Wits Business School (ETDs)

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Competitiveness

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    External Factors Influencing the Sustainability of Social Entrepreneurial Ventures in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2020) Govender, Ramona; Murimbika, McEdward
    Social entrepreneurship is increasingly seen as a solution in addressing some of the social ills in the world. However, in order for the social enterprises to be more effective there is a need for them to be sustainable, particularly in terms of financial sustainability. Social enterprises that are financially sustainable are usually better able to create social value. The study sought to investigate the contributing factors towards social enterprise (SE) venture sustainability in South Africa using Cape Town as a case study. In doing so, quantitative research was conducted, with data being collected from the sampled social enterprises using an online survey. In this research it was found that, while government assistance was important, it was not significant in determining a social enterprise’s performance. The research also found that high social innovation improves a social enterprise’s access to philanthropic venture capital. In this regard, high social innovation was also seen to have a positive effect on social enterprise performance. The research thus concludes that social innovation is an important contributor to the sustainability of a social enterprise. The study offers updated information and adds to the theory on social enterprises in South Africa which is useful to prospective social entrepreneurs seeking to structure such organizations. In addition to this, the new knowledge and new insights will help government and civil society policy makers to formulate policies that can encourage social entrepreneurship in the country, especially with regards to funding. The study also offers useful insights on social innovation and emphasises its importance within the social enterprise context.
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    Competitiveness of South African ICT companies
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Christopher, Anton; Horne, Renee
    A key issue facing the South African economy is the competitiveness of the ICT industry. With the growth of ICT multinationals in South Africa, the competitiveness of the local ICT industry is under scrutiny. A grounded theory-based qualitative methodology was deployed by interviewing participants drawn from the South African ICT industry and ICT multinationals in the country. Participants have experience of more than 20 years in ICT industry and worked at executive or senior management level. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis was carried out using ATLAS.ti software. The study indicated that the South African ICT industry is only competitive within the South African ICT service sector, while not being globally competitive in the ICT manufacturing and ICT software development sectors. The study also found that ICT multinationals are competitive because of their strategically valuable resources (SVRs). These resources are both internal and external. External strategically valuable resources (SVRs) are their respective government policies and funding. Internal resources include cost-effectiveness, work ethics and innovation. Some of these resources are country-specific, while others are firm-specific. The study also showed that historically, the South African ICT industry was competitive and possessed strategically valuable resources (SVRs). It was also found that the South African ICT industry still possesses some strategically valuable resources (SVRs), these being mainly in the ICT service sector. Finally, the study also determined a framework of strategically valuable resources (SVRs) that can make the South African ICT industry competitive again. This research makes a significant theoretical contribution by enhancing resource- based theory, doing so by extending the theory – specifically an enhanced resource-based view – to a country and a heterogeneous ICT industry. This research also contributed a theoretical framework to the existing literature on resource-based theory. An empirical contribution is reached by firmly establishing the link between the competitiveness of ICT multinationals and their strategically valuable resources x (SVRs). A methodological contribution is gained by employing grounded theory-based qualitative methodology to research the ICT industry. Finally, the study provides practical recommendations to government policymakers and other stakeholders
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    The Relationship Between Talent Management Practices and Organisational Competitiveness in South African Law Firms
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Mbuqe, Sinomtha; Appiah, Erasmus Kofi
    The globalisation of legal services has massively amplified competition among professional service firms in South Africa and globally. To compete more effectively in the present-day environment, characterized by increased competition and enhanced customer expectations, sustaining high performance is critical. Due to scarcity of talent, law firms compete for the same pool of human resources to acquire and retain to increase growth in profitability and service. Literature has identified talent management practices (“TMP”) such as talent identification, selection, retention, and development as sources of sustainable competitive advantage. Despite talent management and its practices being established concepts in literature and in practice, there is an apparent lacuna in research on TMP in the context of South African law firms and whether such practices enhance their competitiveness. The objective of this study was to ascertain the relationship between TMP and organisational competitiveness in South African law firms operating within the Gauteng province. A quantitative study was undertaken, with statistics gathered from employees of law firms located in Gauteng, South Africa. A random sampling technique was used and data was collected from 56 participants using a semi-structured survey questionnaire. Quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to generate descriptive and inferential statistics. The empirical findings indicated that all constructs associated with TMP, namely talent attraction, talent development, talent retention and reasons for using these practices, were positively correlated with organisational competitiveness. However, statistically, talent development increased an organisations competitiveness. The findings thus indicate that talent attraction, talent development and talent retention are important and have an impact on organisational competitiveness. These findings will enable law firms to apply talent development towards continuous organisational competitiveness, which further aids the sustainability of the organisation
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    How SMEs in South Africa can implement robotics to increase competitiveness
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Mpungose, Senzo Calvin; Totowa, Jacques
    Orientation: South African SMEs face technology adoption challenges. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies are no exception. However, SMEs need to gain knowledge on how these technologies affect them. More specifically, how can they benefit from the technologies. Research Purpose: This article investigates the impact of robotics and automation on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa. It seeks to identify ways in which the technology could be adopted and with its adoption, improve SME competitiveness. Motivation: The technologies identified as the driving forces behind the 4IR have largely been identified so based on their impact on business and industry. They have led to market convergence which has enabled businesses to operate outside of their industries and markets, thereby increasing market competition. There has been low uptake of robotics and automation in South African SMEs compared to international counterparts and even with the technology viewed as capable of improving business operations, lowering costs and driving competitiveness. Research Design, Approach and Method: A narrative design with interpretivist philosophy utilizing the semi-structured interview schedule to collect data and narrate the views and experiences of participants so as to extrpolate findings was used. Knowledge in this kind of study is subjectively relative to the SMEs being analysed and hence a relativism epistemological stance was taken. The inductive qualitative approach was used to identify patterns from interviews and develop explanations for those patterns. A sample with a fair representation of SMEs that have and have not adopted robotics and automation was interviewed. The interview schedule had nine questions aimed at answering the research questions. Main Findings: The primary reason SMEs adopt robotics and automation is to drive production efficiency, reduce operational costs and increase capacity. SMEs face adoption challenges that include financing, skills shortages and information scarcity. Strategies to overcome these challenges were identified and include finding alternative forms of financing, upskilling existing labour and information dissemination through planned programs. Practical/managerial implications and Contribution/value-add: The study has developed a model that can be used to adopt robotics and automation as well as other 4IR technologies. Strategies that SMEs can use to increase competitivity through the adoption of robotics have been provided alongside strategies to adopt robotics and automation.