LEAD – LEarning And Development in micro- and small enterprises.
In summing up, the project partners would like to create a research-based training curriculum to support small and micro business entrepreneurs in creating advanced Human Resource Management (HRM) practices based on a development-oriented leadership attitude. In our understanding the double target group (MSE owners) will benefit of the project and its results by incorporating such core methodological and social competencies that foster both individual and collective learning at the company level.  

LEAD projectObjectives and rationale of the project

Rationale

In the last decades Budapest Business School (BBS) has contributed to a convincing series of international projects aimed at supporting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in various areas through comprehensive training curricula and training programmes. In Hungary, BBS holds a leading position in curriculum development and other services specifically targeted to the needs of SME owners and managers.

Experience shows that further training of the owners/managers as well as the employees is key factor of the successful development of the companies. A large majority of medium size firms has a history of formal and/or non-formal training whilst small businesses (employing 10-49 people) don’t. Even more striking is the difference as to the micro companies (up to 9 employees) which show a lack of propensity to subdue themselves to trainings let it be external or internal (work-based) training let alone the acceptance of external advising. The partners’ experience and intensive preparatory research pointed out that these two target groups (Micro and Small Enterprises, MSEs) suffer from a major supply/demand side failure in training offering and also in pedagogical approaches to motivate owners/managers to consider the advantages of a predefined retraining scheme or vision for the company. The partnership scrutinized in depth the literature and also the projects on the list of EPRP and the outcome was clear: a major need of MSEs was discovered and the idea to fill the gaps through a project like LEAD is a new initiative in the entrepreneurial milieu.

The objectives of the LEAD project

  • The aim of the project is to facilitate the effective transformation of the learning ecosystems around MSEs in the participating countries. In order to achieve this goal, the project straightforwardly addresses the improvement of such Human Resource Development activities that directly and indirectly promote learning capability of the target group, both at the management and the employee level.
  • To make changes in the entrepreneurial and managerial orientations and attitudes of the MSE owners/managers in favour of better adjustment to external changes via continuous learning and development.
  • To foster both organizational- and employee-level learning by combining existing and new knowledge on MSE learning needs and practices with both traditional and innovative teaching content and methodology, relying on the intensive use of digital platforms, means and procedures.

In summing up, the project partners would like to create a research-based training curriculum to support small and micro business entrepreneurs in creating advanced Human Resource Management (HRM) practices based on a development-oriented leadership attitude. In our understanding the double target group (MSE owners) will benefit of the project and its results by incorporating such core methodological and social competencies that foster both individual and collective learning at the company level. The improvement of development-oriented HRM practices will lead to satisfied workers, increased commitment and more balanced productivity. To justify the validity of this achievement pilot trainings are planned where success and efficiency will be measured by different qualitative and quantitative indicators. One major goal the project strives to achieve is to disseminate the achievements in the European entrepreneurial area through a robust sharing plan.

Main results and outputs of the project

Research

  • National and comparative analysis of training and development practices of MSEs
  • Practical Handbook for MSE owners

Training material development

  • Evidence-based training materials – 4*8 hour long training materials (50% e-learning and 50% face-to-face)

Dissemination events

  • Pilot trainings for MSE owners
  • Dissemination materials – project flyer, website
  • Multiplier events – workshops and conference in 5 countries (Hungary, Portugal, France, Croatia and Poland)

International partnership

  • Budapest Business School, Budapest, Hungary – Co-ordinator
  • Université Paris Nanterre, Paris, France
  • Universidate Catolica Potuguesa - Portuguese Catholic University, Porto, Portugal
  • Tallin University of Technology, Tallin, Estonia
  • Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Wrocław, Poland
  • CEPOR - Centar za politiku razvoja malih i srednjih poduzeća i poduzetništva, Zagreb, Croatia
  • ADINVEST Europe, Brussels, Belgium

Further info: www.lead-mse-project.eu

This project is supported by the European Commission – ERASMUS+ as a Strategic Partnership project (under the contact number: 2021-1-HU01-KA220-VET-000033052). The project duration is from 01.11.2021 – 30.04.2023.