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Focuses on the MSc in management development at Edge Hill. Describes the environment in which the programme was developed and takes particular account of some of the different strands of management learning discussed in the literature and how these issues have informed the development of the programme. Provides a sample of course members’ views of the programme matched against their personal objectives for their participation in the programme and the impact on their careers as a consequence of their participation. Evidence from both the literature and from the empirical study will contribute to a view as to whether the MSc in Management Development at Edge Hill is merely a programme in management or whether indeed it is a management development process.

The organization and management studies degree (OMS) was constituted at Edge Hill University College, Ormskirk, UK in October 1990. The degree is validated by the University of Lancaster. Briefly, the course explores organizational issues, needs and techniques through a variety of management models and multiple management disciplines and applications. Explores the theoretical underpinnings in the OMS approach and their application to the teaching and learning of marketing. Evaluates the contribution of the marketing programme within that process, and its relevance and effectiveness in imbuing students with the skills for adaptation and flexibility necessary to deal with the constant change and rapid evolution of work.

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

In these times, any activity not related to selling product or creating revenue is coming under incredible scrutiny.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

This paper reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

“That was then and this is now” is the sort of phrase politicians use when they have promised one thing and done another. But this is now when organizations' environmental credentials are not just wishy‐washy sentiments designed to fob off troublesome pressure groups but sensible strategies which can be good for business.

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to digest format.

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Even though effective branding is fundamental to the success of any business, the concept remains misunderstood in some regions. Many Asian boardrooms, for example, tend to perceive branding solely as a marketing activity and fail to appreciate that it should reach out from every nook and cranny in order to grab the customer's attention. In other words, branding should be fully incorporated into the overall strategic plan with systematic support throughout the organization. If total alignment with corporate strategy is to be achieved, the organization must clearly set out an identity, strategy and implementation plan for the brand. Brand models come in various shapes and sizes – the key is selecting, developing or modifying one most appropriate to the company's culture and style. Sometimes only minor adjustments will be needed but, as we all know, it's the little things in life that often make all the difference. Once the objectives are set, rewards will only follow if they are strictly adhered to.

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

This paper is a consequence of several years of research and management learning activity with small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), which focused on the development of the organisations and the concomitant development of managers within those organisations. The empirical study sample revealed a preference by owner managers and directors for action learning as a medium for the development the organisation and its people. In situations in which action learning was operational, the owner managers and directors in the sample were positive about the effect on organisational effectiveness. The authors conclude with the proposition that the development of a learning organization is a journey, which might never be completed, however, the decision to embark on the journey and the process leading to embarkation provide the organisation and its people with an increasingly effective compass through which the company is able to navigate itself through the hostile uncertainty of the business environment.

This paper precedes the final stages of a five‐year research project the aim of which was to seek explanations as to reasons for “organizational growth” and “business success” in the small and medium size enterprise (SME) sector. The groundwork for the empirical study comprised a literature review of existing perspectives on SME growth and development. The authors originally identified two major perspectives. The first of these focused upon a group of writers whose explanation was informed by “growth model” literature. This perspective identifies clear stages of growth and development over time, each of which generates a trigger for organizational growth. The second perspective on business growth and development was through explanations focusing upon individual agency and entrepreneurship. However, during the work on the literature review, the attention of the authors became focused on research that dealt with the influence of “organizational culture” on the performance of companies within the corporate sector. Moreover, what was apparent from the literature review, was a clear gap, the lack of reference as to the effects of organizational culture on the development of SMEs. Initial analysis of the empirical data indicates several differing views as to the actual meaning of the term of “organizational culture” from amongst the research sample. In the majority of cases respondents who identified unique “cultures” in their organizations believed that those “cultures” had a positive effect on the performance of their companies. This effect was even more clearly articulated by those respondents who perceived their companies to be “growth orientated”. The focus of this paper is a consequence of the journey from the literature review through to the initial findings of the empirical work and subsequent evaluation and reflection.

The purpose of this study is to empirically explore the behavioural patterns involved in entrepreneurial learning through a conceptualization of entrepreneurial learning as a “competency”.

Semi‐structured interviews to 12 entrepreneurs were conducted with a focus on the critical incidents in which significant learning has occurred prior to and during the development of their businesses, based on a competency framework of entrepreneurial learning. The learning behaviours in which these entrepreneurs exhibited during the incidents were coded.

The findings suggested that there are six behavioural patterns of entrepreneurial learning, including: actively seeking learning opportunities; learning selectively and purposely; learning in depth; learning continuously; improving and reflecting upon experience; and successfully transferring prior experience into current practices.

Entrepreneurial learning is more than acquiring experience, skills and knowledge or possessing attributes related to learning. Rather, a competent entrepreneur needs to demonstrate a set of behavioural patterns of effective learning. Moreover, these behavioural patterns are identifiable for the purpose of measurement.

The education and training for the entrepreneur can be considered from a behavioural perspective, with an emphasis on behavioural modification of the entrepreneur's learning patterns rather than skill or knowledge acquisition only. Also, this should be grounded upon the provision of appropriate contexts that provide or simulate the experiences of which the entrepreneur will likely come across, so that the learning behaviours can be stimulated.

Studying entrepreneurial learning under a competency framework allows us to explore the behavioural patterns and other factors involved in effective entrepreneurial learning with a closer connection to entrepreneurial success.

Interest in successful small businesses continues to grow, but is influenced by the different ways in which small businesses are categorised and the difficulty of defining “success”. There is a range of criteria associated with success in terms of individual owner characteristics, organisational values and performance measures. However, few researchers have consulted owner/managers about their views on success. This research is instructive in that it used a grounded theory approach to investigate success in small service sector organisations. The impact of education, training, development, prior knowledge and experience on the success of these businesses was investigated. Four substantive categories were developed, but only one category showed clear evidence that education and training had a positive effect on the success of the business. Most businesses relied heavily on prior knowledge and experience. The properties, personal characteristics of the owner‐manager and some hypotheses were also developed for each category.