Human resource development in small organizations

The paper draws on case‐study research into human resource development (HRD) within three small organizations in the north‐west of England. It positions the investigations within an overall framework of doctoral research, defines how the term small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) has been used, and summarizes the research design. The main content of the paper discusses the characteristics and values of SMEs in general and explores how these might influence the HRD policies and practices developed by them. A comparison of an HRD model typically found in small organizations with one typically engendered through the adoption of the Investors in People standard is presented. Findings and conclusions about HRD in the three case‐study organizations are reported to include a description and comparison of the three cases’ own HRD models. The paper concludes with some suggestions for further research.