Journal of Management Development

Internationally, a certain market failure has become apparent in terms of the effective engagement of small business owner‐managers in business support programs, and in the wider concept of life long learning. There exists a cultural gap between support agencies and the small business sector’s perceptions of the utility of formal support and learning interventions to the business performance of their business. Therefore, this paper extends knowledge and understanding within this context relative to what constitutes small business owner‐managers’ learning disposition, means, obstacles and organisation to be confronted and what form of new ’architecture’ needs to be designed to support learning. A theoretical framework supports the analysis of findings from a research project based in Melbourne, Australia, which serves to illuminate pertinent issues towards informing more sensitised support interventions. Specifically, the attribute of a learning culture was identified as a factor contributing to growth in small businesses, and may represent a distinguishing characteristic between effective and non‐effective economic performers.

Looks at the long recession the Japanese economy suffered in the 1990s and its ramifications on the employment situation in Japanese corporations. Describes, in general, the current trends in human resource management in corporate Japan which have long‐term implications for management development. In particular, focuses its attention on those white‐collar employees in older age groups who find themselves “trapped” in a “career plateau”. Sees their plight as part of the necessary historic process in a move towards a new corporate society in Japan.

Summarizes the findings of a survey dealing with business meeting practices in giant Korean corporations. Describes both meeting practices in very large Korean firms and also top Korean executives′ feelings about those meetings. Korean executives consider adequate preparation, clearly‐set objectives, agreement on follow‐up actions, and starting on time as the most important elements for a successful meeting. However, these elements are not being implemented adequately. Business meeting practices in Korea have room for improvement, both in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. There is also a huge disparity between the perception of the need for training in meetings management and the implementation of such training. Executive development programmes in Korea should certainly include far more training in meetings management.

Presents the view that learning skills off‐site is the most effective way of training. Because of the high cost of college courses, correspondence training is promoted as an effective low cost approach for an employee to learn new skills. Explores the evolution of this approach from the traditional classroom method to on‐the‐job training using full‐time staff and to seminar‐type training. Explains the advantage of self study and correspondence training and its measurement of competence throughout the course. One example explains the introduction of a certification programme and elaborates on this trend in other trades. Self study courses are constructed for a rapidly changing subject area where information is constantly updated. Participation produces achievement through motivation, either corporate sponsored through bonus incentives or through the individuals′ own belief that value will be added to his job.

Cultural assumptions are often inadvertently exported or imported when performance appraisal is introduced in organisations in developing countries. Performance appraisal has been developed in “individualist” societies, and the systems, when applied in non‐individualistic cultures, can cause unintended offence, or are incorrectly, and therefore uselessly, employed. Guidelines for the design of more culturally appropriate approaches are suggested.

This study examines part‐time work arrangements among 78 women professionals and managers to learn more about their implications for career development. Specifically, it documents the level of success of the work arrangements, their expected career implications, and the factors distinguishing less successful arrangements. Results revealed specific career development challenges unique to part‐time workers, as well as challenges common among full‐time workers. Part‐time workers already adopting a protean career model may fare better in alternative work arrangements. Lessons learned in dealing with diversity may be helpful to organizations in achieving fit between workers’ personal definitions of success and their work arrangements.

This paper suggests that in the context of complex organizations, operating in complex environments, new ways need to be designed to develop effective management and organizational learning. Based on work conducted with middle managers in three large global corporations, the paper argues that management is largely concerned with sense making. The more managers feel and think that decisions made by “top management” do not make sense, the more difficult it is for them to make sense of these decisions as they affect their own area of complexity. The paper further suggests that by mapping the perceptions of managers organizations can better develop organizational learning.