Abstract
Ph.D.
Orientation: Emerging economies, such as that of South Africa, require entrepreneurial
activity to reduce unemployment and poverty. Various reasons for low entrepreneurial
activity and business failure have been presented by researchers, such as unavailability
of credible coaches, external environmental risks, lack of business experience and
knowledge, as well as a lack of funding. Total entrepreneurial activity (TEA) in South
Africa is relatively low (6.9%), and various governmental programmes have attempted to
develop entrepreneurs, with a disappointing impact on the TEA. Statistics indicating the
gross domestic product, the TEA trajectory, and rising unemployment provide sufficient
evidence that these programmes have proven to be unsuccessful. One of the major
reasons for this is the lack of available coaches with the necessary business skills and
experience.
Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish whether coaching of
entrepreneurs, who start a business by making their first sale, without capital or any other
type of funding, could be coached through a new venture e-coaching programme (NVEP)
delivered in an online environment, and to outline any possible gaps in the NVEP,
coaching process, and mode of delivery. What made this NVEP of interest was that it
aimed to equip the prospective entrepreneur with appropriate entrepreneurial skills to
steer around the unique environmental risks and challenges present within his or her
context.
Motivation for the study: This study supports the notion that it is possible that a larger
complement of Protégés can be reached and as such the limited available prominent
coaches with the necessary business skills and experience could be leveraged. It is
argued that even if one successful entrepreneur out of one small cohort is supported it
may levitate employment figures.
Research design, approach, and method: A pragmatic mixed-methods approach was
followed, utilising both quantitative and qualitative data. A cohort consisting of 37
protégés were analysed by means of thematic and trajectory analysis, based on their
weekly reflective journals. Protégé’s were grouped as starters and non-starters based
on whether they could make their first successful sale of any size. Quantitative data were
extracted from the Learning Management System (LMS) and triangulated with the...