Attitudes and Entrepreneurial Orientation of Government funded co-operatives towards social entrepreneurship in the Gauteng Province
Date
2017
Authors
Nambodia, Sindiswa Olga
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Abstract
The intention of the study was to conduct descriptive research that assessed the
present state of co-operatives, which includes their understanding of the concept of
social entrepreneurship, and to further describe and measure the extent of the elements
of entrepreneurial attitudes that exist in the co-operatives. It focused on the existence of
entrepreneurial orientation and its influence on the co-operatives’ business, and
critically identified the perceived barriers to engaging in social entrepreneurship. The
study tested the propositions and linked to the following constructs: entrepreneurial
attitudes, entrepreneurial orientation, and perceived constraints towards social
entrepreneurship.
Given that a valuation was envisioned as a product, the research was directed from a
positivist approach and therefore the quantitative research method was engaged. The
sample population comprised directors of co-operatives and the sampling frame was
active members of registered co-operatives. A non-probability sampling technique was
utilised as this group of directors serves as a connection between top management
members and lower active members of the co-operatives. The research instrument that
was used was the questionnaire survey, which was adapted from Morris and Covin
(1989) and Kuratko and Hornsby (2013). The data were analysed using factor analysis
and correlation techniques. The results of the study indicate that there is an awareness
of the concept of social entrepreneurship in the co-operatives sector. There is evidence
of positive attitudes towards social entrepreneurship among the co-operative members.
The outcome of the study is that there seems to be a certain level of innovativeness,
risk-taking and pro-activeness in co-operatives in Gauteng in South Africa. Furthermore,
the results also proved that there is a positive and strong relationship between the
external variable that is government funding, and the four EO dimensions.
Description
This report is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of
Management Entrepreneur and Venture Creation (MMENVC) at the University of the
Witwatersrand Business School
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Citation
Nambondia, Sindiswa Olga, (2017) Attitudes and entrepreneurial orientation of government funded co-operatives towards social entrepreneurship in the Gauteng Province, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, https://hdl.handle.net/10539/26267