Problematizing HRD in SMEs: A “Critical” Exploration of Context, Informality, and Empirical Realities

Abstract

Small and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs )

Pathways of SME internationalization: a bibliometric and systematic review

“…The RBV proposes that resources be characterized as simultaneously valuable, rare, non-substitutable, and inimitable, and when organizations' physical assets, infrastructure, and workforce satisfy these criteria, they qualify as resources (Barney and MacKey 2005). One the one hand, it has been found that the RBV is a valid framework that can be used to illuminate the activities of SMEs (Kraus et al 2011) and has a degree of fit to the SME context because it can capture the informality in SMEs, and focuses on the pivotal role of the owner-manager (Nolan and Garavan 2016).…”

HRD in SMEs: A research agenda whose time has come

“…The starting point for our research was to ascertain the extent of the coverage of HRD in SMEs in HRDQ . An online search of all 112 issues since its inception 29 years ago showed only 10 articles that specifically related to research into HRD in SMEs (Ardichvili, Harmon, Cardozo, Reynolds, & Williams, ; Fazzari & Mosca, ; Lans, Biemans, Mulder, & Verstegen, ; Lans, Verhees, &Verstegen, ; Michna, Kmieciak, & Burzyńska‐Ptaszek, ; Nolan & Garavan, ; Rowden, , ; Saunders, Gray, & Bristow, ; Uçanok & Karabatı, ; Wright & Nasierowski, ). Although some authors include research into HRD in SMEs, as well as larger organizations, (e.g., Alhejji, Garavan, Carbery, O'Brien, & McGuire, ), others seem to ignore smaller organizations completely.…”

Job Preferences and Expectations of Disabled People and Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises in Poland: Implications for Disabled People's Professional Development

“…Therefore, results of studies concerning HRD conducted in large firms may not be suitable for SMEs. For example, HRD practices are usually less developed and formalized in SMEs than in large firms (see De Kok, Uhlaner, & Thurik, ; G. Kerr, Way, & Thacker, ; Nolan & Garavan, ), and employees in smaller firms often have to perform a greater variety of tasks (De Kok & Uhlaner, ). In consequence, some studies have suggested that smaller firms are less positive in their attitudes toward employing disabled people than are larger firms (see Levy, Jessop, Rimmerman, & Levy, ).…”

“…Although research into human resource development (HRD) practices in SMEs has attracted increased attention in recent years (Nguyen, Truong, & Buyens, ; Nolan & Garavan, ; Rowden, ; Sheehan, Garavan, & Carbery, ; Skinner, Pownall, & Cross, ), there is an insubstantial body of research on the role and experience of SMEs in the employment and development of disabled people. However, SMEs are less likely to employ, hire, and actively recruit people with disabilities than large enterprises (Domzal, Houtenville, & Sharma, ).…”