Focusing on focus groups: lessons from a research project involving a Bangladeshi community

Abstract

This article examines the main issues and challenges associated with the use of the focus group method in a research study involving small business and entrepreneurship. The project concerned the education and training needs of a Bangladeshi community in a West Midlands city, commissioned by the local Chamber of Commerce Training and Enterprise. The article considers the advice provided in the literature on the conduct of focus groups, describes the application of that advice to gather empirical data from an ethnic community, and discusses the insights gained from the use of focus groups in these circumstances. Both the positive and negative features of the research process and outcomes are covered, and the impact of the focus group method on the successes and failures of the project is discussed.