Bending the rules or fudging the paperwork? Documenting learning in SMEs

Abstract

As part of a larger study, owner‐managers of 128 small firms were asked about the learning taking place in their firms. Their responses were compared to those of key workers and supportive documentation. As a result of discrepancies in responses, owners and managers identified ways in which they had “bent the rules” on occasion to take advantage of funding opportunities, hence the gap between statements and reality. Explores descriptions given by some owners and managers as to how this “fudging the paperwork” had occurred, either in accessing funding or in complying with statutory health and safety or licensing requirements and the reasons behind this. Finds that workplace imperatives had undermined the way in which learning was perceived and carried out and had caused operatives to misrepresent data (without their necessarily agreeing with this practice). Discusses the implications for those studying small firm’s workplace learning practices and proposes further research to test these findings.