We made mental field notes soon after each
interview and both researchers compared notes and crosschecked
their facts soon after each interview. At the end of each interview,
we asked each respondent to share with us any additional
information he/she wished to share. In a few cases, we conducted
follow-up phone interviews to seek clarifications on issues. In
addition to the primary data we collected from interviews, we also
used personal observation and secondary data from Council-
related publications as important data sources, and both research-
ers attended four functions organized by the third party for
prospective buyers and suppliers. Both researchers attended the
functions to listen and observe the dynamics between potential
suppliers and buyers. A majority of the respondents came from the
high tech industry (70 percent), 20 percent from manufacturing
and two from service industry (10 percent). The sample of small
firms we studied all had less than 500 employees with sales under
$20 million per annum. In addition, they were all autonomous
firms and not subsidiaries or divisions of another company. Each
supplier in the sample was at least 51 percent owned, operated
and controlled by a person or persons who are members of a
minority group. This ownership percentage is a requirement to be
designated “minority-owned” and it is expressed in the charter of
the NMSDC.