Managing Human Resources in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

'Wapshott and Mallett provide a thoughtful, engagingly-written and compelling analysis of the importance of people to small firms and entrepreneurship. Contemporary debate tends to gloss over the topic in its quest to promote 'growth', 'enterprise' and 'innovation'. But in the hands of these accomplished scholars, we are reminded of the centrality of people-management to all kinds of small businesses. Students of enterprise will benefit from the authors' clear analysis; and researchers too will appreciate their synthesis of a complex range of issues.' - Monder Ram, OBE, Professor, The University of Birmingham, UK

'Key to the text’s success - and succeed it does - is the recognition that smaller firms are not a homogenous category and that informality dominates the organization of the employment relationship. Wapshott and Mallett are careful to avoid the best practice trap where what ‘should’ happen according to the HR professionals and corporate managers of large firms is automatically assumed to be best for all. Their detailed, accessible and engaging analysis of the empirical evidence shows what actually happens in small firms, without ignoring actual best practice.' - Simon Down, Professor, Anglia Ruskin University, UK