Purpose – The paper has been developed from a critical review of available literature drawn from the micro firm, managerial capability and innovation management fields. The paper aims to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The paper has been developed from a critical review of available literature drawn from the micro firm, managerial capability and innovation management fields. Findings – Four criteria of micro firm managerial capability emerge from micro firm managerial traits in the literature namely, leadership; strategic thinking; problem solving and people relationships. The review also shows that micro firms are embedded in three resource pools which include stakeholder ties; the local community and the proximate market environment. Micro firm managerial capability is argued to emerge from the interaction of the managerial capability criteria and the resources in a process mediated by the resource based and dynamic capabilities perspectives from the strategic management literature. Research limitations/implications – A gap in the academic literature is identified and the proposed theoretical model is presented to address this deficiency in the literature. Future empirical research is recommended. Practical implications – This proposed model will allow practitioners to better conceptualise and design programmes that will assist companies in developing managerial capabilities to innovate. Deep links between hotel industry practitioners and the academic community will enable the effective dissemination of the research. Originality/value – Hotel micro firms play an important social and economic role. There has been little research into how they innovate and specifically into managerial capability for innovation in context. The present research uses conceptual research to map the field and identify critical avenues for future research.

Purpose This paper aims to develop a framework of executive capability for innovation in the Irish seaport context. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses an approach based on a critical review of literature. The paper takes the form of a critical review of academic literature, focussed by dynamic managerial capabilities theory. Specifically, the work of Lawson and Samson (2001) is drawn on to frame executive capability for innovation. Findings The framework proposes that the executive capability for innovation in the Irish seaport sector emerges as a dynamic managerial capability. The framework is dynamic in nature with environmental feedback loops inhibiting and enabling executive capability development. Supply chain innovation emerges from the framework based on an interpretation of executive capability emerging from Lawson and Samson (2001). Research limitations/implications The paper is entirely conceptual in nature. Future empirical research taking a qualitative approach is necessary. Further, an alternative theoretical perspective to that of dynamic managerial capabilities would offer new conceptual insight. Practical implications The paper contributes to executive practice through providing a framework of executive capability for innovation facilitating dialogue between executive practitioners and academic theory. Policymakers are challenged to contemplate the framework as a means of transforming competitiveness in an industry identified as foundational to Irish economic development. Originality/value The paper contributes to an emerging area of interest in the academic literature in the area of executive capability for innovation. Specifically, the paper argues the unique contextual nature of executive capability for innovation in the context of the seaport industry.

It is argued that strategizing provides firms with deep and sustainable sources of competitive advantage. Despite an emerging literature base on the strategic management of the micro firm, there is limited research into strategizing in context. This article investigates the nature of strategizing in the micro firm. A critical review of the literature is conducted, focused on strategy as practice theory. Emerging from this review, the study presents a framework of strategizing in context. Three pillars of strategy as practice theory – practitioners, practices and praxis – are posited as influences on strategizing, with the micro firm environment providing a powerful external influence. Premised on the contextual nature of strategizing, entrepreneurship educators are advised to develop more ‘personalized’ pedagogy. The article contributes to management practice by providing the owner/manager with a framework for the development of strategizing unique to the micro firm. Future research is recommended to empirically evaluate the framework. Theoretically, this article relies on the strategy as practice perspective, and alternative perspectives such as the resource-based view may provide new insights.

The research considers a recently developed model of managerial capability for innovation in the microfirm context. Microfirms are firms employing less than 10 people. The research takes an interpretivist methodological approach based on a pilot study of five in-depth interviews with owner/managers of tourism microfirms. Findings indicate the incremental nature of innovation; the importance of aspects of managerial capability in the guise of leadership, operational capability, strategic thinking and the development of relationships with people. Innovation is shown to emerge through the interaction of aspects of managerial capability and key resource pools. The empirical research results in a refined model of managerial capability for innovation in context. A contribution to microfirm management practice is made through providing a model of managerial capability which can be used to improve the competitiveness of microfirms in the tourism industry. Allied to this contribution it is suggested that policy makers can use the model through further dissemination of their efforts to develop industry best practice. Recommendations for future empirical research based on an expanded microfirm study are suggested.

Purpose -This paper aims to consider the extent to which business school transition has created new opportunities in management development, knowledge transfer and knowledge creation. Design/methodology/approach -The paper is a critical review of knowledge exchange in a business school context with a particular focus on the "translation or management practice gap". Findings -Change in the nature of research undertaken in business schools opens up new opportunities for collaboration between academia and practice. The paper points to the need for more innovative forms of research engagement encouraging academic-practitioner collaboration and practice-based management development initiatives.Research limitations/implications -The paper contributes to the debate on innovative forms of knowledge exchange and transfer and helps stimulate further studies examining potential approaches to fostering co-learning and discovery and participatory forms of knowledge production. Practical implications -Changes in business school environment and context offer opportunities for new modes of knowledge exchange both in management development and research. Practice based theory offers a new paradigm of management development. Originality/value -Recent commentators refer to notions of academia and practice as "closed systems and self referential" and point to the requirement for greater attention on knowledge transfer, and to learn from knowledge transfer studies concerning practitioner/research communities of practice, networks and collaborations. The paper addresses this deficiency in the literature and points to key areas warranting further research.