Purpose: This study delves into the effectiveness of local service providers (LSP) in improving production outcomes of small-scale aquaculture farmers in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach: To gauge the effectiveness of LSPs, the research employs a performance-based assessment approach, focusing on 1653 fish farming households distributed…

In this study the effectiveness of the continuing professional education programmes of the Centre of Vocational Training (KEK INE GSEE) of the Region of Central Greece was evaluated in relation to the professional development of the participants. The programmes evaluated were implemented between 2012 and 2018. The survey followed a mixed…

Conversations about workforce development in the construction industry are centered around improving the construction trade skills of displaced workers or other unskilled or untrained individuals. Rarely will that conversation focus on the administrative skills necessary for contractor success, particularly in public works construction where…

Chambers of Commerce present educational opportunities for businesses as well as forums to discuss and advocate for change in the business environment. Chambers exist on the local, state, national, and international level. This article focuses on business law students working with local city and county-based chambers, with a membership of mostly…

This handbook, first published in 2014, aims at helping policy makers and social partners understand some of the ways in which learning in the workplace can be encouraged and how its quality can be improved. It is also intended to help them understand some of the ways that such learning can be organised in a structured manner so that it benefits…

Economics in Detention is a University of Maryland Extension program that teaches inmates essential principles of economics as a foundation to a spectrum of decision making. Also, the program includes an emphasis on starting a small business after incarceration. The idea of this program emanates from an invitation by the Baltimore City Detention…

In this paper we evaluate an action learning-based, leadership development programme designed for founders and leaders of growth-oriented, entrepreneurial small to medium-sized enterprises. Based on in-depth, qualitative interviews with participants on one cohort, undertaken two years after completion of the seven-month programme, we demonstrate…

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in creating a dynamic and successful European economy. Time-poor managers in these organisations generally have fewer opportunities for training and development than their counterparts in larger organisations. As a result, different requirements are placed on training. The aim of…

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the impact of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) grant programs of 5 federal agencies National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Education (USDE), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a knowledge transfer method that capitalizes on both research and teaching dimensions of academic work. It also aims to propose a framework for evaluating the impact of such a method on the involved stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach: The case study outlines and evaluates the six-stage…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to show that most small business owner-managers are technically competent in their area of business activity however they do not always have equal managerial competence. For example, deficiency in human resource management competence may lead to difficulties in attracting, retaining or leading staff. These…

Eleven studies were identified as meeting the criteria for relevance and quality of findings to provide sound evidence to answer a review question (see second chapter, "The included studies", of the main report). An additional nine studies were considered to provide supporting evidence for implementation of intervention strategies. [This…

This paper presents a service-learning approach to inner city revitalization that is grounded in a human capital model for economic development. The case study demonstrates how a private university became the catalyst for growth in an "at risk" neighborhood of an urban inner city. Our ongoing service-learning project, called The Upper…

The American Evaluation Association's (AEA) Independent Consulting Topical Interest Group (IC TIG) has a membership of over eight hundred individuals who generally work as sole proprietors, in partnerships, or in small consulting firms. Well over a decade ago, the IC TIG conducted a survey of its membership (Bonnet, 1992). To gather current data…