Delivering ICT to ethnic minority businesses: an action-research approach
Delivering ICT to ethnic minority businesses: an action-research approach
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DOI：
10.1068/c0559
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发表时间：
2006-12-01
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Ram, Monder
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Beckinsale, Martin;Ram, Monder
由于最近发现少数民族企业（EMBs）没有像其他中小型企业（sme）那样利用信息和通信技术（ICT），政策制定者对在少数民族企业中推广ICT产生了兴趣。这组作者评估了由英国贸易和工业部赞助的一项试点计划，该计划旨在刺激英国西北地区中小企业采用ICT。我们的第一个目标是根据现有的采用模型来评估用于实现主动性工作的方法。其次，采用了一种比较方法，其中包括Rusholme的亚洲公司和曼彻斯特“唐人街”的中国企业；这样就可以对教学大纲的交付问题的特殊性进行评估。对政策评价的行动研究方法的价值进行了反思。采取了行动研究方法作为评价该倡议的一种手段。我们参与了所有阶段；因此，纵向维度是该研究的另一个显著特征。收集了定量和定性数据。调查结果指出，制定一项适合具体情况的参与战略的重要性，该战略包括正式和非正式的商业支持机构。因此，如果要将现有的采用信息和通信技术的模式应用于emba，则需要对其进行改进和发展；中小企业的业务支援需求未必与其他中小企业不同，但在提供服务方面可能存在不同的问题；系统地应用行动研究方法可以帮助政策评估过程。研究结果对政策的实施和EMBs产生了影响，提供了可以采取的行动，以提高两个不同少数民族群体的公众支持。
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 medium-sized 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.