Informal Learning for Incremental Product Development and Marketing: A Thai Textile Industry Case Study

Abstract

This qualitative, phenomenological, heuristic, human resource-oriented case study describes how a typical small/medium-sized enterprise in the ‘twilight’ Thai textile industry developed and equipped its workforce to deliver a commercially successful product between 2006 and 2009. Document, interview and observation data were transformed into ‘field texts’ and integrated as narrative reports for analysis. The focus was on adoption and incremental development of a version of the typical 12-inch take-away pizza box as packaging for trimmings products for a new market - retail customers overseas. The enterprise studied had no functioning HR system; staff mainly learned informally on-the-job. Since no formal process for managing innovation existed, recommendations are offered.

Keywords : Thai Textile Industry, SME, Human Resources Development, New Product Development