Magister Commercii - MCom / The Internet is now facilitating the provision of an increasing number of services. Thus, technology has become a more integrated part of people‟s daily routine. Some of these technologies include electronic communication, online banking, and shopping as well as electronic learning - to name but a few. However, for various reasons, such as limited formal education (which is a key promoter of reading and writing skills), access and skills, not everyone has an equal opportunity to benefit from the use of these technologies. The unequal distribution of opportunities of such nature is often broadly referred to as the digital divide. That is the gap between those who have access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and those who do not. One noted challenge that influences the use of ICT consists of socioeconomic conditions, which together elicit high levels of poverty. An identified strategy for uplifting these areas was (and still is) entrepreneurship, notably small businesses. These small businesses however, generally have very short and mostly unsuccessful lives. As a result the government at all levels (national, provincial and local) has endeavoured to provide support to these businesses. Some of this support is provided through mediums, such as the Internet (here named “electronic support”) to assist these small businesses. This support, which comes from government, is however, not being fully utilised by the intended beneficiaries. Thus, the small businesses are not benefiting from the support provided. Consequently, many are still experiencing a short and unsuccessful existence. This research thus analyses the small businesses in areas of the greater Cape Town, which are characterised by high levels of poverty and unemployment. Previous studies in these areas have reported the lack of ICT related skills, also known as electronic skills (e-skills), as one of the reasons for the low uptake of electronic support (e-support). This e-support is provided by various levels of government through selected agencies (service providers). In essence, this study is aimed at investigating the influence of e-skills in the access and use of the provided e-support by owners of small businesses. Considering that the lack of adequate e-skills has been identified as influencing the use of e-support, the study also aims to identify the e-skills needed to fully utilise the provided e-support. The approach to this investigation included a review of pertinent literature and devising a conceptual model. This model was then tested in the empirical setting of this study. This setting included: (i) Providers of e-support (various specialised government agencies) and (ii) the intended beneficiaries of this esupport, i.e. small businesses in the previously disadvantaged areas (PDAs) of the greater Cape Town. Through the use of case study methodology and face to face interviews, it was found that many small business owners were not able to appropriately use the provided e-support. This was due to their lack of e-skills, which resulted in their inability to use ICT. Additionally, some were unaware of the existence of the e-support or the service providers. During the review of pertinent literature done as part of the study, an e-skills framework was designed. The framework identified the e-skills considered necessary in order for small business owners to effectively utilise the provided e-support and other technologies. The e-skills framework suggested by this study could be used as a tool to assist: (i) The providers of e-support to understand the usage of their services and enable (ii) a more informed understanding of the need for appropriate e-skills among small business owners, in relation to their use of the provided e-support. Additionally, (iii) small business owners should be in a better position to recognise the benefits of using technology, especially the Internet. The contribution of this study is seen as twofold. Firstly, it should assist the providers and users of e-support. This is done by addressing the practical side of the provision and usage of these services. Secondly, the study contributes an informative e-skills framework related to the effective use of esupport. This study also furthers academic knowledge in the area of the investigation, and suggests further directions for research. Considering, the limited small business sample (only participants from three PDAs), the generalisation of this study is limited. This limitation does not however, influence the validity of this research, or the credibility of the findings.

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Hedendaagse onderwys staan voor 'n omvattende voorligtings- en opleidingsopgawe om die jeug toe te rus om die arbeidsmark as entrepreneurs te betree. Onderwysers word toenemend voor die eis gestel om as fasiliteerders op te tree om leerlinge te begelei om beter by die eise van veranderende omstandighede, nuwe tegnologie en inligting aan te pas. In hierdie konteks vorm entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys een van die mees eietydse temas wat die onderwys moet aanspreek. Hoewel die voorsiening van entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys reeds in die nuwe Norme en standaarde vir onderwyseropleiding as 'n kruiskurrikulere aangeleentheid beskryf word, is die behoefte aan 'n omvattende entrepreneurskapsontwikkelingstrategie nog nie voldoende aangespreek nie. In 'n antwoord op hierdie leemte word 'n voorgestelde implementeringstrategie vir entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys in hierdie studie ontwikkel. In die verloop van die ondersoek moes daar deeglik rekening gehou word met aspekte soos: • die rol en betekenis van entrepreneurskap in die Suid-Afrikaanse skolekonteks; • faktore wat entrepreneuriese sukses of mislukking onderle; • die ontwikkeling van 'n positiewe entrepreneuriese ingesteldheid en entrepreneuriese vaardighede en • plaaslike en oorsese inisiatiewe om entrepreneurskap m die skoolkonteks te bevorder. In die empiriese ondersoek is die uitgangspunt gehuldig dat onderwysers se menings van deurslaggewende belang is om 'n entrepreneurskapsontwikkelingstrategie te rig. Onderwysers se menings is in elk van die volgende ondersoekvelde nagevors: • Onderwysers se toegerustheid om entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys aan leerlinge te voorsien; • Onderwysers se eie implementering van entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys; • Die behoefte by leerlinge aan entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys; • Onderwysers se geslaagdheid om entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys te implementeer; • Die aangewesenheid van entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys as 'n onderwyseropgawe. Die navorsingsresultate is aangewend om binne die raamwerk van die Suid-Afrikaanse skolekonteks en onderwysbeleid 'n strategie voor te stel om entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys te implementeer. Die onderwys kan hierdeur 'n aansienlike bydrae lewer om die jeug voor te berei om as volwaardige en verantwoordelike landsburgers hulle plek in die samelewing vol te staan. / Education today stands before the comprehensive task to empower our youth through appropriate guidance and training to enter the job market as entrepreneurs. Teachers are increasingly put to the task to act as facilitators in their guidance of the youth to adapt more effectively to changing circumstances, new technology and information. Within this context, education directed to entrepreneurship forms one of the most timely issues that education should address. Although the provision of education directed to entrepreneurship has been described as a cross curricular concern within the new Norms and standards for teacher education it does not provide in the need for a comprehensive strategy to develop entrepreneurship in education. In an answer to this deficiency, this study is directed to develop a proposed implementation strategy to enhance entrepreneurship in education. In the course of this investigation it was needed to thouroughly account with concerns such as: • the role and significance of entrepreneurship within the South African school context; • factors which underlie entrepreneurial success or failure; • the development of a positive entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial skills and • local and foreign initiatives to enhance entrepreneurship within the school context. In the empirical investigation the v1ew is held that teachers opm10ns is of crucial importance to give direction towards a strategy to enhance entrepreneurship. Teachers views are examened within each of the following fields of investigation: • Teachers empoweredness to provide education directed to entrepreneurship to students. • Teachers own implementation of education directed to entrepreneurship • Students need for education directed to entrepreneurship. • Teachers sufficiency to implement education directed to entrepreneurship. • The appropriateness of education directed to entrepreneurship as a teacher concern. The results of the research is applied to propose an implementation strategy to enhance education directed to entrepreneurship within the framework of the South African school context and policy of education. The conclusion was reached that educators can greatly contribute to prepare our youth so that they can take up their positions in the community as responsible and able citizens. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Hedendaagse onderwys staan voor 'n omvattende voorligtings- en opleidingsopgawe om die jeug toe te rus om die arbeidsmark as entrepreneurs te betree. Onderwysers word toenemend voor die eis gestel om as fasiliteerders op te tree om leerlinge te begelei om beter by die eise van veranderende omstandighede, nuwe tegnologie en inligting aan te pas. In hierdie konteks vorm entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys een van die mees eietydse temas wat die onderwys moet aanspreek. Hoewel die voorsiening van entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys reeds in die nuwe Norme en standaarde vir onderwyseropleiding as 'n kruiskurrikulere aangeleentheid beskryf word, is die behoefte aan 'n omvattende entrepreneurskapsontwikkelingstrategie nog nie voldoende aangespreek nie. In 'n antwoord op hierdie leemte word 'n voorgestelde implementeringstrategie vir entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys in hierdie studie ontwikkel. In die verloop van die ondersoek moes daar deeglik rekening gehou word met aspekte soos: • die rol en betekenis van entrepreneurskap in die Suid-Afrikaanse skolekonteks; • faktore wat entrepreneuriese sukses of mislukking onderle; • die ontwikkeling van 'n positiewe entrepreneuriese ingesteldheid en entrepreneuriese vaardighede en • plaaslike en oorsese inisiatiewe om entrepreneurskap m die skoolkonteks te bevorder. In die empiriese ondersoek is die uitgangspunt gehuldig dat onderwysers se menings van deurslaggewende belang is om 'n entrepreneurskapsontwikkelingstrategie te rig. Onderwysers se menings is in elk van die volgende ondersoekvelde nagevors: • Onderwysers se toegerustheid om entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys aan leerlinge te voorsien; • Onderwysers se eie implementering van entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys; • Die behoefte by leerlinge aan entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys; • Onderwysers se geslaagdheid om entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys te implementeer; • Die aangewesenheid van entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys as 'n onderwyseropgawe. Die navorsingsresultate is aangewend om binne die raamwerk van die Suid-Afrikaanse skolekonteks en onderwysbeleid 'n strategie voor te stel om entrepreneurskapsgerigte onderwys te implementeer. Die onderwys kan hierdeur 'n aansienlike bydrae lewer om die jeug voor te berei om as volwaardige en verantwoordelike landsburgers hulle plek in die samelewing vol te staan. / Education today stands before the comprehensive task to empower our youth through appropriate guidance and training to enter the job market as entrepreneurs. Teachers are increasingly put to the task to act as facilitators in their guidance of the youth to adapt more effectively to changing circumstances, new technology and information. Within this context, education directed to entrepreneurship forms one of the most timely issues that education should address. Although the provision of education directed to entrepreneurship has been described as a cross curricular concern within the new Norms and standards for teacher education it does not provide in the need for a comprehensive strategy to develop entrepreneurship in education. In an answer to this deficiency, this study is directed to develop a proposed implementation strategy to enhance entrepreneurship in education. In the course of this investigation it was needed to thouroughly account with concerns such as: • the role and significance of entrepreneurship within the South African school context; • factors which underlie entrepreneurial success or failure; • the development of a positive entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial skills and • local and foreign initiatives to enhance entrepreneurship within the school context. In the empirical investigation the v1ew is held that teachers opm10ns is of crucial importance to give direction towards a strategy to enhance entrepreneurship. Teachers views are examened within each of the following fields of investigation: • Teachers empoweredness to provide education directed to entrepreneurship to students. • Teachers own implementation of education directed to entrepreneurship • Students need for education directed to entrepreneurship. • Teachers sufficiency to implement education directed to entrepreneurship. • The appropriateness of education directed to entrepreneurship as a teacher concern. The results of the research is applied to propose an implementation strategy to enhance education directed to entrepreneurship within the framework of the South African school context and policy of education. The conclusion was reached that educators can greatly contribute to prepare our youth so that they can take up their positions in the community as responsible and able citizens. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Small-scale Business Enterprises (SBEs) lack proper mechanisms for supporting the provision and access to business information that can nurture their development in Kenya. This study investigated the role that public libraries could play in supporting the development of SBEs in Meru County with a view to developing a model that would enable public libraries to effectively support the development of SBEs. The study used the pragmatic paradigm to explore the identified phenomena. It applied the mixed methods approach and survey research design; collected data from 355 SBEs, 21 staff from three public libraries and two staff from the enterprise development unit of Meru County. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. The response rate was 83.4% and 95% for SBEs and public library staff respectively. The descriptive and inferential statistics were used with the help of SPSS and Excel. Thematic analysis was applied on qualitative data. The study found that the factors that influence the development of SBEs are anchored in the environmental, cultural and personality factors of SBEs. SBEs have a myriad of business information needs which are sector-specific and cut across all the stages of business development. To fulfil these needs, most SBEs consult informal information sources and places. Technology-related tools were a popular means of accessing business information. Public libraries were poorly stocked with business information sources while business information services were in a desolate state. The study concludes that public libraries have facilitative and functional roles of providing business information solutions to SBEs by collaborating with like- minded stakeholders. The availability and accessibility of business information sources and services at public libraries is critical in addressing the information needs of SBEs. The study recommends repositioning of public libraries as business community development centres by providing value-based information sources and services. Public libraries need to revise their collection development policy, increase budget allocation, establish business information centres, seek partnerships, improve ICT facilities, ensure adequate staffing, engage business services librarians, open more libraries and widen their business outreach activities for effective support of SBEs. Policy framework and support systems for symmetrical access to business information, and entrepreneurial training for SBEs and for public library staff are needed. The proposed model of public library’s support for the development of SBEs is valuable and contribute to knowledge in business development. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)