M.Com. (Industrial Psychology) / During the past decade the number of women in professional and managerial jobs increased dramatically. This tendency inevitably lead to greater interaction between men and women in the work situation. Organizations however spend little time and money on programmes addressing the unique career and support needs of the respective genders. Studies of successful women in managerial and professional jobs indicated that "good" mentors were perceived as a valuable asset in their upward mobility. The studies, however, also indicated that specific problems were being experienced in cross-gender mentor relationships. Hence the purpose ofthe study was to deduce the mentorship needs and problems experienced by women from a literature study with the aim to develop suitable instruments by means of which the extent of such needs and problems could be assessed. On the basis of the literature survey, two questionnaires were compiled which on face value respectively addressed the mentorship needs and cross-gender problems experienced in mentor relationships. The questionnaires were administered to 122 female Eskom employees in their early career phase. In the statistical analysis of the data obtained, the NP50-programme was mainly used. Both factor analysis as well as item analysis were conducted. The main results of the analysis are as follows: • Both scales (questionnaires) showed reliability coefficients higher than 0,9 for joint item analysis. • Three factors were identified for the mentorship needs questionnaire (scale 1) being the need for opportunities, the need for protection and the need for sponsorship and support. Factor 1 relates to the psycho social functions of mentorship whereas factors 2 and 3 relate to career functions of mentorship. • The questionnaire (scale 1) can be administered with or without consideration of the respective factors identified.

M. Tech. Business Administration / The objective of the research study was to analyse specific socio-cultural barriers affecting the success of female entrepreneurs in Rustenburg. The methodology involved a collection of primary data from a random sample of n=50 female entrepreneurs, through one-on-one interviews administered with structured questionnaires. The study also considered secondary data that was collected by means of reviewing publications and journals. The key findings from this study clearly provide an analysis of challenges that female entrepreneurs face, which include business management challenges, personal or psychological challenges that form a major component of socio-cultural barriers and, lastly, socio-cultural challenges in comparison to their male counterparts.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This report is an exploratory study assessing the life stages of South African women entrepreneurs. The purpose is to share significant learnings, experiences and challenges from an entrepreneurial perspective. The study followed a phenomenological approach; the findings have been formed based on the lived experiences of the women without imposing bias or existing knowledge frameworks. The study aims to share meaningful experiences from their situational contexts. The sample consisted of ten South African women entrepreneurs in various industries. The industries range from packaging, clothing, fast moving consumer goods (food), communications, accommodation, and asset management. Important findings of the study are that having relevant work experience, expertise in their fields, and established reputations within their respective industries assisted the participating women in establishing their businesses. However, the younger entrepreneurs with limited work experience were also able to establish successful enterprises owing to being highly skilled in their areas of expertise. They had chosen to study courses, after identifying their passions. They had specifically chosen courses directly related to the businesses they created in order to improve their expertise further. One participant was an exception to the women entrepreneurs participating. She had started her business with no related work experience and no expertise with regards to her product offering. In her case, passion for her product, upskilling herself, having a support structure, and having access to mentorship, assisted her in overcoming challenges.

The study focused on funding availability for small and medium enterprises for women entrepreneurs. In order to do a situational analysis the study was conducted in the Nelson Mandela Metro looking at the operations of Community Investment Fund (CIF) as a case study. The CIF was a partnership between a local non-governmental organization (NGO) operating in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth and one of the four big banks in the Republic of South Africa. The study investigated the challenges that women as entrepreneurs face in particular. The qualitative approach was used as methodology and the sampling of five (5) of the seventeen (17) women beneficiaries and their businesses were conducted. Given the fact that the Republic of South Africa has a high unemployment rate and the government‟s strategy of providing support for small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs), the study provided an opportunity to look at the realities that people with ideas are faced when starting what seemed to be a daunting task of starting a business. The research findings provides conclusive evidence that starting a business in the current economic climate is a difficult task and it is more challenging if you are a woman with no financial securities. It is therefore of imperative importance that an approach to funding and supporting women entrepreneurs be implemented to create much needed jobs in the country and address the gap between the first and second economy.

Family businesses are operating throughout the world and suggested to be the predominant way of doing business. This is also true in South Africa with its unique challenges and informal sector providing work to many South Africans not able to find work in the formal sector. Women operating in the corporate environment have traditionally encountered challenges in breaking through the glass ceiling in order to be counted as a successful person in her own right. The same scenario seems to be evident in the family Business environment. Women in family business might choose the family business career path as it allows them more flexibility and time to attend to the home and children, but they also face a glass ceiling of another nature and are there other challenges to overcome in order to make their mark in the family business world. This study’s primary objective was to investigate the literature pertaining to women in business and women in family business. Of great importance was to determine what contributions women make in the family business environment allowing them to be successful. In order to answer this question the secondary objectives supported the primary objective of this study and pertained to the difference between men and women in terms of leadership style and execution of their personalities in business. The inherent strengths and weaknesses displayed by both male and females in the family business environment are investigated in order to link this to their management execution. v A questionnaire was developed to do an empirical study on respondents as identified in the Nelson Mandela Metropole and greater Eastern Cape. The respondents were from varied industries and was selected and interviewed with the support of the questionnaire structure as guidance. The results were analysed and certain recommendations were made addressing the primary objective. Further recommendations were made relating to future potential research in this area. An important finding of the research is that women as identified in the Eastern Cape environment still have difficulty in reaching the top. This is true for the corporate world as well as the family business environment. The difficulty might be based in the traditional roles women assume, but in many cases it was found that women are responsible for their downfall or stagnation in the family business environment as women are satisfied to remain in the shadows and do not command their own space and right of existence. Recommendations were made based on the advice of some of the female respondents which can assist in women stepping up to the role they should take up. Some of the advice given can be used as a best practice in future research of this nature.

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, 2016 / The main thrust of this study was to investigate and explain the influence of human, social and financial capital on the internationalisation of SMMEs in South Africa in the context of women entrepreneurs. A cross-sectional quantitative study was employed on a sample of 135 women-owned SMMEs, by way of an online survey. This tested the association between social, human and financial capital, and the degree of internationalisation of women-owned SMMEs. This study revealed that women entrepreneurs in South Africa do not view international social ties and business networks, and financial capital availability as significant barriers to determining the degree of internationalisation. On the other hand, the study showed that women within this context believe that international education, knowledge and experience all play key roles in inducing the degree of internationalisation. The study suggests that the results may have deviated from widely accepted theories, due to emerging markets being different from developed economies, in which the majority of empirical studies have thus far been conducted. The findings strengthened the emerging, but sparsely researched second approach to the resource-based theory, which suggest that SMMEs internationalise to gain access to entrepreneurial capitals. The study further revealed that women entrepreneurs that had internationalised did so, through industries in which women are typically under-represented. Although not pervasive in literature, women entrepreneurs within South Africa were motivated to internationalise mainly due to external growth prospects and not by poor domestic demand. / MT2016

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was carried out in an effort to determine whether the phenomenon of the socalled 'glass-ceiling effect' is prevalent in the South African banking industry. The major questions asked were whether there are still barriers preventing women from reaching executive management levels in the banking industry and what the main barriers facing these women are. The research method used was that of content analysis. The purpose of the research was to discover the first-hand experiences of the women in the banking industry in South Africa. The aim of the study was not to test hypothesis testing, but an analysis of the experiences of a sample of women in senior management positions within the banking industry. A questionnaire was distributed to six women in senior management positions at four of South Africa's largest banking groups. With the assistance of each banking group's human resources manager, an 83% response rate was achieved. In total, 20 completed questionnaires were received, which served as the sample for this study. Implications of the findings are discussed and the study concludes that although transformation in the country has raised awareness, there is nevertheless gender inequality in companies and progress towards change in the banking sector has been very slow. Career-oriented support structures are being offered to women, but for women with family responsibilities there are very limited, if any, family-support structures. The sample of women identified self-confidence; assertiveness, ambition and a careeroriented mindset as important characteristics for achieving success at managerial level in the banking industry. These women are equipping themselves with the right skills, degrees, and courses and are gaining experience every day, thus making themselves viable candidates for breaking the glass ceiling. Being a woman is not a barrier in itself as it was in years gone by and legislation now provides for the equal treatment of all races and gender. The current culture in the South African banking sector, which is a historic legacy of domination by men and discrimination in the past, seems to be a rnalor barrier. Currently, the focus on achieving racial equity overshadows the importance of attaining gender equity, mainly because of the government's strict requirements of companies in this regard. Taking into consideration the history of South Africa, the majority of the women included in the sample feel it is appropriate for the attainment of racial equity to be addressed first. Most of the women in this sample have considered starting up their own business as an alternative to corporate life, but feel that either their self-confidence or financial requirements present them with major barriers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is onderneem om vas te stel of die sogenaamde glasplafon-verskynsel in die Suid-Afrikaanse banksektor voorkom. Die oorhoofse vrae wat gestel was, was of daar steeds hindernisse bestaan en wat hierdie oorhoofse hindernisse is wat vroue verhoed om uitvoerende bestuursvlakke in die banksektor te bereik. Die inhoudsontledingsmetode is as navorsingsmetode gebruik. Die doel van die navorsing was om eerstehands die ervarings van vroue in die banksektor te ontdek. Die studie het nie 'n hipotese probeer toets nie, maar eerder die ervarings van 'n uitgesoekte groep vroue ontleed. 'n Vraelys is aan ses vroue in senior bestuursposte by vier van Suid-Afrika se grootste bankgroepe versprei. Met behulp van die Menslike Hulpbron-bestuurder by elk van die banke, is 83% van die vraelyste terugontvang. Altesame 20 vraelyste is volledig ingevul en in die studie gebruik. Die implikasies van die bevindinge word bespreek. Die gevolgtrekking is dat transformasie in Suid-Afrika beslis die bewustheid aangewakker het dat geslagsdiskriminasie in maatskappye bestaan, en dat verandering in die banksektor stadig verloop. Maatskappye verskaf loopbaangeoriënteerde ondersteuningstrukture aan vroue, maar vir vroue met gesinsverantwoordelikhede is daar min of geen ondersteuning nie. Die groep vroue identifiseer selfvertroue, stelligheid, ambisie en 'n loopbaangeoriënteerde uitkyk as belangrike eienskappe vir sukses in senior bestuursposte in die bankwese. Hierdie vroue rus hulself toe met die regte vaardighede, grade en kursusse en verwerf elke dag ondervinding om sodoende hulself lewensvatbare kandidate te maak om deur die sogenaamde glasplafon te breek. Om vroulik te wees is nie vandag meer 'n hindernis soos voorheen nie. Wetgewing bepaal die gelyke behandeling van alle rasse- en geslagsgroepe. Die kultuur wat in die banksektor in Suid-Afrika geskep is weens die histories mansgedomineerde en diskriminerende geskiedenis word wel as 'n hindernis beskou. Huidiglik oorskadu rassegelykheid geslagsgelykheid, hoofsaaklik omdat die regering sulke streng vereistes aan maatskappye stel met betrekking tot rassegelykheid. Die meerderheid van die groep vroue voel dat as die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika in ag geneem word, dit gepas is dat rassegelykheid voorkeur geniet. Die meerderheid van die vroue in die groep het dit al oorweeg om hul eie besigheid te begin as "n alterntief vir die korporatiewe lewe. Hulle voel egter dat die gebrek aan selfvertroue en geld hulle verhoed om dit te doen.

Thesis (MTech( Business Information))-- Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / Women, being important stakeholders of the community, are lagging behind in terms of economic empowerment. Their opportunity to participate actively in business in the past was hindered by various discriminatory policies that were in place. ICTs have the forte to empower and increase the knowledge base of the women in SMEs through information dissemination. The argument is that women in South Africa and indeed in many other developing countries have not embraced technology in their everyday businesses as much as their male counterparts. This study therefore explores how women in SMEs in the Cape Metropolitan, Western Cape are utilising ICTs to empower themselves to overcome the economic discrimination they have suffered in the past.In order to collect relevant data and obtain deep insights about the utilisation of ICTs by women in SMEs, a qualitative research method was applied enabling respondents to articulate their experiences concerning the use of ICTs in their businesses. Women of all races were selected using the snowball sampling method and were interviewed. The population involved women in SMEs from the five suburbs of Claremont, Rondebosch, Gardens, Pinelands and Mowbray.The findings of the study are that women in SMEs in the Cape Metropole are utilising various ICTs to empower themselves in their businesses. They are exchanging business documentation with other business resulting in marketing of their entities. Women in SMEs are taking advantage of the fast growing social and business networking technologies such Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, Twitter, Skype and blogs to promote marketing of their various products and services, gaining mileage in publicity and also managing their expenditures.ICTs enable women to work anytime, anywhere affording them the opportunity to take care of their families which they could not do while they were employed in the corporate world. Some of the women in SMEs reported that they can now independently negotiate business deals due to increase in their self-esteem and also have access to available information in their areas of expertise.

There is a remarkable increase in the participation of females in business activities due to their involvement in the informal sector. These activities appear to be insignificant and not measurable because they are outside the regulatory framework, but they also absorb multitudes of the unemployable. Notwithstanding the challenges of low levels of education, lack of skills and finance as well as the need to balance reproductive and productive roles, females are under pressure to generate income through trading in small scale businesses that can hardly grow beyond subsistence level. With the meagre earnings from their activities, they ensure the survival of their families. If female entrepreneurs are developed and brought into the economic main stream, they will bring with them their unique survivalist techniques that will contribute towards economic development and growth in the country. This report examines the constraints that affect the development of female entrepreneurs in the informal sector.

D.Comm. (Business Management) / The effectiveness of government policies and Programme for black women in Tshwane is investigated in this study. Five townships, Soshanguve, GaRankuwa, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, Hammanskraal and Inner city were investigated by means of questionnaires. A sample of 241 black women entrepreneurs in Tshwane townships was investigated after which the results were reported. The primary objective of this study has been to investigate the extent to which black women entrepreneurs utilise government policies and Programme in Tshwane. Descriptive statistics indicated the following: 1. Information about government policies is not known by the majority of women entrepreneurs in Tshwane. 2. Local business centres are not assisting black women entrepreneurs by disseminating government policies. 3. SEDA is not effective in providing training for the SMMEs. 4. SAWEN is not effective in assisting women to start and grow their business…