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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate drivers of learning orientation (LO) in 253 Australian fast-growth small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) through an examination of the interrelationships between transformational leadership (TL), human resource (HR) practices, and organizational climate. Design/methodology/approach – CEOs/managers of fast growth SMEs completed either an online or mailout survey. Statistical analyses involved tests for confounding and mediational effects, the use of exploratory factor analytic techniques and structural equation modelling. Findings – Findings reveal that TL is a significant antecedent of supportive and open organizational climates, and reward and job-related HR practices. Job-related HR practices and organizational climate fully mediate relationships between TL and LO. However, providing monetary incentives linked to performance does not motivate staff to learn. Instead, leaders need to act as role models, stimulate employees intellectually, provide a road map for staff, and focus on creating a supportive, open, and friendly environment. Research limitations/implications – Sample size is modest, reducing statistical power. The use of a cross-sectional, non-experimental design limits causal inferences. This study relied on the views of only entrepreneurs. Practical implications – These findings have important implications for management practice in terms of leadership, HR practices, and organizational learning in entrepreneurial ventures. Businesses who provide benefits and bonuses linked to performance do not necessarily engage employees to commit to learning, subscribe to a shared vision, or think innovatively. LO is enhanced only when employees are motivated, empowered, and treated as valuable resources. The establishment of personal relationships and open communication between owner-managers and employees, fosters firm LO. Originality/value – The present research contributes to the theoretical debate on the central role of leadership in fostering HRM practices, organizational climate and LO in fast-growth entrepreneurial companies. This study is the first to empirically test drivers of LO in FGSMEs. A simple linear model is insufficient to explain the influence of TL on LO.

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This study investigates marketing activities in emerging/new fast-growth ventures. The main reason for undertaking this research concerns the dearth of marketing literature on fast-growth firms (FGFs). Despite the importance of marketing to FGFs, only one study (e.g., Hills & Hultman, 1999) has assessed the nature of marketing in these enterprises. This investigation proposes to fill this void. Research, in contrast, has concentrated mainly on large organizations (Vorhies & Morgan, 2005), and SMEs (Siu & Kirby, 1998). This line of enquiry has focused on specific marketing efforts, such as network marketing (O'Discroll, Carson, & Gilmore, 2000), marketing planning (Hill & McGowan, 1999), relationship marketing (Zontanos & Anderson, 2004) and word-ofmouth (WOM) marketing (Stokes & Lomax, 2002). Over ten years ago, Hills and LaForge (1992) called for investigations to incorporate firms with different characteristics to examine disparities in marketing relationships for new versus existing ventures, and small versus large firms, and to integrate marketing and entrepreneurship literatures. To fully understand SMEs and entrepreneurship, researchers need to take into consideration related variables (e.g., economies of scale, resource constraints) (Hills, 1999). We hold that different types of firms pursue diverse strategies depending on internal and external factors (Stokes, 2000).Recently, Tan and Smyrnios (2004) indicated that fast-growth SMEs possess learning, market, and entrepreneurial orientations: factors shown to be significant predictors of superior marketing capabilities and ultimately, firm performance. Their findings suggest that fast-growth SMEs invest in maintaining sound relationships with stakeholders and developing superior products/services for positional advantages, the marketing capabilities of which contribute significantly to firm performance. While

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