Over the last two decades the UK Government has massively expanded support for SME sector firms. Two important elements of this expansion have been the funding of intervention by commercial consultants and the provision of training schemes covering start‐ups, owner‐manager development and...

Purpose – To examine the psychometric properties and construct validity of the general decision making style (GDMS) questionnaire in two UK samples. Design/methodology/approach – The GDMS takes the form of a self‐report questionnaire which identifies five decision making styles: rational,...

The study is an attempt to provide empirical elaboration, in the context of business and management education, for the “onion” and cognitive control models of cognitive style. Using a sample of 226 business and management undergraduates the research explored the relationship between...

The paper reports upon the findings of a national survey of Personal Business Advisors (PBAs). It examines the nature of the client‐PBA relationship in terms of how relationships are established with growth firms and how they are maintained over the long term. Results show that a range of...

Purpose – In preparing managers for the uncertainty, threats and opportunities posed by the challenge of frequent and unexpected changes in organizations and markets, an alternative to a traditional Western viewpoint is a holistic approach that embodies balance and harmony, sees more subtle...

The application of technology in both its “hard” (for example through computing technology) and “soft” (for example through instructional design ) forms has enhanced the range of training methods available to practitioners. Much rhetoric has surrounded the use of techniques such as...

Examines the relationships between cultural values and preferences for human resource management (HRM) policies and practices in a sample of Taiwanese employees. Specifically, seeks to examine patterns of Chinese national culture in Taiwan, to identify the preferences of employees for specific...

This study extends the contention that national culture affects human resource management (HRM) policies and practices and explores meaning and values of work orientation (MVWO) as an element of national culture in predicting HRM policy‐practice design choices. The data were obtained in a...