Attitudes to Formal Business Training and Learning amongst Entrepreneurs in the Cultural Industries: Situated business learning through 'doing with others'

Abstract

The article provides qualitative empirical evidence of why entrepreneurs in the cultural industries-a fast developing small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in the UK and one that is illustrative of new working practices within a post-industrial economyrarely take up formal business training and support. The main argument of the article is that business learning for entrepreneurs in this sector is situated within the social, cultural and economic contexts of the real world in which they operate and that the cultural capital developed through embedded activities in those environments provides the stimulus for that learning. Our article concludes by providing a tentative and alternative approach to business training in the sector that advocates a more dialogic and discursive environment for trainee support.