IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envirc/v24y2006i6p847-867.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Delivering ICT to Ethnic Minority Businesses: An Action-Research Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Beckinsale

    (Strategic Management, Leicester Business School, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, England)

  • Monder Ram

    (Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship, Leicester Business School, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, England)

Abstract

Prompted by the recent discovery that ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) are not utilising information and communication technology (ICT) to the same degree as are other small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs), policymakers have become interested in the promotion of ICT amongst EMBs. The authors assess a pilot initiative sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry that aimed to stimulate ICT adoption amongst EMBs in the North West region of the United Kingdom. Our first objective was to evaluate the approach used to implement the initiative in the light of extant adoption models. Second, a comparative approach was deployed that included Asian-owned firms in Rusholme and Chinese businesses in Manchester's ‘Chinatown’; this permitted an assessment of the distinctiveness of delivery issues in respect of EMBs. The value of an action-research approach to policy evaluation is reflected upon. An action-research approach was adopted as a means of evaluating the initiative. We were involved at all stages; thus a longitudinal dimension is a further distinctive feature of the study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. The findings point to the importance of a contextually appropriate engagement strategy that embraces formal and informal business-support agencies. Accordingly, existing models of ICT adoption need to be refined and developed if they are to be applied to EMBs; the business-support needs of EMBs are not necessarily different from those of other SMEs, but there are potentially distinctive delivery issues; and a systematic application of an action-research approach can aid the process of policy evaluation. The findings have implications for policy delivery and therefore EMBs, offering actions that may be taken to improve public support across two diverse ethnic minority groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Beckinsale & Monder Ram, 2006. "Delivering ICT to Ethnic Minority Businesses: An Action-Research Approach," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 24(6), pages 847-867, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:24:y:2006:i:6:p:847-867
    DOI: 10.1068/c0559
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/c0559
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/c0559?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tornatzky, Louis G, 2001. "Benchmarking University-Industry Technology Transfer: A Six Year Retrospective," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 269-277, June.
    2. Premkumar, G. & Roberts, Margaret, 1999. "Adoption of new information technologies in rural small businesses," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 467-484, August.
    3. Monder Ram & David Smallbone, 2003. "Policies to support ethnic minority enterprise: the English experience," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 151-166, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Venugopal Gopalakrishna-Remani & Robert Paul Jones & Kerri M. Camp, 2019. "Levels of EMR Adoption in U.S. Hospitals: An Empirical Examination of Absorptive Capacity, Institutional Pressures, Top Management Beliefs, and Participation," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 1325-1344, December.
    2. Trevor Jones & Monder Ram & Paul Edwards & Alexander Kiselinchev & Lovemore Muchenje, 2012. "New Migrant Enterprise: Novelty or Historical Continuity?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(14), pages 3159-3176, November.
    3. Akca Yasar & Gokhan Ozer, 2016. "Determination the Factors that Affect the Use of Enterprise Resource Planning Information System through Technology Acceptance Model," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(10), pages 1-91, September.
    4. Srivastava, Deepak Kumar & Kumar, Vikas & Ekren, Banu Yetkin & Upadhyay, Arvind & Tyagi, Mrinal & Kumari, Archana, 2022. "Adopting Industry 4.0 by leveraging organisational factors," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    5. Alfonso Infante-Moro & Juan C. Infante-Moro & Julia Gallardo-Pérez & Francisco J. Martínez-López, 2022. "Key Factors in the Implementation of E-Proctoring in the Spanish University System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-16, July.
    6. Jingjing Hao & Haoming Shi & Victor Shi & Chenchen Yang, 2020. "Adoption of Automatic Warehousing Systems in Logistics Firms: A Technology–Organization–Environment Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-14, June.
    7. Abou-Shouk, Mohamed A. & Lim, Wai Mun & Megicks, Phil, 2016. "Using competing models to evaluate the role of environmental pressures in ecommerce adoption by small and medium sized travel agents in a developing country," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 327-339.
    8. Chi-Yo Huang & Hui-Ya Wang & Chia-Lee Yang & Steven J. H. Shiau, 2020. "A Derivation of Factors Influencing the Diffusion and Adoption of an Open Source Learning Platform," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-27, September.
    9. Martin K. Hingley & Adam Lindgreen & Michael B. Beverland, 2010. "Barriers to network innovation in UK ethnic fresh produce supply," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 77-96, January.
    10. Guych Nuryyev & Yu-Ping Wang & Jennet Achyldurdyyeva & Bih-Shiaw Jaw & Yi-Shien Yeh & Hsien-Tang Lin & Li-Fan Wu, 2020. "Blockchain Technology Adoption Behavior and Sustainability of the Business in Tourism and Hospitality SMEs: An Empirical Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, February.
    11. BEN YOUSSEF, Adel & METHAMEM, Raouchen & M'HENNI, Hatem, 2009. "Disparités régionales et diffusion des TIC en Tunisie [Regional disparities and ICTs diffusion in Tunisia]," MPRA Paper 17938, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2009.
    12. Naruemon Choochinprakarn, 2015. "Strategic Uses of Electronic Commerce for Thai Travel Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)," Proceedings of Business and Management Conferences 2303915, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    13. Bilali Jidda, 2014. "Assessment of the Technical Preparedness of County Governments of Kenya in the Adoption of E-Procurement: A Case of Garissa County," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 4(7), pages 489-504, July.
    14. Manish Mohan Baral & Amitabh Verma, 2021. "Cloud Computing Adoption for Healthcare: An Empirical Study Using SEM Approach," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 10(3), pages 255-275, September.
    15. Marjeta Marolt & Hans-Dieter Zimmermann & Andreja Pucihar, 2020. "Enhancing Marketing Performance Through Enterprise-Initiated Customer Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-16, May.
    16. Alam, Syed Shah & Nik Hashim, Nik Hazrul & Rashid, Mamunur & Omar, Nor Asiah & Ahsan, Nilufar & Ismail, Md Daud, 2014. "Small-scale households renewable energy usage intention: Theoretical development and empirical settings," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 255-263.
    17. Martina Fromhold-Eisebith & Claudia Werker, 2013. "Universities’ functions in knowledge transfer: a geographical perspective," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 51(3), pages 621-643, December.
    18. Francesca Maria Cesaroni & Domenico Consoli, 2015. "ICT e piccole imprese. Il Cubo della Predisposizione Tecnologica Aziendale," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2015(1), pages 73-100.
    19. José Alberto Bayo-Moriones & Gilberto Carvalho-Vasconcelos & Fernando Lera-López, 2005. "A firm-level analysis of differences between adopters and non-adopters of ICT," ERSA conference papers ersa05p645, European Regional Science Association.
    20. A. Arrighetti & D. Bolzani & A. Lasagni, 2013. "Motivazioni Imprenditoriali E Percorsi Evolutivi Dell’Impresa Etnica," Economics Department Working Papers 2013-EP03, Department of Economics, Parma University (Italy).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:24:y:2006:i:6:p:847-867. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.