This book is about managerial ability and how it might be assessed and improved, and it focuses on rural Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Traditionally, business studies have seldom covered the manager as a person and a decision maker in any great depth. Personnel management, production economics, financing, operations analysis techniques, etc. tend to be emphasized but the personal attributes of the decision makers have as much influence on success as the rules of good decision making. This book aims to correct this imbalance. The human characteristics of managers that define how a manager operates are explored, as are their impact on managerial ability. The details of the competencies a manager must possess are also presented and discussed as well as potential detracting biases. The book concludes with methods and techniques covering personal characteristic changes and associated managerial improvement. The concepts and conclusions of this book are all based on a body of research, excerpts of which are quoted in the text, drawn from the rich sources available in the international literature. Case studies describing successful managers and management advisors are used throughout. * First book which specifically focuses on human factors and decision making for SME managers. * Introduces new research specifically on the quantification of intuition, the primary decision making method used in SMEs. * Contains essential material required by researchers of decision making processes, business studies teachers, and extension workers from the world of SME business.

Rural SME management economists, SME management studies students and researchers, and agricultural and rural business extension workers

About the Author
Peter L. Nuthall has spent many years teaching and researching aspects of farm management. In addition he has developed and managed a team involved in producing and supporting computer aided management systems used by large numbers of farmers. While most of his time has been at Lincoln University in Canterbury, New Zealand, he has also researched and/or taught at the University of Queensland, Purdue University (Indiana), the University of Kent, and the University of Edinburgh. He has also worked for the UK Meat Marketing Board while based at the University of Nottingham (Sutton Bonnington). Many institutions involved in researching and teaching farm management have been visited to gather ideas in both the developed and developing world. He also has experience of agriculture in a diverse range of situations including Russia, India, Fiji, Australia, NZ, USA and the UK. Nuthall has published widely in scientific journals throughout the world, and in monographs as well as having many research results taken up by the popular farming press.


Book Information
ISBN 9781800627222
Author Peter L Nuthall
Format Hardback
Page Count 224
Imprint CABI Publishing
Publisher CABI Publishing