Abstract
Each small business is a different enterprise even though its goal is to operate profitably. What is distinctive for these enterprises is their scale of operation and distinctive culture in which they operate. To understand how people in small businesses learn one has to consider how learning in one’s work is a part of lifelong education; how people learn in their work; and how small businesses can be considered as learning organisations. To do this, a sociocultural approach to learning in small businesses is promoted in which the relationships between the small business workers and their work are considered.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
14. References
Belasco, J. and Stayer, R. (1993) Flight of the Buffalo. New York: Warner Books.
Benner, P. (1984) From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in clinical Nursing Practice. San Francisco: Addison-Wesley.
Bennis, W. (1999) The secrets of great groups. In F. Hesselbein and P. Cohen (eds) The Drucker Foundation: Leader to Leader (pp. 315–322). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bigum, C. et al. (1997) Digital Rhetorics: Literacies and Technologies in Education — Current Practices and Future Directions. Canberra: Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs.
Cook, S. and Yarnow, D. (1993) Culture and organisational learning. Journal of Management Inquiry, 2(4): 373–390.
Dall’Alba, G. and Sandberg, J. (1995) Educating for competence in professional practice. Paper presented at the Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction, Nijmegan, The Netherlands, August.
Engestrom, Y. and Middleton, D. (1998) Cognition and Communication at Work. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ferris, J. and Gerber, R. (1996) Mature-age students’ feelings of enjoying learning in a further education context European Journal of Psychological Education, XI(1): 79–96.
Flanagan, M., McGinn, I. And Thornhill, A. (1993) Because no bastard ever asked me. Canberra: Stakeholder.
Foley, G. (1995) Understanding Adult Education and Training. Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
Friere, P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Seabury Press.
Gerber, R. (1998a) How do workers learn in their work? The Learning Organization, 5(4): 168–175.
Gerber, R. (1998b) Responding to change by being smarter as leaders and managers. Paper presented to the Conference on Continuing Professional Education, Gold Coast, May 21–23.
Gerber, R., Lankshear, C. and Bishop, C. (1997) First-year AVTS students’ experience of learning in different contexts. Paper presented to the 5th Annual International Conference on Post-Compulsory Education and Training. Gold Coast, November 26–28.
Gerber, R., Lankshear, C., Larsson, S. and Svensson, L. (1995) Self-directed learning in a work context. Education and Training, 37(8), 26–32.
Gonzi, A. (1994) Developing a competence workforce. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research.
Hartz, P. (1996) The company that breathes. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Hayes, C., Fonda, N. and Hillman, J. (1995) Learning in the new millennium. NCE Briefing. New Series No. 5. London: National Commission on Education. Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Jackson, P. (1995) Sacred Hoops: Spiritual lessons of a hardwood warrior. New York: Hyperion.
Jarvis, P. (1987) Adult Learning in the Social Context. London: Croom Helm.
Johnson, P. (1983) What Kind of expert should a system be? Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 8: 77–97.
Knowles, M. (1980) The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy. (2nd ed) New York: Cambridge Books.
Langer, E. (1989) Mindfulness. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Larsson, S. (1996) On the meaning of life-long learning. Mimeo.
Lonergan, B. (1980) Understanding and Being: An Introduction and Companion to Insight. New York: Edwin Mellon Press.
Longworth, N. and Davies, W. (1996) Lifelong Learning. London: Kogan Page.
Mayer, E. (1992) Employment-related key competencies for post-compulsory education and training: a discussion paper. Melbourne: Ministry of Education and Training.
Merriam, S. and Caffarella, R. (1999) Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. (1991) Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Pallof, R. and Pratt, K. (1999) Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Sandberg, J. (1994) Human Competence at Work. Gothenburg: Bas.
Sandberg, J. (1997) The Nature of Collective Competence and its Development. Paper to the 14th Nordic Business Conference on Business Studies. Bodo, Norway, August.
Chein, E. (1992) Organisation culture and Leadership. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Schon, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic Books.
Semler, R. (1993) Maverick. London: Arrow.
Stewart, W. (1996) Introduction to Lonergan’s Insight. Lewiston: Edwin Mellon Press.
Targama, A. (1986) Competence is not the same as knowledge. Personal, 2, 16
Velde, C, Gerber, R. and Parker, H. (1995/1996) The small business plus scheme: is it an effective vehicle for the development of strategic management competence? Small Enterprise Research, 4(1/2): 38–50.
Velde, C. and Svensson, L. (1996) The conception of competence in relation to learning processes and change at work. Paper presented to the 4th Conference on Learning and Research in Working Life. Steyr, Austria, July 1–4.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gerber, R. (2001). Learning in Small Business Enterprises. In: Velde, C. (eds) International Perspectives on Competence in the Workplace. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0742-9_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0742-9_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-6845-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0742-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive