Comprehensive research has been done on organisational behaviour, entrepreneurial spirit, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship. Literature is however less clear on which organisational behaviour components influence corporate entrepreneurship. This creates a problem for managers and business leaders when they want to influence the entrepreneurial spirit within an organisation. This study summaries the literature on organisational behaviour variables and corporate entrepreneurship, as well as the limited findings linking the two concepts. The empirical study focuses four areas: testing validity and reliability of the measurements used in the study; the correlation between organisational behaviour components and corporate entrepreneurship; the ability of organisational behaviour components to predict corporate entrepreneurship; and finally testing if the grouping of organisational behaviour variables is justified. This cross sectional study was done in 12 non-listed and 5 listed companies in South Africa. Randomly selected employees completed 862 questionnaires. They represented all the local ethnic groups, both genders, and were from all organisational levels. The results of the empirical study indicated that the measurements used in the study were all acceptable being reliable and valid. The correlation between the selected organisational behaviour components and corporate entrepreneurship were all strong and significant, with goal setting the strongest, followed by performance management, then transformational leadership, and communication. The correlation with shared decision making, organisational culture, and power were less strong but still significant. The organisational behaviour components together declare a 46.5% variance in corporate entrepreneurship with organisational culture and goal setting contributing significantly and uniquely. Grouping the organisational behaviour variables in individual level, group level and organisational level, as suggested by many authors, did not provide a satisfactory solution. Suggestions to managers on where to focus when they want to foster corporate entrepreneurship were made. The limitations as well as suggestions for future research were discussed in the final instance. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D.B.L.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 2006 / The high unemployment rate in South Africa has forced many people to think of creative ways to derive an income. This in turn has resulted in the increase of microentrepreneurs who could contribute positively to the economy if given the opportunity. According to the White Paper on National Strategy for the Development and Promotion of Small Business in South Africa (1995), the objective is to stimulate and promote small businesses by providing access to requisite resources. However, what has become apparent is the lack of resources for micro-entrepreneurs, as well as problems with accessibility to the few available resources. Popular literature often refers to money being made available by government or foreign donors to assist micro-entrepreneurs in getting businesses started. There is also much talk about empowerment of entrepreneurs via financial resources as well as through skills training. However, much of the assistance is available for opportunity entrepreneurs and not for the survivalist entrepreneurs. Although there has been a commitment by government to promote small business, it yet again focuses on the opportunist entrepreneur rather than the survivalist entrepreneur. Survivalist micro-entrepreneurs face huge challenges in accessing any type of resources. Although there is much talk about promotion of small business, there seems to be a gap in what is being advocated and what is being done. What has happened thus far is that small and medium enterprises have been branded under one label, proving detrimental to the micro-entrepreneur. The opportunist entrepreneur and the survivalist entrepreneur have vasy different needs and the resources made available should address the different needs. This study focused on micro-entrepreneurship in the Cape Flats area of the Western Cape, specifically on survivalist micro-entrepreneurs, and excluded the opportunist entrepreneur.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009. / The 2010 FIFA World Cup toumament could provide valuable opportunities for the tourism entrepreneur in Cape Town. This study focuses on the factors that affect the entrepreneurwho chooses to make tourism a career in Cape Town. The aim of the study is to examine the tourism entrepreneurs' ability to be sustainable and is focused on the single tourism owner operating a service business in the Cape Town CBO such as small tour operators, tour guides and accommodation agents. Using the quantitative research method, a questionnaire as well as individual interviews, the data collection techniques have helped to provide valuable information as to the influencing factors on entrepreneurship, operational challenges and the extemal environment affecting tourism business in Cape Town. The results which could be useful to an aspirant entrepreneur indicate that the survey participants were generally positive about the FIFA event and that success for them is the ability to understand the market and plan strategically in order to operate a business effectively that will meet specific market requirements.

Dissertation (MTech( Mechanical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / Lean thinking and its principles, as described by Womack and Jones (1996) has been successfully applied to the manufacturing and operational environment, as evidenced by associated case studies. Fostered by a rapid spread into many other sectors beyond the automotive industry, there has been a significant development and localisation of the lean concept in general. This research study sets out to investigate the effects of lean thinking on production processes in a Small and Medium Engineering Enterprise (SMEE). It is hoped that the methodology adopted and the results of the study in the form of a concise lean principle model will assist SMEEs in the strategic planning of their manufacturing processes and improve their sustainability. The case described here, where lean principles were adopted at a transformer manufacturing company (referred to as ABZ), was considered a success by most of those involved at the company. The production cycle time improved from 33 days to 4.5 days within a few weeks of the implementation. In addition; product quality, worker morale, and housekeeping also improved drastically.

Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Technology: Public Management in the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / The purpose of this study is to develop a business framework for the effective start-up and operation of African immigrant businesses in the Cape Town Metropolitan Area of South Africa. The question that guides this research is: how do African immigrants use their entrepreneurial attributes to acquire the resources necessary to start-up and operate successful businesses in the Cape Town Metropolitan Area?The study was conducted within the context of the economic development mandate as prescribed by the constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, 1996. The development agenda also includes community, social and welfare promotion premised on the Keynesian principles that the government introduces interventions where there is an economic failure. In the South African context, this relates to unemployment and due to the prevailing economic down turns a greater reliance by the populace for social and welfare support. In recent years, immigrants especially from African countries have found themselves in a similar situation (That is in need of economic, social and welfare support). However, the government, particularly local government does not have the resources, especially financial resources to assist all local entrepreneurs, including immigrant entrepreneurs. Although there is a wide coverage of immigrant entrepreneurship in developed countries, much still has to be done as far as developing countries are concerned. From a South African perspective, there is so far no study entirely devoted to African immigrant entrepreneurship. This notwithstanding, there seems to be a growing consensus on the fact that SMMEs in South Africa are disproportionately constrained by start-up and operational factors such as finance, insufficient demand, lack of business skills and lack of information, although one cannot generalise especially as immigrant entrepreneurs face a slightly different dynamic. No studies focusing on immigrant-owned businesses in general and particularly how they tap into their entrepreneurial traits to start-up and grow successful businesses has been conducted in South Africa. At one level, the finding of this study provides vital information for new immigrants venturing into self employment. At another level, the study may provide vital insight into immigrant entrepreneurship in South Africa. Limited job opportunities force African immigrants into self-employment. However, due to the numerous challenges that they face, only a few of the immigrant-owned businesses get off the ground, let alone grow. It may be argued that most of these African immigrant-owned businesses fail to reach their full potential because they (the owners) are unable to exploit the entrepreneurial attributes that they bring or have at their disposal upon arrival. Three interrelated concepts: entrepreneurial attributes, business start-up and operation resources, and business success, are linked in this study to develop a framework for the effective start-up and operation of immigrant-owned businesses. The proposed framework seeks to encourage African immigrants to match the entrepreneurial attributes that they come with to the business opportunities and challenges that they may face in establishing and growing their businesses in South Africa.The study was designed within the quantitative and qualitative research paradigms, in which a triangulation of three methods was utilised to collect and analyse the data. From a quantitative perspective, the survey questionnaire was used. To complement the quantitative approach, personal interviews and focus groups were utilised as the methods within the qualitative approach paradigm. The research revealed that an African immigrant entrepreneur is most likely to be a male within the age range of 19 and 41 who has been forced to immigrate because of political circumstances back home. The decision to immigrate as well as the choice of South Africa as a host country was entirely dependent on the immigrant. Once in South Africa, limited job opportunities forced these immigrants into setting up their own businesses within the informal sector as their starting point. In order of importance, financial, physical, human, and informational resources were identified as being critical for the start-up and operation of a business in South Africa. In terms of acquiring the resources to start-up and operate a business, and from a financial perspective point, African immigrant entrepreneurs unwillingly made use of personal savings to finance their businesses during the start-up phase of the business. Financial resources played a double role in that they determined the main sources of physical resources used. From a human resource standpoint, African immigrant entrepreneurs preferred employing South Africans during the start-up phase of the business, and the reverse was true during the growth or operational phase. To a limited extent, family labour was involved at both the start-up as well as the operational phases of the business; with formal education and prior experience playing a significant role as far as the human resource mix was concerned. In terms of information, African immigrant entrepreneurs made use of two primary sources of information namely, their ethnic networks and friends from somewhere else.

Thesis (MTech (Internal Auditing))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / Developing countries face the great challenge of balancing growth with equity and justice. Growth, in all its fairness, should translate into equitable opportunity for all, but as is observed, the distributional effect of growth often does not filter down to the majority of the socially and economically disadvantaged communities. It is imperative in these situations to embark on a process of developmental change to improve the quality of life of the majority of the disadvantaged community. South Africa used this strategy to endeavour to encounter or reverse the political history of the country, by encouraging entrepreneurs of previously disadvantaged racial groups through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to open small businesses. The South African Government believes that the development, growth and sustainability of the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) sector will help the country to decrease the high unemployment rate, and lead the country as a whole to a sustainable economical development. Research has shown that this aim can no longer be achieved by only facilitating access to finance to entrepreneurs. They argue that some management strategies such as risk management should be introduced, understood and applied by small business owners, in order for their businesses to go beyond their actual estimated survival period referred as 3 to 5 years maximum. This research provides background to which risk management techniques are applied within the ambit of small enterprises. The data were collected from eighty eight companies drawn from a possible of 150 small enterprises found in the Cape Metropole. The analysis of data of those who responded has shown that very few SMME owners, managers, entrepreneurs or key designated employees make use of risk management tools and techniques within their businesses, to achieve growth and sustainability. However, the majority agreed to the high importance of risk management in the success of a business enterprise.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / Small-scale mining entrepreneurs are confronted with a variety of challenges during both the start-up and growth phase of their businesses not only in South Africa, but all over the world. Most small-scale mining entrepreneurs are not able to take advantage of the opportunities that are available to them. This retards the growth of their businesses. The aim of this study was to investigate the challenges and prospects for small-scale mining entrepreneurs in South Africa, the support structures available to them as well as the factors that could make them successful. The research problem in this study is that the mining sector is biased towards more established companies and against small-scale mining entrepreneurial operations, which marginalises small-scale mining entrepreneurs. Despite being a significant source of revenue for South Africa, the mining sector does not directly benefit the historically disadvantaged people. Notwithstanding government interventions, small-scale mining entrepreneurs face numerous challenges during both the business start-up and growth phase of their businesses with very few prospects of succeeding. This is a qualitative study that uses a series of face-to-face interviews with mining entrepreneurs in South Africa to generate data. Given that small-scale mining entrepreneurs are in most cases part of the informal sector and difficult to locate, a database of small-scale mining entrepreneurs was obtained from Mintek. Initially, 21 small-scale mining entrepreneurs were randomly selected to participate in this study. However, it soon became apparent that ten of them were no longer in business. This meant that the sample was reduced to eleven mining entrepreneurs, located in four provinces: Free State, KZN, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The findings of this research reveal that small-scale mining entrepreneurs are handicapped by a lack of financial and technical resources, and therefore cannot purchase capital items. It seems that there are good prospects for small-scale mining, particularly in open markets. However, they are unable to exploit these prospects because they lack the necessary finance. Although there are support structures to assist them, they find it difficult to meet the criteria for loans or overdraft facilities from financial institutions. Although these mining entrepreneurs have benefited from the support they have received thus far, they need equipment and commitment to their businesses to remain successful. A series of recommendations are made to guide small-scale mining entrepreneurs already in business, prospective small-scale mining entrepreneurs and other stakeholder’s interested in transforming the industry. / Zandisile Holdings (Pty) Ltd National Research Foundation Mauerberger Foundation

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration in Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. / Human capital is both a key driver of economic growth and a means to promote overall development. In order to enhance human capital in South Africa, tertiary institutions have seen a tremendous increase in students' enrolment over the past few decades. But, in spite of the need for skilled labour, tertiary education graduates are increasingly faced with unemployment, which poses a serious obstacle to the economic growth of the country. This study investigated the role of tertiary education in enhancing selfemployment among project management graduates. This study was descriptive in nature and intended to find answers to research questions, which comprised the extent to which tertiary education seeks to motivate students to self employment. In addition, the study sought to find challenges related to self-employment facing project management students after they have completed their studies, as well as reasons why some people choose self-employment over salaried employment. Data were collected with the use of a self-administered structured questionnaire. Collected data were analysed using of the statistical software for social science (IBM SPSS Statistics version 19) for descriptive statistics in the form of tables and charts. Furthermore, statistical tests, using chi-square values at the 0.05 level of significance, were performed to determine factors influencing individuals to choose a self-employment career. The study found that education may either enhance individual entrepreneurial ability, thereby increasing the likelihood of choosing self-employment or increase opportunities for paid employment, both of which reduce unemployment. In addition, tertiary education provides human capital that enables graduates to achieve increased level of productivity, which leads to earning more income than lower educated people in both paid employment and self-employment career. Unfortunately, graduates face financial related challenges, which constrain them from undertaking self-employment endeavours. The results of this study suggest that graduate unemployment can only be eliminated if students are provided with the right skills and knowledge to match the requirement of the employment market. Furthermore, the study suggests that graduates should be assisted financially at the initial stage of their self-employment activities.

M.Com. (Business Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the Master of Technology in Business Administration, Durban University of Technology, 2017. / This study investigated the concept of entrepreneurial intent within a South African Higher Education (HE) context using a sample of final year commerce students at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). The backdrop of this is within growing calls for universities to be located more within the ideal and agenda of generating future entrepreneurs for the economy. Further, arguments are made that graduates within South African Higher Education (HE) may possess the necessary theoretical knowledge but fall short concerning coming up with innovations that are responsive to the changing and diverse labour market. Entrepreneurship, thus, emerges as a possible panacea to the challenges affecting HE in South Africa. The aim of the research was to investigate factors that influence a student’s entrepreneurial intent within a South African HE context. A quantitative survey design was implemented amongst a sample of 250 respondents studying at the DUT. Correlation and regression analysis were used to test relationships between variables. The findings show a positive relationship to exist between individual risk taking propensity and variables such as a) subjective norms; b) perceived behavioural control; c) proactive personality; d) entrepreneurial education and e) student attitude towards entrepreneurial education and intentions. The findings provide a useful precursor to encouraging entrepreneurial efforts within HE in South Africa. Practitioners can use the findings of this work to come up with interventions that promote the development of an entrepreneurial culture within the South African context, especially using a vulnerable yet important cohort within the youth of the country. / M