M.Comm. / The aim of this study was to explore the concept of internationalisation of South African businesses, to determine the entry strategies required to penetrate foreign markets, to examine the challenges these companies are likely to confront and also to analyse the impact of the internationalisation process on the local economy. It was established at the outset that the political environment of the past negatively affected the social and the economic environment. It caused the isolation of South Africa and its businesses and this meant that they were unable to play an effective role in the global economy. However, the advent of democracy has opened doors of challenges and opportunities. It was also established that most firms become international by a process of reeping 'incrementalism' rather than by strategy. It was shown that companies that seek to internationalise must conceive strategy and work towards the venture.

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, specialising in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation Johannesburg, 2017 / This study examined the relationship between business failure and macroeconomic fluctuations within business cycles of South Africa’s economy for the time period 1980 to 2016. The study also sought to understand where, if any, immediate and lag correlations between fluctuations and business failure could be established. To understand this connection, this study used longitudinal data sets of different macroeconomic factors and studied their influence on business failure. The vector error correction model (VECM) was used to determine the long-term relationship between failure and each of the other variables. Additionally, Granger Causality was applied to establish whether the macroeconomic variables investigated in this study can be constructed to predict the probability of business failures. Three classes of macroeconomic predictor variables were considered. Firstly, well-known international variables in the form of GDP and CPI were used. Secondly, the study incorporated the three Composite Business Cycle indicators- leading, coincident and lagging. Lastly, behavioural indicators were used to incorporate the views of the actual businesses and their customers, which for this the study were the Business and Consumer Confidence Indices. After examining the effects the 7 macroeconomic variables had on business failure, the study found that there is a long-run relationship between the Composite Lagging Business Cycle indicator, the Business Confidence and Consumer confidence, which influenced Business Failure. Additionally, it was noted that Business Failure influence the Composite Lagging Business Cycle indicator in the long-run. The study additionally found that Business Failure may Granger Cause the Composite Leading Business Cycle indicator Outcomes of the study are potentially vital for entrepreneurs to understand the timing of entry into markets based on macroeconomic fluctuations through their cycles in certain industries. Business owners can make proactive financial and strategic decisions vital for survival of their business through the expansion and especially in the contraction cycles of the macroeconomic environments. / MT2017

Die oogmerk van hierdie studie is om die waarde van 'n klein maatskappy-oudit te bepaal en om daarvolgens 'n geskikte hervormingstrategie vir sodanige audits te bepaal. 'n Literatuurstudie is uitgevoer met betrekking tot die ontwikkeling en aard van klein maatskappy-oudits, die toepaslikheid van Suid-Afrikaanse ouditstandaarde op klein maatskappy-oudits en die verwagtings van die gebruikers van 'n klein maatskappy se finansiele state. Die voormelde aspekte is daarna empiries getoets ten einde 'n algemeen aanvaarde hervormingstrategie vir klein maatskappy-oudits te formuleer. Uit die literatuurstudie is verskeie kenmerke van 'n klein maatskappy ge"identifiseer. Daarvolgens is argumente aangevoer wat die waarde van 'n klein maatskappy-oudit bevraagteken, soos dat belanghebbendes nie die geouditeerde finansiele state vir besluitnemingsdoeleindes aanwend nie, en dat die tradisionele behoefte aan ouditering nie by klein maatskappye bestaan nie, omdat die aandeelhouers en bestuur (direkteure) gewoonlik dieselfde persona is. Die empiriese navorsing onder die vernaamste gebruikers van klein maatskappye se finansiele state, naamlik sodanige maatskappye se aandeelhouers en/of direkteure, die Suid-Afrikaanse lnkomstediens, bankinstellings en praktiserende ouditeure, het aan die lig gebring dat daar nie eenstemmigheid ocr 'n objektiewe definisie van 'n klein maatskappy bestaan nie. Die oorheersende kenmerk van 'n klein maatskappy is dat die eienaarskap van so 'n maatskappy in die bestuur (direkteure) gesetel is. As 'n algemene norm kan 'n maatskappy egter as klein geklassifiseer word indien dit nie twee van die volgende maatstawwe oorskry nie: Omset R12 miljoen; totale bates R6 miljoen; vyftig werknemers. Die empiriese ondersoek het verder getoon dat die primere gebruikers van klein maatskappye se finansiele state 'n positiewe houding oor so 'n maatskappy-oudit huldig en dat geouditeerde finansiele state van klein maatskappye wei gebruik word tydens bedrywighede en/of vir besluitnemingsdoeleindes en dat Suid-Afrikaanse ouditstandaarde redelik gepas is in 'n klein maatskappy-ouditomgewing. Die huidige openbaarmaking- en dokumentasievereistes van toepassing op aile maatskappye, word egter as te omvangryk beskou. Die slotsom van die studie is dat 'n klein maatskappy-oudit wei 'n bestaansreg geniet omdat dit waarde toevoeg. Gevolglik behoort die konvensionele statutere audit behou te word; die algemeen aanvaarde rekeningkundige-vereistes behoort egter vir klein maatskappye afgeskaal word. / The purpose of this study was to determine the value of a small company audit and then to establish a suitable reform strategy for such audits. A literature study was performed of the development and nature of small company audits, the applicability of South African auditing standards to small company audits and the expectations of the users of the financial statements of a small company. These aspects were then empirically tested to formulate a generally accepted reform strategy for small company audits. The literature study distinguished various characteristics of a small company. Arguments were raised which questioned the value of small company audits, for instance that the interested parties did not use the audited financial statements for decision-making and that the traditional need of auditing does not exist with small companies as the shareholders and management (directors) usually are the same people. The empirical research among the main users of the financial statements of small companies, namely its shareholders and/or directors, the South African Revenue Services, financial institutions and practising auditors revealed that there is no acceptable objective definition of a small company. The dominant characteristic of a small company is that the ownership of such a company vests in management. A company can, as a general norm, be classified as small if it does not exceed two of the following three measures: Turnover R12 million; total assets R6 million; fifty employees. The empirical investigation also showed that the primary users of the financial statements of small companies have a positive attitude towards a small company audit, that the audited financial statements of small companies are used in the performance of their activities and/or decision-making and that South African auditing standards are reasonably applicable to a small company audit environment. The current disclosure and documentation requirements applicable to all companies are, however, regarded as too comprehensive. This study led to the conclusion that a small company audit is justified because it adds value. The conventional statutory audit should therefore be retained but the generally accepted accounting requirements should be scaled down for small companies. / Auditing / D. Compt. (Toegepaste Rekenmeesterskap)

M.Com. / In this treatise, research is done into the various theories with regard to the business phenomenon and the various phases of the business cycle according to various economic indicators. A characteristic of the South African economy as well as other capitalistic systems, is that business indicators have a unstable tendency. Times of prosperity are followed by times of recession when unemployment, production, prices, profits and economic welfare, decline. The recession is again followed by times of prosperity which are characterised by increases in job opportunities as well as rising prices, profits and living standards. This wave like movement in economic activity is known as the business phenomenon. There are certain forces which directly affect the business cycle - some of them force it upwards while others force it downwards. The direction of the business cycle depends on the dominant forces. As soon as the forces are exhausted, a turn in the cycle results. The series regarding the business cycle are classified according to specific schools of thought in order to investigate their development as well as the main causes of the wave like motion in economic activities. A simple classification can be made by dividing the theories into those which preceded the publication of J.M. Keynes' General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money in 1936 as the Classical or Pre-Keynesian, and those which form the Keynesian school of thought and which appeared since the thirties as the Post-Keynesian theories. Firstly the Pre-Keynesian business cycle theories are discussed with reference to amongst others the demand theories, supply theories, the monetary theories and. the impulse theories. Thereafter the Post-Keynesian business cycle theories are discussed, that is those of Hicks, Kalecki, Goodwin and Duesenberry. An examination of the different phases of the business cycle implies a study of the movement of economic data in a upward and downward direction. Four phases can be discerned within the business cycle namely: the upward phase, the upper turning point, the downward phase and the lower turning point. The position of the various indicators will determine in which phase a country's economy finds itself. Economic activities are never stagnant, with the result that a period of prosperity may be followed panicking or a pez'Lod of depression. Several economic indicators may indicate this sequence, for instance unemployment, declining output and profit margins, and the resulting loss of income on the national level. As soon as the lower turning point is reached, the economy starts to recover and a period of prosperity again follows. It can thus be argued that the business cycle is a result of interaction between demand and supply. The business cycle has a significant result on the economy as a whole. It influences the prosperity of the country and even that of the undertaking, its manpower position, its capacity occupation and its factors of production. Every individual is effected to the extend that his disposable income is directly determined by the position of the business cycle. The phases of the business cycle and the inclining and declining motion of economic data contains the nucleus of the effect of the external environment on the undertaking.

M.A. / Today's public managers in the South African public service face complex ethical dilemmas, often having to weigh personal and professional values against current opinion and the law. In the climate of increasing concern over ethical conduct in public service, they should adhere to ethics management. Research for this dissertation indicates that ethics in the public service is poorly managed. It is the responsibility of the public managers to ensure that ethical values, such as efficiency, honesty and integrity, to name just a few, are instilled in their subordinates from the first day of their appointment. Public managers are doers and deciders ...

During the early twenties of this century the necessity for the standardization of management activities and related affairs such as the desirability, reliability and validity of merit-assessments in businesses and industries in the U.S.A. reached a peak. The educational system participated in this movement end began extensive research on the evaluation of teachers. Especially the interest of the teachers' training institutes was aroused. These institutions pursued the viewpoint that more clarity should be obtained regarding the identification and evaluation of desirable education performance, and that this should furthermore be utilised as guidelines for the creation of educational objectives. The result wes a substantial shift in emphasis in the professional training of teachers from quantity to quality. The determination to raise the quality of education probably contributed largely to the sharp focus on a clearly specified goal determination and on a specific target formulation. From this a competency-based educational training originated. The approach of competency-baaed educational training requires that the training task should be based on pre-identified abilities which have to be acquired with a view to effective education. The purpose of this research is to make a penetrating analysis of competency-based education in the field of the Industrial Arts and the Technical teachers. The phenomenal development and advance in the technological sphere once again subjected the training of the Industrial Arts and Technical teachers to closer scrutiny. It has become imperative for the training of teachers in the technical domains to keep pace with progress in the technological world. By means of a proper task analysis of the competency- based training of Industrial Arts teachers, certain deficiencies and problem areas can be identified and solved. Subservient to the cause of competency-based teacher education responsible research has led the way through an intensive study of available literature, covering every aspect. After the literature study an empirical investigation was undertaken, involving 162 respondents (Industrial Arts teachers). During analysis of the collected data, many important deficiencies and problems regarding education as well as the practice of Industrial Arts teachers were identified. One of the most important conclusions was that only a few Industrial Arts teachers took their degree, The most important reason for this results from the lack of a degree course. It is also noteworthy to take cognisance of the fact that most of the respondents regarded the opportunity for promotion in this field as totally inadequate. Other important conclusions are the lack of funds, insufficient facilities, limited opportunities for advanced studies in the specific fields, the ineffective teaching of educational principles, so necessary for the successful presentation of the subject. Based on these conclusions a competency-based training model for Industrial Arts end Technical teachers was designed in the hope that its implementation may lead to the solving of problems and the elimination of deficiencies. Lastly a few recommendations were made with regard to the teaching of the Industrial Arts end Technical subjects, at secondary school level as well as the training of teachers and further research which could be undertaken in future. / Proefskrif (DEd)--PU vir CHO, 1983

During the early twenties of this century the necessity for the standardization of management activities and related affairs such as the desirability, reliability and validity of merit-assessments in businesses and industries in the U.S.A. reached a peak. The educational system participated in this movement end began extensive research on the evaluation of teachers. Especially the interest of the teachers' training institutes was aroused. These institutions pursued the viewpoint that more clarity should be obtained regarding the identification and evaluation of desirable education performance, and that this should furthermore be utilised as guidelines for the creation of educational objectives. The result wes a substantial shift in emphasis in the professional training of teachers from quantity to quality. The determination to raise the quality of education probably contributed largely to the sharp focus on a clearly specified goal determination and on a specific target formulation. From this a competency-based educational training originated. The approach of competency-baaed educational training requires that the training task should be based on pre-identified abilities which have to be acquired with a view to effective education. The purpose of this research is to make a penetrating analysis of competency-based education in the field of the Industrial Arts and the Technical teachers. The phenomenal development and advance in the technological sphere once again subjected the training of the Industrial Arts and Technical teachers to closer scrutiny. It has become imperative for the training of teachers in the technical domains to keep pace with progress in the technological world. By means of a proper task analysis of the competency- based training of Industrial Arts teachers, certain deficiencies and problem areas can be identified and solved. Subservient to the cause of competency-based teacher education responsible research has led the way through an intensive study of available literature, covering every aspect. After the literature study an empirical investigation was undertaken, involving 162 respondents (Industrial Arts teachers). During analysis of the collected data, many important deficiencies and problems regarding education as well as the practice of Industrial Arts teachers were identified. One of the most important conclusions was that only a few Industrial Arts teachers took their degree, The most important reason for this results from the lack of a degree course. It is also noteworthy to take cognisance of the fact that most of the respondents regarded the opportunity for promotion in this field as totally inadequate. Other important conclusions are the lack of funds, insufficient facilities, limited opportunities for advanced studies in the specific fields, the ineffective teaching of educational principles, so necessary for the successful presentation of the subject. Based on these conclusions a competency-based training model for Industrial Arts end Technical teachers was designed in the hope that its implementation may lead to the solving of problems and the elimination of deficiencies. Lastly a few recommendations were made with regard to the teaching of the Industrial Arts end Technical subjects, at secondary school level as well as the training of teachers and further research which could be undertaken in future. / Proefskrif (DEd)--PU vir CHO, 1983

Die oogmerk van hierdie studie is om die waarde van 'n klein maatskappy-oudit te bepaal en om daarvolgens 'n geskikte hervormingstrategie vir sodanige audits te bepaal. 'n Literatuurstudie is uitgevoer met betrekking tot die ontwikkeling en aard van klein maatskappy-oudits, die toepaslikheid van Suid-Afrikaanse ouditstandaarde op klein maatskappy-oudits en die verwagtings van die gebruikers van 'n klein maatskappy se finansiele state. Die voormelde aspekte is daarna empiries getoets ten einde 'n algemeen aanvaarde hervormingstrategie vir klein maatskappy-oudits te formuleer. Uit die literatuurstudie is verskeie kenmerke van 'n klein maatskappy ge"identifiseer. Daarvolgens is argumente aangevoer wat die waarde van 'n klein maatskappy-oudit bevraagteken, soos dat belanghebbendes nie die geouditeerde finansiele state vir besluitnemingsdoeleindes aanwend nie, en dat die tradisionele behoefte aan ouditering nie by klein maatskappye bestaan nie, omdat die aandeelhouers en bestuur (direkteure) gewoonlik dieselfde persona is. Die empiriese navorsing onder die vernaamste gebruikers van klein maatskappye se finansiele state, naamlik sodanige maatskappye se aandeelhouers en/of direkteure, die Suid-Afrikaanse lnkomstediens, bankinstellings en praktiserende ouditeure, het aan die lig gebring dat daar nie eenstemmigheid ocr 'n objektiewe definisie van 'n klein maatskappy bestaan nie. Die oorheersende kenmerk van 'n klein maatskappy is dat die eienaarskap van so 'n maatskappy in die bestuur (direkteure) gesetel is. As 'n algemene norm kan 'n maatskappy egter as klein geklassifiseer word indien dit nie twee van die volgende maatstawwe oorskry nie: Omset R12 miljoen; totale bates R6 miljoen; vyftig werknemers. Die empiriese ondersoek het verder getoon dat die primere gebruikers van klein maatskappye se finansiele state 'n positiewe houding oor so 'n maatskappy-oudit huldig en dat geouditeerde finansiele state van klein maatskappye wei gebruik word tydens bedrywighede en/of vir besluitnemingsdoeleindes en dat Suid-Afrikaanse ouditstandaarde redelik gepas is in 'n klein maatskappy-ouditomgewing. Die huidige openbaarmaking- en dokumentasievereistes van toepassing op aile maatskappye, word egter as te omvangryk beskou. Die slotsom van die studie is dat 'n klein maatskappy-oudit wei 'n bestaansreg geniet omdat dit waarde toevoeg. Gevolglik behoort die konvensionele statutere audit behou te word; die algemeen aanvaarde rekeningkundige-vereistes behoort egter vir klein maatskappye afgeskaal word. / The purpose of this study was to determine the value of a small company audit and then to establish a suitable reform strategy for such audits. A literature study was performed of the development and nature of small company audits, the applicability of South African auditing standards to small company audits and the expectations of the users of the financial statements of a small company. These aspects were then empirically tested to formulate a generally accepted reform strategy for small company audits. The literature study distinguished various characteristics of a small company. Arguments were raised which questioned the value of small company audits, for instance that the interested parties did not use the audited financial statements for decision-making and that the traditional need of auditing does not exist with small companies as the shareholders and management (directors) usually are the same people. The empirical research among the main users of the financial statements of small companies, namely its shareholders and/or directors, the South African Revenue Services, financial institutions and practising auditors revealed that there is no acceptable objective definition of a small company. The dominant characteristic of a small company is that the ownership of such a company vests in management. A company can, as a general norm, be classified as small if it does not exceed two of the following three measures: Turnover R12 million; total assets R6 million; fifty employees. The empirical investigation also showed that the primary users of the financial statements of small companies have a positive attitude towards a small company audit, that the audited financial statements of small companies are used in the performance of their activities and/or decision-making and that South African auditing standards are reasonably applicable to a small company audit environment. The current disclosure and documentation requirements applicable to all companies are, however, regarded as too comprehensive. This study led to the conclusion that a small company audit is justified because it adds value. The conventional statutory audit should therefore be retained but the generally accepted accounting requirements should be scaled down for small companies. / Auditing / D. Compt. (Toegepaste Rekenmeesterskap)

Thesis (MTech (Business Information Systems)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007 / E-commerce, as one of the applications of the Internet, has been considered as a possible channel for small businesses to be benefIted. However, due to their nature, it is challenging to involve e-commerce in small businesses; some new risks arise that typically are not adequately addressed in SMMEs' (Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises) established risk management programs. Therefore, to obtain the benefits from e-commerce adoption, SMME owner/managers need to identify and manage these risks. Identifying SMME owner/managers' perceptions of e-commerce related risks, and how they manage them is crucial for ascertaining the factors that affect the successful small business e-commerce adoption, as their perceptions influence their decision-making process. This research identified South African SMME owner/managers' perceptions of e-commerce related risks, and their effects on e-commerce and SMMEs' development. The investigation was conducted by using a quantitative research methodology, drawing on the data obtained from a sample of 50 questionnaires, and the 17 interviews out of the 50, by using qualitative research methodology to achieve the research objectives. The SMME owner/managers' perceptions imply that they are unaware of e-commerce related risks, they lack risk management attention to and skills in e-commerce related risks and their businesses, which can affect the development of e-commerce adoption and SMMEs. The perceptions also exhibited the SMME owner/managers' attitudes to risk-taking; the research provides a platform for SMMEs to understand their risk management performance. On the other hand, the perceptions reflect the orientations of developing SMMEs' e-commerce adoption such as: how to provide SMMEs with a better understanding of obtaining the benefits from e-commerce adoption? How to help SMMEs to manage e-commerce related risks? In conclusion, this research study proposed a model to assist SMMEs to understand e-commerce related risks in order to obtain the maximum benefits of e-commerce adoption.

This study shows that cyber crime is a recent addition to the list of crimes that can adversely affect businesses directly of indirectly. This phenomenon was not directly prosecutable in South Africa until the enactment of the ECT Act in July 2002. However this Act also prevents businesses to fully prosecute a hacker due to incompleteness. Any kind of commercially related crime can be duplicated as cyber crime. Therefore very little research appears or has been documented about cyber crime in South African companies before 2003.11.21 The motivation to do this study was that businesses often loose millions in cyber attacks, not necessarily through direct theft but by the loss of service and damage to the image of the company. Most of the companies that were approached for interviews on cyber crime were reluctant to share the fact that they were hacked or that cyber crime occurred at their company as it violates their security policies and may expose their fragile security platforms. The purpose of this study was to attempt to get an overall view on how South African businesses are affected by cyber crime in the banking and short term insurance sector of the South African industry and also to determine what legislation exist in this country to protect them. The case study approach was used to determine the affect of cyber crime on businesses like banks and insurance companies. Each case was interviewed, monitored and was observed over a period of a year. This study discloses the evaluation of the results of how cyber crime affected the cases, which were part of this study. The banks felt that they were at an increased risk both externally and internally, which is likely to increase as the migration towards electronic commerce occurs. The insurance industry felt that they are not yet affected by external cyber crime attacks in this country.