Investigating the Knowledge Requirements of Support Practitioners (Paperback)

To date attention appears to have been mainly concentrated on the development and support of the learning, skill and competence requirements that entrepreneurs and small business owners need to succeed. However, very little attention is placed on the ability of support practitioners to provide the required support. Generally accepted standards with regard to the knowledge, skills and competence requirements for support practitioners seem to be lacking.In this book the need for a particular focus on the knowledge areas for support practitioners is highlighted. In this book the author identified gaps that support practitioners might have which in turn could prevent them from providing the required support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The book argues amonst others for the development of specific education and training programmes for support practitioners within which the three knowledge areas of entrepreneurship, business management and the practice disciplines are dealt with collectively.The research findings are of benefit to support practitioners, employing organisations and education institutions and can also assist with the development of industry standards.