Assessing compliance with food safety legislation in small businesses

Abstract

PurposeThis article aims to describe a research methodology used to examine compliance with food safety legislation within small businesses and the effect of local authority interventions on compliance. Different methodological approaches used within the research design are evaluated.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical research using multiple case studies investigated compliance within small food businesses. Multiple sources of evidence were analysed using qualitative and quantitative techniques.FindingsThe validity of research design was affected in various ways. Using a quantitative approach was limited by the availability of a suitable indicator to measure compliance and by the difficulty in establishing causality. Qualitative approaches showed that businesses constructed their conception of compliance differently from the more formal compliance concept of regulatory agencies. This alternative construction of compliance impacts on the effectiveness of different methodologies.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings demonstrate the limitations of quantitative approaches in exploring the compliance process. Differences in understanding the nature of compliance impact on validity: researchers cannot rely on businesses accurately “reporting” their compliance.Originality/valueThis article examines empirical research on the compliance process in small food businesses. It shows how the validity of a research design can be affected using evidence from this research.