Management Training For The Small-Medium Sized Enterprise: Developing A Research Approach For The First Time Small Business Researcher

A young researcher who is new to small business research needs to accept that management is a nascent discipline and that the process of advancing knowledge is fraught with difficulties. This paper focuses on the approach utilised by a young new management studies lecturer, specialising in a large company oriented Human Resource Management knowledge-base, wishing to research for the first time on small business and its management training needs. The paper demonstrates how the shortcomings and difficulties of small business management research can be utilised as "signposts" to guide any future small business researcher. Integral to this signposting is the debate on quantitative versus qualitative research methodology. An alternative philosophical foundation is then considered allowing the co-existence of both methodologies. The paper also draws attention to the difficulties and shortcomings inherent in such a research approach and considers the role of "partial frameworking" in assisting the new researcher to develop an understanding from which to achieve a structured approach to case study methodology.