Facilitating individualised learning solutions: the case of hospitality and tourism owner/managers in Greater Belfast

摘要

This research addresses the question: How can the facilitation of individualised learning\udsolutions for SME owner/managers be reconceptualised? In answering this question a\udquestionnaire was utilised within a comparative case study design to conduct semistructured\udinterviews. Subjects were drawn from a diverse range of hospitality and\udtourism firms including hotels, guest houses, pub/restaurants, coffee shops and a\udbrewery. The research addresses wider issues affecting training and learning contexts\udrather than simply training alternatives. Such issues included, conceptions of learning,\udworkplace learning environments, owner/learner identity, managerial skills and\udentrepreneurial talent. Consequently, conclusions were drawn highlighting that\udaccessing learning solutions must be driven by the owner/manager. Such learning is\udidentified as being available within the workplace or from the accessible open\udcurriculum of the external environment. This open curriculum includes, working in\udother organizations, visiting benchmark firms as customers, accessing existing, or\uddevising individualised training courses.\udThis led to the development of the ‘owner/manager learner access model’ which\udreconceptualises how the owner/manager can move towards accessing individualised\udlearning solutions. The model illustrates the positions of owner/managers in relation to\udtheir relative levels of activity in pursuing self-generated access to learning. From this,\udthe requirement of a new layer of learning to help owner/managers develop a propensity\udfor the acquisition of learning is identified. This layer is suggested as a pre-requisite to training in \udspecific managerial skills. It involves equipping the owner/manager with the\udcapacity to identify sources of new knowledge and skills and the ability to gain access\udto them. Two additional conclusions then emerge. Firstly, the ability to access self-generated\udlearning is an entrepreneurial trait. Secondly, there is a link between\uddelegation and moving to the domain of the self-generated learner. Delegation allows\udthe time necessary to identify, develop and participate in new learning activities.