Conceptions of human resource management and training in SMEs of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

Human resource management and continuing training are prerequisites for business innovation, especially when the fourth industrial revolution causes the rapid emergence of knowledge-intensive professions and the constraint of older ones. This article examines how human resources, in-business training, and educational needs are significant parts of entrepreneurial innovation and business development. We present field research that we conducted in the business ecosystem of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, which is a less competitive region of Greece and Europe. After examining the region’s economic profile, we continue with field research results in its retail sector. Our findings suggest that these businesses desire and search for more systematic actions towards training enhancement and human resource management upgrading. Thus, we propose a policy mechanism that could function as a ―business clinic‖ for the region, including the diagnosis of needs and ―therapeutic‖ intervention in terms of education and knowledge. This local development policy could create a growth spiral for the entire socio-economic spatialized system.