QM News 60 (pdf 1305KB) - Queen Margaret University

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PAGE 04 - COLLABORATIONS THE SCOTTISH CENTRE FOR ENTERPRISE AND ETHNIC BUSINESS RESEARCH (SCEEBR) (In Hindi) For many, the Chinese takeaway, the Indian 'curry house' and the Italian pizzeria are the closest they get to thinking about the issues of ethnic minority businesses. Yet, these businesses employ hundreds of thousands of people from a range of communities. Some figures estimate that the 'Indian' restaurant trade (in fact, primarily owned by Bangladeshis) employs over 70,000 in the UK directly. This is certainly more than in coal mining, steel making and probably shipbuilding added together. Successive governments highlight the importance of ethnic minorities to the development of communities and periodically launch campaigns promoting the need to develop new business ideas and start-ups. Surprisingly, within Scotland, much of the rest of the UK, and across Europe, there is relatively little knowledge of the ownership patterns, diversity and structure of ethnic minority businesses. The new Scottish Centre for Enterprise and Ethnic Business Research is part of QMUC’s School of Business and Enterprise. A few years ago the early SCEEBR team identified that many sections of ethnic minority communities were overexposed to market changes in specific sectors and found little evidence of effective support mechanisms. For example, if a major computer factory closes, government support agencies appear to arrive with millions of pounds of assistance and a relocation team. In contrast, although hundreds of convenience stores (often run by ethnic minorities) close every year, these businesses receive little governmental assistance. The SCEEBR team has concerns that these small business closures translate into thousands of members of ethnic minorities losing their livelihood, and becoming socially excluded. In addition, age demographics, education barriers and restricted employable skills may limit the possibilities for easy retraining. Initial research by SCEEBR highlighted an extremely low awareness amongst ethnic minority business owners of the key business skills and business support services they need to keep or make their business competitive in the 21st century. Yet the development of effective support is hampered by the absence of any substantial baseline data. We may think we know about ethnic businesses, but do we really know: • who are they? • where are they? • why are they here? • what do they do? For example, who would have thought there could be 40 Pakistani-owned mattress manufacturers in just one English town? This amazing statistic was recently revealed in BBC 2's 'I'll Show Them Who's Boss', presented by former Granada leader turned business guru, Gerry Robinson. Existing research has highlighted the almost complete absence of businessfocused baseline data on the ethnic minority contribution to Scotland's business communities. This is just one of the questions that SCEEBR is beginning to answer. Having now gained financial backing from the European Social Fund, SCEEBR will begin to ascertain, initially within Scotland, the scope and diversity of ethnic minority business ownership. Almost in parallel, academic research will seek to identify the issues, concerns and needs of these business owners. The establishment of the Centre is a real opportunity for QMUC to continue to develop and lead in the area of ethnic minority business research. SCEEBR has recently appointed two Research Fellows to progress its work. Abha Rodriguez may be well known to many through her joint ownership of the two Surruchi restaurants in Edinburgh. Born in Jaipur, India, and having gained a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, she has been actively involved with various ethnic organisations at business, social and cultural levels. Abha's primary focus will be developing new grant and research opportunities for the Centre. Thoralf Dassler has recently completed his PhD at Aston Business School in Birmingham. Thoralf has seen many changes in his life. Born in former East Germany, Thoralf was 18 when the wall was removed and he has seen, firsthand, huge social and economic change engulf a nation. He will be key in developing the Centre's research strategy. Abha and Thoralf join the two existing Centre Directors, Claire Seaman and Richard Bent, with the wider team of Arthur Ingram, Gordon Campbell, Olalompe Ige and Chris Preston. In addition, a number of research students including Rita Welsh, Farouk Abdullah and Ashley Unis work in the same area and more research ideas are being developed on a day-to-day basis.
COLLABORATIONS - PAGE 05 The highly diverse nature of Scotland's minority ethnic communities has been clear to the team from the very outset, as has the diversity of ways in which the communities have developed in different geographical areas. Diversity between and within communities has added to the interest and the challenges of the work undertaken by SCEEBR. Therefore, a single 'ethnic minority' business solution is extremely unlikely to be truly effective. Photograph by Herman Rodrigus Perhaps the diversity of this field is highlighted by two cases noted by Abha. The Habibullah family arrived in Scotland in the 1930's and set up business in the town of Stornoway on Lewis in the Western Isles. On this island where the native language is Gaelic, not English, they have become the second largest employer on the island. Their business operations face the added economic challenge of working in the remote Highlands and Islands community. The Edinburgh Indian Students’ Association was founded in 1883, even before the Indian National Congress was formed. SCEEBR potentially crosses all disciplines at QMUC and the team looks forward to the collaborative development of projects in this exciting and hugely diverse area. “The Habibullah family arrived in Scotland in the 1930’s and set up business in Stornoway in the Western Isles.” Picture: A member of the Habibullah family at Callanish, Isle of Lewis
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE 60, NOVEMBER 2004 MAKING THE
Page 3 and 4: NEWS - PAGE 01 HRH Princess Alice T
Page 5: “Sustainability is all about mini
Page 9 and 10: ALUMNI WELCOME - PAGE 07 ALUMNI WEL
Page 11 and 12: QMUCGA NEWSLETTER - PAGE 09 QMUCGA
Page 13 and 14: “I'm delighted to be awarded the
Page 15 and 16: CLASSNOTES - PAGE 13 1984 Mrs Moira

QM News 60 (pdf 1305KB) - Queen Margaret University

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