Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

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    The impact of digital technologies on SME business performance in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mdhluli, Mfanasibili Emmanuel
    In the era of digital transformation and digital technologies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face an ever-changing operating environment where being digitally savvy is critical for success. Therefore, adopting and using digital technology may prove to be an important decision that may lead to SMEs continuing to operate as going concerns, growing and being sustainable well into the future. This research delves into the impact of SMEs using digital technologies on business performance. While a myriad of business performance metrics can be tested, for this research, revenue, profit, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, innovation, risk management and the economic indicator of job creation are analysed. The challenges faced by SMEs are well documented, but there seems to be a lack of research on the benefits and impact of using digital technologies. Faced with limited resources, SMEs must make strategic decisions to drive their businesses forward and investing in digital technologies is one of them. This study seeks to understand the rationale of deciding to use digital technologies utilising the extended technology adoption model (TAM2) coupled with business measures. A quantitative electronic survey was used to collect the data from a sample of 84 South African SMEs. The findings reveal that using digital technologies has a positive impact on SME business performance, thus making it imperative for SMEs to adopt and use digital technologies as part of their business models. The findings elucidate that using digital technologies is not merely an operational imperative, but is also transformative, unlocking sustained competitiveness. The study adds to the literature on the understanding of the impact of using digital technologies on SME business performance, especially from a South African context
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    Influence of Social Media Marketing Capabilities on Business Performance: The Case Study of the Non-Life Insurance Products in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Datadin, Sanjeev; Ochara, Nixon
    In an evolving digital business landscape, the strategic utilisation of social media has become a vital competitive advantage for attracting customers and enhancing business performance. This study investigates the effectiveness of social media capabilities in pricing, product development, communication, planning, and implementation on business performance. The primary objective of this research is to determine the specific social media marketing capabilities that significantly influence business performance within the non-life insurance sector in South Africa. Employing a quantitative research approach, an online survey questionnaire was utilised to collect data, which was analysed through regression, structural equation modelling, and partial least squares structural equation modelling. Key statistical findings reveal that innovative pricing strategies (p-value = 0.001), product development (p-value = 0.028), planning (p-value = 0.046), and implementation capabilities (p-value = 0.004) positively influence business performance. However, social media marketing communication capability showed no significant impact (p-value = 0.978). Key findings unveil that innovative pricing strategies, product development, planning, and implementation capabilities positively influence business performance. Confirmatory Factor Analysis reinforces the interconnected nature of these capabilities, emphasising their collective and holistic impact on each other and the overall business performance. As non-life insurers navigate the highly competitive and evolving digital landscape in South Africa, a practical understanding of contextual factors shaping the effectiveness of social media marketing becomes imperative for growth and sustained competitiveness. The implications of these findings are significant, providing insurers with actionable insights to optimise their marketing strategies for enhanced performance. This research contributes to both theoretical and iii empirical knowledge by highlighting the critical factors that drive business success in the South African non-life insurance sector
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    The effects of coronavirus on SMEs business performance, technology adaptation, financial innovation, and sustainability
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kolobe, Benjamin; Maisela, Sikhumbuzo
    Businesses have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in significant economic hardship. An analysis of COVID-19's impact on Small Medium Sized enterprises (SMEs) shows that these businesses' and their employees' financial outcomes are probably going to get worse before getting better. The main issue is that small and medium-sized business owners have restricted access to capital and innovative strategies, which has made it challenging for them to deal with the tight constraints. As a result, many SMEs have had to adopt innovative financial and technological strategies to promote sustainability and prevent closure (Puddister & Small, 2020). This study examines the impact on business performance, technology adaptation, financial innovation, sustainability, and lockdown restrictions of SMEs during the pandemic. An online questionnaire with 30 closed-ended questions was administered to entrepreneurs in the retail sector across Gauteng. The following inquiries are addressed in the study: What impact has the coronavirus had on SMEs' ability to do business? How has technology adoption improved small and medium- sized enterprises' performance during the coronavirus lockdowns? Is there a chance that financial innovation may sustain SMEs throughout the pandemic? Has the coronavirus epidemic affected SMEs' ability to survive? Using non-parametric tests, the researcher examined the correlations between the independent and dependent variables for each of the four hypotheses using IBM SPSS. The associations between the variables were examined using inferential statistics such as Spearman's rho correlation function, multinominal logistic regression, generalized linear model, and ordinal linear regression. All four of the hypothesis' correlations were determined to be significant. This study suggests that fostering financial inclusion, promoting technology adoption through training and grants, and encouraging innovative financial approaches can empower SMEs to navigate pandemic challenges and build resilience. Proactive policy interventions and support systems tailored to SMEs are crucial to mitigating the pandemic's economic consequences and promoting long-term sustainability
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    Entrepreneurial orientation and value sustenance of a South African firm during the Covid-19 pandemic
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Carim, Shakira; Murimbika, Edward
    This study's overall theoretical issues related to the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation adopted by organisations to survive the COVID-19 pandemic economically. As the world was economically thrown into upheaval and crisis, many organisations faced bankruptcy and stopped trading. The motivation of this study was to understand measures adopted by organisations by applying the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation to survive the COVID-19 crisis and whether it proved fruitful. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) that relate to innovation, proactiveness, risk-taking and autonomy had impacted and helped sustain firm value, measured through business financial performance, business retention, and moderated by financial reprieve received, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted in an emerging market context and focused on organisations operating within a South African context. The focus was placed on those industries that were negatively impacted by the crisis. In an organisational setting, a quantitative empirical study was conducted based on responses of 133 participants. Service, retail, and manufacturing enterprises were included in the sample, of which the retail and manufacturing enterprises housed dedicated IT departments. Through electronically distributed questionnaires, their organisational employees were invited to participate in the study. Regression analysis was used to support the hypotheses and literature read using the SPSS v27 tool. It was established that 72% of the responses were received from the manufacturing sector, 20% from the service sector, 5% from the IT sector, and 3% from the retail sector. The main results and findings of the study are summarised below
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    Business networks and the moderating impact of innovation on business performance
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Jordaan,Brigitta; Msimango-Galawe, Jabulile
    South Africa faces frighteningly high levels of unemployment, inequality and poverty. Like many other emerging economies, the South African government has recognised the importance of entrepreneurial activity. It widely views SME's (Small or Medium- sized Enterprises) as the lynchpin to realising growth and expansion. However, a common challenge to the performance and growth of many SME's is the lack of access to resources. Additionally, as advancements in innovation have so rapidly evolved in recent years, a business's innovative capabilities have become just as crucial to its performance capabilities and sustaining a competitive advantage. This study mainly focused on investigating the extent to which networks, particularly supplier, consumer and competitor networks, moderated by innovation, impacted the financial performance of SME's in South Africa. Data collection from SME owners and managers throughout South Africa using self-administered surveys, distributed via Qualtrics. The results show that two supplier networks and consumer networks moderated by innovation significantly impact business performance. Consequently, no factors from the consumer networks construct were extracted in the EFA analysis to determine consumer networks' impact on business performance. As such, no conclusions could be determined in considering the consumer network's impact on firm performance. Findings suggest that the study be replicated with a significantly larger sample. It is also recommended that further research explores the extent to which network activities and network resources, when moderated by innovation, impacts business performance, with a view on measuring alternate performance metrics such as growth, market share and consumer and employee satisfaction and growth
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    Participation in supply chains and the performance of SMEs in mining industry in Mpumalanga, South Africa
    (2022) Chibanda, Ronald
    The participation of Small and Medium businesses (henceforth SMEs) in the supply chains in the mining industry has received less attention in research work for a long time in South Africa. There are challenges faced by many SMEs venturing into business through participating in the supply chains in the mining industry. The overarching objective of this study was to investigate the key factors that influence the participation of SMEs and performance in the supply chains in the mining industry in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The research was anchored on the resource-view based (RBV) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as applied in supply chain management and entrepreneurship. A quantitative approach involving a cross-sectional technique was applied. The data was collected using the online software known as Qualtrics. The SmartPLS, version 3.0 Software was utilized to analyse the data using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM model). The results showed that technology, human capital (skills) and human capital (lack of experience) are key barriers and with insignificant effects. Financial constraints and economies of scale were found to be the major non-barriers but also have insignificant effects. The results show that SMEs’ participation in supply chains as a strategy positively influences business performance in the mining industry. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on supply chain management and entrepreneurship. Owners and managers of SMEs will find useful data and analysis presented in this research on the key barriers and pragmatic strategies on how to overcome them. The effective strategies that enhance business performance in Mpumalanga, South Africa are presented. Policy-makers are urged to curtail barriers and create better business environments for SMEs that are engines of economic development.
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    Business networks and the moderating impact of innovation on business performance
    (2021) Jordaan, Brigitta
    South Africa faces frighteningly high levels of unemployment, inequality and poverty. Like many other emerging economies, the South African government has recognised the importance of entrepreneurial activity. It widely views SME's (Small or Medium-sized Enterprises) as the lynchpin to realising growth and expansion. However, a common challenge to the performance and growth of many SME's is the lack of access to resources. Additionally, as advancements in innovation have so rapidly evolved in recent years, a business's innovative capabilities have become just as crucial to its performance capabilities and sustaining a competitive advantage. This study mainly focused on investigating the extent to which networks, particularly supplier, consumer and competitor networks, moderated by innovation, impacted the financial performance of SME's in South Africa. Data collection from SME owners and managers throughout South Africa using self-administered surveys, distributed via Qualtrics. The results show that two supplier networks and consumer networks moderated by innovation significantly impact business performance. Consequently, no factors from the consumer networks construct were extracted in the EFA analysis to determine consumer networks' impact on business performance. As such, no conclusions could be determined in considering the consumer network's impact on firm performance. Findings suggest that the study be replicated with a significantly larger sample. It is also recommended that further research explores the extent to which network activities and network resources, when moderated by innovation, impacts business performance, with a view on measuring alternate performance metrics such as growth, market share and consumer and employee satisfaction and growth