The general purpose of this thesis was to explore the different roles enacted by entrepreneurs when developing their firm in the market. In their daily attempts to develop their firm, entrepreneurs “wear many different hats” because they are involved in multiple situations which require their interaction with different networks of social relationships (i.e. customers, employees, suppliers, investors). Through this research, we attempt to make three related and distinct contributions: (1) identification and definition of different roles enacted by entrepreneurs within their firm; (2) development of a measurement scale for the different roles entrepreneurs enact within their firm; and (3) proposal of a model explaining the relationship between entrepreneurs’ roles, Entrepreneurial Orientation, and firm performance. The thesis is presented in the form of three related papers. Paper 1 focuses on the qualitative study of the self-reported perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes that entrepreneurs relate to their efforts of developing their firm in the market. Through in-depth interviews and following thematic analysis methodology, we identified and analyzed patterns within the qualitative data. Conceptualizing the entrepreneurial firm as a proximate social structure that represents a context in which the entrepreneur establishes close relationships and thus enacts role identities, we identify and define seven different sets of behaviors or roles. In addition, we propose a conceptual framework to explain the entrepreneurs’ agency within their firm. Based on the previously identified and defined roles, in Paper 2 we develop the measurement scale for the entrepreneurs’ roles. The items generated from the literature review and the in-depth interviews were evaluated for content validity by a group of serial entrepreneurs. A pilot test was then conducted with a network of international entrepreneurs (N=55), followed by a pre-test using an online panel of U.S. entrepreneurs (N=157) who were owners and managers of a running business that had paid salaries to the owner(s) for more than two years. Finally, the main study (N=202) was conducted utilizing the same sampling frame as the pre-test. After Confirmatory Factor Analysis and measure validation, we propose a seven-construct measurement model for the roles that entrepreneurs enact within their developing firm. In Paper 3, following the development of the measurement scale, we explore the links between the roles enacted by entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurial Orientation, and firm performance. Understanding Entrepreneurial Orientation as a way in which entrepreneurs behave when creating and developing their firm, we propose a model in which Entrepreneurial Orientation mediates the relationship between entrepreneurs’ enacted roles and the performance of their firm. Our findings suggest that Entrepreneurial Orientation mediates the relationship between at least five roles enacted by entrepreneurs and firm performance. The influence of several of the enacted roles of entrepreneurs on Entrepreneurial Orientation suggests that the entrepreneur’s agency, facilitated through the use of roles, needs to be taken into account as an antecedent in a model of entrepreneurial strategic orientation and firm performance.

M.Tech. (Chemical Engineering) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Sc. (Geography) / Republiek Voedsel (Edms) Bpk. was established in 1981 with the purpose of owning and operating KFC restaurants in South Africa and today successfully operates 40 KFC restaurants in Gauteng, the Free State, Northern Cape and North-West Province. This study endeavoured to create a model that could be used as an instrument to ensure that all possible variables influencing the selection of a site were considered when deciding where to build a KFC restaurant. The creation and use of an analogue data base containing the market variables, operational requirements and financial performance of all the Company's restaurants were fundamental to the success of the model. In general, the model should enable the researcher to identify under-utilized as well as non-utilized markets. Shortcomings in respect of existing restaurants and missed opportunities in the market area would be identified and exploited for the benefit of the market population and KFC/Republiek Voedsel. The specific purpose of this study was to test the validity of the proposed site selection model in the town of Edenvale, where the existing KFC is more than 10 years old. The market population characteristics, trade zone borders, market competition and traffic generators, all factors that influence the purchase pattern of the existing KFC customer base, were determined through a sample study.

The first two chapters study the effect of foreign lobbies on trade policy of a country which is a member of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). They rely on a monopolistically competitive political economy model in which the government determines external tariffs endogenously. In the first paper the effect of foreign lobbying under the FTA is examined empirically using Canadian industry-level trade data that allow differentiating of lobby groups by the country of origin. The analysis suggests that the presence of foreign lobbying has a significant effect on the domestic trade policy: the presence of an organized lobbying group in an FTA partner country tends to raise trade barriers while an organized lobbying group of exporters from outside of the FTA is associated with less protection. The second paper analyses political viability of FTAs and their effect on the world trading system in the presence of lobbying by organized foreign interest groups. I show that the FTA in the presence of an organized lobby group in a prospective partner country may cause an increase in the level of protection against imports from third countries and impede trade with non-member countries. I also find that foreign lobby may encourage the local government to enter a welfare-reducing trade-diverting FTA. Finally, I show that the FTA increases the lobbying power of the organized lobby groups of the member countries, which can potentially obstruct the viability of welfare-improving multilateral trade liberalization. The last paper shows that the reason for a higher capital-labor ratio observed for exporting firms is a higher capital intensity of their production technology. Exporters are more productive, more likely to survive and, hence, more likely to repay loans. A higher repayment probability causes creditors to charge lower interest rate and reduces the marginal cost of the firm when a more capital-intensive technology is used. Here, a reduction in international trade costs stimulates exporting firms to use more efficient capital-intensive technologies, while non-exporters switch to less capital-intensive ones. This within-industry change in the composition of technologies reinforces the productivity advantage of exporters and contributes further to industry-wide productivity improvement. The results of model simulations highlight that to 10% of welfare and productivity gains of trade liberalization come from the adoption of new technologies by existing firms in the industry, thus amplifying the effect of resource reallocation from firms' entry and exit. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate

Many companies have performance management systems that incorporate financial and non-financial measurements. All organisations have financial and non-financial measures. However, many use their non-financial measures for local improvements at their front-line and customer-facing operations. Performance management is a shared process between managers and the individuals and teams they manage. It is based on the agreement of objectives, knowledge, skill and competence requirements and work and development plans. The Balanced Scorecard includes financial measures that reflect the results of actions already taken, complementing the financial measures with operational measures on customer satisfaction, internal processes, and the organisation’s innovative and improvement activities. The Balanced Scorecard combines both quantitative and qualitative measures, acknowledge the expectations of different stakeholders and relate an assessment of performance to choice of strategy. The objective of this study was to assess current performance management that is applied within the manufacturing division at Continental Tyre South Africa. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive literature study was performed on performance management and The Balanced Scorecard. A questionnaire was designed based on the guidelines in the literature study in order to establish the extent to which Continental Tyre South Africa manages performance. The researcher used the random sampling method of selection and distributed the questionnaire to 120 potential respondents via electronic mail and physically. Seventy seven completed questionnaires were returned and these were processed and analysed using Microsoft Office Excel 2003, iii running on the Windows XP suite of computer packages. The opinions of the various respondents were compared with the guidelines provided in the literature survey in order to identify shortcomings of performance management and the achievement of individual and departmental objectives within the manufacturing division at Continental Tyre South Africa. The following main recommendations were made: Continental Tyre South Africa should continue with the sharing of its strategic objectives with management and staff, and must ensure that these objectives are also shared all the way down to the shop floor; It is imperative that management and staff mutually agree on performance objectives for the individuals; Senior management must measure management and staff on how well they performance manage their direct reports and develop people where performance short-comings exist; It is imperative that management and staff undergo performance management training; Management must ensure that there current performance management system incorporates a method to distinguish between top and poor performers; and, It is advisable that senior management consider a mechanism that rewards top performers.

We are living in an era of inconceivable knowledge, skills and talent paucity as technology continue to revolutionise the world, creating new and diverse economic opportunities and changing the perception of work, its environments and the skills and knowledge demanded in organisations. This phenomenon has resulted in global competition for skilled and knowledge workers as the new world of work morphs enigmatically, leaving organisations vulnerable, and unable to deal with this complex issue. Organisational leaders are cognisant of the changes, but are grappling with the problems of managing, retaining, and creating a resilient workforce. If talent is put onto the back burner and left unattended, it has the potential to create overwhelming turmoil in the South African economy and the economies throughout the world. The global changes will impact directly on how we approach workforce challenges in the future. Today, human capital is regarded as the distinct wealth contributor and creator for economic and organisational prosperity (Meyer, 2004). Hence, Human Capital Planning is crucial for every organisation, including Eskom, to ensure that its strategic objectives are met through the effective management and utilisation of its human resources in order to maintain its competitive advantage and ensure its sustainability into the future. Globally, as well as in South Africa, various contributing factors have resulted in skills shortages throughout the energy industry. Eskom has embarked on several growth initiatives requiring additional manpower, diverse specialist knowledge and skills-sets, and a more robust pipeline of technically qualified employees across all levels in the organisation firstly, to sustain itself, and secondly to embed the transition of a high performing organisation by attracting and acquiring the right skills and talent in the right jobs (Eskom Business Plan, 2010). Human Capital Planning is therefore crucial especially for Eskom Distribution, Southern Region to ensure that its strategic objectives are met through the effective management and optimisation of its human resources, whilst simultaneously cognisant of the changing landscape both internally, viz. within the region and the broader Eskom, and externally in South Africa and the global markets.

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Innovation and commercialization are crucial for the competitiveness and economic well-being of countries. Despite the importance of innovation, recent studies have showed that Canada is lagging behind other countries in terms of its innovation and commercialization performance. The claim is often made that Canada performs well in generating the knowledge needed for innovation; however, the problem lies in transforming this knowledge into commercial success. Thus, a major preoccupation is how to turnaround this weak commercialization performance. Despite the wide range of programs, policies and regulations implemented by the Canadian Government along with its provincial counterparts to engender a turnaround, little has changed in Canada’s commercialization performance. Therefore, the search for solutions continues. Given that commercialization takes place at the firm-level, this study will explore the relationship between firm-size and commercialization. Several existing studies have examined the link between innovation and firm size, but few have examined the link between commercialization and firm size. Despite the arguments supporting medium-sized firms’ ability to commercialize innovations, there is a weak empirical base that explores the position of Canadian medium-sized firms and their innovation and commercialization capabilities. This study will contribute to the existing knowledge by covering the gap in the literature concerning the role of medium-sized firms in commercialization, compared to small and large firms. This study provides evidence suggesting that small and medium-sized firms should be considered differently.

The importance of small firms in a country’s development cannot be over-emphasized. In particular, it is important for them to grow in order to sustain their contributions to a country’s economy. Studies have shown how firms achieve growth using the traditional model of decision making (causation) in which planning, market research and forecasting are used to gain relevant information about the firm’s market/industry. This planning enables the firms to compete favourably with other existing firms in the market. Effectuation as an alternative theory involves decision-making processes under conditions of uncertainty where there is no adequate knowledge of the market due to its latent and emerging nature. Effectuation has been used to examine various concepts in entrepreneurship, but there has been no real effort to apply it to the growth of small knowledge-intensive firms (SKIFs). This study, based on in-depth interviews with six SKIFs, highlights how effectuation can be applied to the growth of SKIFs and it examines how the four underlying principles of contingencies, affordable loss, strategic relationships and adaptation contribute to SKIF growth. In addition, elements of causation are also shown to be relevant, leading to the conclusion that the two models can be used jointly to achieve growth of SKIFs.

D.Phil. / The progress of the South African economy relies heavily upon earnings from physical exports, which depend increasingly upon the competitiveness in global markets of the maritime supply chains that serve the country. Competition in world markets is becoming increasingly stronger as production resources are obtained globally and subsequently the competition exists between the effectiveness of whole supply chains rather than only production costs. South Africa therefore has great interest in ensuring that its maritime supply chains compare with world best practice. Amongst other things, this world best practice requires those chains to function as entities structured to serve their logistical purpose, i.e. that it should not include links consisting of separate transport businesses. In practice, this requires that links traditionally provided by third parties be structurally integrated as cost centres instead of profits centres in the chains. Such integrated maritime supply chains will inevitably only be developed by the intervention of chain leaders. South Africa’s major supply chains conveying commodities and manufactured products are examined in order to determine the scope for the integration of their links as a means of raising their efficiency as ‘complete chains’. Features of selected maritime supply chains serving other countries that could serve as models for the structuring of South Africa’s are identified. Transnet’s role in the existing maritime supply chains in accordance with the policy of the Government is examined and attention is focused on the under-investment in recent years that has led to the deterioration in the company’s performance. The rejection by the Government of the privatisation of the core assets of the railways and ports in favour of public-private partnerships, as a means of overcoming the problems, is considered in order to conclude whether a solution will be forthcoming in that manner. Special consideration is given to Transnet’s proposed spending of R40bn on infrastructure projects and attention is focused on the fact that this will not address all the problems. The marine links in South Africa’s maritime supply chains are currently provided by foreigners. Virtually all South Africa’s bulk exports are sold free-on-board, which concedes control over the shipping of the cargo to foreign importers. Reasons for such arrangements are complex and chartering by South African exporters in order to maintain control is often not feasible, although it is done in the fruit trade and by Australian exporters of iron ore competing with South African exporters. Ship owning by South Africans will facilitate new legislation to increase the market share of citizens in the country’s exports and imports, but price-wise market entry will be difficult and it is debatable whether exporters will make use of their services. In the liner trades, the trend is for shipping companies to integrate port and overland links into their services, and the efficiency of South Africa’s container supply chains will need to be raised in that manner. The criteria for determining maritime supply chain efficiency and the integration of the links of particular South African chains based on their cost structures, as well as the leadership needed to pursue such development, are motivated. Proposals are also made for the integration of the links of the iron ore and coal supply chains under the leadership of public-private partnerships, as well as for a container supply chain incorporating both a dedicated terminal in the Port of Ngqura and the railway between Coega and Gauteng, under the leadership of a liner shipping company or consortium of companies. The conclusion is reached that the present role of Transnet in accordance with the declared policy of the Government is not conducive to improving maritime supply chain efficiency through the structural integration of the links. It is also concluded that the efficiency of the chains could be raised through private leadership with public participation, subject to a change in the Government’s policy towards the role of Transnet in order to allow such leadership. / Prof. J. Walters Prof. G.C. Prinsloo