Beyond the conventional meaning of CSR as a voluntary obligation for enhancing the social, economic and environmental wellness of the society, the developmental-oriented CSR is emerging and requires exploratory and empirical investigations. This research attempts to fill the gap in this direction by examining the Entrepreneurship Development through Corporate Social Responsibility – A Study of the Nigerian Telecommunication Industry. In specific terms, the research seeks deeper understanding of CSR and Entrepreneurship with a view to refocusing both constructs as support mechanisms for small enterprise development in Nigeria. Considering the multidisciplinary nature of this research, an extensive review of literature was carried out which provided deeper insights into the research problem. Arising from the review of literature, the human capital theory and stakeholder theory provided the required theoretical grounding for the study. For easy triangulation, the study adopted a mixed research methods (an amalgam of qualitative and quantitative research methods). The target population for the study was the Nigerian telecommunication industry, which comprised the 24 telecommunication companies and the 65 million proxy telephone users. Lagos state was preferred as the sample location. From the target population, sample sizes of 9 telecommunication companies and 384 telephone users were selected with justifications using purposive sampling and snowballing sampling respectively. The qualitative aspect of research used interview instrument for data collection. The interview data from 9 interviewees were analysed using content and thematic analyses. The quantitative research on the other hand used web-enabled questionnaire instrument for data collection. Out of the 384 telephone users targeted, only 369 responses were analysed, using descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-Square Test, Friedman Rank Test, Structural Equation Modelling and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis). At end of the investigation, it was found that the stakeholders’ perception of CSR is largely a philanthropic perspective; while the perception of entrepreneurship in the same industry is the act of setting up businesses for self-employment and wealth creation. Furthermore, the dominant CSR activity is sports and entertainments, while entrepreneurship development was poorly supported. With regards to the potentials, the study found that CSR is a potential means for funding entrepreneurship education; funding start-up venture capital for unemployed graduates/trainees; funding business clusters and technology business incubation centres for small businesses; funding purchase of equipment and tools for poor artisans, craftsmen and petty traders in disadvantaged host communities; and also CSR could be an effective instrument for political risk mitigation in hostile communities like Niger-Delta and Northern Nigeria. Finally, it was found that there is a relationship between CSR and entrepreneurship in the Nigerian telecommunication industry, but the predictability of CSR dimensions on entrepreneurship is weak. The study has therefore enriched the literature with an enhanced understanding of CSR incorporating entrepreneurship, as opposed to viewing CSR in terms of social, economic and environmental dimensions. The study concludes with a discussion of the academic and practical implications of the findings as well as recommendations for further research in this multidisciplinary field.

Thesis submitted to the Wits Business School, Faculty of Commerce, Law, and Management, in fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctorate Degree in Entrepreneurship University of the Witwatersrand September 2016 / Many research findings have highlighted the importance of numerous sustainability factors needed for the growth and development of entrepreneurship. Sustainability factors such as finance, environmental stability, and good management practices determine the likely success of entrepreneurial activities. These factors are sometimes referred to as success factors and have been found to boost entrepreneurial activities as well as enhance the industrialisation process in many economies. Interestingly, entrepreneurship evolves across distinctive phases from conception to becoming a full-fledged enterprise, with sustainability factors determining the extent of success in each identifiable phase. This study was, therefore, designed to ascertain the most crucial sustainability factors necessary for navigating through entrepreneurship phases in two major emerging economies in Africa- Nigeria and South Africa. It was also designed to estimate the probability of successfully moving from one entrepreneurship phase to another, with a comparative analysis of the findings from these distinctly representative economies. Primary data was collected through administration of questionnaire to and in-depth interviews of selected respondents in the commercial capital cities of the two sample economies- Lagos and Johannesburg. STATA and Atlas Ti were used for the quantitative and qualitative analysis, respectively. The quantitative analysis was in two stages; stage one involved descriptive statistics while stage two involved inferential statistics. The results showed that relevant sustainability factors vary across entrepreneurship phases, and were peculiar to either economy. Further, some similarities exist in the sustainability factors relevant in identical phases in both economies. The results also confirmed that some factors are more crucial than others in some entrepreneurship phases. Furthermore, the probability estimates of moving from one entrepreneurship phase to another in both economies revealed the most volatile and least volatile phases in the entrepreneurship evolution. Based on the findings of this study, some policy suggestions are made, and areas for further research are identified. Financial and non-financial supports are also recommended for entrepreneurs in the volatile phases. Given the relative importance of the sustainability xii factors in each entrepreneurship phase and economy, the policy makers and other stakeholders would be aware of the core areas to channel necessary interventions. Many research findings have highlighted the importance of numerous sustainability factors needed for the growth and development of entrepreneurship. Sustainability factors such as finance, environmental stability, and good management practices determine the likely success of entrepreneurial activities. These factors are sometimes referred to as success factors and have been found to boost entrepreneurial activities as well as enhance the industrialisation process in many economies. Interestingly, entrepreneurship evolves across distinctive phases from conception to becoming a full-fledged enterprise, with sustainability factors determining the extent of success in each identifiable phase. This study was, therefore, designed to ascertain the most crucial sustainability factors necessary for navigating through entrepreneurship phases in two major emerging economies in Africa- Nigeria and South Africa. It was also designed to estimate the probability of successfully moving from one entrepreneurship phase to another, with a comparative analysis of the findings from these distinctly representative economies. Primary data was collected through administration of questionnaire to and in-depth interviews of selected respondents in the commercial capital cities of the two sample economies- Lagos and Johannesburg. STATA and Atlas Ti were used for the quantitative and qualitative analysis, respectively. The quantitative analysis was in two stages; stage one involved descriptive statistics while stage two involved inferential statistics. The results showed that relevant sustainability factors vary across entrepreneurship phases, and were peculiar to either economy. Further, some similarities exist in the sustainability factors relevant in identical phases in both economies. The results also confirmed that some factors are more crucial than others in some entrepreneurship phases. Furthermore, the probability estimates of moving from one entrepreneurship phase to another in both economies revealed the most volatile and least volatile phases in the entrepreneurship evolution. Based on the findings of this study, some policy suggestions are made, and areas for further research are identified. Financial and non-financial supports are also recommended for entrepreneurs in the volatile phases. Given the relative importance of the sustainability xii factors in each entrepreneurship phase and economy, the policy makers and other stakeholders would be aware of the core areas to channel necessary interventions. Many research findings have highlighted the importance of numerous sustainability factors needed for the growth and development of entrepreneurship. Sustainability factors such as finance, environmental stability, and good management practices determine the likely success of entrepreneurial activities. These factors are sometimes referred to as success factors and have been found to boost entrepreneurial activities as well as enhance the industrialisation process in many economies. Interestingly, entrepreneurship evolves across distinctive phases from conception to becoming a full-fledged enterprise, with sustainability factors determining the extent of success in each identifiable phase. This study was, therefore, designed to ascertain the most crucial sustainability factors necessary for navigating through entrepreneurship phases in two major emerging economies in Africa- Nigeria and South Africa. It was also designed to estimate the probability of successfully moving from one entrepreneurship phase to another, with a comparative analysis of the findings from these distinctly representative economies. Primary data was collected through administration of questionnaire to and in-depth interviews of selected respondents in the commercial capital cities of the two sample economies- Lagos and Johannesburg. STATA and Atlas Ti were used for the quantitative and qualitative analysis, respectively. The quantitative analysis was in two stages; stage one involved descriptive statistics while stage two involved inferential statistics. The results showed that relevant sustainability factors vary across entrepreneurship phases, and were peculiar to either economy. Further, some similarities exist in the sustainability factors relevant in identical phases in both economies. The results also confirmed that some factors are more crucial than others in some entrepreneurship phases. Furthermore, the probability estimates of moving from one entrepreneurship phase to another in both economies revealed the most volatile and least volatile phases in the entrepreneurship evolution. Based on the findings of this study, some policy suggestions are made, and areas for further research are identified. Financial and non-financial supports are also recommended for entrepreneurs in the volatile phases. Given the relative importance of the sustainability xii factors in each entrepreneurship phase and economy, the policy makers and other stakeholders would be aware of the core areas to channel necessary interventions. / GR2018