Comparison of British advanced General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ) students (n=42) and General Certificate of Education (GCE) students (N=82) revealed GNVQ students to be more aware of business needs and teamwork; GCE students emphasized leadership and self-sufficiency skills. Work experience and foreign language were increasingly…

Describes a year-long project for upper elementary-middle school students that incorporates mathematics, language skills, problem solving, and economics in a classroom business. Outlines the 13-step process that the author's students followed in planning and running a classroom candy store. (SR)

Data from the Census Bureau's Characteristics of Business Owners, 1979-87, suggest that the success and survival patterns of businesses owned by Asian immigrants derive from large investments of financial capital and the business owners' superior educational credentials. Questions the validity of attributing this group's self-employment success to…

Discusses issues which higher education institutions need to consider when marketing continuing vocational education to small and medium-sized enterprises. Experiences at the University of North London and results from a survey of other institutions and focus group discussions with managers and employees are reviewed. (Author/LRW)

Discusses telecommunications developments affecting Latino access and participation. Examines telecommunications policy as political discourse. Presents elements of a telecommunications policy agenda drawn from that of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and focusing on access to services, education for digital literacy, needs of small businesses…

A survey of 250 British science and technology students showed that 84% had not considered employment in small/medium-sized businesses, partly due to the influence of university career services and the perception that salaries and advancement prospects are lower. Better information on small business opportunities is needed to improve their use of…

Purpose: To report on an investigation amongst small firm owner-managers in the service sector into potential demand for an MBA. Design/methodology/approach: Relevant recent literature is critiqued concerning small firms and learning, and MBAs and small firms. A description is given of the research methods employed involving a mail questionnaire…

Technology and knowledge transfer from universities to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is seen as one way to strengthen a region's innovation capability. But what if SMEs do not want to play along? Looking back at some 10 years' experience of supporting SMEs, the authors describe in detail the 'Active Knowledge Transfer' programme, which…

Purpose: This article proposes the development of a conceptual model to help understand the nature of management learning in the micro business context and to inform research and policy discourse. Design/Methodology/Approach: The model is developed on the basis of a literature search and review of academic and grey literature. Findings: The…

Purpose: To report on the progress of Digital Media U, a tailor-made portal, learning environment and management system. Design/methodology/approach: Discusses the design of the learning content domains, acquisition of the content and the systems for managing the curriculum in the future, including the application of a new model of accreditation.…

Purpose: This paper examines the way social class influences the relationship between business mentors and small business owner-managers. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on the author's experience of mentoring businesses with The Prince's Trust. Three businesses were selected as cases. The methodological approach involved…

Perceived as important contributors to economic growth, network and cluster groups are currently receiving much attention. The same may be said of SMEs. But practical and theoretical perspectives indicate that SMEs, and particularly the owner-managers, place little value on networks and have only limited networking resources. Consequently, they do…

Today, the virtual presentation is catching on rapidly in small, medium, and large businesses alike. A virtual presentation is one delivered live from a desktop or laptop computer to an audience anywhere in the world where there is Internet access. These new Web-based technologies are easy to use and inexpensive, making them readily accessible for…

Community leaders and rural development specialists must decide which economic development strategies will provide the greatest benefit to the local labor force and the community. To aid in the evaluation of the small business approach to rural development, this report analyzes the effects of employer size on wages and employee benefits. A survey…

The New Youth Entrepreneur curriculum is a series of 12 youth-oriented educational modules containing instructional materials, learning activities, and checkup exercises designed to teach students key elements of entrepreneurship. This document is the sixth module, and discusses basic considerations of business administration, such as business…