3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item An examination of the extent to which State-Owned Entities disclose their strategy, in their integrated reports(2020) Matlou, KarabeloThe increase in corruption within State-Owned Entities (SOEs) and the recent headlines about State-Owned Entities failing to fulfil their mandate and having to constantly require financial assistance from government, have brought the need for SOEs to be accountable tot he general public to the fore. This is attributed to the fact that, members of the public are both the financiers of these organisations (through taxes) and they also utilise services provided by these organisations. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent to which SOEs are accountable to their stakeholders, which includes members of the general public and specifically looking at strategy which is an important factor to consider in determining whether the entity has a plan for the future and also enables stakeholders to make informed decisions. In order to be able to meet the objective of this study the following research question was addressed: To what extent do state-owned entities disclose their strategy in their annual reports? The study can be applied by standard setters specifically in the public sector and will also be valuable to the public sector governance overseers, as their main mandate is to ensure accountability by State-Owned Entities and this study highlights key elements of accountability. The main contribution of this study is for the benefit the general public, as SOEs affect the lives of all citizens directly and indirectly. A quantitative research methodology was used in conducting this research and data was collected by analysing the annual reports of the SOEs. The findings of this study revealed that SOEs disclose, at the maximum, sufficient information on their strategy although they do not provide a well-defined and comprehensive disclosure of this strategy which could be due to preventing competitors to imitate their strategy and to maintain their competitive edgeItem Collaboration between state-owned enterprises and technology-based small medium enterprises: assessing the impact on SME performance(2019) Tarusarrira, CockyThe importance of technology-based Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in most economies cannot be underestimated. Their contribution, through high impact growth that is brought about by their innovative ability is felt through the job creation, contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) and it is evident that support of such enterprises by government to ensure sustained growth is not only beneficial to the individual businesses but also to the growth of the economy. Existing literature points to the fact that government support through policy, financial and other factors result in improved performance of these firms which in turn, assist in their sustainability in the long run. In the American, Asian and European environments a lot of literature exists on the study of the performance of these tech-based SMEs. In Sub-Saharan Africa, however, the study of these enterprises is sparse and the technology-based industry is still in its infancy. This may be due to the fact that most of the economies are subsistence and most of the SMEs in these countries are survivalist in nature, unlike in the more technologically-advanced economies. In the South African economy, the country recognises the importance of these enterprises and appreciates the need to support them to ensure that their growth and sustainability are protected and maintained. The promulgation of policies aligned to supplier development and localisation is evidence for that. This study focuses on the performance of technology-based SMEs that are doing business with state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The variables examined are SMEs Entrepreneurial Capacity and Technological Capacity of these firms and their impact on the performance of the technology-based SMEs doing business with SOEs in South Africa. The study involved diligent selection of technology-based SMEs on the Treasury Department’s customer supplier database, commonly referred to as the CSD, that are actually doing business with SOEs. A total of 263 firms responded to the survey. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to estimate the underlying variables and factor loadings. The correlations between Entrepreneurial Capacity and Technological Capacity and SME performance measurements were examined. The mediating effect of Absorptive Capacity on the relationship between Technological Capacity and SME performance is also examined. The findings indicate that Entrepreneurial Capacity does have an impact on the performance of technology-based SMEs in the South African SOE environment. This is consistent with existing literature. The study also found that there is a positive impact of SME technological Capacity on SME performance as a result of doing business with SOEs. This is also consistent with existing and reviewed literature, together with the researcher’s preliminary assumptions during the course of the study. The findings of the study, however, did not find any mediating effect of Absorptive Capacity on the relationship between Technological Capacity and the SME performance. The results do not support the researcher’s assumed position that there is a mediating role of Absorptive Capacity on the relationship between Technological Capacity and technology-based SME performance. The evidence generated from this study contributes to the sparse extant literature on the performance of technology-based SMEs in South Africa. The study will assist policy makers who use SOEs to implement SME growth and sustainability policies.Item Organisational factors fostering corporate entrepreneurship: a study of state owned entities in South Africa and Zimbabwe(2016) Musara, Diana MarcellinThe purpose of this research is to investigate how organisational factors such as management support, reward/reinforcement and work discretion fosters corporate entrepreneurship at State Owned Entities (SOE) in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Several studies have been conducted on corporate entrepreneurship in the private sector with limited research on the same factors in the public sector, especially in Africa. The Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument (CEAI) was used in measuring managers’ perception on management support, reward and reinforcement and work discretion. Four hundred on-line questionnaires were distributed, with a response rate of 169 managers from South African and Zimbabwean state owned entities. An hierarchical multiple regression model was used to analyse the results, which showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between management support, reward/reinforcement and work discretion with innovation, confirming results from previous studies. Occupational level was found to moderate the relationship between management support and innovation and the relationship was found to be strongest at junior management level. No moderation effect was found when reward/reinforcement and work discretion was tested with innovation. Further evidence from the survey results also indicated that Zimbabwean SOEs had higher levels of reward /reinforcement and work discretion than South Africa, but both countries had the same level for management support and innovation. However Zimbabwe had implemented more projects than South Africa, indicating that its SOEs were more entrepreneurial. Finally, when occupational levels were considered, Zimbabwe had higher scores for all the three independent variables, except for innovation, which South Africa was leading at junior management levels. However, the levels at middle and senior management was the same for both countriesItem Assessing the impact of forms of entrepreneurial capital on corporate entrepreneurship in state-owned enterprises(2016) Mpanza, PhelelaniIncreasing competition in industries has made it necessary for established companies to regenerate themselves and renew their ability to compete. This is the goal of Corporate Entrepreneurship (CE) activities, which involve extending the firm‟s domain of competence and corresponding opportunity set, through internally and externally resources. Recently, CE has evoked interest not only from academics, but also from business practitioners and policy makers. This interest stems from the recognition of the advantage that can be gained from corporate entrepreneurship activities (Entebang, Mansor, & Puah, (2006). The prominence of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in the economy continues to grow. Their assets have been growing steadily since 2011 while SOEs play a critical role in the economic pursuit of advancing economic growth and developmental objectives of the country (Brown, 2014). This dissertation assesses the impact of forms of capital on corporate entrepreneurship in State Owned Enterprises in South Africa. The focus is on three forms of entrepreneurial capital which are; (1) economic capital, (2) human capital, and (3) social capital. Each form of capital is critical and has been discussed in the literature in order to orientate its utility in relation to entrepreneurship. The study was carried out in three major SOEs, which are administered by the Department of Public Enterprises. The study was based on quantitative measures using a self-administrated questionnaire. It was found that some forms of capital have a significant impact on a company‟s entrepreneurial activities. For instance, it was found that forms of entrepreneurial capital have significant influence on corporate entrepreneurship because they contributed positive toward the growth of the business. This study considered the nature or the quality of the company‟s workforce by means of employee human capital. Therefore, of all the managerial processes that can affect the pursuit of corporate entrepreneurial outcomes, Human capital is considered as one of the more vital. Furthermore, the recent loan guarantees from government to SOEs such as Eskom and South African Airways are a practical indication on the level of importance Economic capital is on corporate entrepreneurial activities. On Social capital and Corporate Entrepreneurship, Foil (1995) argued that it is the access to a diverse set of firm resources that significantly enhances corporate entrepreneurship activities, which points to the importance of Social capital at multiple levels within the organisations in pursuing corporate entrepreneurship. However, more research is required to investigate further how forms of capital impact established company‟s entrepreneurial activities.Item Corporate governance in state-owned enterprises(2016-10-10) Mbele, Nimrod OupaFollowing a plethora of scandals in both the public and private sectors, corporate governance has become the subject of contentious debates in the public domain over the past decade As a result, codes of good practice in the form of Cadbury, Greenbury, Turnbul, Hempel, Higgs, Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) and Bosch Commission were ushered in different parts of Europe, Australia and the United States of America (USA). In South Africa, the King Commission on Corporate Governance was developed and subsequently modified for State Owned Enterprises (SOEs). Despite the progress noted, the SOEs environment remains in distress as boards and management struggle to maintain a balance between legislative compliance and performance. It is in the latter context that the study was inspired by the boards of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and the Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom) respectively struggle to actualise sound corporate governance practices in order to deliver shareholder value. As part of the qualitative research approach, primary data collection was conducted by means of comprehensive face-to-face interviews with board members and senior management at the two above-mentioned organisations. In total, 30 (thirty) board members and senior managers were interviewed. In addition, secondary data was collected in the form of records, strategy reports, business plans, and memos written to participants. In analysing qualitative interview data, the study utilised content analysis and cross-case analysis methods, on whose basis five themes were derived, namely: legislation and regulations; the interface between board and management; the role of the board in strategy development; performance monitoring of the board; as well as the organisational funding model. The findings of the study include: fragmented and convoluted legislation; blurring of lines between management and governance; a weak board performance monitoring culture; unclear prioritization of social policy agenda, and inadequate funding to support social policy programmes, such as infrastructure. The policy reviews create leadership instability and accentuate distrust between boards and senior managers. This study further emphasizes limitations of the theoretical frameworks underpinning corporate governance in SOEs, and also advances detailed understanding of the corporate governance issues facing SOEs. Key Words: State Owned Enterprises; Corporate Governance; Legislation; Regulations; Compliance; Boards; Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation.