<p>A sustainable development of entrepreneurship will not be possible in such a complex andchallenging environment as today’s society, without the attainment of effective learning andbusiness support capabilities (Williams, 1998). One such support is obtained through havingexperienced entrepreneurs mentor less experienced entrepreneurs, transferring knowledge(Clutterbuck, 2004) and facilitating learning (Sullivan, 2000). As Leonard Bisk (2002)and Sullivan (2000) among other researchers (Deakins et al. 1997) stress, there is a need tolook beyond the start-up process of a firm and the use of mentorship in this early phase,and focus more on how entrepreneurs who have been in business for a while can benefitfrom a mentor program, an area referred to as “the nature of timing and support” (Sullivan,2000, p. 163).</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to explore how an experienced entrepreneur, a mentor, canhelp a less experienced entrepreneur, an adept, achieve entrepreneurial development duringand throughout different phases of the entrepreneurial life cycle, in the most efficient manner.</p><p>An entrepreneurial life cycle can be divided into several phases, which can be used in orderto examine the entrepreneur’s development process within different time periods of runninga firm. Start-up support generally involves providing entrepreneurs with the crucial“tools” for survival, such as basic financial support, bookkeeping and marketing (Sullivan,2000). Mature entrepreneurs generally request psychological benefits, such as reassuranceand improved confidence as they wonder whether or not their experiences are normal andhow they should be interpreted (Megginson et al. 2006). There are two types of directivementoring styles, coaching and counseling, and two types of non directive mentoring,counseling and networking.</p><p>The main objective with our research in this thesis was to explore how entrepreneurs’ developmentthroughout and during different phases was affected by active participation in amentor program. To gather information we used a qualitative method, in which we interviewedten entrepreneurs who were currently active in a mentor program, or had been activewithin the last 12 months. The empirical findings were later analyzed in the light of theframe of references and the authors own viewpoint, by conducting a within case/cross casecomparisons.</p><p>The results indicate that a mentor can best help an entrepreneur achieve entrepreneurialdevelopment by providing non directive support, enabling the entrepreneur to draw his orher own conclusions and stimulate self reliance. This support is best delivered after thestart-up and conception phase, the first phase of the life-cycle.</p>

A sustainable development of entrepreneurship will not be possible in such a complex andchallenging environment as today’s society, without the attainment of effective learning andbusiness support capabilities (Williams, 1998). One such support is obtained through havingexperienced entrepreneurs mentor less experienced entrepreneurs, transferring knowledge(Clutterbuck, 2004) and facilitating learning (Sullivan, 2000). As Leonard Bisk (2002)and Sullivan (2000) among other researchers (Deakins et al. 1997) stress, there is a need tolook beyond the start-up process of a firm and the use of mentorship in this early phase,and focus more on how entrepreneurs who have been in business for a while can benefitfrom a mentor program, an area referred to as “the nature of timing and support” (Sullivan,2000, p. 163). The purpose of this thesis is to explore how an experienced entrepreneur, a mentor, canhelp a less experienced entrepreneur, an adept, achieve entrepreneurial development duringand throughout different phases of the entrepreneurial life cycle, in the most efficient manner. An entrepreneurial life cycle can be divided into several phases, which can be used in orderto examine the entrepreneur’s development process within different time periods of runninga firm. Start-up support generally involves providing entrepreneurs with the crucial“tools” for survival, such as basic financial support, bookkeeping and marketing (Sullivan,2000). Mature entrepreneurs generally request psychological benefits, such as reassuranceand improved confidence as they wonder whether or not their experiences are normal andhow they should be interpreted (Megginson et al. 2006). There are two types of directivementoring styles, coaching and counseling, and two types of non directive mentoring,counseling and networking. The main objective with our research in this thesis was to explore how entrepreneurs’ developmentthroughout and during different phases was affected by active participation in amentor program. To gather information we used a qualitative method, in which we interviewedten entrepreneurs who were currently active in a mentor program, or had been activewithin the last 12 months. The empirical findings were later analyzed in the light of theframe of references and the authors own viewpoint, by conducting a within case/cross casecomparisons. The results indicate that a mentor can best help an entrepreneur achieve entrepreneurialdevelopment by providing non directive support, enabling the entrepreneur to draw his orher own conclusions and stimulate self reliance. This support is best delivered after thestart-up and conception phase, the first phase of the life-cycle.

Increasing unemployment and low economic growth are of growing concern in the world economy and a recognised intervention to combat these challenges is entrepreneurship. Tourism has been acknowledged as an underexploited sector with considerable potential for addressing these challenges. In order to advance entrepreneurial activity, it is essential for students to possess the necessary entrepreneurial skills. However, the absence of consensus on the content of training courses and curricula is currently a concern in the field of entrepreneurship. South African higher education institutions need to redefine their roles and academics should take heed, and ensure that the curricula that they provide correspond with the requirements of practitioners. Through analysing the development skills of successful entrepreneurs, the focus of training courses and curricula can be established. This study constitutes exploratory research into an important issue facing many higher education institutions today and is supported by a detailed literature review and an empirical study. Higher education institutions have to remain competitive due to the turbulent and changeable environment within which they operate. The literature review, in accordance with the scope and limitations of the study, concentrated on the principles of tourism management, together with the entrepreneurial and marketing development skills essential to tourism entrepreneurs. For the empirical part of the study, a self-administered questionnaire was sent to a sample of tourism enterprise owners, tourism management academics and tourism management students. The objective was to develop a set of guidelines for the content of the entrepreneurship and marketing subjects for tourism management students. The research findings provide a balanced view in that they incorporate the perceptions of tourism enterprise owners, tourism management academics and tourism management students. The skills analysed within this study, together with the suggested implementation method, can be used to guide the structured integration of the development of these skills into tourism management programmes. The intention of the study was to cover a wide range of entrepreneurial and marketing development skills essential for the tourism entrepreneur, so that a clear set of skills could be formulated for the recommended inclusion into the content of tourism entrepreneurship and marketing curricula. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Business Management))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

Increasing unemployment and low economic growth are of growing concern in the world economy and a recognised intervention to combat these challenges is entrepreneurship. Tourism has been acknowledged as an underexploited sector with considerable potential for addressing these challenges. In order to advance entrepreneurial activity, it is essential for students to possess the necessary entrepreneurial skills. However, the absence of consensus on the content of training courses and curricula is currently a concern in the field of entrepreneurship. South African higher education institutions need to redefine their roles and academics should take heed, and ensure that the curricula that they provide correspond with the requirements of practitioners. Through analysing the development skills of successful entrepreneurs, the focus of training courses and curricula can be established. This study constitutes exploratory research into an important issue facing many higher education institutions today and is supported by a detailed literature review and an empirical study. Higher education institutions have to remain competitive due to the turbulent and changeable environment within which they operate. The literature review, in accordance with the scope and limitations of the study, concentrated on the principles of tourism management, together with the entrepreneurial and marketing development skills essential to tourism entrepreneurs. For the empirical part of the study, a self-administered questionnaire was sent to a sample of tourism enterprise owners, tourism management academics and tourism management students. The objective was to develop a set of guidelines for the content of the entrepreneurship and marketing subjects for tourism management students. The research findings provide a balanced view in that they incorporate the perceptions of tourism enterprise owners, tourism management academics and tourism management students. The skills analysed within this study, together with the suggested implementation method, can be used to guide the structured integration of the development of these skills into tourism management programmes. The intention of the study was to cover a wide range of entrepreneurial and marketing development skills essential for the tourism entrepreneur, so that a clear set of skills could be formulated for the recommended inclusion into the content of tourism entrepreneurship and marketing curricula. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Business Management))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

Increasing unemployment and low economic growth are of growing concern in the world economy and a recognised intervention to combat these challenges is entrepreneurship. Tourism has been acknowledged as an underexploited sector with considerable potential for addressing these challenges. In order to advance entrepreneurial activity, it is essential for students to possess the necessary entrepreneurial skills. However, the absence of consensus on the content of training courses and curricula is currently a concern in the field of entrepreneurship. South African higher education institutions need to redefine their roles and academics should take heed, and ensure that the curricula that they provide correspond with the requirements of practitioners. Through analysing the development skills of successful entrepreneurs, the focus of training courses and curricula can be established. This study constitutes exploratory research into an important issue facing many higher education institutions today and is supported by a detailed literature review and an empirical study. Higher education institutions have to remain competitive due to the turbulent and changeable environment within which they operate. The literature review, in accordance with the scope and limitations of the study, concentrated on the principles of tourism management, together with the entrepreneurial and marketing development skills essential to tourism entrepreneurs. For the empirical part of the study, a self-administered questionnaire was sent to a sample of tourism enterprise owners, tourism management academics and tourism management students. The objective was to develop a set of guidelines for the content of the entrepreneurship and marketing subjects for tourism management students. The research findings provide a balanced view in that they incorporate the perceptions of tourism enterprise owners, tourism management academics and tourism management students. The skills analysed within this study, together with the suggested implementation method, can be used to guide the structured integration of the development of these skills into tourism management programmes. The intention of the study was to cover a wide range of entrepreneurial and marketing development skills essential for the tourism entrepreneur, so that a clear set of skills could be formulated for the recommended inclusion into the content of tourism entrepreneurship and marketing curricula. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Business Management))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

Since the institution of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1971 and beyond its end in 1990, the Malaysian government has had mixed successes in developing Malay entrepreneurship. Despite on-going of privileges and assistance and the government’s concerted efforts and initiatives, Malay entrepreneurship still continues to lag behind that of the Chinese. This study centres on the challenges faced by the Government of Malaysia in the promotion of Malay entrepreneurial development. Based on interviews with diverse people, both within and outside the government, the study reveals that Malay entrepreneurial development is a complex process confronted by many issues and problems. The study also reveals that government privileges and assistance to Malays to promote entrepreneurship do not help much in boosting an entrepreneurial culture nor do they help them in enhancing entrepreneurial competitiveness and achievement. Instead, such privileges and assistance have conversely made the Chinese more resilient and competitive entrepreneurially but discriminative against the Malays. This conclusion confirms the proposition that “state assistance in the form of an affirmative action to an economically-challenged sector of society does little to create entrepreneurship; rather it challenges rival economic groups to sharpen their own competitiveness”. Finally, the study is able to indicate that Malay entrepreneurship differs slightly from the conventional Western concepts of entrepreneurship. The differences are largely due to the historical background of the Malays as a communitarian society; as Muslims; as a society still divided along class lines and as a status conscious community.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:31:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nelson Destro Fragososprot.pdf: 3280511 bytes, checksum: c640016e378397e1b2729fce42796ab1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-23 / Studying entrepreneurship, business incubator and entrepreneurial skills individually or with the combination of two of these constructs has occurred with some frequency in recent years, however, studies that seek to associate these three constructs were not found in searches made in national and international databases. Studies that seek to understand the entrepreneur training process and even to check the development of techniques of these individuals are appropriate, are of considerable importance, since it avoids the financial investment in fruitless actions. For an analysis in this sense in this study were interviewed managers of incubators for qualitative research technique, entrepreneurs were incubated by quantitative technique and researchers in entrepreneurship by the focus group method. What enabled the comparison of which the entrepreneurial skills to be developed in incubators and what skills perceived by entrepreneurs that have been developed. This research took place in the four improtantes Latin American countries: Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia and with these results it was possible to understand the realities lived on this continent and the most appropriate practices and better possibilities to develop an entrepreneurial properly. It was also possible to see that the entrepreneurial skills indicated by research Man and Lau (2005) are in harmony with what they think the researchers in the area of entrepreneurship, managers of incubators and what they perceive entrepreneurs for their development. Only one of the skills, "personal life" is not taken into account by any of the three groups surveyed. In this research, it was possible to establish a new definition for incubator, showing that this space is not only support for projects and businesses becoming a personal development space entrepreneur. / Estudar empreendedorismo, incubadora de empresas e competências empreendedoras individualmente ou com a associação de dois destes construtos tem ocorrido com certa frequência nos últimos anos, porém, estudos que procuram associar estes três construtos não foram encontrados nas buscas efetuadas em bases de dados nacionais e internacionais. Estudos que procuram entender o processo de formação do empreendedor e até mesmo para verificar se as técnicas de desenvolvimento destes indivíduos são realmente as adequadas, são de uma importância significativa, pois evita o investimento financeiro em ações infrutíferas. Para uma analise neste sentido nesta pesquisa foram entrevistados gestores de incubadoras pela técnica de pesquisa qualitativa, empreendedores que foram incubados, pela técnica quantitativa e pesquisadores em empreendedorismo pelo método do grupo de foco. O que permitiu a comparação de quais as competências empreendedoras que se pretende desenvolver nas incubadoras e quais as competências percebidas pelos empreendedores que foram desenvolvidas. Esta pesquisa ocorreu nos quatro países mais improtantes da América Latina: Brasil, Argentina, Chile e Colômbia e com estes resultados foi possível entender as realidades vividas neste continente e as praticas mais adequadas e com melhores possibilidades de desenvolver um empreendedor adequadamente. Também foi possível perceber que as competências empreendedoras indicadas pelas pesquisas de Man e Lau (2005) estão em harmonia com o que pensam os pesquisadores na área de empreendedorismo, os gestores das incubadoras e o que percebem os empreendedores quanto ao seu desenvolvimento. Apenas uma das competências, vida pessoal , não é levada em consideração por nenhum dos três grupos pesquisados. Nesta pesquisa foi possível estabelecer uma nova definição para incubadora, demonstrando que este espaço não é apenas de suporte para projetos e negócios passando a ser um espaço de desenvolvimento pessoal de empreendedores.

Personal Viability (PV), an entrepreneurial skills and personal development training program, has become a national phenomenon in Papua New Guinea since its introduction in the country in 1995. With the support of various key leaders in Government, civic and social organisations, the Government of Papua New Guinea officially launched the program in 1996 mandating the Entrepreneurial Development Training Centre (EDTC) to carry out the training in all 20 provinces of the country. This thesis is concerned with the influence of PV training in the context of large-scale natural resource development, with the focus on Lihir, an open-cut gold mine community in the New Ireland province of Papua New Guinea. Since the gold mine operation started on the island, Lihir has experienced dramatic social, economic and political changes as a society. One element of this has been the effect on traditional gender roles and relations as a result of people‘s increased engagement in the global capitalist economy. As PV is promoted as a contemporary strategy for economic development thus motivating people to cultivate a spirit of entrepreneurship, this thesis explores its influence on the lives of women and men in Lihir, and in particular their attitude and behaviour toward the usage and management of wealth and resources; their participation in customary activities; and changes in their traditional gender roles and relations.

The purpose of this study is to collect data on the current practices of coaching as applied in an incubated environment to report on the influence of coaching on entrepreneurial goal-setting behaviour. Previous research has indicated that much criticism has been lobbied at government programmes aimed at providing entrepreneurship development and support, some recognition has been given to some of these government initiatives as well as the progress achieved by some. It is further stated in the Global Entrepreneurship Report (2012) that a number of national experts commend the existence of business support agencies (such as the Small Enterprise Development Agency). A number of significant findings materialized from the current study where it was found that coaching influences entrepreneurial behaviour and that a need exists for more in-depth coaching sessions specifically focused on entrepreneurship in the South African context. Further to this it was found that a need exists for entrepreneurs to be coached by other entrepreneurs and that the role of a coach should be clarified to set realistic expectations from the onset of the intervention. These findings are in agreement with some of the key recommendations from South African national experts as cited in the GEMS 2012 report. The current research adds to the body of research on coaching in general. It also contributes specifically entrepreneurial development programmes in the South African context. The outcome from this research has implications for business coaches, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial development/support agencies as well as those who provide training and incubation programmes for entrepreneurs. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Vietnam is undergoing economic transition from a command economy to an economy with greater market characteristics. Transition is fundamentally reshaping the country through economic liberalization and increased exposure to foreign markets. The Vietnamese are developing institutions necessary for market growth and international tourists are arriving in ever-larger numbers. This research project is a case study of businesses that provide guided motorbike tours and evaluates the businesses based on two criteria: as a study of institutional growth during economic transition and as an examination of tourism production through guide interpretation. The author interviewed and observed sixteen guides in Vietnam—from Dalat in the Central Highlands to Tam Coc, just south of Hanoi—during two months of fieldwork research in summer 2010. The study identifies a variety of institutional types, from informal guides to formalized businesses with a high degree of support from market institutions. Though market activities are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated, many services remain informal. The study also investigates how guides create products for tourists through interpretation. The guides draw upon the landscape, people and culture in Vietnam, and their own personal narratives to create a tourism product that they call the “Real Vietnam.” The guides sell access to Vietnam, and tourists purchase a sense of intimate knowledge of their destination. Together with tourists, guides participate in place-making interpretation that utilizes both the real geography of Vietnam and the imaginary geographies of foreign visitors. The research reveals the ways in which actors at the local scale adapt to large-scale processes, and in turn influence the course of economic transition in Vietnam and the content of international tourism.