The Small Business of Developing People

Abstract

ANNETTEI F KERR IS A PROJECT MANA(GER FOR the Glasgow Development Agency, a local eniterprise company in Scotland, and Marilyn McDougall is Director of the Fortum for Inniovation and Enterprise anid Principal Lecturer in Hluman Resoturces Management at Glasgow Caledonian Urnivesity, Scotland. This paper highlights the view that human resource development (HRD) involves a numbei of characteristics which arguably shotuld be of interest to SMEs. Yet HRD in SMFs is tinder-recognised in the literature to date and little practised by companies. Fhe paper recognises that managenment issues in this sector aic often diffei-ent fh-orn l thiose in larger companies. It contbihutes to the HRD debate in the atrena of SMEs through explorinlg ownei- miianageis' views oIn the motivation-s and(coniditions wshich prevail when HRD exists in small companies. New resear ch- is pi-esented which involves a research design incorporating both breadth and depth. B3readth is achieved by includinig seven companiies in different sectoi s which practice an HRD approach. Withiii tlhese, senmi-str uctured interviews were conc-luctecd with owner-managers, iivestigating their views on: their miiotivatioin for adopting the ideas ot HRI): links between HRD and bmisillesS stI ategy; hlenefitts ox IHRD cv( aai1tiil isstues; anld bharrieis tmo It al i iit A II(t tmainin-g in ST\IFs, ot 1s1o'i ti pie-senltecl oni tt immliplicanimms tin p(o)ti(-\- makers and goveirmnment agcel S Wx lcii nay wish to peisuiadle (compall)liciS tIo d(101 this type of appiroac h .and fi( indivilutiia Companies wsher ufhc adoptioin o IIRD) niav be) a niilattei It lrthec F Ci O t-it im 1 O