Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters/MBA)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37942

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Entrepreneurial self-efficacy

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    The effect of fixed and mobile broadband usage on entrepreneurial competencies and intentions among individuals within Gauteng
    (2020) Hudson, Brett
    Broadband internet is one of the most important information and communication technologies available today, with the capability of providing a fertile environment for entrepreneurship to flourish in South Africa. International literature suggests that broadband can enhance entrepreneurial activities within developed economies, but little research has been conducted on this topic in a South African context. There has been a distinct lack of empirical evidence concerning broadband internet in South Africa and more specifically the differences between the type of broadband (mobile or fixed) used. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the type of broadband people use, and their entrepreneurial competencies and intentions, within the province of Gauteng. Entrepreneurial competencies included in this study were entrepreneurial self-efficacy, creative problem-solving ability, and networking ability. Data was collected using an electronically distributed survey to people within the province of Gauteng. A final number of 150 respondents were used as the sample for the quantitative analysis. The findings from the study reveal that the type of broadband people use has no relationship to their entrepreneurial competencies or intentions. The exploratory analysis, however, identified that the amount of broadband people have access to positively correlates to their entrepreneurial intentions. This suggests that broadband internet can positively impact on entrepreneurship in Gauteng. Key words: Broadband internet, Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial competencies, Entrepreneurial self-efficacy, Creative problem-solving ability, Networking ability, Entrepreneurial intentions, Gauteng.
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    Business development services training and entrepreneurial self-efficacy: comparing necessity and opportunity-driven entrepreneurs in South Africa
    (2020) Eister, Tshegofatso
    Small businesses in South Africa struggle to make it to the established business phase, while the high unemployment rate, as well as the many retrenchments that the country has been facing, continue to bring a surge of entrepreneurs who find themselves going into business as it is their only means of making a living. Business Development Services (BDS) have been targeted to improve the performance of firms, one of their service categories being skills training proves to develop entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of BDS training on the entrepreneurial self-efficacy of necessity- and opportunity-driven entrepreneurs, and whether that impact would be more positive in opportunity-driven rather than necessity-driven entrepreneurs. This was a quantitative study which collected primary data from 519 entrepreneurs of which 97 were necessity-driven and 422 were opportunitydriven. First, statistical analysis were conducted using correlation analysis and multiple linear regression to test the impact of training on the ESE of necessity and opportunity-driven entrepreneurs, while removing the impact of confounding variables: gender, education, management experience, industry experience, and partnerships. Second, independent sample T-test was performed to compare the entrepreneurial self-efficacy levels of necessity- and opportunity-driven entrepreneurs after training. The empirical evidence from this study found that general entrepreneurial training is more effective in increasing the entrepreneurial self-efficacy of opportunitydriven entrepreneurs, whereas task-specific training was better suited for increasing the entrepreneurial self-efficacy of necessity-driven entrepreneurs. The study also found that the ESE levels of necessity- and opportunity-driven entrepreneurs were similar after training, thus indicating that training in entrepreneurial self-efficacy plays a developmental role, giving entrepreneurs, whether necessity or opportunity-driven, the confidence to execute entrepreneurial tasks and thus assisting them to run sustainable businesses; rather than a transformational role of converting entrepreneurs from necessitydriven into opportunity-driven. The implications and recommendations of this study are thus that policy makers design general entrepreneurial training programmes targeted at opportunitydriven entrepreneurs, and task-specific training programmes targeted at necessity driven entrepreneurs; these types of training would best increase the entrepreneurial self-efficacy of necessity- and opportunity-driven entrepreneurs and will enable these entrepreneurs to run sustainable businesses that contribute positively to the sustainability rate of businesses.
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    The effect of entrepreneurial selfefficacy, experience, and education on entrepreneurial intention among black South African female youth
    (2020) Muchabaiwa, Honest
    In order to advance the study of entrepreneurship, this quantitative study assessed the impact of prior entrepreneurial exposure, entrepreneurship education, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy on the entrepreneurial intention of female, black South African youth. The moderating impact of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on the relationship between entrepreneurship education and intention as well as between prior entrepreneurial exposure and intention were assessed. The data was collected among 278 female, black South African youth, using a questionnaire that was scripted on Qualtrics. Regression analysis was conducted to assess the hypotheses. The results revealed that both entrepreneurship education and prior entrepreneurial exposure had a direct significant positive impact on entrepreneurial intention. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy did not significantly moderate the relationship between both entrepreneurship education and intention as well as between prior entrepreneurial exposure and entrepreneurial intention. The key message from this study was that entrepreneurial intention is dependent on whether one had a positive prior entrepreneurial exposure and was also exposed to entrepreneurship education. It was concluded that the impact of entrepreneurship education and prior entrepreneurial exposure is not dependent on one’s entrepreneurial self-efficacy.