Wits Business School (ETDs)

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    Challenges and opportunities for survival entrepreneurs in the township of Soweto
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Molapo, Refilwe; Murimbika, McEdward
    This research paper investigated the challenges and opportunities of survivalist entrepreneurs in Soweto by evaluating the effectiveness of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The study also examined the potential of using education to improve the entrepreneurial mindset. Additionally, the research investigated how education and the entrepreneurial mindset can be leveraged to improve business performance. A positivist paradigm was adopted to guide the quantitative research strategy. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and the data was collected from 125 respondents through a self- administered questionnaire. The population sample was subdivided into smaller groups based on the participant’s geographical location within Soweto, this was done through cluster sampling. Thereafter, the convenience sampling technique based on availability and accessibility was employed to reach the participants within the designated clusters. The hypotheses were evaluated through a single moderated regression model as the conceptual framework perfectly represented a moderated mediation model. The results from the model summary confirmed that all three variables – entrepreneurial mindset, entrepreneurial education, and entrepreneurial ecosystem – significantly influenced business performance. The direct effects of the entrepreneurial ecosystem on the entrepreneurial mindset were confirmed to be significant. Furthermore, the research demonstrated that the entrepreneurial mindset mediated the relationship between the entrepreneurial ecosystem and business performance in the township of Soweto. The practical implications of the study are that further investment in developing the resources and strengthening the support infrastructure in the township of Soweto will create more opportunities for survivalist entrepreneurs to improve their business performance. The study revealed that those with increased education levels are not immune from the systemic challenges that may cause individuals to start informal businesses in the township. Therefore, creating educational programmes that focus on developing practical skills could have a positive effect, empowering these survivalist entrepreneurs with the necessary skills to improve their business performance.
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    Entrepreneurial orientation of the City of Johannesburg
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2019) Malakoane, Jones
    The notion of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is important because it contributes to the fundamental apprehension of entrepreneurship. Increasingly, attention is being paid by scholars and policy makers to the concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) as incubators of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Though the concept is still in its embryonic phase, well performing entrepreneurial ecosystems such as the Silicon Valley in California are the envy of many governments striving for economic success, through promotion of entrepreneurship. The primary objective of this study was to explore the relationship between the perceived entrepreneurial orientation of the City of Johannesburg Department of Economic Development (CoJ-DeD) and the perceived City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) local EE performance. EO of an organisation, for the purpose of this study, is reflected in the organisation’s innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking abilities while EE was measured by the three variables, opportunity exploitation (OE), opportunity recognition (OR) and entrepreneurial activity (EA). The data relating to the perceived city’s EE performance was from 109 usable questionnaires collected from a target sample size of 150, the sample’s population was comprised of nascent entrepreneurs, early start-up and established business owners in the CoJ. The data concerning perceived EO of CoJ-DeD officials was from 46 usable questionnaires, this sample was collected from a population of 50 CoJ-DeD officials, comprised of middle and senior managers. The measuring instruments construct validity was evaluated by means of Cronbach alpha coefficients and principal component exploratory factor analysis. The Welch’s t-test was utilized to assess the study’s conceptual framework model. The results showed that EO of the CoJ-DeD officials is defined by proactiveness, innovativeness and risk-taking and the city’s local EE perceived performance is defined only by opportunity exploitation and opportunity recognition. The results also showed a positive relationship between innovation and opportunity recognition, proactiveness and opportunity recognition and between risk-taking and opportunity recognition. It is vi recommended that entrepreneurship becomes the dominant strategic thinking in the CoJ to help unlock opportunities and new sources of value, services and innovation.