Owner-manager learning in small firms

The purpose of this paper is to review the relevant literature concerning the skills and knowledge of owner-managers in small firms and to show how these might be enhanced and made more effective through alternative transferral and “teaching” strategies. It is shown that small firms are not isolated from their environment and are interdependently and inexorably linked with other organisations (suppliers, for instance). In this environment, and through these relationships, the majority of owner-manager learning takes place. The implications for owner-managers and the support environment are explored and recommendations for further research to explore the empirical reality of owner-manager learning are presented.