The Transition from Self-Employed, Self-Managed Entrepreneur to Supervisor and Employer: The Value of the Employee Manual for the Small Business Owner.

The purpose of this article is to report the results of an exploratory study on the motives and behaviors of small business owners to create, implement, and maintain an employee manual. The development of an employee manual can move the company from a mom-pop employment culture to a professional work environment. Although legal protection may motivate the small business owner to develop an employee manual, the process offers intangible benefits by allowing senior leaders and frontline supervisors to discuss and articulate policies, which results in clarity in intent and avoidance of misunderstanding. A starting point to guide development of an employee manual is presented