Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role as employers and in the economic growth of South Africa and in Africa as a whole. SMEs comprise over 90 percent of African business operations and contribute to over percent of African employment and GDP. SMEs sector has shown positive signs in South Africa, Mauritius and North Africa. SMEs constitute 95 percent of formal manufacturing activity in Nigeria. Senegal and Kenya have provided an environment which is conducive for SMEs (African Development Bank 2005). In August 2006, flood damage to small businesses and residential premises in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Area was estimated at R120million (SABC News 2006). The holding of an insurance cover by SMEs is crucial and beneficial to the economy and to the survival and success of the Small and Medium Enterprise sector. If a business has an insurance policy and a relationship with its insurer it becomes easier for the company to over come such a catastrophe. However, literature has shown that insurance companies are not willing to insure SMEs and it is the aim of this research to establish whether a relationship between the two constructs exists. An article entitled New Deal In The Offering for SMMEs, the author stated that the insurance industry prefer to deal only with established businesses (Mthimkhulu 2008). The aim of this research is to establish the importance of business relationship between Insurance companies and SMEs. The research will show how beneficial such a relationship is to both industries. The data for the research was collected through a survey type structured questionnaire that was developed and validated. The questionnaire was administered to the owners or managers of SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Area. The primary objective of this research was to establish whether SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Area have insurance policies for their businesses, and the results have shown that most of the SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Area do not have insurance policies for their businesses.

D.Ed. / It is an accepted fact that one of the school's duties is to prepare a pupil vocationally as well as to be economically literate. One of the reasons why this study is deemed to be of current interest is that pupils are being educated to be job seekers instead of -providers. The shortage of entrepreneurs is therefore reaching national proportions. At this moment in time education in South Africa does not aim to establish a culture of entrepreneurship and the pupils believe the only requirement is to complete their school careers successfully. After completion of his/her school career a pupil is geared to enter the labour market as an employee. Only in the minority of cases parents and schools educate their children to form any alternative ideas about themselves and life in general. This study looks at the responsibility of the school with regard to teaching entrepreneurship as it exists in the South African society at present. The aim of this study was to establish the following: what entrepreneurship is and which factors outside the school context play an influencing role, the ways in which the school plays a role in the forming of entrepreneurial skills and what the school's responsibility is with regard to educating entrepreneurship. The method of research which was followed was of a twofold nature and consisted of an in depth study of the literature and an empirical investigation. In the study of the literature the profile of an entrepreneur and the characteristics which play a role in the development of entrepreneurs in the family context as well as the environment and culture were investigated. Personal characteristics were also taken into account. The factors which may play a role in advancing and/or restraining entrepreneurial training in the school context were also investigated. The findings and conclusions with regard to these investigations were stipulated and recommendations were made. A questionnaire intended for businessmen/women and teachers was handed out to the relevant people in the Magisterial District of Springs. The validity and reliability of the said instrument were verified beforehand. The results were processed and interpreted by means of a computer. When two or more frequencies were compared the Two-Way Chi-Square was utilised. For the purposes of this study, contextualities and differences between the respondents were accepted as statistically significant on the 5% significance level as well as the 1cY0 significance level. Findings forthcoming from this study were that the school has an enormous educational task with regard to entrepreneurship and the creation of an entrepreneurial culture in South Africa. The curriculum at school should be directed to the development of young entrepreneurs and should also be practice based. Entrepreneurship and the value thereof should already be emphasized at primary school level. Certain recommendations are made which could be of directive assistance with regard to the establishment of a culture of entrepreneurship and aspects regarding the education of entrepreneurship at school. It is estimated that between 350 000 and 400 000 employees in South Africa are introduced to the labour market annually. Only 50 000 will be employed in the formal sector. It is further estimated that between 33% and 45% of the economically active population (approximately 11 million inhabitants at present) are unemployed. Something could be done about this gloomy picture by starting to look at the schools' involvement and/or task with regard to the education of entrepreneurship. The teaching of entrepreneurship with a view to the future of South Africa specifically and a change in the economic school of thought is primarily regarded to be an educational issue. It should be seen•as an investment in the people of South Africa. The above mentioned reasons underline the importance of an investigation of this nature into the schools' involvement and/or task with regard to the education of entrepreneurship.

M.Com. (Financial Management) / Working capital management (WCM) is considered critical for the success of all business and especially for small businesses. A recession (such as the one that took place in 2009) complicates the working capital management of small businesses. Working capital management of a sample of small and medium enterprises in South Africa were investigated to determine how they manage their working capital during challenging economic conditions. The impact of the 2009 economic recession on WCM was specifically investigated by following a quantitative descriptive research approach. The study sample consisted of 44 companies listed on the JSE Ltd AltX Index. A trend analysis was applied on WCM variables to determine significant changes overthe study period. Because variables were not normally distributed, the Mann Whitney U test was conducted to determine the statistical significance of the WCM mean ranks pre-, during and post-recession phases. The trend analysis of working capital management over the six-year study period exhibited a significant improvement in the working capital management level during the economic recession. This was largely attributed to delaying payment to creditors. The analysis of the WCM variables pre-, during and post-recession phases indicated that there were no significant changes in WCM that can be attributed to the 2009 economic recession. It was concluded that although there were changes in working capital management over the study period, the changes could not only be attributed to the 2009 recession.

The question as to whether companies can “do well while doing good” has been investigated by academics for over four decades. Conclusive evidence of a positive link between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) so far has however remained elusive. In building on previous research findings, this study aimed to provide a deeper understanding into the mediating and moderating factors that impact a firm’s ability to generate returns from social investment. In particular, the moderating effect of social and environmental (SEI) impact levels on CSR returns were further investigated. Following the risk-reduction and value-creating hypotheses, it was asserted that sustainable firms with high SEI would yield superior CFP as compared to their peers with lower levels of social and environmental impact. The findings revealed that sustainable firms with high levels of social and environmental impact indeed had higher CFP than their peers with medium and low social and environmental impacts levels. However, the same results were yielded for non-sustainable companies. Although the main hypothesis did not yield the expected outcomes, the study provided important insights into the role of moderating factors on the ability for firms to generate returns from CSR. Moreover, the study uncovered previously unexplored areas of CSR and thereby opened up new avenues for future research. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The small business sector has been identified as a target by government to reduce South Africa’s unemployment problem. There is existing research that most companies, including small business, avoid taking on new employees to avoid, perceived, stringent labour legislation. This research investigates whether small businesses adopt alternative employment strategies to labour as a means to avoiding labour legislation. The questionnaire was distributed to over 9000 small businesses in the metal and engineering manufacturing sectors. Of the 214 responses only 194 could be used. The results of the research point to a prevailing perception by those surveyed that labour legislation is stringent in South Africa and that small businesses, in their efforts to avoid compliance, chose to employ in the temporary and labour broker employment market. Mechanisation is also an option used by small business to avoid legislation. Legislation is, however, not always the only driver when businesses decide to mechanise. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / pagibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

Summaries after each chapter / Flourishing organisations realise that employees make a critical difference when it comes to competitiveness, performance and innovativeness. Employees are required to be dedicated, energetic and absorbed in their work (Bakker & Schaufeli, 2008). In short, organisations require employees who are engaged. The general aim of this research was to use a controlled experimental research design to establish whether the participation of employees in an emotional intelligence intervention would increase their levels of emotional intelligence and thus improve their levels of work engagement. The researcher concluded that the intervention did not result in a significant increase in the employees’ levels of emotional intelligence and work engagement. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Business and Executive Coaching Wits Business School November, 2016 / Despite the substantial investment in leadership development made by corporates around the world, limited research has focussed on the lived experience of leadership development, with the research available typically focussed on specific leadership development interventions. In South Africa effective leadership development is particularly critical given both the emigration of experienced leaders in the past twenty years, and the need to have a diversity of leadership which is representative of the population as a whole. The study explored executive development in South Africa through the lived experience of a sample of senior executives, all of whom had reached “C” suite positions in either a Group or business line capacity. The interview process was inductive in approach, so the narrative was not restricted by assumptions as to what development interventions would be described by the research participants. Eighteen senior executives were invited to participate in the research, and twelve were interviewed, at which point saturation was reached. Whilst no quota was established for racial diversity, the racial mix was representative of senior executives in South Africa corporates. A significant theme in the research findings was the importance of childhood experiences in developing the drive, resilience and ambition that would enable the foundations to be built for adult leadership development. Another key theme was that formal leadership development should be supplemented by experiential learning if it is to have significant impact. Despite mixed feedback on formal leadership development programmes, international executive programmes were seen to provide the participants with the opportunity both to network with others and learn from reflection, developing their life purpose and philosophy. The research participants found that coaching and mentoring were important in supporting the development of their leadership skills, as such interventions could focus on their specific development needs. The power of childhood influencers, workplace informal coaches and mentors and other influential counsellors also appears to have been significant. There was a view that successful leaders “breed” other successful leaders. Another key theme was that of self-confidence leading to self-determination. The self-confidence of the research participants appears to have been balanced by humility and a willingness to listen to and learn from others. All the executives had a strong sense of purpose, often developed initially in childhood, and strong values underpinned their leadership identity. The executives also stressed the importance of work-life balance in developing as effective leaders. A crucial finding of this research was that leaders face unique challenges of diversity and empowerment in South Africa, but that transformational leaders with a South African identity and Anglo-US educational and work experience can be highly successful. The challenge of international leadership development and work experience was found to be particularly beneficial in developing leadership skills which were appropriate for the South African corporate culture. The findings from this research therefore suggest that leadership development is a complex process based on some innate attributes, enhanced through critical childhood influences and trigger events, and developed to full potential through a combination of formal and informal leadership development interventions. Achieving full potential relies on readiness to learn and the opportunities to gain valuable experience, particularly in adversity. In the context of South Africa it appears that “western” leadership development experiences can be adapted by executives to enhance their effectiveness in a South African corporate culture. / MT2017

Thesis ( MPAM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study focuses on the role of the minibus taxi industry in promoting the development of small businesses at Mankweng taxi ranks. This area of study has not been thoroughly researched; therefore, existing literature on the role of the taxi industry in promoting the development of small (especially informal) businesses is limited. This lack thereof does not help in casting a clear sense of how the taxi industry benefits small businesses around their operation centres. Therefore, this study specifically investigated the role of the minibus taxi industry in promoting the development of small businesses at Mankweng Taxi Ranks. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed, with the use of structured questionnaire and focus group interviews as techniques to collect data from Mankweng Taxi Ranks. The study had a target population of 300. Stratified random sampling was chosen for small businesses while random sampling was employed for taxi operators, and purposive sampling was applied for employees at Mankweng main taxi offices. This study had a sample size of 300, sampled differently with 180 participants forming part of stratified random sampling and 110 participants forming part of random sampling. Two different questionnaires were prepared for both small businesses and taxi operators. Questionnaires were randomly distributed to small businesses (30 hawkers, 15 filling stations, 69 street produce sellers, 15 car washers, 15 restaurants, and 36 caterers) and 110 taxi operators at different taxi ranks such as Mankweng, Boyne, Ga-Mothapo, Solomondale and Dikgale. Additionally, the focus group interviews were purposively conducted with 10 employees working at Boyne, as it is the main office of the Mankweng Taxi Association, and they hold more administrative information relating to the taxi business. The findings of the study show that, the taxi industry play a significant role in promoting the development of small businesses. The study further reveals that, poor business plans, inadequate working conditions, taxi violence, reckless driving, and a lack of funding affected the investigated businesses, as well as lack of exposure to new products, confronted the Mankweng Taxi Association. There seems to be a huge gap, both in research and government policy, that, seeks to promote the development of small businesses depending on the environment, and infrastructure, in which these businesses operate. Additionally, this study reveals the nature of the taxi industry and its crucial role in benefiting small businesses. All stakeholders in the taxi industry need to create an environment that, encourages the spirit of harmony, active cooperation and development dedicated to the betterment of the taxi industry.

Dissertation presented in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Masters of Industrial Sociology, in the Department of Sociology at the University of Zululand, Faculty of Arts, 2002. / This study focuses on the problems facing the development of the small-scale business industries at Esikhawini in Kwazulu Natal Province. The first chapter brings forth the primary information about the small-scale business as it started in other countries does. It came to South Africa with the missionaries from Europe. Via the Mediterranean Sea as their route until eventually reached Africa exchange of commodities begun. The African continent has generally poor infrastructure and because of illiteracy Europeans came to exploit African minerals and took Africans into slavery. All that missionaries introduced was their concern with literacy and religious instructions Missionaries failed to develop an African entrepreneur class. In chapter two-literature review shows that there are many problems that hinder the development of the small-scale business industries that could not be developed the government. Other authors reveal that the government failed to attend some of the problems because of the lack of skills for running the small-scale business. The geographical location of the business, as some of the business is located far from the source of raw material is another factor. The competition among the small -scale business further made them not to support the communities. Thus resulted in the decline of the small-scale business industries. Chapter three of the study reveals the purposive sampling method that was used in this study. It is because of its appropriateness to the study, that the data collection was done using self -administered questionnaires. The questionnaires comprises both close and open-ended questionnaires. They were distributed among the workers and the owners of the small -scale business industries In chapter four the data collected was analyzed using tables and the pie charts, in the data analysis the researcher found that the small scale business industries at Esikhawini were owned by the single untrained people, which contributes to their decline. Most of them know nothing about the running of the business and there is a lot of competition among these business which is a further hindrance to the development of this industry. In Chapter five, the researcher recommens and concluded that the problems feeing the development of the small -scale business industries is the global problem, because it is not centered at Kwazulu-Natal Province only, but all the small-scale industries in the world suffer from similar problems. The researcher suggests that the government's intervention through forming a department that would deal with small-scale industries could make small-scale business industries to develop to some considerable level.

Improving learner achievement and performance remains a global challenge for many governments, especially in developing countries. Countries spend a sizeable percentage of their national budgets on education with the hope to achieve desired learner outcomes. In South Africa, legislation has made provision for companies to contribute 1% of their net profit towards social development, including education. It is within this background, that the Epoch and Optima Trusts invested significant sums of money to improve the quality of maths results in secondary schools. The study investigates school level activities to ascertain whether and to what extent these may be implicated in improved teaching practices leading to improved performance. We interrogate the assumption commonly stated in the school effectiveness literature that teaching practices in schools are stimulated and facilitated by activities occurring at that school level. The literature is inclined to the view that whatever happens in classrooms is influenced by school level instructional leadership practices, professional development of teachers and the maintenance of internal accountability measures. We preferred to make use of case study research method in order to explore teacher practices in schools because the purpose is to understand behavioural detail and impact mechanisms. A matched pairs sampling technique was used to select four schools from a population of 78 public schools which were continually supported by the Trusts over a period of two years. One pair was classified as former Model C schools (one high performing and one low performing), while the other pair consisted of two former Department of Education and Training schools (one high performing and one low performing). This design reduces the socio-economic and cultural differences between the two schools in each pair. A framework was derived from the literature to guide the collection and analysis of data. The framework commences with the three categories of school level practices, disaggregated into eight specific activities. A set of indicators was then formulated to assess the degree to which each of the specific practices was present in schools. Collective responses of four interviewees at each school were rated and triangulated during this process. Given the nature and the size of the sample, we cannot generalise on the basis of four case studies. However, the value of this report is that we have developed:  a scheme for describing and analysing school-level practices that may facilitate and optimise teaching and learning, and  a set of hypotheses for accounting for improved school performance. In conclusion, we inferred that schools that institutionalised some practices and systems as identified were able to increase and maintain the number of quality passes in mathematics and as such, meeting the objectives of the donors. The factors which appear to hold the most potential for optimising performance in the two high SES former Model C schools are collegial practices on curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. In the two low SES former DET schools performance advantage seems to be enhanced by the systematic use of assessment data and by an increased sense of intrinsic motivation on the part of teachers.