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Gender and the Use of Business Advice: Evidence from Firms in the Scottish Service Sector

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  • Paul J A Robson

    (Durham Business School, Durham University, Mill Hill Lane, Durham DH1 3LB, England)

  • Sarah L Jack

    (Institute for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YW, England)

  • Mark S Freel

    (Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada)

Abstract

Within the UK the levels of female entrepreneurship are considerably lower than in many of its peer countries. As part of a strategy to remedy this apparent shortfall, and to improve the environment for existing female-owned businesses, the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) launched a ‘Strategic Framework for Women's Enterprise’ in 2003. A central rationale for the development of this strategy is a belief in the inadequacies of current business-advice provision and limited access to informal and formal business networks, mentors, and business support for women. However, there appears to be little evidence, either in this paper or in the body of previous research, to support the view that, within the UK, government agencies need to shape business support to reflect the gender of the business user. Drawing upon a sample of 650 small service sector firms in Scotland, we report the findings of a detailed postal questionnaire concerned with exploring usage and satisfaction of a range of formal and informal sources of business advice amongst male and female business owners. Bivariate analysis shows that amongst formal sources women are more likely to use friends and relatives, the Small Business Gateway, and chambers of commerce but are less likely to use suppliers and consultants. However, multivariate analysis suggests that, within the service sector, neither use of external advice nor impact of advice—either formal or informal—is greatly influenced by gender. Rather, it was the characteristics of service sector firms, most notably the number of employees and exporting activity, that explained the use of external advice. Therefore, a nongendered view of business support by the DTI appears more appropriate within the service sector. Nevertheless, the data do indicate more frequent use of informal family-network contacts amongst women business owners.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul J A Robson & Sarah L Jack & Mark S Freel, 2008. "Gender and the Use of Business Advice: Evidence from Firms in the Scottish Service Sector," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 26(2), pages 292-314, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:26:y:2008:i:2:p:292-314
    DOI: 10.1068/c0663
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Greene, Francis, 2012. "Should the focus of publicly provided small business assistance be on start-ups or growth businesses?," Occasional Papers 12/2, Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand.
    2. Kevin Mole & Robert Baldock & David North, 2013. "Who Takes Advice? Firm Size Threshold, Competence, Concerns and Informality in a Contingency Approach," Research Papers 0009, Enterprise Research Centre.
    3. Kevin Mole & David North & Robert Baldock, 2017. "Which SMEs seek external support? Business characteristics, management behaviour and external influences in a contingency approach," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(3), pages 476-499, May.
    4. Robert Bennett, 2008. "SME Policy Support in Britain since the 1990s: What have We Learnt?," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 26(2), pages 375-397, April.
    5. Widerstedt, Barbro & Månsson, Jonas & Rosdahl, Jonatan, 2018. "A warm welcome? Access to advisory services for men and women," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 100-110.
    6. Norin Arshed & Dominic Chalmers & Russell Matthews, 2019. "Institutionalizing Women’s Enterprise Policy: A Legitimacy-Based Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(3), pages 553-581, May.
    7. Anoosheh Rostamkalaei & Mark Freel, 2017. "Business advice and lending in small firms," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(3), pages 537-555, May.
    8. Kevin Mole & Joan-Lluís Capelleras, 2018. "Take-up and variation of advice for new firm founders in different local contexts," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 36(1), pages 3-27, February.
    9. Kevin F Mole & Mark Hart & Stephen Roper & David S Saal, 2011. "Broader or Deeper? Exploring the Most Effective Intervention Profile for Public Small Business Support," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(1), pages 87-105, January.
    10. Kuhn, Kristine M. & Galloway, Tera L. & Collins-Williams, Maureen, 2017. "Simply the best: An exploration of advice that small business owners value," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 8(C), pages 33-40.
    11. Jonathan M Scott & David Irwin, 2009. "Discouraged Advisees? The Influence of Gender, Ethnicity, and Education in the Use of Advice and Finance by UK SMEs," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 27(2), pages 230-245, April.
    12. Katarzyna Łobacz & Paweł Głodek & Edward Stawasz & Piotr Niedzielski, 2016. "Utilisation of Business Advice in Small Innovative Firms: the Role of Trust and Tacit Knowledge," Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 4(2), pages 117-138.
    13. David Brooksbank, 2008. "Small Business Policy and Support," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 26(2), pages 287-291, April.

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