Mind the (Support) Gap: SMEs and the Mental Health Disconnect

Striking new research findings from the Enterprise Research Centre (ERC) at Warwick Business School show that while three quarters of UK firms acknowledge that they have responsibilities to address employee mental health, only half actually have any initiatives in place. What’s more, this ‘attitude to action’ gap is widest in the smallest firms, which are… Read more

Time to Think Differently About Micro Firms

Imagine two businesses. One is a tech start-up that has developed new AI software. Another is a well-established restaurant in a small town serving their local community. Both count as ‘micro’ businesses, yet their needs will be worlds apart, and no single policy could serve them both well. Micro businesses are often bundled into the… Read more

Mavens and the missing link: Unlocking innovation diffusion in small firms

In the world of small businesses, innovation often hinges not on internal R&D budgets, but on the ability to learn from others. Haldane (2018) observed that a major productivity problem for 99% of UK firms is the failure of diffusion—the inability of good ideas and practices to spread from the leading firms to the rest…. Read more