The strain in Spain is taken by entrepreneurs in the main : How HR practices can encourage innovation in small firms

Purpose – Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – In the global financial crisis that started life around 2008, there were some countries where people knew there would be big problems that would take a lot of sorting out, such as the USA and the UK, and others that would be relatively inured to the worst of the problems, such as China and Australia. This was due to the complex inter‐reliance of banking links, debt and markets that made some countries cower in fear, and others realize they could perhaps emerge unscathed. However there was another class of developed countries who knew almost immediately that the bubble economies they had built on markets such as mortgages were going to burst, and it was just a question of damage limitation. Greece and Ireland were obvious candidates, and Portugal less so, but Spain would rival these in the sheer scale of their predicament, to the surprise of many. Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.