Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board

subjective" element" to" problem" recognition," and" that" some" of" this" subjectivity"
derives"from"organisational"structure."So,"for"example,"the"phrase"just"set"out"is"
sensitive"to"organisational"structure"and"respondents’"roles"and"responsibilities."
A"single]person"business"may"see"an"owner]manager"diverted"or"distracted"by"
numerous"issues"that"fall"within"the"day]to]day"roles"of"staff"of"larger"businesses."
Also,"respondents"queried"what"is"the"appropriate"unit"of"measurement"
for"problems,"particularly"in"the"context"of"high"volumes"and"repeat"‘other"sides’."
So,"for"example,"if"an"employee"is"repeatedly"being"late"for"work"is"that"a"single"
problem"or"multiple"problems?"The"concern"is"that"where"businesses"face"large"
numbers"or"repeated"instances"of"problems,"respondents"could"report"individual"
episodes," series" of" episodes," or" even" only" series" of" episodes" that" led" to" an"
intervention.""
Various"comments"were"provided"on"how"specific"justiciable"problems"be"
described," which" have" informed" the" draft" of" the" questionnaire" that" appears"
below." However," it" is" worth" noting" that" criminal" issues" concerning" employees"
were" regarded," first" and" foremost," as" employment" issues." When" taken" with" a"
general"feeling"that"other"crime"was"unrelated"to"legal"service"use,"this"suggests"
that"the"separate"criminal"problem"category"might"be"removed."
Finally," it" is" important" that" interviewers" are" briefed" (and" some" form" of"
guidance" be" added" to" the" questionnaire" in" light" of" any" piloting" experience)" to"
discourage" respondents" from" reporting" problems" that" are" ‘problems" for" the"
business’" rather" than" justiciable" problems." One" of" the" employment" problem"
types"(parental"leave/flexible"working)"was"modified"to"include"the"word"rights,"
as"business"owners"were"quick"to"talk"of"the"logistical"problems"involved."For"the"
purposes"of"this"survey,"it"is"imperative"that"reporting"is"restricted,"as"far"as"is"
possible,"to"justiciable"issues."The"draft"text"attempts"to"do"this,"but"piloting"and"
other"testing"should"have"an"eye"to"consolidating"upon"work"already"undertaken."
As"with"service"use,"it"is"recommended"that"further"developmental"work"
be"undertaken"in"this"area,"and"that"further"and"clear"guidance"be"made"available"
to"interviewers"to"ensure"consistency"of"respondent"understanding.""
All" of" those" businesses" that" participated" in" cognitive" testing" had"
experienced"problems"within"the"past"year."On"average,"one"or"more"problems"
were"reported"in"3"problems"categories,"with"most"businesses"reported"a"great"
many"problems."The"fewest"problems"reported"was"3."This"lends"further"weight"
to" the" suggestion" in" the" main" text" that" a" pilot" exercise" is" needed" in" order" to"
establish"likely"levels"of"problem"incidence,"to"inform"decisions"around"problem"
selection"and"routing"in"the"survey"questionnaire.""
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