• Refine Query
  • Source
  • Publication year
  • to
  • Language
  • 183
  • 17
  • 2
  • 1
  • Tagged with
  • 218
  • 218
  • 218
  • 148
  • 94
  • 66
  • 53
  • 50
  • 46
  • 31
  • 28
  • 26
  • 25
  • 24
  • 21
  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
81

Barriers to entrepreneurship: assessing NMBM school leavers for business enterprise

Qumza, Thabang Vuyo January 2011 (has links)
In plight of the country‟s high unemployment, poverty, and income inequalities, there is an urgent need to address these issues by converging toward entrepreneurship. World-wide, it is acknowledged by both government and academia that entrepreneurship soothes and remedies socio-economic ills. It creates employment, wealth, alleviates poverty, increases tax base, balances income disparities and accomplishes social stability. With the high youth (18-34 year age) unemployment looming at 73 percent and a low South African total entrepreneurship rate at 8.9 percent; this study attempts to investigate the barriers that hinder school leavers from engaging in entrepreneurship. The research investigates critical entrepreneurial factors including entrepreneurial character and behaviour, entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, managerial knowledge and skills, knowledge on legal aspects of a business, sourcing of finances, and entrepreneurial background and orientation. The primary objective was met through the investigation of the secondary objectives. This was accomplished through a questionnaire survey, composed with multiple choice questions and closed questions measured on a Likert scale. The questionnaire was constructed based on the literature reviewed from various sources including books, dissertations, journals, government reports, newspapers, magazines, internet, television and radio broadcasts (interviews and news). The study discovers that learners are inhibited by various factors from engaging into business venturing. The list of barriers identified was: A discouraging entrepreneurial background (heritage) – parents had low levels of education and were not entrepreneurial, Weak entrepreneurial character and behaviour, Lack of entrepreneurial exposure and work experience, Learners lack financial skills and computer skills, Families lack savings to financially support their business start-ups, Limited knowledge on the legal aspects regulating a business, Limited knowledge on sourcing finances (angel and venture capital investors).
82

Entrepreneurship : key to organisational performance a case of Volkswagen Group of South Africa

Lechaba, Junior January 2012 (has links)
Intrapreneurship expresses organisational activities aimed at increasing quality of products, reducing production cost, capture or creates new product markets, and/or improving processes and services. This research study covers the investigation of potential influences on the intrapreneurial activity within an established organisation, and the possible outcome on financial performance. In the rapidly changing business environment of today, it has become necessary for the organisations to move from boundary-oriented thinking to continuous improvement in order to provide the disruptive competitive advantages necessary to survive and thrive in an environment where the ‘rules of the game’ change quickly in almost all companies and industries (Voelpel, Leibold and Tekie, 2005). Moreover, the automotive industry is no exception to this rule. In general, established companies deal with two significant challenges. First, they have to adapt to the external challenges of constantly changing and developing markets to keep pace with rapid technological evolution, globalisation, and progressively sophisticated competitors (Kemelgor, 2002; Kuratko, Hornsby and Goldsby, 2004). Second, they must deal with the internal challenges of modernising bureaucratic structures and processes, which can lead to slow development, decision-making and an inability to adapt easily to new situations (Hammer and Champy, 1994). In today's context of increasing market globalisation, companies wishing to maintain their competitiveness must innovate constantly (Carrier, 2001). Recognising the importance of meeting these challenges, organisational leaders must create high performance organisations in order to compete in a global mega-economic world. The old ways of doing business as usual and overwhelmed policies and procedures must be rooted out in order for the organisation to compete by identifying and sustaining diversified employees within a global economy (Kennedy, 2010). Companies generally engage in innovation for achieving an increase in quality of products, a reduction in production cost, capture or create new product markets, and reduce the firm’s reliance upon unreliable factors of production (Webster, 2004). There is a growing consensus that established companies must nurture intrapreneurial activity throughout their operations to continue to compete successfully (Sathe, 2003). Numerous authors have suggested intrapreneurship as a method of stimulating innovation and using the creative energy of employees by giving them the resources and independence they need to innovate within the firm (Carrier, 2001; Amo and Kolvereid, 2005). However, there is a certain amount of ambiguity around the concept of intrapreneurship, and this may lead to questions about the difference between intrapreneurship and intrapreneurship (Carrier, 2001). It is therefore important, before introducing the object of this research, to look more closely at the concept on which intrapreneurship is based, and to examine the trends in the research on intrapreneurship. The research conducted by Eesley and Longenecker (2006) suggest that intrapreneurship is a practice of creating new business products and opportunities in an organisation through proactive empowerment and risk-taking. This is considered a key component to organisational success; especially in organisations that operate in rapidly changing industries (Eesley and Longenecker, 2006). Intrapreneurship can manifest itself at every level of the company and regardless of the nature of the position held. Hence, we could have intrapreneurs in technical or non-technical functions; senior, middle or junior management levels; line or staff functions, and manufacturing or service related roles. Beyond this wide perspective, other authors have suggested that intrapreneurship requires a culture built around emotional commitment, autonomy, empowerment, earned respect, and a strong work ethic (Axtell, Holman, Unsworth, Wall, Waterson and Harrington, 2000). They believed intrapreneurship is inseparably connected with leadership, since it involves mobilising teams of people towards a cause much greater than the individuals involved often in the face of significant resistance from status quo preserving forces within and outside the organisation (Seshadri and Tripathy, 2006). Therefore, the failure of organisations to take members inputs on organisational improvement; sanction, promote and encourage risk-taking, empowerment, and improvement actions; give clear organisational direction, priorities, and objectives; and lack of top management support in risk-taking and improvement initiatives, could stifle intrapreneurship (Eesley and Longenecker, 2006). In light of the scope and the group target, intrapreneurship can be considered beneficial for the revitalisation and performance of companies, both large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises. Previous research conceptualised intrapreneurship in terms of four dimensions that were somewhat distinct in terms of their activities and orientations (Antoncic and Hisrich, 2001): New business venturing; Innovativeness; Self-renewal; and, Proactiveness. The intended contribution of this study is to make use of a self-constructed measuring instrument to demonstrate that intrapreneurship has had a positive influence on corporate performance within an established organisation, in the automotive industry of South Africa. This study can be viewed as a reciprocal contribution to companies seeking to create an intrapreneurial climate aimed, on the other hand at creating high performance organisation and on the other hand to motivate professionals in these companies requiring a wider portfolio of significant knowledge and skills development.
83

An entrepreneurial framework for new venture property development projects

Abrey, Mark Henry Shaw January 2015 (has links)
The business of real estate is one of the largest suppliers of employment, and contributes significantly to the gross domestic product of numerous countries worldwide. It is, therefore, imperative that new real estate development entrepreneurs entering the market identify key competitiveness indicators in order to survive and ensure their success within an ever-changing market. However, property development is a complex process and considered to be 'too risky' Consequently, property development entrepreneurs lack the skills and expertise to effectively manage their business enterprises and the associated risks from project inception to completion, and commissioning. The study was conducted by means of a review of the related literature and by conducting an empirical study. The empirical study was conducted using a quantitative statistical approach by distributing research questionnaires to members falling within the sample population. The primary objective of the study was to develop an entrepreneurial framework for perceived success of new venture property development projects. A descriptive survey was conducted among professionals registered with the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) and property development practitioners within South Africa. The salient findings suggest that the following variables positively influence the perceived success of new venture property development projects: Entrepreneurial vision; Strategic management; Stakeholders‘ interests; Professional feasibility and viability reporting; Procurement; Communication; Consumer confidence; Risk management; Governance structures; Specialist advice; The entrepreneurial framework, and The project management body of knowledge (PMBOK). Furthermore, the following variables were identified in the empirical framework affecting the perceived success of new venture property development projects: Entrepreneurial Vision; Strategic Management; Stakeholders‘ Interest; Professional Feasibility and Viability Reporting; Procurement; Communication; Consumer Confidence; Risk Management; Governance Structures; Specialist Advice, and The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). This study contributed to the South African property development body of knowledge by addressing the challenges faced by inexperienced entrepreneurs entering the property development market. Furthermore, this study aimed to improve the framework utilised by emerging property developers.
84

Managing the conflict between social and economic value : the case of the Amadlelo Project

Ngcaba, Yandisa January 2012 (has links)
The objective of the study was to investigate the role that social entrepreneurship can play in rural economic development. This objective was achieved by answering the following secondary research questions: How do for-profit social ventures create social value? How sustainable are the for-profit social venture projects in rural areas? What are the challenges facing for-profit social ventures in scaling up their projects? What metrics can be used to monitor and measure social ventures? What are the leadership traits of social entrepreneurs? The point of departure in resolving the objective of this study was to do an analysis of the available literature relevant to the research. The literature review covered was on rural development and social entrepreneurship. Rural development literature covered issues specific to rural development such as the history of rural development in South Africa, land redistribution and restitution and food security, amongst others. Social entrepreneurship literature dealt with the following issues: charity organisations, corporate social responsibility, for-profit social ventures and social capital, amongst others. The researcher used a multiple case study method to resolve the objective of the research. It was conducted with five projects of Amadlelo Agri in the Eastern Cape. An empirical and qualitative study was conducted with forty one employees and six senior managers of Amadlelo Agri respectively in order to test the theory. The results of the empirical and qualitative study were compared to the reviewed literature in order to ascertain whether Amadlelo Agri complied with the findings of the literature review. The research concludes that for-profit social ventures can play a very important role in rural development by turning latent community assets into profitable businesses for the benefit of the community; reducing unemployment and poverty; bringing financial and other resources needed in rural communities and by providing skills development.
85

Assessing the entrepreneurial attributes of undergraduate business students at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Saunders, Shelley January 2013 (has links)
To improve and develop South Africa’s entrepreneurial activity, it is vital that the population acquires certain attributes which are common among individuals who exhibit entrepreneurial behaviour. As the occurrence of entrepreneurial attributes increases in the population, so too will the probability of entrepreneurial behaviour and entrepreneurial activity. A possible first step in ensuring that a population possesses the necessary attributes is to assess the current levels of development of these entrepreneurial attributes among students of business. Underdeveloped attributes can then be identified, and steps taken to bring about improvements. The primary objective of this study was to assess the entrepreneurial attributes of undergraduate business students at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. In order to achieve this objective an in-depth analysis of secondary sources was conducted. The nature of entrepreneurship was defined and its importance highlighted. Furthermore, the status of entrepreneurship both globally and nationally was elaborated on. Entrepreneurship education was also addressed, and its role in developing entrepreneurial attributes was discussed. The 16 entrepreneurial attributes associated with successful entrepreneurs were described. The most commonly used intentions-based models were also discussed. In line with the intentions-based theories, the greater the perception of possessing the attributes associated with a successful entrepreneur by an individual, the greater the belief by that individual that he or she has the capacity and competence to become an entrepreneur, which in turn will influence their entrepreneurial intentions. Against the background of the literature overview, several hypotheses were formulated and subjected to empirical testing. A quantitative research approach was selected, the sample consisting of all undergraduate business students studying at three South African universities as well as two international universities. Convenience sampling was implemented in this study. The validity of the measuring instrument was determined by means of a factor analysis, and the reliability by means of calculating Cronbach alpha coefficients. The statistical techniques used to analyse the data included calculating descriptive statistics (the mean, standard deviation and frequency distributions), t-tests and Cohen’s d, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), an analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi-squared statistic, and Cramer’s V. The results of the study show that NMMU students regarded the attributes Commitment, High energy level, Planning and perseverance and Overcoming failure as the four most-developed attributes, while they regarded Continuous learning, Knowledge-seeking, Initiative and responsibility and Communication ability as the least-developed. With the exception of the attributes Commitment and Overcoming failure, the level of development of the entrepreneurial attributes of NMMU students showed significant improvement between the 2001 and the 2010 studies. With the exception of Continuous learning, no significant differences were reported in the levels of development of the various entrepreneurial attributes between students at NMMU and students at the other South African universities participating in the study. When comparing the significant differences in the level of development of the 16 entrepreneurial attributes between NMMU and the international universities, a large practical significance was found for the attributes High energy level, Continuous learning and Knowledge seeking. For the attributes Planning and perseverance, Communication ability, Overcoming failure, Initiative and responsibility, High energy level, Creativity and flexibility, Knowledge seeking, Continuous learning, Financial proficiency and Business knowledge, students with entrepreneurial intentions reported significantly higher mean scores than students without entrepreneurial intentions. In other words, students with higher levels of development of these attributes are more likely to have entrepreneurial intentions. It was also found that significant differences in the levels of development of entrepreneurial attributes were reported for the demographic variables Levels of study, Gender and Age. No significant differences were found to exist between the demographic variables Level of study, Gender and Self-employment status of parents and the Entrepreneurial intention of NMMU students. This study has contributed to the field of entrepreneurship research by identifying several entrepreneurial attributes that are more likely to be found in students with entrepreneurial intentions than those without them. This study has also shown that certain demographic factors are related to the levels of development of certain entrepreneurial attributes, as well as to entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, through the assessment of entrepreneurial attributes of NMMU students and by making comparisons with other universities, this study has contributed to entrepreneurship education at NMMU as well as to entrepreneurship education in South Africa and abroad. Educators of entrepreneurship have been given insights into the levels of development of several entrepreneurial attributes among their students. In addition, recommendations have been made on how to improve the levels of development of the attributes investigated in this study.
86

Enterpreneurial orientation at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Fadairo, Feyisara Olufunmilayo January 2014 (has links)
In the knowledge world into which mankind has progressed, universities are engines of economic growth. Their role has changed from producers of labour force to equal contributors - along with government and industry- in regional and national economic and social growth and development. Universities that will survive and succeed in this new climate must embrace entrepreneurship - become entrepreneurially oriented. As in any other organisation corporate entrepreneurship processes explain how entrepreneurship is implemented and diffused throughout a university, and its members must perceive the internal organisational culture as innovation supporting for entrepreneurship to flourish. Hence, the importance of studying internal environmental conditions that influence / enable corporate entrepreneurship. This study investigated NMMU’s entrepreneurial orientation by first determining what an entrepreneurial university is and its key attributes. Next it identified the key structural factors influencing university entrepreneurship and enquired how these structural factors can be influenced to enhance entrepreneurship at NMMU. To this end, survey method was used to sample perception of the university middle managers. The study first determined the level of entrepreneurship in NMMU by measuring its entrepreneurial intensity and then attempted to locate its position on the entrepreneurial grid. Next the level of the university’s internal environmental support for entrepreneurship was determined. The university’s culture was found to be the key factor influencing entrepreneurship with time availability and work discretion as key internal factors through which NMMU’s entrepreneurial culture could be improved. Proactivity and frequency dimensions of entrepreneurship were found to lead to significant improvement in the university’s entrepreneurial output and based on the outcome of the study; suggestions were made on ways of incorporating findings to better improve entrepreneurial orientation.
87

An evaluation of entrepreneurial skills needed for emerging black entrepreneurs within the Western Cape

Vilakazi, Ezekiel January 2011 (has links)
South Africa’s economy is in a phase of transformation. As part of this process, the South African government has identified the development of economic activities amongst previously disadvantaged black communities. However, this noble intent is challenged by a lack of entrepreneurial skills, which are seen as important elements in the economic development effort and necessary to achieve transformation goals and objectives (Smith, 2004). Since the apartheid era, South Africa has seen the emergence of two distinct economic sectors: a first world economy, consisting mostly of white owned and formal businesses, and a third world economy, consisting of mostly black owned and informal businesses. Economic activities of emerging entrepreneurs have been restricted to mostly the black townships and rural areas, whereas first world entrepreneurs have been actively involved in mainstream economic activities. The separation of emerging and first world entrepreneurs has resulted in a wide gap in entrepreneurial and technical skills and knowledge between the two. This imbalance has maintained a situation in which the minority of the population controls more than 80 per cent of the wealth of the country. Upon gaining independence in 1994, the new South African government embarked on the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) to redress the imbalances of the past (GEM, 2001; GEM, 2002). The government has since also adopted the Growth Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) macroeconomic strategy to grow the economy, create employment and redistribute wealth. To accelerate the implementation of GEAR, the government has passed a number of Acts, namely: The National Small Business Promotion Act (102/1996), Skills Development Act (97/1998), Affirmative Procurement Act (5/2000), Mineral and Petroleum Resources Act (28/2002) and, most recently, the Mining Charter (2003), Petroleum Charter (2003), Financial services Charter (2003), and the Information Communications Technology (ICT) Charter (2004). Small business has been seen by government as a vehicle to create employment, promote economic growth and redistribute wealth; as such the promotion of entrepreneurship has been identified as a critical aspect of GEAR. However, despite supportive legislation and programmes, South Africa’s entrepreneurship rating remains below average, as evidenced by the findings of the Global Entrepreneurial Monitor reports (GEM, 2001; GEM, 2002). The wide gap in skills and knowledge between emerging and first world entrepreneurs in South Africa is a contributing factor to the country’s poor rating – and it is expected to widen as the new knowledge economy unfolds, if corrective measures are not taken by the government or private sector.
88

Employee perceptions of self-employment

Gongxeka, Vuyokazi January 2012 (has links)
The perception that someone has of an entrepreneurial career ultimately influences his/her decision to pursue such a career path. By investigating employees' perceptions of owning a business, this study provides insights regarding the question of why so few South Africans embark on this path. Entrepreneurship is regarded by many as the solution to South Africa’s employment and economic problems. As such, an understanding of the reason why some people become entrepreneurs and others do not could provide solutions on how to stimulate entrepreneurship among all South Africans, and hopefully increase the levels of entrepreneurship in the country. The purpose of the study was to contribute to the field of entrepreneurship by investigating the perceptions and attitudes that employees have regarding an entrepreneurial career, that is, to ask employees what they think having their own business might be like. By investigating these perceptions, the researcher looked for reasons why many individuals remain in the employment of others rather than embarking on an entrepreneurial career, as well as establishing whether these employees had intentions of starting their own businesses, Therefore the primary objective of this study was twofold, namely to establish the perceptions that employees have regarding self-employment, running their own business or following an entrepreneurial career, and to establish the influence of these perceptions on their entrepreneurial intentions. After conducting a comprehensive literature study and examining the various models of intentions, attitude towards the behaviour was identified as having the strongest influence on entrepreneurial intentions. Attitude towards the behaviour is the extent to which an individual makes a favourable or unfavourable evaluation of the behaviour in question, and additionally is a function of beliefs applicable to the behaviour. Attitude towards the behaviour is closely related to perceived desirability, and “desirability” is a form of value. More specifically, work values have the propensity to significantly predict career choice. For the purpose of this study, the 14 work values identified by Farrington et al. (2011) served as the factors to be investigated in establishing the perceptions of an entrepreneurial career. The independent (work values) and dependent (entrepreneurial intentions) variables investigated in this study were defined and operationalised. Reliable and valid items were sourced from existing studies. Respondents were identified by means of convenience and snowball sampling, and a structured questionnaire was made available to the respondents. The data gathered from the 184 usable questionnaires was subjected to various statistical analyses. The validity and reliability of the measuring instrument were confirmed by means of an exploratory factor analysis and calculating Cronbach-alpha coefficients. Descriptive statistics were calculated to summarise the sample data distribution. Pearson’s moment product correlations were calculated to establish the correlations between the various work values and entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, a multiple regression analysis was undertaken to investigate whether relationships existed between the perceptions of an entrepreneurial career in terms of several work values and entrepreneurial intentions. The following work values were identified as influencing the entrepreneurial intentions of employees working in small businesses: - Stimulating; - Stability and advancement; - Flexibility; - Autonomy. The more the work values above were perceived to be experienced when following an entrepreneurial career, the more likely it was that the respondents in this study reported intentions of following such a career. In order to investigate the influence of the various demographic variables on the independent and dependent variables, an Analysis of Variance was performed. In addition, the post-hoc Bonferroni test was done to identify significant differences between the means scores of the various categories within each demographic variable. The practical significance of these differences was assessed by means of calculating Cohen’s d. The results showed a significant positive relationship between the demographic variable Population group and the dependent variable Entrepreneurial v intentions. In addition, relationships were identified between Population group and the intrinsic work values Challenging and Stimulating, the extrinsic-related work values Financial benefit and security and Stability and advancement, and the social-related work value Serving the community. A significant positive relationship was also reported between the demographic variable Entrepreneurial parents and the intrinsic-related work value Stimulating, the extrinsic-related work value Future prospects and the social-related work value Serving the community. The demographic variable Age showed a significant positive relationship with the extrinsic-related work value Financial benefit and security. This study has contributed to the field of entrepreneurship research by focusing on employee perceptions of entrepreneurship, and the influence of these perceptions on their intentions to become entrepreneurs. As far as can be established, no other study has adopted this perspective for understanding entrepreneurial behaviour in South Africa or abroad. Furthermore, no study has specifically focused on investigating entrepreneurial intentions among employees of small businesses.
89

'n Strategie vir die identifisering en ontwikkeling van entrepreneurskap vanuit 'n opvoedkundige-sielkundige perspektief

Basson, Marlize 05 September 2012 (has links)
D.Ed. / The aim of the study was to determine a strategy to identify and develop entrepreneurship from the point of educational psychology. In this regard, it was necessary to divide the study into two components. The first was to determine a profile of the entrepreneur and secondly how this profile could be developed. In the first part in the literature attributes and skills of the entrepreneur were researched and empirical tested. Two questionnaires were specifically developed to identify attributes and skills of entrepreneurs: firstly a questionnaire, The Entrepreneurial Index Questionnaire, for individuals with a qualification standard six and higher and secondly a projective format questionnaire, The Entrepreneurial Index Projective Format, for semi-skilled and unskilled individuals. In the second part techniques were introduced to developed entrepreneurial attributes and skills: Neurolinguistic Programming and Educational Kinesiology. A specific program to develop entrepreneurship with young adults was also introduced. The programme was completed with a illustration of a young adult that completed the program. The following results were obtained from the empirical investigation: From the anova variance-analysis there is a significant statistical difference on all the entrepreneurial attributes and skills. The Scheffe-pair-variance-analysis show significant statistic differences on the average scores of the entrepreneurial attributes and skills except for: Questionnaire test General knowledge and driving force, responsibility, selfimage and interpersonal relations. Risk and responsibility, self-image and interpersonal relations. Drive force and depression. Adaptation and interpersonal relations. Responsibility and stress, aggression and depression. Stress and interpersonal relations. Self-image and depression. Aggression and interpersonal relations. Depression and interpersonal relations. Projective test Mental alertness in all pairs. Total work attitude and responsibility. Locus of control and responsibility. Locus of control and interpersonal relationships. Adaptation and responsibility. The program for the development of entrepreneurial skills was divided into four phases: what is possible, what is realistic, critical analysing of the business opportunity and lastly the implementation of above mentioned steps. Each phase went through specific steps and NLP and Edu-K was used in each step one to develop and anchor specific attributes and skills of entrepreneurship. The implementation of the program is implemented on five levels. The basic level is the individual environment. The entrepreneur is going to operate in the environment through behaviour. The behaviour is guided by the individual capabilities. These capabilities are organized by the believe systems. Believe systems are organized by the identity of the entrepreneur. The illustration analysis of the individuals that completed the course shows a growth and development in the entrepreneurial attributes and skills that were identified in the first part of the study. It seems possible to identify certain attributes and skills that is part of the successful entrepreneur, and develop it in the young adult to become an entrepreneur.
90

Traders and taximen in Qwaqwa : a study of class formation in a South African homeland

Bank, Leslie John January 1988 (has links)
Bibliography: pages 229-245. / This thesis is centred around the experiences of traders and taximen in Qwaqwa, the smallest of South Africa's 'homelands'. It aims to investigate the extent to which small-scale entrepreneurs of various kinds can be seen to be participating in processes of class formation within the homeland. The focus adopted directs attention away from the issue of poverty which has dominated rural research over the past decade. The thesis also seeks to contribute to existing studies of class formation in the homelands, which address the problem from the perspective of 'state' and 'capital'. This study seeks to broaden this focus through a historical analysis of social processes at the local-level. It argues that traders and taximen in Qwaqwa cannot simply be regarded as the recipients of state initiatives, but are agents in forging their own opportunities and relationships.

Page generated in 0.1165 seconds