Organisational learning in small learning organisations: an empirical overview

• Published in: Education & training (London) Vol. 42; no. 4/5; pp. 202 - 211
• Main Author: Matlay, Harry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London MCB UP Ltd 01.06.2000; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Case Studies; Competitive advantage; Definitions; Economic Change; Employees; Foreign Countries; Great Britain; Human resources; Incidental Learning; Knowledge Management; Learning; Learning Organizations; Organizational Development; Organizational learning; Peer Acceptance; Professional Development; Qualitative research; Small business; Small Businesses; Small firms; Strategic management; Strategy; Vocational Education; United Kingdom (Great Britain); Strategy; Knowledge management; Learning organizations; Small firms
• ISSN: 0040-0912; 1758-6127
• DOI: 10.1108/00400910010373642

Much has been written, in recent years, on the subject of learning organisations and knowledge-based businesses. Most research in this area, however, focuses upon large businesses. In this type of firm, it appears the concepts of "organisational learning" and "learning organisation" can be, and often are, used interchangeably to describe learning-based individual and collective development. Until recently, issues relating to organisational learning in small businesses were mostly ignored or marginalised. This paper sets out to redress the balance. It reports a study of organisational learning in the small business sector of the UK economy. Research data, collected over the 1996-1998 period, through telephone surveys, in-depth interviews and case studies, were analysed through quantitative and qualitative methods. The results indicate that although learning can occur in the majority of small businesses in the sample, only a minority of these manage new knowledge strategically to sustain and advance their competitive advantage.