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Edith Cowan University

2020

Small business

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Business

Regional Small Businesses’ Personal And Inter-Firm Networks, Jalleh Sharafizad, Kerry Brown Apr 2020

Regional Small Businesses’ Personal And Inter-Firm Networks, Jalleh Sharafizad, Kerry Brown

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of personal and inter-firm networks and the elements that contribute to the formation and management of these networks for regional small businesses. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 small business owners located in regional areas. Findings: The findings highlight key characteristics of regional small business owners’ networks. Findings indicated that participants relied strongly on their personal networks for business purposes. This study shows that while personal networks adapted and changed into informal inter-firm networks, weak-tie relations within inter-firm networks were unlikely to develop …


Opportunities To Participate In Formal And Informal Vocational Learning Activities And Work-Related Outcomes In Small Professional Services Businesses, Alan Coetzer, Pattanee Susomrith, Emmanuel Twumasi Ampofo Feb 2020

Opportunities To Participate In Formal And Informal Vocational Learning Activities And Work-Related Outcomes In Small Professional Services Businesses, Alan Coetzer, Pattanee Susomrith, Emmanuel Twumasi Ampofo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Small businesses are characterised by resources constraints; therefore, their managers need to know the exact nature of additional benefits, beyond knowledge and skill acquisition, that might accrue from employee participation in different types of learning activities. However, research that simultaneously examines the attitudinal and behavioural outcomes of opportunities to participate in formal and informal learning activities is sparse, especially in small businesses. The present study addresses this area of neglect by exploring associative relationships between opportunities for employees to participate in (1) formal learning activities and (2) informal learning activities and three important work-related outcomes: affective commitment, innovative behaviours, and …