Human capital development in a complex learning system: the virtuous interaction between individuals, organizations and communities

The aim of the paper is to find a framework for understanding dynamics of the learning process at different levels, occurring through different forms of education. The purpose is to consider the impact of formal, informal, non-formal learning on firms' performance. For sure R&D expenses and market are really important to foster innovation and drive firms towards better performances, but they need to take place in a learning oriented environment. Our target of analysis are micro and small firms learning processes, which we look at using secondary data from different sources. The paper proceeds as follow. Firstly, the main aim of the work and research questions are presented, secondly, we focus on the relationships between human capital and innovation in SMEs. Thirdly, we illustrate what we mean for learning, paying particular attention to the differences between education and learning. Fourthly, we propose our interpretative framework, analysing in details its components.