3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions

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    Measuring entrepreneurial intensity in the automotive industry in the Gauteng Province
    (2016) Ngomane, Bongane
    This study is based on the investigation of the level at which the entrepreneurial dimensions are prevalent and are practised in the automotive industry in the Gauteng province. The entrepreneurial grid was used as a point of reference, to determine the level of entrepreneurial intensity by reflecting on frequency and degree of entrepreneurship in the automotive sector. The sample focused on the entrepreneurial intensity sectors of the industry, such as original equipment manufacturing, automotive components manufacture, sales, after sales, statutory bodies, based in the Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni regions of the province, entrepreneurs in the automotive sector. A quantitative study was used as the researcher was measuring entrepreneurship and also conducting tests on the interplay that exists between the different dimensions of entrepreneurial intensity in terms of how they influence each other. The results of the study found that entrepreneurial intensity is prevalent in the sector and its components of innovation, risk taking and proactiveness are practised. However, there are other key elements, such as the degree and frequency of entrepreneurial activities that could enhance entrepreneurial intensity on which firms in the automotive industry are currently performing poorly and would still need to put in place.
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    Entrepreneurship: a foucauldian analysis of enterprise development and the Post-Apartheid subject
    (2019) Beilings, Christopher
    Set in the context of a post-Apartheid South Africa, this research report constitutes a Foucauldian analysis of how state institutional support for SMME resonates with neoliberal governmentality and the consequent attempt to prompt the post-Apartheid subject. Relevant herein, are the state institutions that are mandated to further the states initiative of enterprise development. Primarily making use of archival analysis, policy data from these institutions were sought out and analysed. Analysing enterprise development from a historical perspective, it is evident that intentions have evolved with regard to two factors. Firstly, the ever-permeating growth in the promotion of ‘entrepreneurial culture’; and secondly, the differentiation of targeted subjects. Through studying these findings, it is argued that there is an attempt by the state to condition entrepreneurial subjectivities. It can further be argued that, as a consequent to the former, the agenda of the state is to outsource fiscal liabilities to informal markets. This research report ultimately constitutes a Foucauldian interpretation of these two cardinal findings.
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    Women and the city: the urban experiences of women entrepreneurs, self-employed women and women-led business in Twist street and surrounds, Hillbrow, Johannesburg.
    (2019-10-31) Soudien, Carla Thandi
    This dissertation reviews the role of the urban environment in facilitating the economic empowerment of women, looking, particularly at women entrepreneurs. The study is framed conceptually using a feminist, post-colonial lens and acknowledges complexity in relation people’s experiences based on their gender, locality, citizenry, race and class. The literature review portion of the study considers scholars’ work in the fields of gender, urbanism and entrepreneurship. The study interrogates overlapping themes in relation to gendered social hierarchies in the realms of urbanism and entrepreneurship, reviewing both opportunities and constraints during all phases of the research. The empirical portion of the study comprises twenty interviews with women business owners in and around Twist Street in Hillbrow. The interviews included a mapping exercise in which the respondents depicted their daily movements graphically. In addition to the interviews, I carried out a mapping audit of the streetscape of three blocks of Twist Street, between Pretoria and Kapteijn streets. This mapping audit has assisted with understanding what the range of businesses are being run in this street, how many are run or owned by women and how many are run or owned by men. The fieldwork study sought to explore the respondents’ everyday experiences related to housing, transportation, support networks, domestic care work, agglomeration and clustering of business types and perceptions of women’s work.
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    Examination of the relationship between entrepreneurial capital and the profitability of smallholder farmers in Analamanga’s rural areas
    (2019) Ratsimanetrimanana, Radomalala
    Apprehending the role of entrepreneurship in economic success and poverty eradication is a fascinating topic, at the centre of scholars’ cares when inquiring into the field of new venture creation. This one-of-a-kind, ground-breaking study sought out to examine the nature of the relationship between entrepreneurial capital (entrepreneurial competence x entrepreneurial commitment) and the profitability of smallholder farmers in Analamanga’s rural areas. The use of a non-experimental cross-sectional survey was deemed to be most suitable for the purpose of the research. A cluster sampling method with a quota approach was adopted to determine the sample size and select the survey participants. The survey participants were questioned by a team of trained interviewers, equipped with a structured questionnaire, which served as a way to generate data that would be processed. Simple and multiple linear regression were the major statistical tests performed to analyse and interpret the data. The ensuing observations revealed a partially significant relationship between entrepreneurial competence and the profitability of smallholder farmers in Analamanga’s rural areas. A similar result was observed when testing the correlation between entrepreneurial commitment and profitability. Finally, the multiplicative interaction between entrepreneurial competence and entrepreneurial commitment - engendering the entrepreneurial capital paradigm - was proven to feature a significantly positive relationship with the dependent variable i.e. profitability. Considering the alarming magnitude of rural poverty in Madagascar, the outcomes of the study could function as the foundation of research-based policies and services delivered to smallholder farmers in the central region of the island to authentically satisfy their needs as a means to ensure their economic success and alleviate rural poverty in the country.
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    Correlates of organisational culture, employee creativity, and innovation towards explaining entrepreneurial banks
    (2018) Gcabashe, Skhumbuzo
    The South African commercial banks have undergone immense regulatory and technological changes post-1994, to such an extent that these changes have increased competition among the big players in South Africa, which have forced financial innovations, and other strategies to reduce costs and propel intrapreneurship. In this research, the relationships between organisational culture and entrepreneurial orientation, as well as human resource management and entrepreneurial orientation were explored. Furthermore, the relationship between employee creativity and innovation, were investigated using the perceptions of employees at specific banks selected for the study. Entrepreneurial orientation was applied using its three dimensions, innovation, risk-taking and pro-activeness. The banks selected for convenient sampling were: FNB, ABSA, Standard Bank, Nedbank, Investec, and RMB. A structured online survey was used to examine the constructs: organisational culture, employee creativity, human resource management, innovation, and entrepreneurial orientation. A link was sent to the employees in the selected banks and once all responses were received, the data was cleaned and the relevant statistical tests were applied. The results showed an inter-relationship between the constructs. It was determined that a significant relationship existed between organisational culture and entrepreneurial orientation, human resource management and entrepreneurial orientation, as well as employee creativity and innovation. The study concluded by noting the importance of leaders in organisations in driving a culture of inclusion where employees were given resources to innovate, and were motivated and encouraged to be entrepreneurial.
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    Entrepreneurial orientation and corporate social responsibility: a focus on South African firm performance African firm performance
    (2019) Saini, Mwila
    Entrepreneurial Orientation incorporates firm-level processes, practices, and decision-making styles reflective of entrepreneurial behavioural involving the combination of innovativeness, risk taking, and proactiveness. CSR is defined, as a holistic set of activities and initiatives that primarily meet the economic, social and environmental triple bottom line needs of relevant stakeholders. The study looked at firms in South Africa participating in CSR projects and initiatives to exploring the relationship between a firm’s level of entrepreneurial orientation (EO), its CSR Activity, management performance and firm business performance. The study applied a quantitative method to analyze the relationship between the Entrepreneurial Orientation and the independent variables of management performance, business performance and CSR among 170 respondents. The empirical findings of the study revealed that EO had a positive effect on CSR activity and business performance indicators. The study finds that entrepreneurs, managers and CSR practitioners can configure CSR as a business tool that can contribute to the competitiveness of an enterprise as well as positively contribute to the developmental agenda of the environments enterprises operate in.
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    Entrepreneurial orientation amongst Collective Investment Schemes (CIS): transition to venture capital service in South Africa Africa
    (2019) Mokoka, Lesiba
    Literature shows that there is limited research on Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) in the Middle East, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan African countries. At the same time, despite its potential as a source of finance for entrepreneurship, stokvels are still shaped by their cultural roots, where the majority still function under the old operating model of rotating funds amongst its members and grocery purchases. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of EO on Collective Investment Scheme’s capability to invest in a new product, entering an established market or investing in a new venture. The study used a positivism research philosophy, and the research design was based on a cross-sectional approach. The target population for this study was limited to investment stokvel groups in Gauteng that were founded for purely investment purpose. An online survey questionnaire was used as a method of data collection, with 131 members from different Collective Investment Schemes responding to the survey. The results from the study indicated that new entry plays a mediating role in the relationship between the three dimensions of EO (innovativeness, risk-taking, and competitive aggressiveness) and business performance (profit and efficiency) of Collective Investment Schemes. This research contributes to the literature as it illustrated Collective Investment Schemes’ ability to anticipate, pursue and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities that exist in the environment. It also affirmed the application of EO theory in a different cultural setting and that it remains an active driver of business performance.
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    Cultural values and entrepreneurial growth motivation: a focus on township enterprises in Tshwane.
    (2019) Kgapola, Tshepiso
    This research is rooted in the theory of basic human values as postulated by Schwartz (1992). The theory puts forth dimensions of basic human values; self-enhancement, self-transcendence, openness to change and conservation. The study also explores the theory of achievement motivation by McClelland (1961) in exploring how cultural values influence entrepreneurial growth motivation. The research is undertaken to explore specifically how cultural values impact growth motivation of township entrepreneurs in Tshwane. The research takes a quantitative cross-sectional design with township entrepreneurs as the unit of analysis. Basic human values differ in their influence on entrepreneurial growth motivation. The township economic landscape in South Africa is one characterised by stagnation, lack of innovation and is mostly necessity driven. Self-enhancement values were found to have an inverse relationship with entrepreneurial growth motivation. Self-transcendence values were correlated with a small effect whilst conservation values showed significant correlation though their influence could not be statistically measured. No evidence was found of a relationship between openness to change values and entrepreneurial growth motivation. There needs to be more culture specific policies for township entrepreneurs and cultural values can be investigated on how they influence businesses in South African townships.
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    Impact of finance on entrepreneurship: a South African case study
    (2018) Maseko, Lesego N.
    This study investigates the relationship between entrepreneurship and access to finance in South Africa. Entrepreneurship is currently a buzz topic around the world as policy makers and private sector business influencers realise that this disused area is a catalyst for economic growth. Because of the assortment of theoretical and empirical evidence on entrepreneurial finance at the microeconomic level, we decide to tackle the gap from a macroeconomics point of view. We employ time series data and proxy entrepreneurship activity using self-employment. Furthermore, we employ unit root and cointegration tests to investigate the long run relationship between access to finance and entrepreneurship activity. The results of the empirical analysis indicate access to finance has a significant and positive impact on entrepreneurship activity in the long run. Furthermore, the causality test reveals that the relationship between access to finance and entrepreneurship is bi-directional.
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    An evaluation of corporate entrepreneurial environments at broadcasting companies in South Africa
    (2018) Maluleke, Nkateko C
    Background: Traditionally, the broadcasting sector is a fast paced, competitive industry with consistently changing technologies. The change is opening a gap for the sector to strengthen its initiatives relating to innovation and pro-activity within their strategic approaches. Sustainability and performance for Broadcasting Companies going forward will thus be dependent on their entrepreneurial orientation. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore if an internal environment conducive to entrepreneurial activity exists within the broadcasting industry of South Africa by analysing the dimensions of corporate entrepreneurial orientation in relation to betyour-company organisational culture and employee rewarding. Methodology: An exploratory study consisting of descriptive and analytic components was used to collect data from employees of six Broadcasting Companies. The participants were analysed in terms of the relationship between elements of a corporate entrepreneurial orientation (innovation, pro-activeness and risk taking) and a bet-your-company organisational culture and the relationship between elements of a corporate entrepreneurial orientation (innovation, proactiveness and risk taking) and employee rewarding at the broadcasting companies included in the study by means of a structured questionnaire. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and an ordinal regression analysis. Ethical approval to conduct the study was granted by the Faculty Ethics Committee of the Wits Business School. Permission from ATTV, Eclipse TV, Massive Metro, Touch HD, Trace TV and Power FM to conduct the study was granted by the Management of the respective Companies. Results: A total of forty-nine broadcasting industry employees participated in the study. Majority of the respondents were in the 25-35 year age category (n=27, 55%) Innovation was found to be positively correlated to pro-activeness and organizational culture, while pro-activeness also has a positive correlation with risk and organisational culture; likewise with the correlation between risk and organisational culture and pro-activeness. Two ordinal regression models were evaluated to test: H1: There is a positive relationship between elements of a corporate entrepreneurial orientation (innovation, pro-activeness and risk taking) and the bet-your-company organisational culture of broadcasting companies in South Africa; and H2: There is a positive relationship between elements of a corporate entrepreneurial orientation (innovation, pro-activeness and risk taking) and employee rewarding within broadcasting companies in South Africa. Conclusion: The study demonstrated the positive correlation exits between organizational culture with innovation, pro-activeness and risk taking. However, only risk taking was demonstrated to be statistically significant in the ordinal regression model (OR, 95% CI). There is thus a need to establish CEO within the broadcasting industry so that it may be an environment that sustains and attracts employees who are entrepreneurial in nature
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