Study title

The protocols used for this study means data cannot be shared so a waiver has been put in place. A multi-method approach was adopted comprising five Work Packages (WPs) that aimed to develop insights into micro-businesses that could be used to develop interventions to promote productivity. WP 1 located the project in the context of a national study on the characteristics of microbusinesses, highlighting the challenges facing micro-businesses that had a desire to improve performance and grow. A granular understanding of management and engagement practices in micro-businesses was generated in WP2 by in-depth qualitative investigation of 24 case studies of firms over an extended period of time. Manager and worker perspectives on the organization of work were collected. This knowledge was utilized in WP 3 with a range of non-academic stakeholders, to map and mobilize the business support ecosystem. Policy options were identified, which - in WP4 - were tested and evaluated with micro-business owners who had the ambition to participate in bespoke change programmes to boost productivity. An active programme of knowledge exchange and dissemination (WP5) cross-cut the project through a series of knowledge exchange workshops, involving micro-business owner/managers and their employees, and external support agencies.Academic and policy interest in productivity rarely captures the experiences of an important segment of the small firm population: micro-businesses (1-9 employees). The informal and opaque management processes in such firms pose challenges for the assessment of productivity and development of practical interventions. This project uses rigorous academic research co-produced with non-academic stakeholders to design and implement policies that support management to boost productivity in such firms. Our context - disadvantaged communities managing and working in the catering, retail and creative sectors in the West Midlands - serve as a critical case to improve...