This special issue addresses a number of the key themes that have been surfacing from the literature on distributed leadership (DL) for some time. Together with those papers selected to be included in this special issue, the authors set out both to explore and contribute to a number of the current academic debates in relation to DL, while at the same time examining the extent to which research on DL has permeated the management field. The paper examines a number of key concepts, ideas and themes in relation to DL and, in so doing, highlights the insights offered through new contributions and interpretations. The paper offers a means by which forms of DL might be conceptualized to be better incorporated into researchers' scholarship and research, and a framework is presented which considers a number of different dimensions of DL, how it may be planned, and how it may emerge, together with how it may or may not align with other organizational activities and aspects.

Category of PaperResearch paper

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PurposeThis article proposes the development of a conceptual model to help understand the nature of management learning in the micro business context and to inform research and policy discourse.Design/methodology/approachThe model is developed on the basis of a literature search and review of academic and grey literature.FindingsThe model highlights the unique nature of the micro business learning environment. Meeting the diverse interests of micro business managers is a major challenge for agencies seeking to promote and deliver management and leadership skills. An intervention approach founded upon the relationship between the micro business manager and the intervention agency is crucial to the successful design and delivery of relevant services.Research limitations/implicationsThe research identified a lack of literature associated with learning in the micro business context. The model should therefore be considered as partial, to be tested in practice and subject to revision as new understanding unfolds.Practical implicationsThe conceptual model suggests that the foundation of successful intervention should be the interests of the managers themselves. Closer relationships between a flexible supply‐side and the micro business manager provide the foundation to improve the relevance of these interventions in the micro business context and to encourage access to learning opportunities amongst the employed workforce.Originality/valueThe research subject and the development of a unique conceptual model may be of use to researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.

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