A survey focusing on the craft sector and SMEs highlights a need that applies to all types of business

Managers aren’t born, they’re made —  at least in today’s age of complexity and rapid change, where events unfold and decisions must be made swiftly. This applies to all businesses and implies a shift in business culture as well as the acquisition of technical skills.

These are the issues explored by Domenico Barricelli in his article, ‘La formazione manageriale di fronte alle sfide dei riassetti produttivi nei sistemi di PMI’ (Managerial training in the face of the challenges posed by production restructuring in SME systems), which appeared a few weeks ago in Quaderni di ricerca sull’artigianato (Research notebooks on craftsmanship).

Barricelli’s line of reasoning is straightforward and can be applied to any type of business:  management training is becoming an increasingly important tool for addressing the leadership crisis, supporting organisational change, and facilitating digital and green transitions. Although Barricelli’s study focuses on craft businesses, its conclusions apply to any production organisation facing the turbulent currents of the current economic climate.

He begins by explaining the fundamental role of management training in production restructuring processes affecting Italian small and medium-sized enterprises, paying particular attention to craft and family-run businesses.

The analysis is based on an integrated review of national and international evidence, combined with the findings of a qualitative research project focusing on industrial restructuring and regional human capital development.

So, what is Barricelli conclusion?   He places particular emphasis on Sector Academies, which he views as ‘shared learning infrastructures supporting SMEs’. His findings suggest that Sector Academies can bridge the gap between required skills and organisational practices, promote new leadership models, and strengthen coordination along local supply chains.  Managers – or prospective managers – can improve their professional performance within organisations by ‘going back to school’.

Opportunities for training and learning are therefore a form of innovation to be implemented within organisations alongside more strictly technological and technical innovation. This is a form of cultural innovation that takes the shape of a new vision of design and practice which can contribute powerfully to business development, even under adverse conditions.

La formazione manageriale di fronte alle sfide dei riassetti produttivi nei sistemi di PMI

Domenico Barricelli

Quaderni di ricerca sull’artigianato, Issue 1/2026, January-April