Project Team: Dr. Felicity Kelliher ([email protected]), Dr. Joan B Henderson (Queens University Belfast).
This project was funded by WIT’s Behest Programme (2004). It had a lead time of 12 months, and was completed in June 2005.
The Project Aim:
The research objective was to test a previously developed “small business learning framework” supported by empirical evidence, in order to establish its applicability in a live environment.
Methods:
A single longitudinal case study was carried out in a small firm over a two-year period (2003-2005), incorporating intermittent on-site observation, semi-structured interviews and owner and research reflective journals. The learning framework went through three iterations during this research project, based on peer-reviewed feedback.
Engagement Activity:
There was significant engagement activity in this project. The case study provided the basis for the interim “learning framework for the small business environment”, and subsequent research in a number of other case studies offered scope for refining this model.
Impact:
Deliverables includes a single case study documenting the initial research findings and this was presented at the UCC/IAM doctoral colloquium, held in Cork in April 2005: Kelliher, F. (2005), “Implementing Information Systems in a micro firm – the case of the Community Pharmacist”. This submission was awarded the “best paper” accolade at the colloquium.
The research findings are documented in the journal publications: Kelliher, F. & Henderson, B. (2006), “A learning framework for the small business environment”, Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol.30 No.7, pp. 512-28.
A research methods paper discussing this case design to the European Conference of Research Methods in April 2005, an additional publication unanticipated at the time of the Behest Application. Subsequently the research team were invited to submit this conference paper for publication in the Electronic Journal of Business Research Methodology: Kelliher, F. (2005), “Interpretivism and the pursuit of research legitimisation: an integrated approach to single case design”, The Electronic Journal of Business Research Methodology, Vol.3 No.2, pp 123-32.
RIKON 2013.