Learning as a process of interaction: an iterative exploration of small firm owner-manager networks

The early literature on learning in small firms has been linked to individual learning through training. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of networks as a vehicle for learning through knowledge transfer. It is how this learning takes place that this paper hopes to elucidate. Specifically, exploring the influence of ownermanagers' personal networks on the decision-making process, in order to gain a 'richer' and more complete picture of owner-manager learning. The focus is on particular 'life or death' decision points, and cases were selected where there was a single dominant decision-maker in order to simplify the complexity of the network. Preliminary findings imply that owner-manager learning is influenced by a complex set of interactions and relationships that reside within his or her personal network.

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