Title: Where do we go...! A meta-theoretical analysis of learning and the small firm

Authors: David Higgins; Mohammed Mirza

Addresses: Department of Leadership and Management, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK. ' Department of Leadership and Management, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK

Abstract: The subject area of organisational learning have seen important growth in both business and academic worlds, however, the literature-based faces various problems, the most striking of these problems is the theoretical confusion and diversity of perspectives on the subject. This makes finding a point of departure in the literature base highly problematic. The paper seeks to provide an amalgamation of literature in order to develop a coherent and more practical understanding of the related concepts, setting out to develop an understanding of the field in the context of the small firm. The analysis seeks to highlight current theoretical and empirical gaps from the epistemological and ontological principles which underpin the small firms understanding of learning, knowledge and the relationship between them.

Keywords: organisational knowledge; organisational learning; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; literature reviews; epistemological principles; ontological principles; innovation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2011.043094

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2011 Vol.10 No.4, pp.327 - 349

Published online: 26 Nov 2014 *

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