Determinants of Training and Development Practices in SMEs: A Case of Japanese Manufacturing Firms

Abstract

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) constitute a large proportion of the overall business population of industrially developed and developing nations. Despite the growing importance of SME research during the last decade, very little attention has been paid to the study of training and development practices in SMEs. This article sets out to redress this imbalance in current SME research. It outlines the preliminary results of a recent study that focused on determinants of training & development practices in manufacturing SMEs in Japan. The results of the analysis indicate that the attitude of owner/manager and organizational support towards training & development are the key determinants of training intensity in SMEs in Japan.