3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/45
Browse
6 results
Search Results
Item Internationalisation, professional practice and student campus life : a comparative study of two academic departments in a South African university.(2014-01-08) Tang, QishanThis is a comparative study on postgraduate students‘ social experiences in two academic departments: the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Wits School of Business, at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa. This study‘s central questions are: how do postgraduate students from two departments perceive their social experiences? What shaped their perceptions? And how do they compare? This study shows a difference in students‘ perceptions and understandings of the social space in those departments. That is, social interactions at the business school (Wits School of Business) are closely linked to the academic space with the patterns linked to having friends from the same classes and study groups with very high expectations of social life on campus; while in the Faculty of Health Sciences, social interactions are limited and socially orientated with the patterns of having friends from the same department and same region with low expectations on their social life. This difference is explained by means of two main factors, the nature of the academic discipline and the students‘ individual identities that they bring to campus.Item Investigating entrepreneurial intensity and capability among South African exporting firms(2013-02-20) Sefalafala, Mpho RaymondGiven the increasing interest in international entrepreneurship and an increasing reliance of emerging economies on exporting to reach global markets, an investigation into internationalising firms in emerging economies is vital. Not only do these firms face pressures arising from the liability of smallness, foreignness, and resource limitations, but they also need compensating advantages in order to viably compete on the international stage. This study contributes to the international entrepreneurship literature by analysing the relationship between entrepreneurial intensity and capability, taken as independent variables, and their effect on international performance, taken as a multi-item dependent variable. The study uses a sample of 117 South African exporting firms of any size, industry, and/or age. Furthermore foreign environmental conditions within which these firms operate are measured in terms of their impact/moderation on the relationship between the independent variables and international performance. The study examines entrepreneurial intensity, which is a measure of the level of entrepreneurship in a firm that looks at both the degree and frequency of events with respect to innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking. The study also examines three entrepreneurial capabilities – namely social capital, human capital, and technology - that can enhance a firm’s international performance. Performance consists of two dimensions – namely economic performance and export intensity. Export intensity is a proxy of international intensity, measured as a ratio of foreign sales as a percentage of total sales. In this study, the dimensions of social capital that are measured are social interaction, relationship quality and network ties. Social capital is analysed in relationships among firms and their foreign actors/contacts. Social capital is also analysed as a multidimensional asset inside the business relationships comprising of both strong and weak ties, and implemented by the firms with their international partners or contacts. Social interaction and relationship quality corresponds to inter-organisational strong ties whereas network ties correspond to weak ties. iii Human capital consists of three dimensions – namely foreign institutional knowledge, foreign business knowledge, and internationalisation knowledge – based on the conception of foreign market knowledge. The two aspects of technology that are measured are technology distinctiveness and technology acquisition. The study also offers insights into key firm-level factors that influence international performance under foreign environmental conditions characterised by hostility and dynamism. Hypotheses were put forward to be tested in order to facilitate the study. To test the hypothesised bivariate relationship between entrepreneurial intensity and performance, correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between the predictors and the performance variables. Similarly, the tests were performed to examine the hypothesised bivariate relationship between entrepreneurial capabilities and performance variables. To test the impact of the environmental moderators on the efficacy of entrepreneurial intensity (EI) and entrepreneurial capability (EC), multiple regression analysis was performed. Overall the results show that EI and EC had a significant effect on both performance measures, with EC predicting stronger than EI. The results showed that different aspects of EI were associated with performance depending on the performance outcomes desired. Frequency of entrepreneurship was related to economic performance whereas entrepreneurial orientation (EO) was related to export intensity. Furthermore EI had a weakening impact under moderating conditions of increasing hostility on both performance measures. Dynamism did not moderate the relationship between EI and performance. EC had a positive impact under all moderating conditions on both performance measures. Social capital played an important role in hostile foreign environments whereas human capital was more important in dynamic foreign environments. In hostile foreign iv business environments, strongly embedded relationships did not provide benefits for advancing business whereas weak ties did. In dynamic foreign environments, internationalisation knowledge (prior internationalisation experience) was associated with both performance variables whereas foreign institutional knowledge (FIK) and foreign business knowledge (FBK) were not found to be important. The overall comparison revealed that in the foreign market environment, entrepreneurial capabilities were more important predictors of performance than entrepreneurial intensity. This suggests that entrepreneurial firms must possess compensating advantages in order to compete viably in unfamiliar markets abroad if they are not strong on innovation, proactiveness, and taking risks. Knowledge-based factors encourage initiative and flexibility among managers to gain influence over vital resources. However the challenge remains for the firms in emerging economies to adopt technology and act entrepreneurially. The results suggest that exporting firms in emerging market countries should pursue an entrepreneurial posture in order to achieve higher export intensity and engage in frequent product, process, and service enhancement activities if the objective is to achieve economic performance. Furthermore, the study found that entrepreneurial capability among South African exporting firms is positively related to performance. The study found that in order to improve their export intensity, human capital and social capital are among the most essential capabilities for organisational perfomance, whereas technology was not. The purpose of this research was to perform an empirical investigation on three main constructs - namely: entrepreneurial intensity, entrepreneurial capabilities, and the environmental dimensions - among South African exporting firms and the relationship of these factors with international performance. This study integrates the role of entrepreneurial intensity and capability in international entrepreneurship and their effects on performance of exporting firms within an emerging market context. v In line with theoretical studies in international entrepreneurship, this study reinforces the strategic role of entrepreneurial capabilities such as social capital and human capital in enhancing international performance. The role of EO and technology acquisition is also acknowledged.Item Entrepreneurial orientation and internationalisation of multinational enterprises : a focus on firm performance in emerging markets.(2012-10-17) De Haaff, Dean NicholasThis research offers an insightful view of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), its relation to Internationalisation and Performance of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) in three Emerging Markets; China, Malaysia and South Africa. 21 MNEs are reviewed, seven from each emerging market, over the research timeframe of 2005 to 2010. The issue at hand revolves around a thorough review of the internationalisation modes of the selected MNEs into various regions around the world and measuring their performance variables. The internationalisation modes were analysed against MNE EO, and the relation between their EO and their internationalisation. The method of the data collection utilised was mixed, obtaining all results from published MNE annual reports over the period of review and utilised both qualitative and quantitative data analysis in the research. Qualitative data was thematically analysed and coded for quantitative statistical analysis, whilst the financial data was statistically analysed accordingly. EO is highly interlinked with MNE internationalisation, as the very least on a construct level. EO strategies have shown support in correlating with MNE performance measures, but have differed between the emerging markets reviewed. It has shown that MNE focus with regard to EO strategy and internationalisation differs, with varying effects on their success. This is an area of academic research that has received very little, if any, review prior to this research. It offers bountiful opportunities to build on, and insightful findings that may be further reviewed.Item Career trajectories of Masters in Education (M.Ed.) students : a tracer study of the M.Ed. class of 1999 at the University of the Witwatersrand.(2011-06-20) Sing, RinelThe expansion of higher education and changes in the labour markets seem to have reached a point where training for an M.Ed is affected by a number of issues traditionally raised in the context of graduate employment and work. Growing emphasis is placed on general skills and flexibility, which is briefly mentioned in this report. Labour market theory, human capital development, social capital and career development are explored in detail. Management is no longer perceived in terms of maintaining the business machine but is evolving into a motivator and leader of staff, an inspirational entity that is quintessential to the retention of highly qualified staff . This has resulted in the language of business changing, thus the „efficient company‟ has become a „learning organisation‟ (Germishuys, 2006). Therefore it is of great interest to actually conduct a case study of 11 M.Ed. graduates to track their career trajectories to see where this prestigious qualification has taken them. The researcher traces a general group of M.Ed graduates from the class of 1999 from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). The main idea of this study is to ascertain exactly what it is that the sample M.Ed graduates have accomplished in their professional lives. It was found that the colour of one‟s skin, background, contextual factors, opportunities, social networking and career aspirations have played a pivotal role in the career progression of the M.Ed. graduates.Item Internationalisation of higher education at the University of the Witwatersrand : a phenomenographic study of students' perspectives.(2010-03-01T10:02:55Z) Ojo, Emmanuel OluseunThis piece is an empirical study of how students experience and conceptualise internationalisation of higher education at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa. The central question of this empirical study is, how do students experience and conceptualise internationalisation of higher education at Wits? The conceptual framework presents Wits within three domains, which are the Official, Pedagogical and Social, as the context within which the university operates. Using a qualitative methodology – phenomenography – that aims to explore the qualitatively different ways in which a group of people experience a specific phenomenon, in this case internationalisation of higher education, four main constructs about internationalisation have emerged from students’ accounts: (I) internationalisation as Wits is striving to be a top global university; (II) internationalisation as the presence of international students; (III) internationalisation as an issue of mutual respect and acceptance, and (IV) internationalisation as enhancing the students’ learning experience. The argument is that, though students converge on these conceptions, their differences regarding the emphasis and significance points to a scenario of unbalanced institutional mediation, with strong mediation within the logic of dominant pedagogical practice in the university, constrained by forms of weak mediation in the social domain.Item Internationalisation of the South African public higher education sector : 1994-2001.(2009-03-04T06:11:52Z) Rouhani, SepidehThis exploratory study investigated diverse facets of internationalisation at selected public higher education institutions in South Africa during the period from 1994 to 2001. The central aim of the research was to explore the responses of the South African public higher education sector to international student influx in the immediate post-apartheid era, a period characterised by the rapid restructuring and transformation of the sector. The study was undertaken with the rationale to address the gap in the research literature on internationalisation in general, and student mobility in particular, with specific reference to South Africa. An exploratory study of this nature could also inform higher education policy makers and was deemed to be appropriate at a time when South Africa had rejoined the international community after years of isolation. In seeking a conceptual framework for this research, a multi-disciplinary approach was pursued because globalisation and internationalisation are concepts that cut across several disciplines. The conceptual framework was thus informed by debates about globalisation and internationalisation, migration theory, international relations, political economy and higher education. Insights and knowledge from these theoretical perspectives were analysed and synthesised to formulate a plausible framework for the emergence of South Africa not just as a new global destination for international students, but also as one of the top 10 host nations in the world and the leading host country on the African continent. A two-phase or mixed-method research design was adopted for this study. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in a complementary fashion. Five institutional case studies were selected as a snapshot of the (public) higher education sector in the immediate post-apartheid period between 1994 and 2001. In addition, the actions of other influential bodies and role players such as the Department of Education, the Council on Higher Education, the International Education Association of South Africa, the South African University Vice-Chancellors’ Association, the Committee of Technikon Principals and student formations were critically examined. The institutional case studies as well as research participants were purposefully selected on the basis of predetermined criteria, as explained in the methodology chapter. Primary and secondary data were gathered from the above iii institutions, staff and students using documents and semi-structured individual and focus group interviews. The interviews were transcribed and content analysed manually in order to generate emerging themes upon which the conclusions are based. In addition to institutional data, national data on international student enrolment trends also informed the findings of this research. Alluding to the findings, a variety of responses by South African (public) higher education institutions to international student influx between 1994 and 2001 are apparent. Whereas some institutions, mainly the larger, historically advantaged universities were more proactive and consciously decided to internationalise by adopting internationalisation policies and putting in place structures such as International Offices, other institutions, more specifically the smaller historically disadvantaged institutions, were unable to deal with internationalisation to the same extent and rather focussed on addressing the more pressing national higher education imperatives. While the responses of institutions within the South Africa (public) higher education sector have been diverse, reflecting their unequal historical legacies and future visions for strategic growth and development, it is argued that for the South African higher education sector to be more beneficial as a resource to the country, the Southern African region and the continent at large, a holistic, integrated national policy framework on internationalisation is required.