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1
Lachance, Jean-Pierre. "Les conditions de succès des pme intégrant de nouvelles technologies : les aspects associés aux activités de formation /." Thèse, Chicoutimi : Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1994. http://theses.uqac.ca.
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Core, Jane Kennedy. "Human aspets of the management of change : with reference to technological innovation in small college libraries." Thesis, Aberystwyth University, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.261405.
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Lose, Thobekani. "The role of business incubators in facilitating the entrepreneurial skills requirements of small and medium size enterprises in the Cape metropolitan area, South Africa." Thesis, Cape Peninisula University of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2049.
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Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016.<br>In both developed and developing countries, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) create employment opportunities and can therefore improve the standard of living. The South African Government have embarked on a number of initiatives in support of SMEs. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the SEDA Technology Programme (STP) have a number of assistance programmes that are being implemented in support of SMEs. Although there have been many varied studies on business incubators, there is still a need for research to determine the importance of entrepreneurial skills for the development of successful incubators.Business incubators are essentially organisations that assist to increase survival rates of innovative start-up companies and support the entrepreneurial process. Incubators provide resources and services to entrepreneurs, including working space or physical offices, technical expertise, management mentoring, assistance in compiling an effective business plan, shared administrative services, technical support, business networking, advice on intellectual property and sources of financing, markets as well as strict admission and exit rules, which are designed to ensure that the incubator concentrates its efforts in helping innovative and fast-growth business start-ups that are likely to have a significant impact on the local economy. This therefore reduces the start-up capital and overhead costs, and allows the entrepreneur to focus on his/her core business whilst receiving operational support and hand-held coaching. The incubator concept supports the clients’ development journey to ensure business sustainability and growth.The main objective of the study is to determine the role that business incubators play in filling entrepreneurial-skills requirements for SMEs in the Cape metropolitan District. The population of this study comprised all the business incubators on the data base of one of the organisations that promotes SME development strategies and programmes in the Cape Metropolitan Area (CAM). All of the five business incubators that were registered on the database of a local organisation, known as Traction, during the course of the investigation, were deemed suitable for the study and therefore comprised the sample, which promotes SMEs’ development. The study utilises a mixed approach of quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data. From a quantitative point of view, questionnaires are utilised, while face-to-face interviews is used as a qualitative method. A maximum of seventy questionnaires is administered to incubated SMEs, 28 questionnaires were returned and all qualified for data analysis. This amounts to a 40% response rate. To complement the survey questionnaire, five face-to-face interviews were conducted with business incubators. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was utilised to analyse the quantitative data, whereas qualitative data was analysed by means of content analysis and the results for both methods were presented in the format of figures, tables and charts.
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Pessu, Noghor. "Technological Factors for the Sustainability of the Small Business Entrepreneur." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/269.
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Technical innovation creates challenges for the small business entrepreneur who uses global activities in the marketplace. Information technology and the technological innovations of the World Wide Web are driving competitiveness in the marketplace with a loss of market share for the individual business owner. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of a purposive sample of 20 small business owners in the metropolitan Atlanta area regarding the effect of technology, technological insertion, and application for long-term sustainability. Rogers's diffusion of innovations theory served as the conceptual framework of this study. Data were gathered through face-to-face, semistructured interviews. After analyzing the interview transcripts using inductive analysis, 6 major themes emerged. The themes include the forces that drive the introduction of technology, types of technology used to reach potential and existing customers, most commonly used and implemented types of technology, the beliefs and values on the use of technology, the obstacles that inhibit the use of technology, and the competitive advantage of the use of technology for the small business entrepreneur. The implications for positive social change include the potential for growth and sustainability for the small business entrepreneur leading to stronger economies and job creation in local communities and nationally. Small business owners may use the findings to implement technology insertion strategies contributing to long-term sustainability initiatives. These findings may also inform scholars of business management and entrepreneurship regarding the effect of technology, technological insertion, and application for long-term sustainability.
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Samuel, Petra. "Strategies for Integrating Technological Innovations in Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3834.
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The effective integration of technological innovation is vital to the success of small businesses and can catapult growth and profitability. Some business managers and supervisors, however, may not have a firm understanding of strategies for integrating technological innovations in businesses; this lack of knowledge may result in employee frustration and costly roadblocks to achieving business objectives. This case study was conducted to identify the strategies used by business managers and supervisors to integrate technological innovations in small businesses. Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation and Rogers' theory of diffusion of innovation served as the conceptual framework. Ten business managers and supervisors from Castries, St. Lucia, participated in semistructured interviews. Participants who were selected using purposive sampling worked in a small business in St. Lucia for atleast 5 years, were part of senior management, and used strategies for integrating technological innovations in a small business. Two of the themes that emerged from data analysis were integration challenges relating to technological innovation complexity, and technology cost regarding hardware, upgrades and software procurement. Findings from this study may contribute to positive social change by providing business managers and supervisors insight about strategies and innovative solutions they can use to develop better business practices, increase tax revenues, and employment opportunities, improve profitability, and boost the economy.
6
Chipika, Stephen. "Networking and technological learning : small and medium scale manufacturing enterprises in Zimbabwe." Thesis, n.p, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/.
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Street, David Michael. "The small business entrepreneur : a psychological profile." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002574.
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With the growing importance being placed on the small business environment as having a positive influence on economic growth and vitality (Erwee, 1987: Burns & Dewhurst, 1989), there has been a corresponding increase in attention being paid to entrepreneurship and the characteristics of the entrepreneur. This increased attention is due to the fact that entrepreneurs have long been linked to small business creation and recognised as an important factor in the small business development process (Boyd & Gumpert, 1983). Despite the quantity of research on entrepreneurship, there appears to be an ongoing controversy oyer what characterises an entrepreneurial business. and the specific characteristics of the small business entrepreneur. It has been argued that although there is an overlap between entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial businesses. they are in fact different entities (Carland, Hoy, Boulton & Carland, 1984: Drucker, 1985), and that not every individual who starts a business is an entrepreneur (Drucker. 1985). Small business entrepreneurship has been found to be specifically related to the psychological characteristics of the owner-manager who controls the business (Miller. 1983). The purpose of this research was to identify and describe psychological characteristics displayed by a group of South African small business entrepreneurs, thereby compiling a psychological profile of the small business entrepreneur. Given the nature of entrepreneurial activities and processes, Hofer and Bygrave (1992) recommend that accurate, precise qualitative data that is rich in its descriptive characterisation of the situation and the phenomenon involved be collected. As a result the researcher used qualitative rather than quantitative methods of investigation. Innovative behaviour has long been linked to entrepreneurship (Schumpeter. 1934) and entrepreneurial businesses were distinguished from other small businesses by their use of innovative strategic practices. Two sample groups consisting of entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial businesses, were created and the data collected were analysed independently. The results, based on personal interviews with 32 small business owner-managers and the administration and interpretation of tihe Structured Objective Rorschach Test (SORT), indicate that small business entrepreneurship should not be used as a term synonymous with small business ownership and/or management. Despite similarities between small business entrepreneurs and other small business owner-managers. the results suggest that a distinction between the two groups is necessary for accurate future research on entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs differed from other small business owner-managers in terms of their psychological characteristics including their motives, their perception and attitude towards the external environment, and various sociological factors. The entrepreneurial businesses were also different in that they were more innovative and growth oriented than the non-entrepreneurial businesses. The research contributes towards a clarification of the concept of small business entrepreneurship and indicates a need for more precise sampling techniques to be used in entrepreneurial research.
8
Peters, Ian Joseph. "Small business growth : spatial and non-spatial aspects of development." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.236411.
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Williams, Melanie L. "Small business organizational support of health promotion programs." Virtual Press, 1998. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1115737.
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The primary purpose for this study was to investigate small businesses organizational support and interest in health promotion. The research question for this study was, "Are small businesses actively involved with the organizational support of health promotion programs?"A survey was distributed via mail to small businesses in the Lynchburg, Virginia area, with a follow up three weeks later because an appropriate number of surveys had not been returned. The results of this study have provided insight into the current status of worksite wellness programs of businesses with fewer than 250 employees.Small businesses do actively support healthy food and smoking policies at the worksite. Some small businesses provided activities to measure employee health risks. The main issue small businesses deal with are safety/accident prevention. Other health topics are not prevalent in small businesses. Small businesses that had a health promotion program in place offered more programs and awareness materials than those who did not and are actively involved in the organizational support of health promotion programs.<br>Fisher Institute for Wellness
10
Sawers, Jill Lynda. "How small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can influence the successfulness of a partnership with a large company (LCO) in the rechnological innovation sector." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2006. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-07212007-124808.
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Chiza, Albin Boris Lugerero. "Adoption of cloud computing services amongst the micro-enterprise sector in Cape Town." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2862.
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Thesis (MTech (Business Information Systems))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.<br>Micro-enterprises play a vital role towards the South Africa’s economic growth by contributing towards job creation. Despite the importance of the role of micro-enterprises, micro-enterprises face several challenges such as lack of finance, lack of skilled workers and lack of technological resources. Previous studies indicate that Information Technology has a distinct role in assisting micro-enterprises overcome several challenges. It is further evidenced in the extant literature that cloud computing, provides a low cost entry for enterprises to support several facets of their business operations. In the current era cloud computing requires a constant as well as fast internet connection and the South African government has various interventions to address the infrastructure divide. However, we have a scant understanding of the adoption challenges amongst micro-enterprises to adopt cloud solutions, which to date feature more prominently amongst larger organisations. This research investigated the factors that influence cloud computing adoption in the micro-enterprise sector in Cape Town. This is a city that promotes the contribution of micro-enterprises to their economic activity, and was such an ideal location to investigate cloud computing adoption amongst the micro-enterprise sector. This research provides a rich understanding of the factors that influence micro-enterprises in Cape Town to adopt cloud computing services and proposes guidelines to encourage micro-enterprises in Cape Town to use cloud services to improve their productivity. The researcher uses the UTAUT model as a framework and a qualitative research methodology to investigate the research question. Data for this research study was collected via face to face interviews with semi-structured questions of ten micro-enterprises and an IT expert. The findings showed that the factors influencing the adoption of cloud computing services are performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, lack of training, cost efficiency and reduction of working hours.
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Van, den Berg Ruan. "An examination of Christian values and correlated concepts in small business practices in South Africa." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021094.
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The purpose of this research project was to establish in what way Christian entrepreneurs, in this case owner-managers of small and medium-sized enterprises, drew on their Christian faith – as an identity-creating construct – in the day-to-day running of their businesses. Religion was identified as one of the significant contributing elements that form part of individuals’ underlying values that are used to make numerous value-based decisions. Because SME owner-managers that adhere to the Christian faith constitute a fairly large segment of society in the Western World, a study of this nature can be regarded as a worthwhile undertaking that provides valuable insights related to how and to what extent this particular group of economic actors merge religious convictions with business operations. The research was set up in such a way that SME owner-managers in South Africa, who were self-proclaimed Christians and broadly defined as members of the Protestant tradition, constituted the sample participants. The methodology regarded as most suitable was a qualitative, grounded-theory approach whereby interviews were conducted along the lines of a semi-structured interview schedule. An openended exploratory strategy was adopted that allowed respondents to convey their thoughts and ideas pertaining to the research phenomenon from their personal perspectives. A number of conceptual and linguistic frames offered by the respondents – that gave language to the way they rationalised their faith in the context of managing their businesses – were recorded. A total of sixteen major themes and an additional eight sub-themes emerged from the data. The themes recorded and analysed were: faith, grace, calling, stewardship, kingdom, holiness, discipleship, discernment, love, relationship, anointing, inseparable dimensions of life, the Christian life journey, money, cultural perspectives and biblical principles, including the centrality of the Bible, integrity and honesty, sowing and reaping, humility, forgiveness, power of the tongue, importance of prayer and the centrality of Christ. The research findings revealed that a correct understanding of the Christian identity as well as a correct application thereof is crucial in successfully incorporating Christian ideals in the market. Full integration of the Christian identity plus an internalisation of God’s purposes and principles create an inner sense of direction that is less focused on external moral guidelines and codes of conduct – the phrase living from the inside out’ seems appropriately fitting to describe a group of economic actors who pursue their business careers with a sense of calling coupled with a belief that their commercial whereabouts are distinctively linked to a transcendent objective. In addition, general business administration guidelines, where the issue of religious affiliation per se is of no particular consequence, allow for the integration of the value concepts uncovered through the study by way of the corporate governance framework as contained in the King III report – particularly with reference to business practice interventions related to the formulation and implementation of core organisational values and moral codes.
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Ibáñez, de Opacua Amaia. "The relationship between knowledge management, information and communication technologies and performance from the resource-based view in small and medium manufacturing firms." Connect to e-thesis, 2006. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/977/.
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Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2006.<br>Ph.D. thesis submitted to the School of Business and Management, University of Glasgow, 2006. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.
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Chung, Ka Wai. "Leadership, innovation capability, and SME's product innovation performance :the moderating roles of reward philosophy and entrepreneurial culture." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2019. https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_oa/727.
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Innovation is vital to the survival and prosperity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Such firms have the inherent liability of limited resources, which creates a barrier to their pursuit of innovative activities. To compete with larger incumbents and sustain competitive advantages, leaders, the principal decision-makers, play a key role in devising innovation strategies and have overall responsibility for firms' ultimate performance. This study draws on the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities perspective (DC) to develop a model linking leadership (resource) to innovation (dynamic capability) and product innovation performance (sustainable competitive advantage). In addition, it suggests that reward philosophy and entrepreneurial culture can enhance or hinder the effect of transformational and transactional leadership on exploratory and exploitative innovation in the context of SMEs. Using a quantitative research method, 151 valid pairs of questionnaires (i.e. 302 respondents) were collected from the top management of small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in China. The empirical findings showed that transformational leadership behaviors could foster both exploratory and exploitative innovations. Transactional leaders, consistent with the literature, could facilitate exploitative activities, but not exploratory innovation. The data analysis also indicated that different types of innovation delivered different benefits to firms. In addition, reward philosophy and entrepreneurial culture had divergent moderating effects on the relationship between leadership style and innovative outcome.
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Khohliso, Sylvester Mziwonke. "Improving technological entrepreneurship of first-year students at universities." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6476.
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A challenge facing higher education institutions is the level of technological entrepreneurship of first-year students in the field of technological programmes. This challenge has put pressure on management of higher education institutions to introduce an entrepreneurial mindset and encourage innovation. According to Development Policy Research Unit (2007:18), 23 percent of students choose qualifications mainly for the employment opportunities. According to Shein, Crous, and Schepers (2010:1), not only in growing economies such as South Africa‟s, entrepreneurship contributes to a national growth and contributes to job creation. Shein, et al. (2010:1), further claim that recent studies have shown a shift towards studying entrepreneurship in an attempt to uncover its fundamentals and its importance in adding to the well-being of the country.
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Crochetiere, Bruce. "Transcending Technological Innovation: The Impact of Acquisitions on Entrepreneurial Technical Organizations." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/956.
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Technology firms with substantial cash reserves acquire smaller entrepreneurial firms for diversification. In 2006, 3 large firms acquired 28 organizations, with the combined deals exceeding {dollar}4.7 billion. The problem addressed in this study is that new start-up companies with innovative ideas may not mature when they are acquired by larger companies and do not fully articulate potential industry-transcending innovation. This is important because the unsuccessful integration of an acquisition can dismantle innovation and compromises economic inventiveness. Drawing from the disruptive innovation and the resource-based theories, the purpose of the quasi-experimental study was to examine the impact of acquisition by larger public technological organizations of smaller start-up innovative entrepreneurial organizations on patent generation, stock price trend, and stakeholder retention. The research questions in this study were designed to statistically test pre/post changes in these key innovation performance factors before and after an acquisition. Historical data on 71 acquisitions by 10 acquiring firms were gathered related to number of patents generated, stock price trends, and stakeholder retention. Paired t tests were used to confirm that there were significantly fewer patents and patents per year generated, and significantly fewer stakeholders retained after acquisition. Stock price fluctuation was examined using a cumulative abnormal return categorization approach that indicated only 31% of the acquired companies realized gains that reached the a priori threshold of significance. The results of this study could create positive social change through the development of business acquisition strategies that promote innovation, resulting in economic prosperity for the United States.
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Megchun, Beatriz Itzel Cruz. "The strategic role of design management to enhance performance within small Mexican technology-based enterprises in new technological industries." Thesis, Staffordshire University, 2010. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/2035/.
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This thesis discusses how design management can play a relevant role to improve the performance of small Mexican technology-based enterprises (TBEs) in new technological industries. The research began exploring the general role of design in Mexican business context and a gap in the literature was revealed about the role of design management and its relevance on the development of technological innovations in Mexican TBEs. A multi-method design research was adopted to identify and further detail data about the benefits and effects of design management in small Mexican TBEs. Therefore, a QUALquan design approach was utilised to apply sequentially qualitative and quantitative methods to develop a model (theory) that later was subjected to testing. The first action was to explore the context of the study through qualitative methods in order to develop an instrument (diagnostic toolkit) that enabled the researcher to evaluate the condition of the case studies within their current business practices. Then, the researcher implemented the second strategy to know the condition of the principal case studies to provide an intervention treatment. This allowed the researcher to introduce and implement design management practices within the case studies for a period of seven months to later assess once again the case studies to prove whether the intervention had provoked a change. Findings suggested that the implementation of design management can help small Mexican TBEs in new technological industries to improve their performance. The primary contribution of this research was to produce a detailed account of the conditions in which small Mexican TBEs in new technological industries operate and how they were affected by the implementation of design management. This helped to provide a holistic perspective on the use of design management, design thinking and design leadership. Similarly, it assisted in the development of an empirically confirmed design toolkit to assess the condition and design abilities and capabilities of small Mexican TBEs. The design toolkit offered users the opportunity to obtain results and suggestions about their condition and to identify and apply a series of methods, tools and techniques that can be implemented in their three levels of business activities: strategic, tactical and operational engagement.
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Burgess, Stephen Keith 1958. "Business-to-consumer interactions on the Internet : a model for small businesses." Monash University, School of Information Management and Systems, 2001. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8027.
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Barrett, Giles Andrew. "Multiple disadvantage and black enterprise : aspects of African-Caribbean and South Asian small business." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 1997. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/5575/.
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Numerous studies have been undertaken on a wide range of issues affecting racialised minorities and small businesses. This thesis has chosen to focus on a number of issues pertinent to the nature of ethnic minority owned small firms. Whilst the topic of finance has been researched in tandem with other factors, it has rarely received the attention devoted to it in this thesis. The thesis critically evaluates finance availability for black small enterprises owned by persons of South Asian and African-Caribbean origins. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted with business owners in fifteen locations in England. These interviews have been enriched by a smaller number of in-depth unstructured conversations. Apart from finance, other relatively under-researched aspects of black enterprise are also discussed in this investigation. The interplay of gender, ethnicity and small enterprise is explored in chapter four whilst chapter seven examines the nature of both African-Caribbean and South Asian businesses situated in contrasting market areas. Parallels are drawn between the experiences of allegedly entrepreneurial-minded groups such as the Koreans and African-Americans in the USA who are distinctly under-represented among the small business owning classes. The outcome of this investigation of African-Caribbean and South Asian small enterprises is an image of a group of owners who have a strong determination to succeed in their ventures, exemplified through such factors as their motivation and attendant vocational qualifications, whilst simultaneously attempting to overcome numerous obstacles. Some of these barriers are generic to small businesses per se, whilst others are more exclusively 'ethnic'. The whole thesis is encapsulated within socio-political debates around the plight of severely disadvantaged visible minorities and proposed self-help strategies mediated by the persistence of covert and blatant racism.
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Justino, Mateus Vicente. "Factors influencing the failure of small enterprises in a selected municipality in Luanda, Angola." Thesis, Cape Peninisula University of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2045.
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Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.<br>The necessary skills and knowledge on how to open and manage a business can be mastered but the uncertainties during decision-making, as well as the risks, obstacles and barriers present in the business environment can change established ways of conducting a business. However, identifying the causes of such uncertainties, risks and obstacles is essential as it may reduce the probability of failure in the future, and supports effective policy-making. The purpose of this thesis was to examine the factors contributing to the failure of small enterprises in the Luanda province in Angola, with three specific objectives: to assess the critical management and financial factors; to examine the effect of market competition; and to assess the factors in the economic conditions associated with the causes of small business failures. Recommendations made to government could mitigate the high number of business failures. Similar studies were conducted in countries other than Angola. As alarmingly high rates of business failure exist in Angola, this study sought to examine the factors associated with such failures. This research was conducted under a positivism theoretical perspective and a quantitative research method was adopted. A questionnaire was the primary data collection instrument and the snowball sampling technique was employed. Questionnaires were distributed to 130 small business owners and managers who had experienced business failures and 108 questionnaires were collected. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to analyse the quantitative data which was collected. Results were statistically
descriptive in nature and presented in tables, pie charts, and bar charts. The results indicated that critical factors which influenced the failure of small enterprises in Angola were: small business owners and managers lacked knowledge of business systems; small business owners and managers lacked financial accounting skills; and negligence by small business owners and managers in planning and controlling business resources. This indicates that institutions do not actively promote entrepreneurship knowledge and skills
development and there is an absence of successful entrepreneur role models and business mentors or coaches for entrepreneurial capacity-building. Among others factors influencing business failure in Viana, this study identified a lack of economic support and availability of fundamental business resources such as raw material, skilled people and finance, rigid policy-making regulations, and a high level of corruption and theft in the country, to the extent that the small business may lack money and is unable to continue operations.The study recommends that since most small businesses operate on a basis of sole decision-making, it is important that the entrepreneur/manager should make a concerted effort to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in management and finance systems,
primarily to start a business or as needed, so that risk and probability of failure can be reduced. Policy-making should consider support structures for entrepreneurial capacity building, increase the production of primary products and raw material, provide entrepreneurial training and skills development (higher education), and develop mechanisms to allow easy access to information, reduce trading restrictions and reduce crime.
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Visser, Dirk Jacobus. "An investigation into aspects of transformational leadership in South African small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/49840.
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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2004<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: To the world community at large globalisation has been a gradual process, whereas
its impact in South Africa was more intensive and concentrated over a shorter period
of time - in particular since South Africa's return to the international community in the
early to middle 1990s, its economy, inter alia, has had to adjust to this phenomenon.
It is within this environment that all enterprises constituting the South African
economy also had to adapt and adjust to a new world environment.
From the middle 1980s a new discourse in the literature on the effect of a "new" style
of leadership (based on continuous learning, renewal, innovation and
entrepreneurship) was reported on in which these leaders brought about significant
change in organisations. These leaders recognise the need for change in their
organisations. They create a new vision. They bring about change in their
organisations to meet the challenges from the changing environment and have been
accordingly recognised as transformational leaders.
This leadership style has been extensively reported on in large organisations, in both
the private and the public sectors. For example, literature and research abound on
the impact of transformational leaders in large business enterprises (e.g. Lee
lacocca of Chrysler, Jack Welch of General Electric) and government institutions,
such as education, the military and health (e.g. Nelson Mandela of South Africa,
Mahatma Ghandi of India). A review of the literature on the impact of transformational leadership in large
organisations, without fail, reports significant manifestations of success in those
organisations' growth, cohesion and development into' more successful and
competitive units.
Concomitantly, it is generally acknowledged by the World Bank, the International
Monetary Fund, the European Union, the Asian Development Bank and other
organisations of similar position, that small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
shape the very foundation of the majority of successful economies.
The impact of transformational leadership in small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) has not been measured and reported on in an empirical appraisal and
surprisingly little has been forthcoming on the role and impact of transformational
leadership in SMEs globally. However, from an entrepreneurial perspective, much
has been researched and written on the qualities that support risk-taking, innovation
and competition in SMEs.
It is within this context that it was decided to investigate the concept of
transformational leadership in entrepreneurs, i.e. that group of people who are
generally referred to as the drivers of the economy.
This dissertation reviews the literature on leadership practices and styles in
organisations as a basis to specifically identify the co-producers of leadership in
entrepreneurs in SMEs. It is within this context that an empirical study on aspects of
transformational leadership in SMEs in a South African context was conducted. This empirical survey verifies the relationship between characteristics of these
entrepreneurs and characteristics typically associated with transformational leaders,
as manifested in large organisations.
Therefore, given the above empirical evidence, the model developed for this study
defines the qualities of a transformational leader which will enable those
leaders/entrepreneurs (in SMEs with growth potential) to take their organisations from
average performance levels to levels comparable to world-class leadership and
competitiveness.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vir die wêreldgemeenskap in sy geheel was globalisering 'n geleidelike proses,
terwyl die impak daarvan op Suid-Afrika meer intensief en gekonsentreerd oor 'n
korter tydperk plaasgevind het - meer spesifiek sedert Suid-Afrika se terugkeer
gedurende die vroeë tot middel 1990s tot die internasionale gemeenskap
waartydens die ekonomie, onder andere, tot hierdie verskynsel moes aanpas. Dit is
binne hierdie omgewing waarbinne alle ondernemings wat die basis van die
ekonomie vorm, tot die nuwe wêreldomgewing moes aanpas.
Vanaf die middel 1980s is daar redevoering in die literatuur oor die invloed van 'n
"nuwe" leierskapstyl (met die uitgangspunte van verandering, innovering en
entrepreneurskap) waarvolgens hierdie leiers aansienlike verandering in hul
organisasies teweegbring. Hierdie leiers begryp die noodsaaklikheid van verandering
en skep sodoende 'n nuwe visie binne hulorganisasies. Hulle bring verandering
binne hierdie organisasies teweeg en aanvaar die uitdagings vanuit die omgewing -
hierdie leiers word as transformasieleiers uitgeken.
Vanuit die oogpunt van beide groot, privaat- en openbare organisasies, word hierdie
leierskapstyl omvattend vermeld; byvoorbeeld, in navorsing en literatuur is
voldoende verwysings oor die invloed van transformasieleierskap in groot
ondernemings (bv. Lee lacocca van Chrysler, Jack Welch van General Electric) en in
staatorganisasies, soos in opvoeding, die militêre asook gesondheid (bv. Nelson
Mandela van Suid-Afrika, Mahatma Ghandi van Indië). 'n Literatuuroorsig oor die invloed van transformasieleierskap op groot organisasies
dui sonder uitsondering op 'n beduidende invloed van sukses in die groei van hierdie
ondernemings aan, asook beter spanwerk en die ontplooiing van meer suksesvolle
en mededingengde eenhede binne hierdie organisasies.
Insgelyks, word dit algemeen deur die Wêreldbank, die Internasionale Monetêre
Fonds, die Europese Gemeenskap, die Asiese Ontwikkelingsbank en ander
soortgelyke organisasies aanvaar dat klein tot middelgroot-ondernemings (KMOs)
die onderbou van die meerderheid van susksesvolle ekonomië vorm.
Vanuit 'n entrepreneuriese perspektief is 'n aansienlike hoeveelheid navorsing en
publikasies reeds oor die faktore gedoen wat entrepreneurskap in KMOs
ondersteun, naamlik risikoneming, innovering en mededining. Dog, vanuit 'n
empiriese benadering, is daar nog nie navorsing oor die invloed van
transformasieleierskap in KMOs gelewer nie.
Dit is binne hierdie konteks dat die besluit geneem is om die konsep van
transformasieleierskap in entrepreneurs te ondersoek, m.a.w. daardie groep mense
waarna oor die algemeen as die dryfkrag van die ekonomie verwys word.
As vertrekpunt ondersoek hierdie verhandeling die literatuur met betrekking tot
leierskapgebruike en -style in organisasies, om sodoende meer spesifiek die
medeprodusente van leierskap in entrepreneurs in KMOs te bepaal. Vanaf hierdie
vertrekpunt word die empiriese ondersoek geloods en voltooi om die
teenwoordigheid van transformasieleierskap in KMOs in Suid-Afrika te bepaal. Die empiriese navorsing bevestig die verwantskap tussen die eienskappe van
hierdie entrepreneurs en die eienskappe wat tipies aan transformasieleiers in groot
organisasies toegeskryf word.
Gegewe die bogenoemde empiriese bevindinge omskryf die model (wat gevolglik vir
hierdie studie ontwikkel is) die eienskappe van transformasieleiers wat vir
leiers/entrepreneurs (in KMOs met groeimoontlikhede) van nut sal wees om
sodoende hulondernemings tot prestasievlakke te neem wat met wêreldleierskap en
mededingingheid vergelyk kan word.
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Silinga, Nyaniso Sandisiwe. "Antecedents to sustainability of small consulting engineering businesses within the Amathole district municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/5184.
Full textAbstract:
The South African consulting engineering industry faces a challenge of relevance, particularly in the wake of government infrastructure investment through the planned National Development Plan and other current infrastructure plans. This challenge is even more so for small consulting engineering businesses within the industry who experienced a decline in earnings by ten percent in the first six months of 2013 as compared to the last six months of 2012 (Consulting Engineers South Africa, 2013:38). Government, as a job creator, has a duty to ensure that the conditions that these businesses operate in are favourable to them in order for the businesses to remain sustainable. Factors that contribute to the sustainability of small consulting engineering businesses need to be identified. Amathole District Municipality (ADM) situated in the Eastern Cape Province and which is the second largest province in South Africa but the second poorest (Eastern Cape Socio Economic Council (ECSECC), 2011:15 cited in Mtshibe, 2013:1) is one of those job creators. According to the Amathole District Municipality (ADM) (2013:38), the district, which comprises of seven local municipalities, is the 3rd largest economy in the province after the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality and Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, contributing twelve percent to the provincial economy. Figures published in the Division of Revenue Bill, 2014 (RSA, 2014:236) indicate infrastructure development allocations totalling R1.34 billion budgeted to the ADM for the next three years. This translates to job opportunities for the consulting engineering industry of this region. However, the latest ADM SMME procurement data reveals that in the past five years, only a small percentage of tenders awarded were to small consulting engineering businesses with a majority going to medium to large well-established enterprises (ADM, 2014). These results pose a serious challenge for policy makers who have a duty to ensure that work opportunities do not disadvantage emerging small businesses. The main objective of this study was to gain an understanding of the antecedents that impact on the sustainability of small consulting engineering businesses within the Amathole District Municipality. This was done by identifying antecedents to sustainability of small consulting engineering businesses through a detailed literature review. This literature review identified the competitive environment, regulatory environment and policy environment (independent variables) as being antecedents to sustainability of small consulting engineering businesses (dependant variable). In testing the above research objective, the researcher used statistical analysis methods to reach a conclusion with regard to these antecedents. The positivistic research paradigm (quantitative method) was selected in testing this research objective through the use of hypothesis testing. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires distributed to 100 small consulting engineering businesses using the databases of both the Amathole District Municipality and Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA). Out of the selected sample of 100 small consulting engineering businesses, only 81 responses were received, thus representing an eighty-one percent response rate which is considered adequate. The collected data was then analysed using inferential and confirmatory statistical analysis methods. The analysis was presented in the form of graphs and tables. The results of the empirical survey identified rival competitor influence, the competitive environment and policy environment as being antecedents to sustainability of small consulting engineering businesses within the Amathole District Municipality. Based on these findings, recommendations were made to the management of the Amathole District Municipality in an endeavour to make the environment within which small consulting engineering businesses operate more favourable for the businesses to be sustainable. Suggestions for future research were also made as a way to help in addressing some of the challenges that are faced by the engineering industry.
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Ali, Madadi Jani Siavash. "The Role of Knowledge in Internationalization of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Handelshögskolan vid Umeå universitet, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-45564.
Full textAbstract:
Internationalization is one of the most complicated elements in Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) expansion. Researchers seem to agree more and more that none of the theories in this field can solely explain the dynamics of the internationalization of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises particularly small knowledge- and service-intensive firms. There are different theories and approaches toward the SMEs‘ internationalization; however there is one predictor in common among them: Firm‟s knowledge resources (Yli-Renko, Autio, & Tontti, 2002).Since the value-adding processes of firms are increasingly based on the creation and exploitation of knowledge, the natural focus of attention shifts from the control of static, firm-specific resources to the acquisition, assimilation, and exploitation of firm-specific knowledge (Bettis & Hitt, 1995; Grant, 1996; J.Nahapiet & Ghoshal, 1998). In today‘s global competitive landscape, firms succeed not because they have control over scarce resources, but because they have the ability to gain the knowledge, learn and use this learning more efficiently than others. In comparison with big companies SMEs have relatively less resources, which make knowledge very vital for their survival and growth. (Mejri & Umemoto, 2010)There has not been much empirical research on knowledge resources and capabilities although the importance of knowledge-related process is widely acknowledged. There is a notable limitation in SME literature on influence of knowledge that can only offer limited insight into firm‘s foreign market operations. In other words, there is a gap in the literature about the different types of knowledge and their role in the internationalization process and therefor this research has set it goal to answer the aforementioned issues.This research has used qualitative approach and case study research design, and six semistructured interviews were conducted with small Swedish firms that involved in international activities. Since this is an exploratory study, the data from the six cases was quite managable. Analysis was conducted by coding the interviews and categorization of the codes. The codes were interpreted and three types of knowledge were extracted based on both the data and theories; Technological Knowledge, Business Knowledge and Market-specific Knowledge. The main characteristics of each company were put together with regard to the three types of knowledge. The next step in analysis was to find out if there were any differences or similarities between the companies when it came to internationalization process. By using the aforementioned results a farmework was developed. The framework presents the role of each Knowledge in the internationalization process and is the key finding of this research.The results from this study indicate the significant role of different types of knowledge as the main source of competitive advantage for SMEs to go to international markets. However the result of this study also designates that the role of knowledge in the internationalization process must be understood in the context of the industry, the company and the people involved.
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Bodley, David Cyril. "The relationship between opportunity-related aspects and the performance of primary co-operatives in South Africa." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14653.
Full textAbstract:
South Africa is a country facing divisive social and economic challenges. It has a history that generated imbalances within the economy and requires urgent solutions to one of the most significant issues the country faces, having too few South Africans in work. Globally, a key solution to creating work has been to make small business the engine-room of economies. Consequently, the South African Government has identified the establishment of small businesses as a priority, which incorporates the development of collaborative forms of businesses in marginalised communities. The co-operative form of business and a strong co-operative movement is, therefore, a critical element of government’s initiative to create work and economic independence for South Africans. Governed by the seven International Labour Organization (ILO) principles, this form of business is often more complex than a typical firm, making the task of establishing and growing these entities particularly challenging. This study analyses the literature to gain an understanding of co-operative movements across the globe. It then looks at the specific challenges the movement faces in South Africa, followed by an analysis of best practice that a business should engage in its establishment and growth. Specifically, the literature examines whether there is a relationship between opportunity-related industry, market and entrepreneurial team aspects and improved business performance of business entities such as co-operatives. The study collates data from co-operatives in the South African economy using two separate methodologies. Firstly, a structured interview was used to acquire information on the opportunity-related aspects. Secondly, business transactions were recorded and basic financial statements were produced for each co-operative, enabling a rating on business performance. The primary data was then analysed within Chapter 6, to investigate the strength of the relationship between opportunity-related aspects and business performance. The findings extracted from the primary data reinforced certain facts within the body of knowledge as it relates to the relationship between opportunity-related aspects and business performance, but there were also some interesting new insights that were extracted from the data. The South African co-operative movement has achieved certain success and momentum as well as experiencing certain failures, and the study clearly highlights both, and makes recommendations to improve the movements and government’s efforts to establish a vibrant and meaningful co-operative sector.
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Wang, Renhang, and Jialun Wu. "Patent use in Swedish small companies : Empirical evidence from a survey." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-418103.
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This thesis studies how small Swedish firms used their patents between 1998 to 2016. We also examine the association between used and unused patents and their characteristics such as technological class, family size, inventors, claims, grant and authority. Research data are collected from both databases (PATLINK, Serrano, and PATSTAT) and survey. We found that 79% of patents are used in small Swedish companies and family size is associated with patent use. In small Swedish companies, the increase in patent family size will decrease the frequency of use.
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Karambakuwa, Tapuwa Roseline. "Determinants of export performance among small to medium enterprises in Zimbabwe." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17647.
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There is consensus that Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) exports play a critical role in the development of economies. It has been widely acknowledged in empirical research done around the world that small businesses make a significant contribution to economic development, employment, competitiveness and the reduction of regional disparities. However, empirical literature gives conflicting evidence on the determinants of export performance among SMEs. The study contributes towards the debate on SME exports by: (i) investigating the variables that determine export performance among SMEs in Zimbabwe (ii) establishing the competi-tiveness of Zimbabwe’s exports and (iii) ascertaining the major constraints faced by SME ex-porters in Zimbabwe The researcher gathered data from 120 SMEs and 10 institutions in Zimbabwe for the period 2009 to 2015. SME samples were chosen from Harare, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East provinces while all 10 of the institutions were chosen from Harare province. Convenient non-probability sampling method was used to select SMEs while stratified sampling technique was applied in the selection of institutions. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed. For the quantitative approach, panel data ordinary least squares method was used in the form of the gravity model of trade. Export intensity (used as a measure of exports) was regressed against support institutions, business ownership, research & development, educational years, use of export processing zones, product type, export years, firm size, firm age, gender, distance from trading partner, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of trading partner, and GDP of Zimbabwe. The random effects estimation method was used, basing on results from the Durbin-Wu-Hausman test. The null hypothesis was based on the premise that the variables under study do not determine export intensity of SMEs in Zimbabwe. Other null hypothesis were that the major constraint faced by SME exporters in Zimbabwe is not access to finance and that Zimbabwe’s exports are not competitive in the mining, agricultural and manufacturing sectors. The revealed comparative advantage index was computed to measure the competitiveness of Zimbabwe’s exports.For the qualitative approach, the study used the triangulation method which involved combining and utilising the questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussions. The results from the study indicated that following variables increased export intensity of Zimbabwean SMEs; business ownership, use of export processing zones, export years, firm size, and GDP of trading partner. The following variables have an inverse relationship with the export intensity of Zimbabwean SMEs: gender, distance from trading partner and research & development. The results also indicated that these further variables do not determine the export intensity of SMEs in Zimbabwe: support institutions, years of education, product type, firm age and GDP of Zimbabwe. The major constraint faced by exporting SMEs in Zimbabwe is limited access to finance. Zimbabwe is competitive in the agricultural and mining sector exports, but not in manufacturing sector exports The policy implication of the findings is that SME support needs to go beyond support institutions when it comes to SME export promotion. Further SMEs in the agriculture and mining sectors need to be promoted for export growth since Zimbabwe is competitive in these sectors. However the manufacturing sector cannot be ignored, since many economies have developed due to exports of manufactured products and a country needs to have balanced export growth in both primary and manufacturing sectors. In order to have motivated, career SME exporters, entrepreneurship education should begin from primary school right up to university so as to improve entrepreneurial aspirations, attitudes and behaviour in the long run.
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Lillah, Riyaadh. "Environmental management systems in South African small and medium-sized businesses." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/2909.
Full textAbstract:
Businesses have been criticised for their contribution towards the ever-increasing rate of destruction of the natural environment. Although businesses have responded by adapting their management practices, production processes and products, they still face a number of challenges in reducing their environmental impact. One way in which businesses have responded to the environmental crisis is by implementing environmental management systems. Despite the importance of environmental management implementation, researchers have neglected to identify the antecedents that could lead to environmental management system implementation in South African small and medium-sized businesses. Indeed, much of the research on environmental management has concentrated on large business in Europe or the United States. The limited research that has been conducted on environmental management in small and medium-sized businesses has been descriptive in nature, and fails to produce results that are generalisable and that advance the understanding on this topic. Given this situation, the objective of this study was to develop and empirically test a theoretical model to explain the implementation of environmental management systems in small and medium-sized businesses. A quantitative survey methodology was adopted in this study to test the proposed theoretical model empirically. In total, 417 small and medium-sized businesses participated in the survey; 326 of these were not implementing an environmental management system, and 91 were implementing such a system. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the sample data. The findings of this analysis suggest that the respondents had a favourable attitude toward environmental management systems; they were aware of environmental issues; they perceived themselves and their businesses as able to deal with the barriers to environmental management system implementation; they felt personally obligated to reduce their business‟ environmental impact; and they perceived actions aimed at reducing their businesses‟ environmental impact as socially desirable. To test the hypothesised relationships in the theoretical model, correlation and multiple regression analyses were used. The hypotheses dealing with the relationship between the environmental antecedents and the owner-manager‟s intention to implement an environmental management system, and the actual implementation of an environmental management system, were supported in this study. Thus, the environmental antecedents were found to be positively related to the small and medium-sized business owners‟ intention to implement an environmental management system; to their formal and informal implementation of an environmental management system; and to their practices related to waste management and legal compliance. Empirical evidence to support the hypothesised effect of resource constraints as a moderating variable was found in this study. In terms of environmental values, support was found for the moderating effect of egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values. In terms of the biographical characteristics of the business owners, significant moderating effects were found for gender and age, but not for education. Gender influenced the relationships between the environmental antecedents, attitude towards an environmental management system and personal pro-environmental norms, and the intention to implement an environmental management system. Age moderated the relationship between subjective pro-environmental norms, waste management, and legal compliance. Given the empirical evidence provided in this study, it is recommended that greater awareness of environmental issues be fostered among small and medium-sized business owners as well as the individuals who influence their decision-making. There is also a need to reinforce the positive business outcomes of environmental management system implementation, as well as the personal and social obligations to protect the natural environment among small and medium-sized business owners.
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Cincera, Michele. "Economic and technological performances of international firms." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/212081.
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The research performed throughout this dissertation aims at implementing quantitative methods in order to assess economic and technological performances of firms, i.e. it tries to assess the impacts of the determinants of technological activity on the results of this activity. For this purpose, a representative sample of the most important R&D firms in the world is constituted. The micro-economic nature of the analysis, as well as its international dimension are two main features of this research at the empirical level.<p><p>The second chapter illustrates the importance of R&D investments, patenting activities and other measures of technological activities performed by firms over the last 10 years.<p><p>The third chapter describes the main features as well as the construction of the database. The raw data sample consists of comparable detailed micro-level data on 2676 large manufacturing firms from several countries. These firms have reported important R&D expenditures over the period 1980-1994.<p><p>The fourth chapter explores the dynamic structure of the patent-R&D relationship by considering the number of patent applications as a function of present and lagged levels of R&D expenditures. R&D spillovers as well as technological and geographical opportunities are taken into account as additional determinants in order to explain patenting behaviours. The estimates are based on recently developed econometric techniques that deal with the discrete non-negative nature of the dependent patent variable as well as the simultaneity that can arise between the R&D decisions and patenting. The results show evidence of a rather contemporaneous impact of R&D activities on patenting. As far as R&D spillovers are concerned, these externalities have a significantly higher impact on patenting than own R&D. Furthermore, these effects appear to take more time, three years on average, to show up in patents.<p><p>The fifth chapter explores the contribution of own stock of R&D capital to productivity performance of firms. To this end the usual productivity residual methodology is implemented. The empirical section presents a first set of results which replicate the analysis of previous studies and tries to assess the robustness of the findings with regard to the above issues. Then, further results, based on different sub samples of the data set, investigate to what extent the R&D contribution on productivity differs across firms of different industries and geographic areas or between small and large firms and low and high-tech firms. The last section explores more carefully the simultaneity issue. On the whole, the estimates indicate that R&D has a positive impact on productivity performances. Yet, this contribution is far from being homogeneous across the different dimensions of data or according to the various assumptions retained in the productivity model.<p><p>The last empirical chapter goes deeper into the analysis of firms' productivity increases, by considering besides own R&D activities the impact of technological spillovers. The chapter begins by surveying the alternative ways proposed in the literature in order to asses the effect of R&D spillovers on productivity. The main findings reported by some studies at the micro level are then outlined. Then, the framework to formalize technological externalities and other technological determinants is exposed. This framework is based on a positioning of firms into a technological space using their patent distribution across technological fields. The question of whether the externalities generated by the technological and geographic neighbours are different on the recipient's productivity is also addressed by splitting the spillover variable into a local and national component. Then, alternative measures of technological proximity are examined. Some interesting observations emerge from the empirical results. First, the impact of spillovers on productivity increases is positive and much more important than the contribution of own R&D. Second, spillover effects are not the same according to whether they emanate from firms specialized in similar technological fields or firms more distant in the technological space. Finally, the magnitude and direction of these effects are radically different within and between the pillars of the Triad. While European firms do not appear to particularly benefit from both national and international sources of spillovers, US firms are mainly receptive to their national stock and Japanese firms take advantage from the international stock.<p><br>Doctorat en sciences économiques, Orientation économie<br>info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished
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Rathnam, Sharad. "Designing an environmentally conscious decision support tool for capital investments in small and medium enterprises." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/18922.
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Lindqvist, Maria. "Infant multinationals : the internationalization of young, technology-based Swedish Firms /." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm, Sweden : Stockholm School of Economics : Distributed by Institute of International Business, 1991. http://bvbr.bib-bvb.de:8991/F?func=service&doc_library=BVB01&doc_number=002839148&line_number=0001&func_code=DB_RECORDS&service_type=MEDIA.
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Kim, Ye Ryung. "Understanding the adoption of clusters by SMEs in Australia using innovation diffusion theory a case study /." Access electronically, 2007. http://www.library.uow.edu.au/adt-NWU/public/adt-NWU20080610.120546/index.html.
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Stewart, Wayne H. (Wayne Howard). "Small Business Owner-Managers and Corporate Managers: a Comparative Study of Achievement Motivation, Risk Taking Propensity and Preference for Innovation." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1995. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277602/.
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Despite the economic significance of entrepreneurship, relatively little is known about the entrepreneur, particularly how the entrepreneur differs from the corporate manager. This problem is both cause and symptom of the discord regarding definitions of the entrepreneur, rendering sampling, research replication and generalizations about entrepreneurs problematic. As a result, inquiry has failed to adequately establish how entrepreneurs differ from managers, a problem partially stemming from a dearth of methodologically rigorous comparisons of entrepreneurs with managers. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of psychological constructs to predict a proclivity for entrepreneurship. Moreover, differences in types of small business owner-managers were also investigated. Included in the research model were three common themes in the entrepreneurship literature: achievement motivation, risk taking propensity and preference for innovation. Also incorporated were the interactions of the psychological constructs, as well as individual and firm demographic variables.
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Olivier, Grant Jerome. "Developing a business model for growth in social enterprise : a case study of a hybrid organisation." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020137.
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The Intshona Group of Companies operates in South Africa as a hybrid agribusiness combining entrepreneurial principles with a philosophy of social upliftment in Africa. This research views Intshona through the lens of social entrepreneurship theory, a hybrid research field with a dominant theme being the need for growth and scaling of impact, but which is seen as fragmented, containing ambiguities and lagging practice. In this research, a case study of Intshona is developed based on questionnaires and interviews with the organisation’s management, a concerned NGO, social beneficiaries as well as employees. The result is a two-way flow of knowledge integrating elements of existing social enterprise theory with Intshona’s business practices, building on a generic model of entrepreneurship and culminating in a business model for growth in a social enterprise. The research delivers strategic directives for Intshona for its future growth, presents a case study for addition to the body of knowledge on social entrepreneurship and concludes with suggestions for further research to continue developing theory.
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Sha, Shafeek. "An investigation into problems facing small-to-medium sized enterprises in achieving growth in the Eastern Cape : enhancing the strategy for developing small 'growth potential' firms in the Eastern Cape." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2006. http://eprints.ru.ac.za/288/.
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Pellegrino, Juan M., and n/a. "Strategy, learning and knowledge in the internationalisation process : a comparative study of NZ incremental and early-internationalising SMEs." University of Otago. Department of Marketing, 2009. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20090826.101221.
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Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which represent around 95% or more of the total number of enterprises in many countries, are often considered critical for a country's economy because of their effects on economic output and their contribution to overall employment. However, as a result of globalisation and the deregulation of the New Zealand economy, SMEs in this country have been faced with the need to internationalise in order to grow because of increased domestic competition. Moreover, when they make their move to offshore markets they also face fierce competition. Hence, it is in this largely integrated and competitive global marketplace that it becomes critical for smaller firms to learn about international business to succeed. Therefore, this thesis aimed to understand and explain how internationalising NZ SMEs learn and develop knowledge throughout their internationalisation process.
To frame this problem an extensive review of the literature on internationalisation, organisational knowledge and organisational learning was conducted. This assessment revealed a gap related to the evolution of learning and knowledge in SMEs' internationalisation process. It also identified the incremental and born-global internationalisation types, two more common and distinctive internationalisation paths that SMEs follow. The literature described the several common forms of knowledge that played more or less critical roles in these firms' internationalisation. Furthermore, extant research also stated that experiential learning and other learning processes were important for the internationalisation of these firms but it did not delve into the development of these learning processes over time. Finally, the evaluation of the knowledge and learning literatures identified three most distinctive and important forms of knowledge that organisations develop as a result of several learning processes.
Anchored on the research problem and the specific research questions, derived from the literature review, and framed by a post-positivist worldview, this study developed a methodology that combined theory building, process-based research and case studies to address the problem. More specifically, the methodology involved the selection of and collection of historical, or retrospective, data from eight cases, four incremental and four early-internationalising firms. The data collected through interviews and document analysis was examined using different process analysis techniques.
This research has found that there were important differences in the incremental and early-internationalising firms' learning and knowledge during their creation. Furthermore, the early-internationalising firms identified and implemented an internationalisation strategy from the beginning. Thus, the knowledge about international markets and products acquired through congenital learning and their initial intention to offer their products offshore allowed the early-internationalising firms to expand internationally from their creation or soon after. In contrast, the incremental firms only decided to internationalise after they learned from their experience in their domestic market that they had a successful product that had international potential. Besides their initial internationalisation strategy, or lack of it, and knowledge, other factors, such as firm resources, product and industry characteristics and previous learning and knowledge, influenced these firms' subsequent internationalisation strategy, learning and knowledge.
Publication associated with this thesis: Pellegrino, J. (2005) Organisational Learning Processes in Internationalising Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises: a Comparison between Traditional and Born-Global firms. Udevalla Symposium & McGill International Entrepreneurship Conference, Udevalla, Sweden, September 2005.
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Black, Elton M. "Assessing the impact of ethical orientation on the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation in the Namibian small firm." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95632.
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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Namibia’s economic success is largely determined by the success of its small and medium enterprise sector. The contribution of this sector to the Namibian gross domestic product is a function of its entrepreneurial vigour. It is well documented that an organisation’s entrepreneurial leadership competency makes for higher profitability. What is less commonly known, however, is that this complex entrepreneurial leadership construct includes a vital ethical component.
This study has aimed to shed light on the relationship between entrepreneurial and ethical orientation, both sub-constructs within the larger entrepreneurial leadership construct. An in depth theoretical discussion on both entrepreneurial and ethical orientation is offered. Prior research on both orientations is consulted to provide the necessary theoretical background. The study concludes by commenting on the existence of a relationship between the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation.
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Carlson, Andrew F. "Small Business and the 2010 FIFA World Cup: The Use of Communication Technology in South African Micro-Enterprise." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1273587777.
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Buthelizi, Nozipho Charity Sindisiwe. "Development of a framework of organisational culture that characterises an innovative organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises in the South African economy : an exploratory study." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/8501.
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Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It has been suggested that without the ability to innovate, an organisation will not be able to survive the demands of an ever-changing operating environment. This raises the question: How can organisations ensure that they are able to innovate?
Organisational culture has been identified as a critical variable in answering this question. The culture of the organisation determines to a large extent the degree of innovation in that organisation. Business leaders have made attempts to nurture a culture of creativity and innovation in their organisations through the recruitment of dynamic individuals with innovative traits. However, most of their attempts seemed insufficient in achieving their goals.
The primary purpose of this research is to develop a framework for organisational culture that characterises an innovative organisation in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The secondary objective is to identify the enablers and inhibitors of innovation.
Research method:
The research approach starts with a review of existing literature. This is followed by the development of the theory and empirical research. Data collection was also carried out in the form of semi-structured interviews with senior and middle management in innovative SMMEs.
Main findings: The analysis of the findings indicates that an organisation cannot focus on any single aspect of organisational culture. Innovation is a system in the organisation that is strongly guided by the culture of the organisation.
Recommendations: Future research on this subject will benefit from the selection of a larger sample of data. Given the dynamic nature of innovation and organisational culture, it is
recommended to repeat this research over time in order to explore whether the same dimensions in determining innovative organisational culture still apply. The current research can also be followed up by a study on the sources of innovation in an organisation.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding:
Sonder die vermoë om te kan innoveer, sal ’n organisasie nie kan oorleef in ’n bedryfsomgewing wat voortdurend verander nie. Dit laat die vraag ontstaan: Hoe kan organisasies seker maak hulle die vermoë het om te innoveer?
Organisasiekultuur is geïdentifiseer as ’n kritiese veranderlike in die beantwoording van hierdie vraag. Die kultuur van ’n organisasie bepaal grootliks die mate van innovering in daardie organisasie. Sakeleiers probeer om ’n kultuur van kreatiwiteit en innovering in hul organisasies te koester deur dinamiese individue met innoverende karaktereienskappe te werf. Dit blyk egter dat die meeste van hul pogings nie daarin kan slaag om hul doelwitte te bereik nie.
Die primêre doel van hierdie navorsing is om ’n raamwerk vir organisatoriese kultuur te ontwikkel wat ’n innoverende organisasie in klein, medium-grootte en mikro ondernemings (KMMO’s) kenmerk. Die sekondêre doelwit is om die moontlikmakers en inhibeerders van innovering te identifiseer.
Navorsingsmetode:
Die navorsingsbenadering begin met ’n oorsig van bestaande literatuur. Dit word gevolg deur die ontwikkeling van die teorie en empiriese navorsing. Data-insameling is uitgevoer in die vorm van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met senior en middelvlakbestuurders van innoverende KMMO’s.
Vernaamste bevindinge:
Die ontleding van die bevindinge dui daarop dat ’n organisasie nie op een enkele aspek van organisasiekultuur kan fokus nie. Innovering is ’n stelsel in die organisasie wat baie sterk deur die kultuur van die organisasie beïnvloed word.
Aanbevelings:
Toekomstige navorsing oor hierdie onderwerp sal baat vind by die seleksie van ’n groter steekproef van data. Gegewe die dinamiese aard van innovering en
organisatoriese kultuur, word daar aanbeveel dat hierdie navorsing mettertyd herhaal word om uit te vind of dieselfde dimensies vir die bepaling van innoverende organisatoriese kultuur steeds van toepassing is. Die huidige navorsing kan ook opgevolg word deur ’n studie oor die bronne van innovering in ’n organisasie.
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Kvantaliani, Maka, and Olga Klimina. "Implications of cross-cultural communication in business : A study of Swedish small enterprise “ImseVimse” and its international distributors and retailers." Thesis, Högskolan på Gotland, Institutionen för humaniora och samhällsvetenskap, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hgo:diva-933.
Full textAbstract:
In times of rapid economic development and internationalization of business, effective cross-cultural communication among managers remains a challenge. This thesis aims to research and analyze cross-cultural communication in business context based on qualitative case study of a small Swedish company and its international business partners. Previous research has focused on differences and similarities in people’s behaviour and ways of communication based on their cultural background. Through in-depth analysis and application of existing theories to the chosen case study company, the findings of this research demonstrated that although national culture does have an undeniable influence on people’s behaviour and their communication style, implications in communication between business partners of different cultural backgrounds often connected to an individual approach to cross-cultural communication. A great emphasis was placed on the language being one of the biggest communication challenges facing SMEs in international arena. Finally, misunderstandings occurring due to communication through technological devices were discussed.
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Senyolo, Thomas Jeffrey Manjaro. "An analysis of selected aspects relating to failure of black businessmen and subsequent leasing of their shop to foreign owners in rural areas in the Greater Letaba Municiplity area of the Limpopo Province: an exploratory analysis approach." Thesis, University of Limpopo, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/492.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MBA) --University of Limpopo, 2011<br>The leasing out of the shops to foreign owners in the rural areas in Greater Letaba
Municipality by black businessmen is of concern to those involved in the economic
development of the municipality. An exploratory business analysis approach was used to analyze this report. The previous local shop owners and foreign shop owners were interviewed to get the aspects that made the former fail to successfully run their business. The problem statement and objectives of the research are outlined by comparing the three shop owners through tables, and this paved the way for the researcher to understand different models used to run their businesses. Both local and foreign shop owners used the pricing strategy though their price differed. The foreign shop owners, present local shop owners and previous shop owners have, in terms of management been dealing with pricing, competition and system and equipment. The analyses of findings are presented also in the form of tables. The present local shop owners and foreign shop owners operate more or less the
same. They network and buy more stock in order to sell it cheaper.
The recommendation and conclusions will assist businesses not to fail in future.
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Mitchell, Suzanne Claudine Campbell. "The adoption of information and communications technologies by rural businesses : the case of the South Midlands." Thesis, Coventry University, 1998. http://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/items/b8169ffb-73ba-228c-33e3-56df228af127/1.
Full textAbstract:
In the light of increasing promotion of new information and communications technologies (ICTs) as a tool for economic development, this thesis examines the relationship between ICTs, rural businesses and rural development among rural engineering and manufacturing firms in South Warwickshire and the Cotswolds. Despite high levels of general interest in this subject area, previous research has tended to concentrate on the technical (supply-side) issues of these new technologies; the human (demand-side) aspect has, so far, been largely overlooked. The devised theoretical framework distinguishes between influential factors internal and external to the firm. Empirical research draws upon humanistic behavioural concepts to investigate ICT adoption decision-making processes at the micro-level of individual sectors, enterprises and entrepreneurs in rural areas, and to evaluate the role of external agencies. Firms in the study area are diverse in terms of their ICT adoption and use, and entrepreneurial characteristic and linkages with other businesses and organizations are found to be major determinants of technology requirements and uptake. Two types of firms are identified: inwardly-oriented firms, with local buyer and supplier contacts, which make little use of technology; and outwardly-oriented firms, which use ICTs more intensively and have geographically dispersed networks of customers and suppliers. While notable levels of general awareness of ICTs exist among rural businesses, the initial financial outlay involved, coupled with a lack of knowledge of existing technological solutions and support, and a need for skills training, remain significant disincentives to ICT uptake among smaller firms. Agencies currently lag behind local businesses in terms of their ICT awareness and use, and understanding of the potential development implications of technology. In many cases there is a mis-match between agencies' perceptions of ICT use in rural firms and their response to this area of business support. Although there is a recognition amongst agencies that their client firms are applying new technologies in their business processes, ICTs are seen by the majority of agencies as a future component of business strategy. Thus, appropriate support for firms implementing ICTs is not yet widely accessible. Findings suggest that ICT implementation is not appropriate in all firms; requirements and applications vary widely and there is a need for a tailored approach by agencies and policy makers which takes account of the uniqueness of entrepreneur and firm characteristics.
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Farrington, Shelley Maeva. "Sibling partnerships in South African small and medium-sized family businesses." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/952.
Full textAbstract:
Given the predicted increase in the number of family businesses owned and/or managed by siblings (Sibling Partnerships), as well as the lack of understanding and research attention given to such sibling teams, the purpose of this study was to contribute to the more effective functioning of such family businesses in South Africa by identifying the factors that impact on their success. With this purpose in mind, the primary objective was to identify, investigate and empirically test the possible influences of, and relationships between, various factors and the Perceived success of Sibling Partnerships. This study sets out to integrate prior findings and theories on team effectiveness and family relationships, to find support for these theories in the family business literature, and to incorporate these findings into a comprehensive model. The literature study revealed 5 main categories (context, composition, structure, processes, and people) of constructs influencing the Perceived success of sibling teams. Within these 5 main constructs, 13 underlying independent variables were identified and hypothesised to influence measures of effectiveness of sibling teams, namely the dependent variable Perceived success, and the 2 intermediate variables Financial performance and Family harmony. Of the 13 underlying independent variables, 6 were categorised as task-based and 7 as relational-based factors. In addition, hypotheses were formulated for possible relationships between the various task-based constructs (context, composition and structure) and the processes and people constructs. Each construct was clearly defined and then operationalised. Operationalisation was done by using reliable and valid items sourced from tested measuring instruments used in previous studies, as well as several self-generated items based on secondary sources. A structured questionnaire was made available to respondents identified by means of the convenience snowball sampling technique, and the data collected from 371 usable questionnaires was subjected to various statistical analyses. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and Cronbach-alpha coefficients were calculated to confirm the validity and reliability of the measuring instrument. The 6 task-based latent variables were confirmed by the exploratory factor analysis. However, all the other latent variables, as originally intended in the theoretical model, could not be confirmed. Instead, 3 dependent variables were identified, namely Financial performance, Growth performance and Satisfaction with work and family relationships, and 6 relational-based constructs, with some changes, did emerge. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was the main statistical procedure used to test the significance of the relationships hypothesised between the various independent and dependent variables. Because of sample size restrictions the conceptual model could not be subjected to SEM as a whole; consequently 10 submodels were identified and subjected to further analysis. The following independent variables were identified as influencing the dependent variables in this study: • Internal context • Complementary skills • Leadership • Shared dream • Fairness • Sibling relationship • Non-family members • No other family members (spouses and non-active siblings) In addition, the factors Complementary skills, Leadership, Past parent involvement, No present parent involvement, and No other family members, were identified as significantly influencing the relationship between the siblings involved in the Sibling Partnership. Furthermore, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Multiple Linear Regression analysis and t-tests were undertaken to determine the influence of demographic variables on the dependent variables. How ownership is shared in a family business involving siblings, the shareholding between the siblings themselves, and the nature of leadership between the siblings, has been found to influence the iv dependent variables in the present study. In addition, a Sibling Partnership is likely to perform most effectively when it is composed of a relatively young sibling team that has a small age gap between the members, and business performance will improve as the siblings gain work experience together, and as the number of employees increase. This study has added to the empirical body of family business research by investigating a particularly limited segment of the literature, namely Sibling Partnerships in family businesses. By identifying and developing various models that outline the most significant factors that influence the success of such family business partnerships, this study offers recommendations and suggestions for managing family businesses involving siblings, in such a way as to enrich their family relationships and to improve the financial performance of their businesses.
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Nzawou, Arnaud. "E-commerce strategies for SMME sustained growth in the manufacturing sector." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/989.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
of
Master of Technology: Business Information System
In the Faculty of Business
At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013<br>The South African manufacturing industry landscape has changed due to the pressures of globalisation and liberalisation of trade policy regimes. The structural shift of this industry has led to a global market in which many small businesses in the manufacturing sector find it difficult to compete with competitors for example, in Asian countries. Companies are required to improve their competitiveness by using various strategies such as e-commerce. However, these strategies are changing economics, markets, industry structure, products and services, the flow of products and services, consumer segmentation, consumer values, consumer behaviour and labour markets. An e-commerce strategy could assist small businesses in emerging markets to streamline their business processes in their respective sectors and industries, thus enabling them to enhance their business activities. Yet, literature reveals that most SMMEs do not take full advantage of e-commerce applications in their business activities. A qualitative approach using a case study methodology is used for this research. The researcher adopted models such as the Technology-Organisational-Environmental model, a value proposition model and a key assets model to collect and analyse evidence to propose guidelines for e-commerce initiatives in the selected environment. The findings indicate that SMMEs could improve their performance by establishing formal strategies and structures to increase their worth. This is done by creating e-commerce strategies to fit their organisational goals and objectives. Furthermore, manufacturing SMMEs need appropriate online platforms to transact and build strong relationships with suppliers, customers and partners. In addition, it is essential for SMMEs to establish and monitor quality standards in their e-commerce activities. It was found that the key assets needed by SMMEs in the manufacturing sector could impact their ability to sustain their business activities. Finally, manufacturing SMMEs need to deliver targeted and contextual marketing messages to help influence potential decision makers. This research contributes to the field of e-commerce by providing guidelines which manufacturing SMMEs could use as a starting point, to understand and improve their current e-commerce strategies and sustain their business growth.
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Hollige, Oliver. "The influence of laws, regulations and policies on the development of micro-small and medium enterprises :the case of the coastal region of the Benguela Province, Angola." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2010. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_5239_1308128074.
Full textAbstract:
<p>The study was undertaken in the coastal area of the Benguela Province in Angola. The research question can be formulated as follows: How do laws, policies and regulations influence the development of MSMEs in the coastal area of the Benguela Province? The theory of transaction cost as developed by the new institutional economists will provide the framework for the study.</p>
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Hove, Progress. "The impact of technological marketing on Porter's competitive forces model and SMEs' performance." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007120.
Full textAbstract:
It is commonly understood that the adoption and development of technological marketing capabilities by firms provides them with immense opportunities to transform their business practices and strategies, so as to strategically position themselves in the market and enhance firm performance. Nevertheless, little attention has, thus far, been given to the empirical investigation of the impact of adopting and developing the technological marketing on Porter‟s five competitive forces and firm performance of SMEs. The principal objective of this study was to fill this void by investigating the influence of the technological marketing on Porter‟s five competitive forces model (industry structure) of SMEs in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. Secondarily, the study sought to determine the influence of technological marketing capability on firm performance of SMEs in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality; in order to ascertain whether or not the competitiveness of SMEs impacts on their firm performance; to determine whether or not SMEs adopt new and advanced technological capabilities when marketing their products/services and to examine whether or not SMEs adopt new and advanced technological capabilities in order to enhance their performance. The study employs a quantitative method in data collection. Sample data from 211 SME owners/managers in the retail and manufacturing sectors of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality was collected for the final data analysis of this project. The sample data was analysed by performing a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS 7 Statistical Analysis software. The principal finding of this study reveals that technological marketing has no significant impact on Porter‟s five forces. In addition, the results showed that technological marketing capability has a positive and significant influence on firm performance. The findings also revealed that SMEs adopt new and advanced technologies when marketing their products and services. The conclusions and implications of the research findings are provided and recommendations are suggested. The researcher recommended non technological strategies for improving SMEs‟ competitiveness and the following technological strategies to boost performance: creating a customer-centric e-commerce strategy, embracing outsourcing, joining e-business community and integrating information management into new marketing technologies. Strategies were also recommended to the government as the policy maker. These include introducing e-business finance arrangement, marketing hubs for SMEs and promoting synergies between technology vendor companies and the small enterprises. The study tried to address marketing technologies‟ policy deficiencies on the side of both SMEs and the government.
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Turyakira, Peter. "Corporate social responsibility: a competitive strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises in Uganda." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012648.
Full textAbstract:
In view of the important role small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) universally play as the backbone of national economies and the survival and competitiveness challenges that they face, the purpose of this study was to develop specific models of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for SMEs in Uganda as an avenue to enhance their competitiveness and foster economic development. The primary objective was to gain insight into the deployment of CSR in SMEs, including investigating CSR factors and their potential impact on competitiveness. This study integrates previous findings and theories on CSR activities and SMEs‟ competitiveness into a comprehensive hypothesised model. A comprehensive literature study revealed potential factors that could influence the Increased competitiveness of SMEs in Uganda. Four independent variables (Workforce-oriented, Society-oriented, Market-oriented and Environmental-oriented CSR activities) and three mediating variables (Employee satisfaction, Business reputation and Customer loyalty) were identified as variables influencing the Increased competitiveness (dependent variable) of SMEs. Independent variables were categorised as CSR factors while mediating and dependent variables were categorised as outcomes factors. Furthermore, hypotheses were formulated for possible relationships between the independent, mediating and dependent variables. All the variables in the study were clearly defined and operationalised. Reliable and valid items sourced from various measuring instruments used in other similar studies, were used in the operationalisation of these variables. Furthermore, several items were generated from secondary sources. A structured self-administered questionnaire was made available to respondents identified using the stratified and purposive sampling techniques, and the data collected from 383 usable questionnaires was subjected to several statistical analyses. The validity and reliability of the measuring instrument was ascertained using an exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach-alpha coefficients respectively. An exploratory factor analysis using SPSS 18 for Windows was conducted to identify the unique factors available in the data before applying structural equation modelling (SEM). The data were categorised into models of independent variables (CSR factors) and the mediating variables (Outcomes factors). The items measuring Market-oriented CSR activities and Workforce-oriented CSR activities loaded as expected. The items measuring Environmental-oriented CSR activities loaded onto two separate factors which were renamed Environmental-oriented CSR activities and Regulated CSR activities. One of the items originally expected to measure the construct Society-oriented CSR activities loaded onto Environmental-oriented CSR activities, leaving three items which loaded together onto the Society-oriented CSR activities factor. Four factors constituted the outcomes submodel, namely Customer loyalty, Stakeholder trust, Business reputation, and Employee satisfaction. In this study, SEM was the main statistical procedure used to test the significance of the relationships hypothesised between the various independent and dependent variables. Owing to the sample size limitations, the hypothesised model could not be subjected to SEM as a whole. Consequently, six sub-models were identified and subjected to further analysis. The following independent variables were identified as influencing the dependent variables in this study: Workforce-oriented CSR activities, Society-oriented CSR activities, Market-oriented CSR activities, Environmental-oriented CSR activities, Regulated CSR activities. To establish the influence of the various demographic variables on the mediating and dependent variables, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) analysis were conducted. The respondent‟s position/title in the business, form of enterprise, branch/sector of business, level of education, and the size of business were found to have an influence on the mediating and dependent variables of this study. This study has therefore added to the underdeveloped body of business research in Uganda by investigating a particularly limited segment of the literature, namely SMEs. The study has also identified and developed various models that explain the most significant CSR factors that influence the competitiveness of SMEs. Consequently, this study has put forward several recommendations and suggestions that can enhance the competitiveness of SMEs locally and globally. Further research is encouraged on action-oriented areas such as: the success of different policies and techniques to increase the uptake of CSR amongst SMEs; the economic, social and environmental impact of CSR at sector level; and a typology of SMEs with regard to their engagement in CSR.
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Siwale, Mengo. "Scenario planning 2020 for Southern African economic empowerment : can Southern Africa leapfrog from an agrarian to a knowledge economy." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5770.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The central question that this research report attempts to answer is how southern African countries can leapfrog from agrarian to knowledge-based economies. There is no single answer to this question, but rather a complex solution. This can best be answered using scenario planning; hence the title 'Scenario planning 2020 for southern African economic empowerment'. Scenario planning is not the only way of answering the central question, but is the one preferred by the author. The scenario-building process helps to identify a number of key forces or factors that impact on the region. Culture and openness were top of the list with regard to importance and uncertainty in answering the central question. Using culture and openness, the author was able to develop a matrix with four quadrants. With these quadrants the author developed four plausible futures for the region, using the other forces identified and listed as characters, guided by the technique developed by experts in the field of scenario planning. The scenario process gives insightful information that helps one appreciate the dynamic forces, both positive and negative, and how they interact with each other to translate into an outcome - be it a desirable or undesirable outcome. There is a strong business case for recognising and appreciating the existence of culture and that this is the reason why people (and their culture) cannot be separated from the way of business. People have a way of life and, in order to do business with them, their culture must be understood.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die sentrale vraag wat hierdie navorsingsverslag probeer beantwoord, is hoe lande in Suider Afrika die sprong van landbou- tot kennis-gebaseerde ekonomiee kan bewerkstellig. Daar is geen enkel-antwoord tot hierdie vraag nie, maar eerder 'n komplekse oplossing. Dit kan die beste beantwoord word deur scenariobeplanning; daarom die titel 'Scenario planning 2020 for Southern African economic empowerment. Scenario-beplanning is nie die enigste wyse om die sentrale vraag te beantwoord nie, maar is die een wat deur die skrywer verkies word. Die scenariobouproses help om 'n aantal sleutelkragte of -faktore te identifiseer wat 'n impak op die streek het. Kultuur en openheid was bo aan die lys met betrekking tot belangrikheid en onsekerheid. Met die gebruik van kultuur en openheid, was dit vir die skrywer moontlik om 'n matriks te ontwikkel met vier kwadrante. Met hierdie kwadrante het die skrywer vier geloofwaardige toekomsbeelde vir die streek ontwikkel, met gebruikmaking van die ander kragte wat geldentifiseer en gelys is as karakters, gelei deur die tegniek deur kenners ontwikkel in die veld van scenariobeplanning. Die scenarioproses hied insig wat 'n mens help om die dinamiese kragte te waardeer, positief sowel as negatief, en hoe hulle met mekaar in wisselwerking is om'n uitslag te bewerkstellig - wenslik of nie-wenslik. Daar is 'n sterk saak uit te maak vir sakeondememings om herkenning en waardering te gee vir die bestaan van kultuur en dat dit die rede is waarom mense (en bulle kultuur) nie geskei kan word van die wyse waarop sakebelange bedryf word nie. Mense het 'n leefwyse en om sake met hulle te bedryf, moet hul kultuur verstaan word.
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Agbobli, Edem Korku. "The influence of entrepreneurial and market orientations on small scale agricultural enterprises in the Vryburg region." Thesis, Bloemfontein: Central University of Technology, Free State, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11462/223.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (D. Tech. (Business Administration )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2013.<br>A major concern for developing countries including South Africa is the high levels of
unemployment, poverty and inequity. Developing countries have accordingly been
pre-occupied with finding solutions to these problems. Drawing on the success of
small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) from the developed countries such as
the US and the UK, developing nations have embraced the idea of promoting
development through SMMEs. But the overall performance of the small business
sector in most developing countries has rather been dismal and as such have not been
able to contribute optimally to the development agenda. Adopting a strategic
management perspective, this study hypothesised that an integration of
entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and market orientations (MO) glued together by
innovativeness (INNO) would yield superior outcomes than the stand-alone effects of
these strategic postures. To test the hypothesis, a sample of 198 small scale
agricultural enterprises (SSAEs) in the Vryburg region was surveyed. Descriptive and
inferential statistical analyses were performed on the data generated. The empirical
findings showed that EO + MO + INNO interactively exhibited positive and significant
correlation with the performance (sales growth and profitability) of SSAEs in the
Vryburg region. However, the inter-correlations of EO + MO + INNO with business
performance were practically moderate. The moderate correlations create
opportunities for strengthening the entrepreneurial and market orientations and
innovativeness of SSAES and in fact small businesses in general. An intensive and
co-ordinated intervention of government and NGOs in transforming the small business
sector into the real engine of growth of the economy is imperative. The study also
attempted to predict firm performance holding EO + EO + INNO as predictor variables.
Multi linear regression and multinomial logistic regression analysis however did not
yield significant predictions of performance of SSAEs. This outcome provides a launch
pad for further research into the proposed model in different settings because this
study was mainly exploratory and executed in a rural and agricultural environments.
Notwithstanding, the study made important contributions to the literature. It showed
that it was possible to integrate EO + MO + INNO (previously viewed by many authors
as exclusive constructs) into a single business model for the synergic enhancement
of small business performance. It is hoped this would stimulate economic growth and
development especially in developing countries.
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Andjelkovic, Maja. "Mimetic processes in entrepreneurship ecosystems : the cases of mobile technology entrepreneurship networks in Nairobi, Kathmandu and London." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2014. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:935a8a55-f63f-458f-b462-17cad23c040e.
Full textAbstract:
This qualitative study of networks of entrepreneurs in the mobile technology industry in three ecosystems - Kathmandu, Nairobi and London - examines perceptions and attitudes of entrepreneurs related to their networking activities. The focus is on understanding the entrepreneurs' motivations for, and benefits and risks of networking, as well as the overall trends of development of the three ecosystems, which are very different from each other in terms of socioeconomic circumstances. The findings provide new insights into the link between the concept of a community of supportive peers and the acquisition of subjective resources, such as self-efficacy and legitimacy, while also supporting conclusions of earlier empirical and theoretical work linking networks with the acquisition of resources necessary for founding and building a new firm. A comparison of results across the three ecosystems uncovers a strong tendency towards institutional convergence of the three ecosystems based on a model inspired by the Silicon Valley experience. The mechanisms through which this is found to occur are mimesis and storytelling, motivated primarily by learning goals and the pursuit of legitimacy for entrepreneurial action in the mobile technology industry, as well as for the individual ventures. The overall finding emerging from the cases is that, despite significant differences, the three ecosystems are reliant on a shared pool of relevant information and knowledge, via the Internet and through personal and organizational connections. They resemble one another not only in terms of resources sought by entrepreneurs through their networks, but also in the ways entrepreneurs signal their purpose and value to their community, and in the way the describe their environment - through references to other entrepreneurship ecosystems. In the absence of an existing theoretical approach to analyzing convergence of diverse entrepreneurship ecosystems, the study proposes a framework based on DiMaggio and Powell's theory of institutional isomorphism, and integrating the works of Wiewel and Hunter, on legitimacy-building by association through networks, and Djelic, on the process of cross-national transfer, or export, of economic models. The type of isomorphism perceived is termed "aspirational," since it is found to occur in the context of pursuing a specific outcome previously achieved by the application of a particular institutional model. The difference between "aspirational isomorphism" and behaviours described by DiMaggio and Powell lies in the interpretation and adaptation of a model that can then be embedded in a nascent institutional environment (in this case, an entrepreneurial ecosystem). Rather than pure mimesis, aspirational isomorphism is a flexible and creative endeavor.
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Allen, Robert. "Strategies for Integrating and Sustaining Disruptive Innovations in Small Businesses." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5674.
Full textAbstract:
The evolution of technology has led to a need for business leaders to embrace disruptive technology for the purpose of capturing new markets and remaining competitive. Multiple challenges have been faced by business leaders in the processes of integrating and sustaining disruptive innovations, resulting in the failure to achieve expected efficiency and profitability. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by business leaders to integrate and sustain disruptive innovations. The conceptual frameworks were Roger's diffusion of innovation theory and Christensen's disruptive innovation theory. Semistructured interviews were administered to 10 business leaders and employees from institutions of higher learning in the Northeastern region of the United States. The participants were selected using a purposive nonrandom sampling technique. The selection criteria included organizational leaders, technology professionals, training and development professionals, and organizational end-users. Three themes and several subthemes were identified. The strategies for integrating and sustaining disruptive innovations include training, changeover mechanisms, and the use of critical resources. The procedural and structural factors in processes to integrate and sustain disruptive innovations include identifying critical success factors, ascertaining benchmarks, determining levels of support and effectiveness. Obstacles faced during the processes of integrating and sustaining disruptive innovations were categorized into human, technology, changeover, and external issues. Social change may be realized through the improved success rates of small business leaders implementing disruptive innovations by increasing meaningful employment and enhancing livelihoods.