three responses are critical to this challenge of knowledge mobilisation; all are achievable through the powerful unifying concept of the ‘research-engaged school’. The three responses are: research engagement on the part of all teachers and leaders; creating schools and school networks as professional learning communities; and adopting a workable methodology (namely, research–design–development) for teachers and leaders to put research into practice and tailor innovations to specific school contexts

El desarrollo de conocimientos a través de diferentes espacios en entornos laborales: una visión del Reino Unido

This article will discuss the notion of spaces as learning contexts and explore how this concept can enhance our understanding of experiential learning in work-related settings. This article aims to consider how employees learn and develop their knowledge through different pathways, and through the different learning spaces in which they are building on their knowledge. The research has demonstrated that employees develop their knowledge through different environments that are often associated with different types of learning spaces: (1) formal learning spaces/academic spaces (which relate to learning through formal courses) and (2) experiential learning  spaces (which relate to learning experientially, e.g. from day to day workplace activities). The articles draws on the concept of the learning space as a framework for illustrating the interplay between employees’ learning styles and different types of learning environments.En este trabajo se discutirá la noción de espacios como contextos de aprendizaje y se explorara cómo puede este concepto mejorar nuestra comprensión del aprendizaje experimental en los entornos laborales. Este artículo tiene por objeto reflexionar sobre cómo los empleados aprenden y desarrollan sus conocimientos a través de diferentes vías y de diferentes espacios de aprendizaje en los que se construye su conocimiento. Las investigaciones han demostrado que los empleados desarrollan sus conocimientos a través de diferentes ambientes que se asocian a menudo con diferentes tipos de espacios de aprendizaje: (1) los espacios de aprendizaje formal / espacios académicos (que se relacionan con el aprendizaje a través de cursos formales) y (2) espacios de aprendizaje experiencial (que se relacionan con el aprendizaje por experiencia, por ejemplo, de actividades del día a día del lugar de trabajo). El artículo se basa en el concepto del espacio de aprendizaje como marco para ilustrar la interacción entre los estilos de aprendizaje de los empleados y los diferentes tipos de ambientes de aprendizaje

What UK graduate employers think they want and what university business schools think they provide

This is tha authors' PDF version of an article published in International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy© 2009. The definitive version is available at www.inderscience.comThis paper evaluates the increasing focus on the development of students' competencies and skills for management, in university business schools. The debate suggests that deeper understandings, concerning the role of managers are being sacrificed at the hands of an instrumentalist/technicist agenda focusing on competencies and skills. The paper adds to the discussion by scrutinising and applying theory from the literatures of occupational practice, knowledge and learning. Data is presented from sixty four job advertisements stipulating the competencies and skills required of applicants and which illustrate the premium put upon personal practice knowledge. By taking a critical management perspective students can begin to understand the social context and power-based nature of management practice in the workplace. While universities may try to further fulfil the 'narrow', industry-led, competency focus, early indications suggest that universities may possess a good deal of freedom in designing pedagogies supportive of a critical agenda

Applying the ideas of Bernstein in the context of in-company management education

Ideas drawn from the sociology of education have had surprisingly little impact on debates on organizational learning. This article takes ideas drawn from the sociology of education and applies them to a subset of organizational learning, the rapidly growing in company management programmes supplied by higher education institutions. It is argued that such programmes are often populated by participants who traditionally might not have engaged in higher education, making the explanatory frameworks of Bourdieu and Bernstein (with their central focus on education and class) relevant. An application of the concepts of Bernstein points to a need to make the notion of `relevance' in education problematic and to reasons why some participants might find the realization of a competent performance difficult

Personal knowledge development in online learning environments : a personal value perspective

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyThis thesis investigates personal knowledge development in online learning environments and the impact that personal values have on it. Personal knowledge development was investigated from the perspective of Nonaka’s SECI model of organisational knowledge creation. This model served as the basis for an adapted model that conceptualises personal knowledge development in online learning at the individual level. The personal value types of the Schwartz Value Survey and the Portrait Values Questionnaire were adopted to measure personal values and their impact on personal knowledge development in online learning environments. Three data collection approaches were used. First, an exploratory study was conducted which elicited online learners’ experiences of their personal knowledge development in online learning; this study used online discussion forums for data collection. Second, a Delphi study was carried out. Experts were asked which of the ten individual-level value types by Schwartz are likely to be particularly relevant in the context of online learning. Third, an online survey was created. Its aim was to measure the impact that personal values and background variables, such as gender and age, have on personal knowledge development in online learning. A measurement instrument was devised that measures three of the SECI modes, namely Externalisation, Combination and Internalisation. This instrument measures the magnitude of online learners’ Externalisation and Combination activities as well as their level of Internalisation, i.e. the outcomes of personal knowledge development. Results of the exploratory study show that there are widely diverging experiences of personal knowledge development in online learning. The literature review suggests that the cultural situatedness of an online learning environment is an important influencing factor on personal knowledge development. The results of the Delphi study suggest that Self-Direction, Stimulation, and Achievement are particularly relevant value types in the context investigated here. Finally, the online survey confirms this view, as all three value types were found to be positively correlated with Externalisation, Combination, and Internalisation, with the exception of the Achievement-Combination relationship. A modified version of the SECI model is proposed, which extends the applicability of the original SECI model from the organisational to the individual level. It is argued that this model is suitable to describe personal knowledge development in the context of online learning. The study also contributes to closing the gap in research on the impact of personal values in the context investigated in this study. Moreover, a measurement instrument was created that can be used to measure Externalisation and Combination, i.e. personal knowledge development processes, and Internalisation, i.e. personal knowledge development outcomes

Introduction: food relocalisation and knowledge dynamics for sustainability in rural areas

The chapter presents the literature on local food and local knowledge and introduces the case studies analysed in the volum

Knowing what Social Enterprises know

Social Enterprises (SEs) are normally micro and small businesses that trade to tackle social problems, and to improve communities, people’s life chances, and the environment. Thus, their importance to society and economies is increasing. However, there is still a need for more understanding of how these organisations operate, perform, innovate and scale-up. Obtaining this understanding is the main driver of this paper, which explores the SE activities to manage their knowledge. Interviews from 21 owners and senior members of SEs in UK confirmed that SEs possessed valuable tacit and explicit knowledge about their organisation, practices, experiences and work with communities and costumers. This knowledge is managed informally and, when acquired, is not always converted into usable knowledge, applied to create value, and protected from inappropriate or illegal use. Thus, SEs need to know what they know and manage effectively that knowledge. This can help them to acquire, convert, apply and protect all their knowledge that would result in added value to their organisation and stakeholders, legitimised their practice, adjusted and defined their operational and strategic direction, and informed the measurement of their social impact. This paper contributes to SE and Knowledge Management researchers, SE practitioners and organisations supporting SEs