ELIZABETH TAT LECTURES IN THE Department of Industrial and Social Studies, Napier Polytechnic of Edinburgh, Scotland. The decision- making process used by small business owner-managers, which shape and determine their perceptions of the importance of and need for formal management education, have been a neglected area of research. This paper discussed the use of a decision-making process model for researching and analysing those perceptions and processes. A framework representing the decision-making process as a series of stages is outlined and the stage of identification of needs which may give rise to the perception of management education needs is shown as an integral part. Some theoretical considerations concerning the use of this framework in investigating perceived management education needs are addressed. Linkages with various other stages of the decision- making process are examined for possible influences on the needs identification stage. The extent to which the use of such a framework can help pinpoint important relationships between perceptions of management education needs and situational, business and personal factors is also explored. The paper is based on empirical work forming part of a continuing research project on the management education needs of small business owners and draws upon data derived from a postal questionnaire survey of 370 firms and from follow-up interviews with a sub-sample of 41 owner- managers. The use of the framework to guide analysis of perceived management education needs is illustrated with examples from a sub-sample of the substantial number of survey respondents who perceived no need for formal management education.
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