THINKING ABOUT GROWTH: A COGNITIVE MAPPING APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

In the United States research undertaken by Birch (1979) produced the notable finding that firms employing fewer than 20 employees accounted for 66% of all net new jobs in the US between 1969 and 1976. The publication of this study combined with the development of the UK ‘enterprise culture’ (Kirby and Mullen, 1991) led to an impetus for further research in the UK which has been well chronicled by Curran (1986). Birch's findings have, to a certain extent, been replicated in the UK with Doyle and Gallagher (1986) noting that approximately one million jobs were created through small firms and self employment from 1982 to 1984. In a European context Storey and Johnson's review of the European research on job generation (Storey and Johnson, 1987a) noted that, with only one exception, small firms experienced positive employment growth, whereas larger firms suffered a loss on employment.

Citation

Jenkins, M. (1994), "THINKING ABOUT GROWTH: A COGNITIVE MAPPING APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 29-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb020930