What makes small beautiful? Learning and development in small firms

This article investigates the process of workplace learning in small firms in a Hungarian context building on human capital approach. The exploratory study focuses upon two small firm-specific factors having a crucial impact on workplace learning, namely the role of the owner/manager and the role of networks in small firms’ learning. Building upon 11 semi-structured qualitative interviews with owners/managers of small businesses, the study addresses three main research questions: (1) What specificities of workplace learning in small firms can be identified? (2) What role does the owner/manager play in shaping the learning environment in small businesses? (3) How can the owner/manager’s networking activities contribute to effective learning in small businesses? The results suggest that, although often not addressed as learning, small business owners very consciously develop and manage the learning process and environment in their firms