Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board
Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board
Small Business Framework - Research - The Legal Services Board
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In"relation"to"piloting,"if"a"face]to]face"mode"of"survey"administration"is"to"<br />
be" used" for" main" survey" work," we" do" not" consider" telephone" piloting" to" be" a"<br />
viable" low]cost" alternative" to" face]to]face" piloting," as" the" form" of" questioning"<br />
would" need" to" be" quite" different." However,"the" online" panels" referred" to" in" an"<br />
earlier"section"and"(even"more"so)"online"small"business"omnibus"surveys"using"<br />
large]scale" business" datasets" as" a" sample" source" provide" an" excellent" cost]<br />
efficient" alternative" to" early" stage" face]to]face" piloting" (though" they" cannot"<br />
replace"the"formal"pilot"stage"of"a"face]to]face"survey"conducted"shortly"ahead"of"<br />
main"stage"fieldwork).""<br />
"<br />
Respondent!Selection!<br />
A" key" issue" in" business" survey" design" concerns" the" selection" of" individual"<br />
participants." This" is" important" as" the" choice" of" participants" will" determine" the"<br />
particular"types"of"data"and"experiences"that"can"be"captured."Studies"of"SMEs"<br />
often" target" the" owner]manager" or" the" managing" director" as" the" main"<br />
respondent."<strong>The</strong>"rationale"for"this"practice"is"that"SMEs"operate"more"informal,"<br />
less" hierarchical" and" flexible" management" structures." <strong>The</strong>" owner]manager" or"<br />
managing"director"is"often"the"key"decision]maker"of"the"business,"as"principal"<br />
owner."As"controllers"of"businesses,"they"have"the"most"complete"understanding"<br />
of"the"strategic"and"operational"issues"that"affect"businesses."<strong>The</strong>y"are"also"likely"<br />
to"be"responsible"for"the"acquisition"of"external"services,"along"with"the"finance"<br />
director,"if"the"firm"has"one."In"the"context"of"this"study,"it"is"unlikely"that"many"<br />
SMEs"will"have"a"dedicated"legal"services"department,"or"in]house"legal"expert,"to"<br />
procure"legal"services"advice.""<br />
In"studies"focusing"on"the"consumption"of"accountancy"advice"(Blackburn"<br />
et"al."2006),"sources"of"advice"on"employment"regulation"(Anyadike]Danes"et"al."<br />
2008)" and" professional" services" (Kitching" et" al." 2011)," the" views" of" the" owner"<br />
manager," as" they" key" decision]maker," responsible" for" the" strategic" decisions,"<br />
resource" acquisition" and" problem" solving" are" the" most" insightful" and" closely"<br />
identified"with"the"business."<br />
Due" to" the" diversity" of" firms" in" the" SME" sector" (for" example," by" size,"<br />
sector"and"business"type)"it"would"be"difficult"to"compare"and"contrast"the"views"<br />
of" legal" advice" consumption" from" the" perspectives" of" employees" who" occupy"<br />
different" organisational" positions." Examining" the" owner" manager" as" the" key"<br />
respondent" across" the" survey" facilitates" comparison." Subsequently," it" is"<br />
recommended"that"the"survey"focus"on"owner]managers"in"the"first"instance.""<br />
However,"an"issue"arises"in"the"case"of"businesses"that"are"too"large"for"<br />
single"individuals"to"have"familiarity"with"all"aspects"of"their"operation."This"is"<br />
unlikely" to" be" the" case" with" micro" businesses," and" this" bolsters" our" earlier"<br />
recommendation"that"these"form"the"starting"point"for"the"<strong>Legal</strong>"<strong>Services</strong>"<strong>Board</strong>’s"<br />
activities"in"this"area."<br />
As" we" explain" in" Section" 6," this" also" makes" sense" from" a" questionnaire"<br />
design" perspective." With" larger" businesses," not" only" might" the" need" arise" to"<br />
! 49!