EquaLITy auTHOrITy | chamBers IrelaNd
Embracing Equality The Equality Authority and Chambers Ireland have teamed up to recognise diversity in the business community. CASE STUDY: MINORITY ETHNIC BUSINESSES
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n the last quarter of 2012, the Equality Authority and the Chamber Network co-operated on an initiative to make Chamber membership more inclusive and representative of the Irish business community. “The composition of the Irish business community has changed significantly over the last number of years, and we were interested to see how this has been reflected in the membership of Chambers,” said Mark O’Mahoney, Products Manager with Chambers Ireland. “Rising numbers of female business owners, immigrant entrepreneurs, and a new phenomenon of ‘older entrepreneurs’ who have left industries like construction to set up new companies, have all changed the profile of the business community in cities and towns across Ireland. We felt it was important that Chambers be aware of these changes in order to continue to serve local business needs.” A two stage process involving a membership survey and interviews with the chief executives of Chambers gave an interesting insight into the challenges facing Chambers, but there was also a recognition of the opportunities
presented by diversity in the community. “The project illustrated an interest and commitment among local Chambers of Commerce who participated to address equality and diversity issues,” said Deirdre Toomey of the Equality Authority. “Despite the current economic challenges there was a recognition that a lot can be done to promote equality and diversity. In fact it was highlighted that there is a strong link between equality and diversity aims and the need for Chambers of Commerce and its members to attract new members. An inclusive, dynamic membership which takes into account equality and diversity also supports businesses and the development of local economies.” The final project report has proved to be a useful tool for Chambers, and contains advice and case studies on initiatives that can be undertaken to diversify their membership base. If your Chamber would like a copy, please email Chambers Ireland at info@chambers.ie.
The ethnic diversity of Irish businesses has changed dramatically in the last twenty years. A study by Thomas Cooney (2008, DIT) shows that in 2008, minority ethnic business ownership comprises about 13 per cent of the business population, a figure that may well have increased in the meantime. His study also indicates that such businesses tend to be small in scale, young in age, concentrated in the domestically traded services sectors and operating at the margins of mainstream economic activity. One of the concerns raised in the Cooney report which is of particular relevance to this study, is that minority ethnic firms are unlikely to engage with mainstream agencies and support providers and hence may not receive the development support they need. Barriers to take-up of support include identifying and reaching these businesses, inappropriateness of product oriented approaches, and lack of trust and confidence in those delivering support services. He notes that while many of the support needs of minority ethnic businesses are common to the majority counterpart SMEs, there are specific characteristics of minority ethnic businesses that need to be addressed and these include language, religious gender and age dimensions that have implications for how support is to be delivered effectively. Thanks to Siobhan Phillips, Research & Evaluation for her expertise and input on this project.
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