The Attitude of Small Business in the Kursk Region to the Digital Economy: a Sociological Analysis

The relevance of the study lies in the need to clarify the attitude of small businesses to the digital economy and to determine the most significant characteristics that this attitude. The results of expert interviews showed that some experts - representatives of small businesses - do not support the development of the digital economy. The purpose is clarification of the attitude of small business in the Kursk region to the digital economy. Objectives: determination of the attitude of small business to the development of the digital economy; determination of general, digital and habitual characteristics of small business in the region and study of their impact on attitudes towards the digital economy. Methodology. To accomplish the assigned tasks, the following methods were used: analysis of statistical information; small business questionnaire. The definition of the habitual structure of small business was made by comparing the orientation of the main disposition of the respondents and their effective capital. Results. 26 percent of entrepreneurs have a positive attitude towards the digitalization process, 50 percent chose the answer "rather positively than negatively", 16 percent have a more negative than positive attitude, 4 percent have a negative attitude to the digital economy. The reference habitual structure of small business in the Kursk region shows that about 90 percent of small businesses can support the development of the digital economy and have a positive attitude towards the digitalization process. Conclusions. The results of the study allow us to assert that general and digital characteristics can have only a slight effect on the attitude of small businesses to the digital economy, the main influence on the attitude of small businesses to the digital economy is exerted by habitual characteristics. At the same time, the majority of respondents who expressed a negative attitude to the digitalization process have a “preservation” disposition orientation, and it is practically impossible to change their opinion. However, there are also a number of respondents whose expressed opinion may change when creating the necessary conditions for this, aimed at implementing habitual practices, which can be expressed in real events related to increasing digital indicators and awareness of the opportunities and support provided by the state for the development of the digital economy.