Showing items 1 - 20 of 37

Your selections:

A product development process for a photovoltaic water pump system in a small to medium enterprise

  • Authors: Van der Merwe, Lyon
  • Date: 2009-02-26T12:22:59Z
  • Subjects: New products , Solar pumps , Small business
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:8181 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2185
  • Description: D.Ing. , The effective management of technology and new product development in a high technology small to medium enterprise associated with a large corporation with specific reference to the development of solar photovoltaic water pumps is investigated in this study. Innovative product and the development thereof have already become this century's battleground. The availability of information to all and the ease of communication have contributed to changing the battleground. Small organizations and companies can now also participate in high technology environments, different from the past. Technology management and new product development are subjects that are thoroughly studied, discussed and understood in larger corporations (LCs) and multinational enterprises (MNEs). It would appear that the same cannot always be said when it comes to small to medium high technology enterprises. The following research questions can be asked: • How does the current body of knowledge (regarding technology and new product development) influence and impact on technology and new product development in a small to medium enterprise? • How does the interface and interaction between various small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and SMEs and other large corporations impact on new product development in a small to medium enterprise? • How does a small to medium enterprise cope with relatively limited resources when attempting to develop a new product? • How does the informal nature of a small to medium enterprise impact on new product development? • Does a small to medium enterprise use a structured process to manage new product development? As SMEs become more prominent role players in technology intensive industries, answers to the above questions will strengthen the SME in the relevant areas and enhance the role that SMEs will play in the future. To answer the research questions the study comprises: • an applicable literature survey in the areas of technology management and new product development, • an investigation into the business environment and interaction a typical SME encounters during new product innovation including resource management, • the development of an alternative model for the new product development (NPD) process in an SME, • an industry acceptability survey of the proposed alternative model and • a case study (photovoltaic water pump system) of the development of a new product, mapped onto the developed alternative NPD process. A study of the literature and own experience have shown: • a lack of addressing the above questions and the impact thereof and • a lack of practical and appropriate guidelines to implement technology management and ensure repetitive successful innovative new product development (NPD) in small to medium high technology enterprises. The author suggests a reduced complexity NPD process model, which takes cognisance of intangibles such as the chaotic interaction between various stages and tasks within the NPD process, informal decision making and natural information feedback mechanisms and illustrate why an SME that observes a given structural discipline displays an inherent advantage over large corporations and multinational enterprises. The model is exposed to a limited scope industry survey and applied to a case study (development of a photovoltaic water pump powered by sunlight). The acceptability survey, although limited, suggests that industry supports the hypotheses on which the development of the proposed alternative new product development process is based. The proposed management process was mapped onto the case study to ascertain whether it is practical. The application of the proposed management process to the case study resulted in further insight into possible alternative methods of reporting on new product development work. A complete photovoltaic water pump system as a new product emanated from the case study with significant marketability.
  • Full Text:

An analysis of opportunities and trends in the sport business industry with a focus on entrepreneurship and small, medium, micro enterprises

  • Authors: Mothilall, Kush
  • Date: 2013-05-27
  • Subjects: Small business , Sport business industry , Sports - Management , Small business management , Entrepreneurship
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:7553 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8411
  • Description: M.Tech. (Sport Management) , This exploratory study was a situational analysis of the sport business industry with a specific focus on SMME’s and entrepreneurship. The study subsequently aimed to determine entrepreneurial opportunities in the sport domain. A survey questionnaire was administered to 250 small business entrepreneurs plying their trade in the broad South African sport industry. SMME’s were identified through CIPRO, online business databases, and snowballing. A stratified sample was selected through various non-probability sampling techniques. The survey was administered through a combination of post, email, and hand-delivery. A satisfactory yet representative response rate of 49% was realized. Although the geographic specificity of the electronic and postal surveys are not evenly spread through-out the country, it does lean towards SMME’s in the major urban and semi-urban metropolitan regions of the country. The hand-delivered survey was concentrated in the greater Durban region. Nonetheless, the researcher is of the opinion that the results obtained can provide an insightful and meaningful exposition into the opportunities and trends affecting SMME’s in the sport business industry in South Africa. The SPSS program was utilized to descriptively and inferentially analyze the data. The sport SMME sector in South Africa was found to be relatively young. The small business entrepreneur demographic profile found entrepreneurs to be mainly male, middle-aged and well-educated. Owner-managers were found to have had completed business or entrepreneurship training with varying years experience in the sport business industry. Company properties revealed that based on the age of sport businesses, SMME’s were spread through the start-up, growth, and mature business stages. The vast majority of the sample was categorized as small enterprises. From a legal perspective, most businesses were registered as close corporations. About a third of all SMME’s were registered with a plethora of business associations and agencies thus giving effect to the inherent cross-cutting nature of the sport industry being prominently felt in various spheres of business and industry. SMME’s were also found to be complying to the principles of B-B BEE with encouraging signs of previously disadvantaged ownership.
  • Full Text:

An assessment of Peoples Bank Business' service to SMME's sponsored by the Khula Indemnity Scheme

  • Authors: Bredenkamp, Monique
  • Date: 2012-01-16
  • Subjects: Small business , Small business finance , Banks and banking , Risk management , Commercial credit
  • Type: Mini-Dissertation
  • Identifier: uj:1910 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/4271
  • Description: M.Comm. , South Africa's Minister of Trade and Industry, Alec Irwin, stated that "one of the most striking features of the South African economy is the underdevelopment of small and medium enterprises" (Polkinghorne, 2001). A lack of sufficient capital and credit is often a major handicap to the development of SMMEs, particularly in their early growth stages. The growth and development .ofthe small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) sector is acknowledged by most interest groups and policy-makers as being of critical importance to South Africa's ability to address the serious problems of unemployment. The South African government suggests that the SMME sector -with the help of government support -is capable of fulfilling these obj ectives and has introduced a number of supply-side measures to promote the formerly neglected sector. The overall objective is "to create an enabling environment" and "to level the playing field" (South Africa, 1995) in terms of national, regional and local policy frameworks for SMME development. Khula Enterprise Finance Ltd. was established in 1996 in terms of a Department of Trade and Industry (DT!) initiative and provides access to credit to SMMEs through various delivery mechanisms. One of these delivery mechanisms is a scheme that was created to assist SMMEs to access finance from traditional financial intermediaries by providing guarantees on a risksharing basis. Khula Enterprise Finance Ltd. has assisted in delivering almost 103 000 loans, credit guarantees and other facilities to SMMEs since the agency started operating in 1996. The total value of the loans and guarantees exceeds R550 million (Martins, 2001). ii However, Khula Enterprise Finance Ltd. has to contend with intermediaries applying its programmes -banks that are not renowned for their spirit of adventure, and welfare-oriented service organisations that lack business acumen (Khula: Some business ... , 2002: 53). The perception among the general population in South Africa is that most banks have neither the capacity nor the will to actively and creatively manage SMME loans to South Africa's emerging markets -"emerging" meaning political customers who have not been seen as critical in the past, but who are seen as such in the future. In South Africa these are largely people of black African descent (Polkinghorne, 2001). The target of Peoples Bank Business includes previously disadvantaged communities such as black persons, women and the disabled. Additionally, clients are assisted with venture capital or loans to fund start-up businesses. Emphasis is placed on assistance to the community in addition to traditional criteria such as bottom-line results. This study attempted to assess the service provided by Peoples Bank Business to clients sponsored by the Khula Indemnity Scheme. This study did not attempt to provide solutions to problems experienced, but rather to identify the deficiencies/gaps in service as experienced by clients of Peoples Bank Business.
  • Full Text:

An investigation into the success factors amongst small businesses in Gauteng

  • Authors: Keil, Maria Clara Mauricio Pereira
  • Date: 2009-03-31T09:19:53Z
  • Subjects: Small business , Success in business , Gauteng (South Africa)
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:8230 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2342
  • Description: M.B.A. , Gauteng, the smallest of the nine South African provinces, but the largest in terms of its contribution to national GDP (33.9%), generates 10% of Africa’s GDP (Gauteng Enterprise Propeller Overview, 2007) and is therefore a very important geo-economical zone. As South Africa latest unemployment rate is 25.5% (StatsSA, 2006), Government is geared towards promoting small businesses in an effort to grow the economy and reduce unemployment. It is therefore very important to the economy that small businesses succeed, grow and provide employment. Due to the fact that at present, very little research into the success factors amongst small businesses in South Africa has been conducted in South Africa, it seems appropriate at this time to investigate the success factors of small businesses in Gauteng. The problem statement in this research is that there is insufficient knowledge relating to the factors contributing to the failure or success of small businesses in South Africa, Gauteng. To conduct this research, a qualitative and exploratory approach was decided upon. A literature survey on the subject was conducted in order to ground the current research in existing theory and research. A questionnaire was sent out by e-mail to 3776 businesses in Gauteng, to which the response rate was 3.15% (119 questionnaires were returned). The questionnaire was divided into sections and covered the definition of success, entrepreneurial personality characteristics of owner/manager, use of management tools, resource availability and the classification of respondents and their businesses. Due to the small size of the sample this research is not able to conclusively achieve the primary research objective of identifying the success factors of small businesses in Gauteng, but it has nevertheless contributed to the body of research on the matter, since it established that there is a correlation between: • Entrepreneurial personality and the success of small businesses • The use of management tools and the success of small businesses • The availability of resources and the success of small businesses. In addition the following can be reported: • The owner/managers surveyed attributed their success to: - persistence and determination - experience - entrepreneurial personality - business knowledge - a great team - education • The existence and or use of the business plan and its relationship to success remains inconclusive • Financial resources do not feature prominently as a success factor, but business skills do seem to correlate with success. Further research is necessary to pinpoint conclusively which traits and behaviours are conducive to success, by comparing successful and unsuccessful business owners. Other recommendations that arose from this research were: • Research should be conducted into the assumption that economic growth is driven by the proliferation of small businesses • Research into the weight of internal factors ((personality, experience, attitude, knowledge) versus that of external factors (start-up capital, business plans, skill availability, economic and legal conditions) would contribute to the body of knowledge and could trigger a shift in approach.
  • Full Text:

Assessment of the e-readiness of small and medium sized enterprises in the ICT sector in Botswana, with special reference to information access

  • Authors: Mutula, Stephen M.
  • Date: 2009-01-12T07:22:41Z
  • Subjects: Small business , Electronic information resources , Electronic commerce , Business enterprises , Computer networks , Botswana
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:14776 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1854
  • Description: D.Litt. et Phil. , The purpose of this research was to determine the status of e-readiness of Small and Medium-Sized enterprises (SMEs) in the ICT sector in Botswana with respect to information access using ICTs for competitiveness in the local and international markets. The population of study consisted of key informants from 114 SMEs in the ICT sector in Gaborone and Francistown, the capital city and the second largest city of Botswana respectively. The official list of ICT companies provided by the government of Botswana was used as the sampling frame. The research used a two-phase design - the preliminary survey and the main survey of the project. The preliminary survey consisted of two stages. During the first stage, a short structured questionnaire was administered to a census of 114 key informants from SMEs in the ICT sector. During the second stage, six focus group discussions were used to collect data from key stakeholders in the ICT sector who included representatives from: ICT companies, ICT professional body in Botswana, government utility corporations, academia and the business community. The participants in the focus group discussions involved representatives from 55 SMEs who were identified like in the first stage using the government official list of SMEs in Botswana. The quantitative data collected through questionnaire were analysed using SPSS while the qualitative data collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were analysed using thematic tables. The results were represented using tables, pie charts, categories and narrations. The results of the preliminary survey of the project were used to characterise the ICT sector in terms of its size, key players, nature of businesses, products and services traded in, distribution of business by location and the issues that affected the sector. This characterisation was important in two main respects. Firstly, it provided a clear roadmap for the design of the main survey of the research since little information existed on the subject of e-readiness on Botswana in general and with respect to SMEs in particular. Similarly, the government had invested a lot of resources in ICT infrastructure development and was focusing on SMEs especially those in the ICT sector to diversify the economy from the dominant diamond mining to service industry. Secondly, the results of the preliminary survey of the project supported the development of a structured interview schedule that was used during the main survey of the project. During the main survey of the research data was collected from companies that participated in the focus group discussions. From the focus group list of participants, an alphabetical name list of 55 SMEs was created. There were 43 Small-Sized and 12 Medium-Sized enterprises that were represented during the focus group discussions. For the purpose of carrying out the structured interviews, SMEs were stratified into two (Small-Sized enterprises and Medium-Sized enterprises). From the Small-Sized enterprises stratum, 20 companies were systematically selected (from the 43) taking every other member on the list. On the other hand, in the Medium-Sized enterprises stratum, all the 12 enterprises were selected for interviews because the number of respondents was small. The data collected was analysed using categories and thematic tables because it was largely qualitative. The results were presented in the form of thematic tables and through narrations. The findings from the SMEs surveyed indicated that most of the SMEs in the ICT sector in Botswana were Small-Sized enterprises that were largely not e-ready to participate in the global electronic business environment because of several impediments such as: the lack of awareness, inadequate policy and legislative framework, poor telecommunication and electricity infrastructures, poor e-commerce infrastructure, inadequate government support, the lack of access to credit, investment barriers, the lack of critical ICT skills and more. The major outcomes of the project include an exposition of the e-readiness status of SMEs in the ICT sector in Botswana, a road map that can assist the government of Botswana to establish a strong export-oriented ICT sector. The weaknesses and strengths of Botswana’s e-readiness status with regard to SMEs are brought to the fore, thus creating awareness upon which the government can design interventions that are tailored to meet Botswana’s SMEs’ specific needs. Similarly, this project provides a framework upon which the government can benchmark against its counterparts in the rest of the world in order to define its investment priorities. The project also provides baseline information which the government could use to implement appropriate policy and legislative decisions in order to enhance the e-readiness of SMEs in the ICT sector in Botswana. Finally, the new integrated e-readiness tool that was developed in this project is the first of its kind to bring the different major components of e-readiness (such as enterprise, ICT, human resources, information and external environment readiness) into a single assessment tool with great attention paid to information access. The tool is also modular in design and thus can allow specific e-readiness assessment of individual segments of society to be modelled independently of each other. The tool also enriches the qualitative aspects of e-readiness that are only minimally addressed in a few of the existing macro e-readiness assessment tools. Among the key recommendations from the research is the need for the government of Botswana to promulgate relevant policies and implement pragmatic programmes that would enable SMEs in the ICT sector in the country to use various information technologies in order to gain access to relevant information regarding access to credit, investment opportunities, partnerships, education and training opportunities so that they can effectively participate in both the local and international markets. The policy changes and programmes to be undertaken by the government should be underpinned by an effective legislative and regulatory framework that would enable the small business firms to identify, acquire, process, organise, disseminate and apply information for competitive advantage through the effective deployment and application of ICTs.
  • Full Text:

Construction health and safety culture in South African small and medium enterprises

  • Authors: Agumba, Justus N. , Haupt, Theo
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Construction health and safety , Construction industry , Small business
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:5307 , ISSN 978-0-62043702-8 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5293
  • Description: Construction health and safety (H&S) culture in small and medium construction enterprises (SMEs) has received little attention in South Africa, in terms of either research or support for preventive initiatives. Previous research suggests that this sector has serious problems exacerbated by limited access to human, economic and technological resources. Moreover it is now recognized that methods developed specifically for large firms cannot necessarily be transferred to smaller and medium firms, hence the need to investigate the H&S culture in SMEs. This exploratory study is based on descriptive survey using semi-structured and structured questionnaire, and non-probability sampling to give an overview of the characteristics of H&S culture and practices in SMEs firms in the South African construction industry.
  • Full Text:

Corporate strategy implementation among small and medium consulting businesses

  • Authors: Mbombo, Kalamba Prisca
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Small business , Business planning , Small business - Management , Strategic planning
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/271903 , uj:28928
  • Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: The success of corporate strategy implementation has become the focus of many organisations to sustain a competitive advantage. Strategic management helps organisations to set their vision, mission and objectives that will enable them to survive and operate within a competitive environment. However, many organisations have experienced little success in the implementation of corporate strategy. The majority do not have strategies in place, and strategy implementation fails because of poor implementation and not because of the strategy itself. Many factors may affect the implementation of corporate strategy within any organisation, such as lack of resources, poor communication and resistance to change. The main objective of this research was to determine how small and medium consulting businesses are implementing corporate strategies to ensure sustainability and growth. To achieve this objective, a qualitative approach was used with the aim of understanding, analysing and evaluating the success of corporate strategy implementation of small and medium consulting businesses. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, which were conducted with 13 small and medium consulting business owners/managers in the Randburg central business district. The empirical findings indicate that corporate strategy implementation with specific reference to the components of implementation has a significant contribution to small and medium consulting businesses’ sustainability, growth and performance. Owners/managers of these businesses should ensure that the strategy applied is communicated effectively to the staff members in order for them to embrace the implementation and to understand and adopt the strategy; however, the lack of a strategy can cause the failure of these businesses.
  • Full Text:

Determinants of mobile marketing adoption among SMEs in South Africa

  • Authors: Maduku, Daniel Kofi
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Small business , Small business marketing , Internet marketing
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/82925 , uj:19025
  • Description: Abstract: SMEs are widely regarded as important building blocks for economic prosperity and broader social well-being for both developed and developing nations. However, SMEs face a number of challenges that impede their ability to fully provide the much-needed boost to the socio-economic development of countries. Besides financial constraints, the lack of marketing skills and capability is often cited as one of the key challenges of most SMEs. Mobile technology innovation has become the cutting edge for socio-economic development for most developing economies. Significant competitive advantage is exploited when businesses use mobile technology to streamline their operations and to initiate interactive communication with their target market through the use of mobile marketing. Thus, it is widely believed that mobile marketing applications hold a great deal of business value, particularly for SMEs that have limited financial resources to invest in costly traditional marketing practices to overcome their marketing challenges. However, SMEs have been slow to adjust and rebalance their marketing media mix to reflect the unprecedented mobile-centric world of consumers. It is therefore important to investigate the factors that influence the adoption of mobile marketing among SMEs. It is against this background that this study uses an integrated conceptual model that combines theories used to understand innovation adoption at the individual level of adoption (theory of planned behaviour) and the organisational level of adoption (Technology Organisation Environment framework). Considering that models of innovation adoption at the individual and organisational levels have been tested with samples drawn from large firms and in developed countries, this study tested the integrated conceptual model with SMEs in South Africa. This was important, because SMEs have peculiar characteristics that distinguish from large firms. More so, findings from developed countries cannot be generalised to a cultural, socio-economically diverse and developing country, such as South Africa. Following a quantitative approach, data were sourced randomly from 511 SMEs in the manufacturing, tourism, and wholesale/retail sectors of the South African economy. Structural equation modelling was the main statistical technique employed to analyse the data and test the hypotheses. , D.Phil. (Marketing Management)
  • Full Text:

Developing an optimisation model for the cost of working capital for SMEs

  • Authors: Stroucken, Jacob Gerhard Marie
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Working capital , Small business , Small business - Finance
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/262056 , uj:27652
  • Description: Ph.D. (Finance) , Abstract: Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) are at a considerable disadvantage when seeking finance for their businesses. They are at the mercy of both financiers and powerful trading partners who are able to impose stringent conditions on the terms of finance or trade. The impact is felt, mostly, on the working capital of the firms. This study seeks, firstly, to show that it is possible for firms, who collaborate financially, to optimise the cost of their working capital, at no net cost to any party and, secondly, to develop a model to measure the financial benefits that can be thus obtained. The literature argues that individual firms, who optimise their working capital, increase their profits. It is shown, however, that this is usually done at the expense of their trading partners. Research also shows why trade credit is used and how expensive it is. Both topics are developed to achieve the objectives of this study. It is shown that it is possible to optimise working capital in a supply chain. The Working Capital Cost Optimisation (WCCO) model is developed from a dyadic trading system to a full supply chain to calculate the benefit of financial collaboration. A supply chain is simulated from data obtained from a bank in SA and the WCCO model is tested. Three scenarios are considered 1) a benchmark scenario in which every firm trades with another, 2) a scenario in which SMEs and large enterprises (LEs) trade only with each other, and, 3) a scenario where the cost of trade credit is introduced to trade between SMEs and LEs. The output is analysed to determine the impact of the resulting financial benefits on key financial ratios of the firms. It is found that the financial benefit, especially for SMEs, increases as collaborative trade is focussed towards trade with LEs in a trade credit situation. The WCCO model can be applied to any situation where firms agree to collaborate using their financial resources. State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) and government departments who have a mandate to assist SOEs could be persuaded to implement the findings of this study to the benefit of SME suppliers.
  • Full Text:

Entrepreneurial leadership and management for change and successful business growth

  • Authors: Nieuwenhuizen, C.
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Entrepreneurship , Small business
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:6189 , ISSN 978-0-866970-661-9 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5267
  • Description: The vast majority of businesses initiated by entrepreneurs originated as micro or small businesses. These businesses are usually started and entrepreneurially managed by one person. They can grow and become larger small businesses or even medium and large businesses if the entrepreneur does not become a manager. The entrepreneur has a distinctly different mindset from that of the manager or bureaucrat, but often the entrepreneur becomes complacent with a specific level of achievement in his or her business. The entrepreneur then becomes the content manager of a small business who is averse to risk, change and innovation. The entrepreneurial business is then replaced by a managerially focused small business. It also often happens that ideas are good and the people behind them are competent but don't know how to manage a business and have no underlying appreciation of business fundamentals. The business then fails due to a lack of management skills and behaviour as well as knowledge regarding the different functions of a business. Businesses that have been successfully established often fail due to the entrepreneurs' inability to adapt to the changing needs of the business, which often includes a more managerial and functional approach. The true entrepreneur is a leader, adaptive, innovative and willing to take risks, but as the business grows, a more managerial style becomes necessary. This can happen when the business is small, but the challenge usually presents itself acutely when the business has become medium sized. This paper explores the nature and role of the entrepreneur as change agent in the economy and business.
  • Full Text:

Entrepreneurial skills required for small and medium enterprises in the Johannesburg Metropolitan

  • Authors: Mwepu Mbuya, Jean-Marie
  • Date: 2013-05-01
  • Subjects: Small business , Entrepreneurs
  • Type: Mini-Dissertation
  • Identifier: uj:7496 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8354
  • Description: M.Comm. (Business Management) , Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in the growth of the South African economy as a result of the increasing rate of unemployment across the country. Small and medium sized businesses are recognized globally as the best strategy to alleviate poverty and boost economic growth through job creation. In order to create and sustain small and medium businesses, it is important to ensure that entrepreneurs possess the required skills that will ensure the viability of their organizations in the long-run. The more skills an entrepreneur possesses, the more entrepreneurial success will unfold. This research aimed to investigate the personal entrepreneurial skills and competencies that are required from small and medium entrepreneurs in order to operate efficiently in the Johannesburg metropolitan area. Five entrepreneurial skills were selected, namely , the skill of leadership, the skill of creativity and innovation, the skill networking and trust, the skill of time management and the skill of goal setting and commitment. One hundred and one entrepreneurs across the Johannesburg metropolitan area participated in the survey. The analysis of the data was conducted using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) and recommendations were made on how to improve each selected entrepreneurial skill. The major findings of the research were that all selected entrepreneurial skills proved to be crucial for the success of the small and medium businesses. The importance of entrepreneurial training and education was also emphasised as a strategy that could improve the entrepreneurial skills of start-up entrepreneurs.
  • Full Text:

Entrepreneurship and subjectivity constitution in secondary school students in Mozambique

  • Authors: Chissale, Adelino Leonardo
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Entrepreneurship , Small business
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/82880 , uj:19020
  • Description: Abstract: This thesis is an exploration of how secondary school students constitute themselves into future entrepreneurs through a vocationalised curriculum of general secondary education. It highlights the complex process of becoming an entrepreneur by investigating the conditions of possibility and the dynamics of such a process. It discusses subjectivities produced by both curriculum discourses on entrepreneurship and practical experiences in running small businesses in a family environment in order to understand the entrepreneurial identities that emerge from the process. It is based on a case study of a secondary school in Maputo (Mozambique) undertaken in 2013 with focus on grade 12 secondary school students, their respective associates (relatives or friends), and officials from the school and the Ministry of Education who were interviewed. Non-participant classroom observations provided information on the pedagogies used in teaching the subject of Notions of Entrepreneurship (NE). Documentary analysis provided an understanding of the content and assumptions underpinning the project of vocationalisation of general secondary education in Mozambique. The study adopted a constructionist perspective to grasp experiences in becoming an entrepreneur as a process of self-making and being made within a context through particular discourses and discursive practices on entrepreneurship. Important insights emerged from the study. First, while students go through similar experiences on schooling and in running small businesses they position themselves in different ways with regard to those experiences, and the choices they make in relation to their future are negotiated from the various possibilities offered by those experiences. Second, classroom pedagogies applied to the subject of NE seem to be detached from practical experiences in running small businesses. Consequently, while some students regard the subject as important for them to become entrepreneurs because it provides them with knowledge on how to start and run a business, there are also those who see nothing new in NE compared to what they know from practical experiences. This does not mean that these students devalue school knowledge but it does highlight the importance of integrating theory and practice in learning to become an entrepreneur. Third, future career paths are developed from practical experiences students have on what it means to be an entrepreneur and multiple identities emerging from those experiences seem to be driven by both labour market rationalities and the concern with others. These identities are subject to change and since students plan concomitant two career paths (running a small business and continuing with higher education) it appears that they may not be ready for the labour market upon completion of grade 12.... , D.Phil.
  • Full Text:

Evaluating management commitment to health and safety in small and medium construction enterprises

  • Authors: Agumba, Justus N. , Haupt, Theo.
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Construction industry , Construction health and safety , Small business
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:5308 , ISBN 978-0-620-44689-1 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5297
  • Description: Construction health and safety (H&S) in small and medium construction enterprises (SMEs) has received little attention in South Africa, in terms of either research or support for preventive initiatives. Previous research suggests that this sector has serious problems exacerbated by limited access to human, economic and technological resources. Moreover it is now recognized that methods developed specifically for large firms cannot necessarily be transferred to smaller and medium firms, hence the need to investigate management commitment to H&S among SMEs.
  • Full Text:

Evaluating the use of project management techniques in infrastructure delivery by South African small and medium sized contractors

  • Authors: Agumba, Justus Ngala
  • Date: 2008-07-16T12:54:49Z
  • Subjects: Project management , Construction industry , Small business
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:7289 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/802
  • Description: South Africa is currently faced with the challenge of reducing the huge backlog of infrastructure delivery to communities that were previously disadvantaged. Given the prioritization of empowerment by the South African government, the previously disadvantaged and marginalized sector of the construction industry that comprises mainly, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is the preferred vehicle of delivery. However, consequent to their historic position outside of the mainstream construction industry, they lack the requisite project management expertise and experience to make good on this objective. This study investigates the characteristics of the personnel managing SMEs and the SMEs themselves, the usage, necessity, importance and adequate use of the techniques, effectiveness and potential applicability of various project management techniques to improve the performance of the SMEs in delivering the much-needed infrastructure. The study also identifies those external and internal factors that are detrimental to the effective implementation of project management techniques. Given the aforementioned, a descriptive survey was conducted among contractors who were either registered members of the Gauteng Master Builders Association (GMBA) or the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) in Gauteng. The data was collected using a semi-structured, structured and open-ended interview questionnaire, and analysed using descriptive analysis, severity index and content analysis respectively. The findings indicate that experienced and educated personnel manage SMEs. There is usage of essential project management techniques, which the contractors agreed are necessary and important in managing their projects. There is inadequate use of project management techniques among the SMEs. When used, the techniques brought about improvement in the delivery of projects. The research also established various factors that deterred the adequate implementation of project management techniques, namely, lack of adequate project information from professionals, time and financial constraints. The research concludes by suggesting that if significant improvements in the delivery of construction projects are to be attained, the findings stated need to be taken into consideration. , Mr. F.C. Fester Prof. F.A.O. Otieno Mr. I.O. Adegoke
  • Full Text:

Examining a new approach to cost control methods and mechanisms for SMMEs in construction projects: a case study of a road construction project in Limpopo

  • Authors: Ademola, Williams Olawale
  • Date: 2014-01-14
  • Subjects: Small business , Road construction industry - South Africa - Limpopo , Building - South Africa - Limpopo - Cost control
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:7885 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8776
  • Description: M.Ing.(Engineering Management) , A lot have been said and written about how South African Small Micro and Medium Size Enterprises (SMMEs) in the Construction sector of the economy have failed in the delivery of their projects and about how they have not measured up in terms of the requirements needed to be competitive in the global place. Services delivery protests by communities where SMMEs have either failed to deliver their projects adequately or have out rightly abandoned projects are common features in our various electronic and print media, and in many cases these days the most reasons given for this behavior is the total collapse or lack thereof of proper financial management of the project. Because of the ease of procedure required to register construction outfits at the Department of Trade and Industry many have flocked to the opportunity and established business enterprises with the intention that at least they will be considered for one tender or the other to carry out some sort of construction work or the other in their various environments. Others registered such companies because they have links and ties to these opportunities in the various government establishments responsible for creating these works in the name of service delivery to their respective communities. Many of the proprietors of these enterprises, when they eventually get the job, have little or no financial knowledge on how to successfully manage a construction project and sometimes always based their financial judgment on the bottom line without considering the various factors that influence the bottom line profit. Virtual calculations of their financial inputs and relative desired outputs are done with little or no consideration for cost implications of the individual building blocks of the project itself. Safe to say, in many instances, the project fail or is abandoned due to mismanaged funds or the exhaustion of such funds required to carry the project to the completion stage. It has been observed in many instances and in interactions with some SMMEs in the construction sector that not many of the appointed Project Managers and/ or Site Managers have Project Management skills, and those who do have, in most cases are unable to apply these skills to their projects. Usually they just result to invoking personal experiences obtained from their various earlier endeavors in financial projections and decisions involving the management of their projects. More often than not, these financial projections and decisions become inaccurate and tend to drive the project into financial losses. This now begs the question, that if there exits simple mathematical techniques and methods of evaluating the various costs during the project life cycle, and weighing those daily weekly and monthly costs against targeted objectives, both in the planning and execution of the projects, wouldn’t it then be easier to make sensible financial decisions if we are able to control and manage project resource costs so much so that the resultant will always be the desired financial objectives? The aim therefore, of this dissertation is to examine a simple but adequately comprehensive method, of managing resources cost as applied to road construction projects and how, by also weighing the influence of other trade-offs such as quality and time within the life cycle, the project is kept in good financial status and is subsequently able to make a profit at the end of the day. An illustration of the application of this cost control method is highlighted in a case study of a road construction project in Limpopo undertaken by an emerging South African construction company. The financial management style and those factors that govern some of the cost decisions made during the course of the project are taking into account. The resultant financial success of the work so far is evidence that the cost control mechanism employed largely contributes to its present successful state. It can therefore be concluded that if properly implemented, this method will assist SMMEs in the promotion of proper cost control practices, and subsequent financial breakthroughs when applied to other similar projects.
  • Full Text:

Functional requirements of eCRM solutions for the South African SME sector

  • Authors: Zaayman, Philip
  • Date: 2009-01-15T13:12:09Z
  • Subjects: Small business , Customer services , Customer relations management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:14798 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1874
  • Description: M.Phil. , The issue of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) within organisations has gained importance over the last five years, and the trend is set to continue with new CRM software vendors entering the market regularly. For a business, it is cheaper to retain existing customers than to acquire new ones, therefore increased customer loyalty and interaction is important. The value that electronic CRM (eCRM) allows is that it increases customer interaction, by eliminating physical intervention and subsequent errors. The Internet has allowed this interaction to become more sophisticated, with service information instantly available to both the customer and the business. The number of channels for interaction has also increased. Specifically, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need low cost eCRM solutions that adapt to their business models and IT structures. The South African SME is limited by certain budgeting, resource and time constraints, and the owner of the SME cannot always devote time in search of a suitable eCRM solution for his business. The multitudes of vendors, offering various levels of functionality with increased focus on the SME sector, allow the SME many choices. However, companies selecting eCRM software vendors often lack an objective basis due to a lack of alternative information sources. Vendors making unsubstantiated and incorrect claims about the functionality of their software, further complicate the problem. From an SME point of view, the functionality and cost criteria of the eCRM solution is the most important. However, the minimum functionality criteria that vendors’ software packages must adhere to, in order to be considered an eCRM suite are: Customer Analysis; Marketing Automation; Sales Automation; Customer Service and Support; and Web-centricity. The research problem lies therein that South African SME owners or managers are unsure which functionalities are available, and which to deem important when considering eCRM solutions for their businesses. The objective of this study is to formulate a matrix of functionality that eCRM solutions must adhere to in order to be successfully implemented by the SME. This matrix is not prescriptive, but will guide SME management by identifying criteria and functionality that the solution needs to contain. The aim is to help SMEs select the right software, not to select the software for them.
  • Full Text:

Gender and age differences in conflict management within small businesses.

  • Authors: Havenga, W.
  • Date: 2008
  • Subjects: Conflict handling styles , Interpersonal conflict , Age , Gender , Small business , Rahim organisational inventory , ROC-II instrument
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:5639 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2878
  • Description: The objective of this exploratory study was to establish, through the application of the Rahim Organisational Inventory (ROC II) instrument, how the gender and age status of owners/managers of small businesses relate to the application of different conflict-handling styles. The sample of 68 participants was taken using a convenience sampling technique to ensure representation from the strata of the 102 small businesses. Analysis of variances was used to determine if differences exist in conflict-handling styles within the gender and age status groups. The results of the statistical analysis done revealed that slight to significant variances were found, which are discussed accordingly.
  • Full Text:

Guest houses success: the experience of five small enterprises in a turbulent environment

  • Authors: De Winter, Tina
  • Date: 2010-11-09T06:17:53Z
  • Subjects: Success in business , Boarding houses , Small business
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:6949 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3459
  • Description: M.Comm. , The study was concerned with the problem of the long-term survival and success of SMEs in the tourism industry in a turbulent global operating environment, as well as in hostile conditions, such as unexpected changes, or disaster in the operating environments of the small businesses. The study was prompted by the high failure rate of SMEs worldwide and in SA. The tourism industry has a predominance of small business and was identified by SA as the industry of choice to support for the achievement of macroeconomic goals that include economic stability, poverty alleviation and employment creation. The overall objective of the study was to explore and examine factors located within the three operating environments (macro, industry and micro), that contribute to the survival and long-term success of tourism SMEs (five guest houses on the Dolphin Coast), operating in a turbulent global environment and hostile conditions such as disaster and unexpected events. The study explored and explained factors from four interrelated perspectives, namely a macro, meso, micro and chrono contexts; to examine the way in which the guest houses engaged with their environments; to determine the role of networks and clusters in the process; and to determine the impact of industry-specific and sector-specific factors on success. The study used an embedded case study methodology to assess five tourism SMEs, guest houses, located on the east coast of SA in a region known as the Dolphin Coast. The area was studied over a three year period from 2005 to 2007, a period of favourable economic and industry conditions globally and nationally (SA). Slowing economic conditions, severe coastal storms, rates increases and changes in the external environment provided conditions of turbulence and hostility in which to assess the responses of the guest houses, compared to activity and perceptions in the prior stable conditions. Porter’s (1980; 1990; 1996; 2000) theoretical frameworks, including the Diamond Model, the Five Forces Model and augmentations to these models were used to guide the research and interpretation of results. The study concluded that various sets of interlinked factors located in the macro, industry and internal (micro) operating environment of the firm, contributed to the success and constraints experienced by the guest houses. The presence of elements in the environments does not facilitate or ensure success, but success is dependent on the actions and choices of leaders and managers. These actions and choices are, in turn, guided by the values and culture present in the environment and are affected by human agency and efficacy.
  • Full Text:

Information needs of small, micro and medium enterprises

  • Authors: Rathaba, Dikomo Dorcas
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Small business , Information retrieval
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/414173 , uj:34921
  • Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: It is of importance to establish the need companies, institutions or organisations have for information to satisfy a specific purpose. Research studies that focus on information needs are conducted to assist in providing improved, effective and relevant services to the customers who need and use information. Establishing and understanding the information needs of Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) in intended to assist in providing insight and intelligence to institutions that offer business support services to SMMEs. The intelligence from the research can then be used to align the services offered to the SMMEs to be more effective, efficient and needs-based (Savolainen, 2017:3). The purpose of this research study was to establish what information SMMEs need when making use of the services of the University of Johannesburg Centre for Entrepreneurship (UJCfE). An overview of the importance of SMMEs is provided as a basis to clarify the importance of establishing the information needs and seeking behaviour of SMMEs. Having provided an outline of the importance of SMMEs in a developing country such as South Africa, it was further highlighted what the importance of information to SMMEs is. In addition, an overview of possible challenges SMMEs encounter with availability and access to information was provided. The study is based on the Customer Focus Theory (CFT), in this case the customer being the SMMEs. The CFT considers the customer’s identify location, personality and organisation’s experience, where applicable. Furthermore, the theory places emphasis on the process of gathering, understanding and using customer requirements and information as well as accepting and using feedback from the customer to improve customer service. The study followed a qualitative research design with the use of a self-administered questionnaire as the data collection instrument. The questionnaire was sent through electronic mail (email), with an option to complete an online Google form or hard copy of the questionnaire, to 434 SMMEs on the University of Johannesburg Centre for Entrepreneurship (UJCfE) database. Based on the data collected from the online and print questionnaire, the data was analysed following a descriptive statistics analysis method through identifying similarities, differences, categories and themes from the responses.
  • Full Text:

Information security risk management in the South African small, medium and micro enterprise environment

  • Authors: Van Niekerk, Liesel
  • Date: 2008-07-07T09:33:28Z
  • Subjects: Small business , Risk management , Computer security management , Information technology security measures
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:10248 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/761
  • Description: The small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) environment of South Africa contributes 42% to the national gross domestic product. This is a high number for a largely under-regulated environment. The corporate governance and IT governance standards that apply to South African companies are not feasible for SMMEs, and neither are they enforced, although 80% of failures of SMMEs are attributable to lack of enterprise management skill. The first objective of this dissertation is to examine the South African SMME, and in so doing determine whether local regulatory standards can be used for this unique enterprise formation. The second objective of this dissertation is to determine whether international methodologies for information security risk management, as an inclusive of IT governance, may be used in the unique local SMME formation. The result of these two objectives creates a gap in a typical information security risk management methodology that is suitable for the South African regulatory and economic environment for SMMEs. A model has been created as a possible answer for filling the gap. The dissertation includes the Peculium Model, which answers the regulatory and economic requirements that resulted from the second objective. The Model allows the small enterprise a simple but effective method for managing risks to its information assets, with the control of corporate governance and IT governance included in its framework. The Model answers the methods for identifying and assessing risk in a tradition-based but feasible new qualitative technique. , Labuschagne, L., Prof.
  • Full Text:
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Contact