3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item The effect of innovation in automatic identification technology on new venture sustainability in Southern Africa(2019) Darlington, ChristopherThe study explored the effect of innovation in automatic identification technology on new venture sustainability in Southern Africa as measured by entrepreneurial orientation and technological orientation on business performance. The research evaluates the representation of perceived entrepreneurial orientation & technological orientation of new technology ventures within the Auto ID supply chain and how the continuous adoption of new technologies impacts firm performance within the supply chain. The research investigates how entrepreneurial orientation and EO dimensions moderated by technology orientation affect non-financial business performance of these new technology ventures. An observation identified as a motivation for the study is that new venture opportunities arise after technological breakthroughs or radical changes in existing technology that are offered to retail supply chains. However, within retail supply chains implementation, it is not always done by the new technology ventures who develop it. The purpose of the research is to conceptualise how NTV’s entrepreneurial orientation affects non-financial business performance and how entrepreneurial orientation moderated by technological orientation influences non-financial business performance. The research design is cross-sectional with primary data in that it is identifying an observational study analysing a population at a specific point in time. The rationale of the research is primarily quantitative. The targeted respondent sample size of 284 returned questionnaires was selected using a form of probability sampling from a targeted 1500 potential respondents. The target population comprised of the following types of NTV’s namely; a) Auto ID Software Providers; b) Hardware Suppliers and c) Process Service & Support Providers (Datalogic, 2018). The primary research data was targeted towards senior & middle management or specifically to representatives within the sample population entities as derived from pre-existing database from a reliable auto-ID distributor operating throughout the SADC region.Item Determinants of key success criteria in establishing and sustaining an Internet of Things (IOT) new technology venture (NTV) in South Africa(2016-12-05) Suleman, HussainTechnology entrepreneurship is vital to economic development as it could have positive effects on employment and could rejuvenate industries, especially through disruptive technologies. Studies have shown that South Africa has one of the highest new venture failure rates across the globe and it is, therefore, becoming critical to determine the key factors of successful technology ventures that could contribute to sustaining new technology ventures in South Africa. With the Internet of Things (IoT) fast becoming the most exciting technology trend aimed at transforming everyday business and individual lives, this study set out to investigate the key success criteria for IoT new ventures, as well as key sectors for IoT within South Africa. Linking technology entrepreneurship and the opportunities provided by IoT, this research aims to identify the key success criteria of entrepreneurial ventures within South Africa, as well as analyse the South African IoT ecosystem to determine which sectors provide the greatest opportunity for technology entrepreneurs. This research was conducted through primary research across IoT new technology ventures, as well as enterprises across industries within South Africa. The study found that successful ventures and unsuccessful ventures have different entrepreneur characteristics. A key characteristic for successful IoT ventures is entrepreneur ambitions, while education is the biggest hindrance to unsuccessful ventures. The related car and fleet management industries were found to provide the largest opportunity for IoT entrepreneurship in South Africa. This study provides valuable insight into the IoT market that will aid the sustainability of IoT entrepreneurship. From an academic perspective, it supplements the existing literature on technology and IoT entrepreneurship in South Africa.