Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Entrepreneurial orientation

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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Technological innovation, entrepreneurial orientation, and performance of micro, small, and medium enterprises in Ghana
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Abebrese, Rose; Dorson, Thomas
    Technological innovation and entrepreneurial orientation are noted to be key ingredients for business success. Given that advanced economies enjoy the benefits of technological innovation and entrepreneurial orientation, emerging economies are rolling out programmes and projects to facilitate technological innovation and entrepreneurial orientation. However, empirical studies that bring forth the benefits of technological innovation and entrepreneurial orientation is scanty. With partial least square structural equation modelling, we explore the relationship between technological innovation, entrepreneurial orientation, and performance of MSMEs in Ghana. Specifically, the research examined the effect of technological innovation on entrepreneurial orientation in MSMEs in Ghana, assessed the effect of technological innovation on the performance of MSMEs in Ghana and analysed the combined effect of technological innovation and entrepreneurial orientation on the performance of MSMEs. Primary data was collected from using closed-ended structured questionnaire between the period of 31 March 2022 to 1 June 2022 and analysed with the Structural Equation Modelling based on Partial Least Squares. The analysis and discussion of the study utilized the Schumpeterian theory of innovation and the resource-based theory. The findings of this study confirm the positive and substantial influence of technological innovation and entrepreneurial orientation on performance, aligning with the foundational principles of resource-based theory, which highlights the pivotal role of resources in gaining competitive advantage. It is advised that managers of MSMEs instill organizational practices steeped in technological innovation and entrepreneurial orientation and anchored in knowledge. Additionally, these managers should foster an environment where innovative ideas and solutions from their employees are not only welcomed but encouraged. The study also underscores the significance of the policy recommendations derived from these results
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    The Impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation on Market Performance in South African Commercial Banks
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Shandu, Thato Melisizwe; Urban, Boris
    Heterodox economics has been fundamental in shaping our understanding of the importance of entrepreneurial activity in contributing to economic growth both at a micro and macro level. A large part of facilitating this growth is through the intermediation functions of the financial services sector who like any profit maximising organisation relies on renewal strategies to create value for its customers and generate wealth for its shareholders. To this effect EO represents key entrepreneurial processes by which organisations continuously renew their strategic outlook intended to drive performance and achieve long-term economic value. However, it is difficult to drive renewal strategies for improved performance in the face of scarce information. The motivation of this study was driven by the need to contextually understand the dynamics of the EO-performance relationship in South African listed commercial banks. This study endeavoured to elaborate on and clarify the associative links between the presence of EO dimension (proactiveness, innovativeness and risk-taking) cues and their direct impact on market performance. Secondary textual data gathered from the annual integrated reports of the listed commercial banks was obtained through text analysis to extract the presence of EO cues. The presence of these cues was then assessed in relation to stock price movements which relied on the event-study methodology. Due to small sample challenges, findings from the analysis were not in-line with the priori expectation of the study across all variables and lack generalisability. The study’s finding also add contextual relevance considering the South African regulatory context and the current market dynamics of the financial services sector
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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.
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    Employee attitudinal and behavioural requirements for entrepreneurial behaviour in South African SMMEs
    (2021) Ramolobeng, Phuti Zacharia
    SMMEs are seen, in the context of South Africa, as essential for growing big companies and, by extension, propel the entire economy of the country. This research study’s main focus was on intrapreneurship in South African SMMEs. It explicated the effect that attitude towards intrapreneurship (ATI) and perceived behavioural control (PBC), have on employee intrapreneurial behaviour. It also sought to explain the role played by a firm’s support, as moderator, on the relationships that exist between ATI and PBC, and intrapreneurial behaviour. This study used a quantitative approach, which allows quantification of constructs with scales so that relationships between constructs as well as the strength of such relationships can be tested to accept or reject hypotheses. The study also followed a cross-sectional methodological approach and used online questionnaires to collect primary data from SMME employees in a survey. The target population for the research study comprised employees of SMMEs in South Africa. Some important implications of intrapreneurial behaviour for SMMEs, emanating from the findings would point founders, managers, and employees of SMMEs in the direction of attitudinal and behavioural requirements for intrapreneurial behaviour.
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    Entrepreneurial intensity, capability and external environmental influences in state-owned agencies, entities and components in the Gauteng Province, South Africa
    (2023) Mgwenya, John July
    The raging debate on the extent of entrepreneurship within the public sector environment is not abating. There is a school of thought which contends that a version of public sector entrepreneurship (PSE) is possible within the confines of government regulatory regime. With this in mind, the aim of the research was to investigate corporate entrepreneurship by examining how the influence of entrepreneurial intensity and capability at the organisational level influence performance, while at the same time considering external influences (e.g. legislation) on this relationship (www.sajems.org). The scope of the study was limited to 6 state-owned entities under the jurisdiction of the Gauteng Provincial Government. The study used empirical and quantitative research, and the research approach adopted in this study is deductive, using self-administered structured questionnaires to a selected sample of respondents. Correlational and regression analyses were employed to test the hypotheses. The research found that entrepreneurial intensity and capabilities do influence organisational performance in various degrees in the state-owned entities in the Gauteng provincial government jurisdiction. The findings provide valuable insights into topic of entrepreneurship as they relate to the South African public sector context. There is a need for mindset shift to embrace technological distinctiveness to achieve competitive advantage as means of differentiating products and services in relation to competitors. On a conceptual and theoretical level, the study will contribute towards more clarity on the role of entrepreneurial intensity and capability within established state-owned entities. The empirical (or practical) application of new insights may inherently influence the policy directives of SOEs and entities within the Gauteng province and beyond.
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    The role of entrepreneurial orientation in enabling corporate entrepreneurship in Namibian companies
    (2020) Ballotti, Dino
    Scholars and business leaders discourse on the importance of “unleashing the entrepreneurial potential” of organisations includes getting rid of controls and restrictions on entrepreneurial behaviour (Pinchot & Pellman, 1999:125). The global business environment is changing exponentially, fast becoming ever more competitive, which dictates that entrepreneurial activity is growing in prominence, allowing for the survival and future competitiveness of corporates. At organisation level, the ability to innovate continually and engage in an ongoing process of entrepreneurial action has become the source of competitive advantage, with the dearth of entrepreneurial intent and orientation being the perfect ingredient for failure (Kuratko, 2009). This study provided quantitative first-hand empirical support for academic and practical claims of the role entrepreneurial orientation (EO) played in supporting corporate entrepreneurship (CE) in an emerging market context. The conceptual model, shaped from the work of Urban and Wood (2015), intended to contribute to the body of knowledge providing both researchers and organisations alike the foundation to examine the relationship between EO and CE. The integrated framework of CE allowed for a broad overview of the relationship with EO. A sample of 500 corporate employees was drawn from various corporate employers in Namibia. The findings were established based on three hypotheses. The first hypothesis was supported, as the study found that the higher the level of EO, in terms of the innovativeness dimension, the greater the level of CE in terms of opportunity recognition. The second hypothesis stated that the higher the level of EO, in terms of the risk-taking dimension, the greater the level of CE in terms of opportunity recognition. The study found a negative and insignificant impact of risk-taking on opportunity recognition; the hypothesis was not supported. The third hypothesis found that the higher the level of EO, in terms of the pro-activeness dimension, the greater the level of CE in terms of opportunity recognition. CE theory endures to advance and improve (Zahra, Randerson, & Fayolle, 2013), and although existing studies have enriched the knowledge of the relationship between EO and CE, a serious research gap was identified. This research investigated the roles played by both constructs in a developing market context, with the intention of providing a more comprehensive picture of how EO affects CE, as the study’s main research question. To sum up, whichever form CE takes; it is fundamental and imperative that creating value is observed as the key driver in the pursuit of ongoing competitive advantage.