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…

Survey data from 551 small businesses and interviews with 12 small businesses, 6 Training and Enterprise Councils, and 29 management training providers in Britain showed that provision of management National Vocational Qualifications to small businesses is too resource intensive, time consuming, and possibly inappropriate. Benefits accrue…

A British study of 29 providers of competency-based management training to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and a survey of 591 SMEs revealed that the value of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) was unclear to both groups. Providers felt NVQs lacked relevance to SMEs and were time consuming. Some SMEs participated only because…

A task force was convened to identify the nature, extent, and pattern of skill needs and shortages for managerial occupations in the United Kingdom (UK). The task force began by examining the key challenges facing managers in the UK. The following factors were among those considered: economic policies promoting liberalization and deregulation;…