The Human Side of Small and Medium Enterprises

Abstract The limited research conducted on Human Resource Management (HRM) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) suggests that acquiring, developing, compensating and retaining employees is a major problem. A Queensland-wide study of Human Resource Management Practices in SMEs (with a sample of 431) found a surprisingly high take-up of human resource management practices. The present paper discusses this study, presents the results obtained and reflects on its implications for human resource management in SMEs.