The research problem addressed in this study is the determination of the critical success factors for SMEs in e-commerce. To achieve the objective, an integrated list of critical success factors, gathered from practitioner- and academic literature, had to be identified. The integrated list was developed through the following sub-processes: · The first consisted of a literature survey of the sources and the identification of critical success factors, which lead to insights into the role of critical success factors in strategic management and the objectivity of the CSF identification process. The second comprised surveying the literature dealing specifically with the unique characteristics of SMEs, to identify factors that are critical to the survival and growth of SMEs. · The third consisted of a survey of the academic and practitioner literature dealing with critical success factors in e-commerce, in order to develop an integrated list of critical success factors for SMEs in ecommerce. The integrated list that emerged from the literature study consisted of the following seventeen critical success factors: 1. Target the right customers 2. Involve all stakeholders 3. Provide access to all customer information 4. User-friendly web design 5. Let customers help themselves 6. Offer online and offline assistance to customer enquiries 7. Deliver personalized service 8. Foster online community 9. Top management support 10. Technical infrastructure 11. Security and control of the e-commerce system 12. Promotion of site 13. Financial planning and control of project 14. Loyalty 15. Development of a business plan 16. Branding of the site 17. Shipping and fulfilment The integrated list was used as the basis for the compilation of a survey questionnaire to identify the eight most critical success factors for SMEs in ecommerce. The survey questionnaire was sent to SMEs that are members of the Port Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have a website and comply with the criteria for SMEs. The empirical study identified the eight most critical success factors for SMEs in e-commerce and indicated strong concurrence with the unique characteristics of SMEs.

South Africa is a country facing divisive social and economic challenges. It has a history that generated imbalances within the economy and requires urgent solutions to one of the most significant issues the country faces, having too few South Africans in work. Globally, a key solution to creating work has been to make small business the engine-room of economies. Consequently, the South African Government has identified the establishment of small businesses as a priority, which incorporates the development of collaborative forms of businesses in marginalised communities. The co-operative form of business and a strong co-operative movement is, therefore, a critical element of government’s initiative to create work and economic independence for South Africans. Governed by the seven International Labour Organization (ILO) principles, this form of business is often more complex than a typical firm, making the task of establishing and growing these entities particularly challenging. This study analyses the literature to gain an understanding of co-operative movements across the globe. It then looks at the specific challenges the movement faces in South Africa, followed by an analysis of best practice that a business should engage in its establishment and growth. Specifically, the literature examines whether there is a relationship between opportunity-related industry, market and entrepreneurial team aspects and improved business performance of business entities such as co-operatives. The study collates data from co-operatives in the South African economy using two separate methodologies. Firstly, a structured interview was used to acquire information on the opportunity-related aspects. Secondly, business transactions were recorded and basic financial statements were produced for each co-operative, enabling a rating on business performance. The primary data was then analysed within Chapter 6, to investigate the strength of the relationship between opportunity-related aspects and business performance. The findings extracted from the primary data reinforced certain facts within the body of knowledge as it relates to the relationship between opportunity-related aspects and business performance, but there were also some interesting new insights that were extracted from the data. The South African co-operative movement has achieved certain success and momentum as well as experiencing certain failures, and the study clearly highlights both, and makes recommendations to improve the movements and government’s efforts to establish a vibrant and meaningful co-operative sector.

Corporate governance (CG) is recognised as a key driver of company performance, improves the decision-making and strategic vision of the business, thereby making it easier to monitor and manage risks as the business grows and matures (Bradley, 2010; Wellalage & Locke, 2011). Effective governance promotes continuity in small firms, allows for growth, maturity and succession beyond the founder. South Africa is recognised as having world class CG codes; however it has the highest SME failure rate amongst the developing world countries. No data existed on whether SMEs were using CG principles to improve performance, growth and continuity. This study aimed to determine the extent CG principles in King III were implemented by SMEs; to understand the process followed by SMEs in entrenching ethical leadership and culture and to determine the context and content of a simplified code of CG for SMEs. Data was collected using exploratory qualitative method, through in-depth face-to-face interviews. A convenient sample of 11 SMEs was used to determine the state of King III implementation; challenges and benefits experienced by SMEs from adopting King III; and conclusions on ethics and agency problems in the SMEs. A CG expert specialising in SMEs was interviewed following a Delphi technique; on the need for SMEs to have a simplified code of CG. The overall results from the study confirmed that CG in SMEs brought accountability, transparency, improved performance and could be used as a driver of growth. The study also found that agency problems existed in the South African SMEs; and that there was a need for a simplified code of CG for SMEs and the seven key elements of such code were identified. The key words for this study were: corporate governance, King II Report and Code, SMEs and continuity. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / pagibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

D.Ed. / The University of Venda is situated in an educationally disadvantaged environment. The study skills training programme was introduced in the Faculty of Humanities, Management Sciences and Law Foundation Programme to enhance students’ academic performance through structured interventions incorporating learning strategies, effective time management, and self-concept enhancement, among other skills. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the study skills training programme for disadvantaged students in the Foundation Programme at the University of Venda, and to modify the current study skills training programme based on the findings of the research. Comparison was done between students exposed to the study skills training programme (experimental group) and those students that were not exposed to the programme (control group). The comparison focused on study habits, attitudes, study methods as well as academic performance of both groups. The study was completed in two phases. In the first phase, quantitative and qualitative data were collected through the mixed methods sequential explanatory research design. The researcher first collected and analysed the quantitative data. The qualitative data were collected and analysed second in the sequence and helped to explain the quantitative results obtained earlier. The Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes (SSHA) and the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) were used to collect quantitative data. Qualitative data collection was done by means of focus group as well as individual interviews. The results indicated that the academic performance of the experimental group was lower as compared to that of the control group. The current study skills training programme did not do enough in raising the motivational levels of students in the Foundation Programme (experimental group). One would therefore conclude that there were some deficiencies in the programme. The control group appeared to be a better group academically compared to the experimental group. The main determinant therefore appears to be potential rather than training. The literature review has yielded important information regarding the enhancement of academic performance of students. For example, it was noted from the literature that the use of a particular learning approach (strategy) should be linked to the learning context as well as the type of learning task.

Ph.D. (Business Management) / This study is premised on the recognition that small and medium enterprises have a potential to significantly contribute to national economies through job creation, economic growth and innovation. However they have limitations with regard to resources that are required to achieve a competitive advantage, a prerequisite to survive and be successful in the globalised economy that is epitomised by intense competition. The potential that these enterprises hold can only be realised when they can compete effectively in the globalised market. The literature review conducted identified that there are a number of resources and capabilities that enterprises require to achieve a competitive advantage. There are however specific resources and capabilities that are pertinent to achieving and retaining competitive advantage under the prevailing intense competition emanating from the globalisation process. These are technology know-how, finance, human resources and leadership capabilities, the independent variables in this study. Given the resource limitations experienced by small and medium enterprises, literature reviewed further indicated that interorganisational relationships can be a source for resource gaps experienced by enterprises. In particular the relationships with large enterprises are considered to be an effective platform for accessing resources and capabilities by small and medium enterprises. However, it is recognised in literature that the identified resources and capabilities must enable small and medium enterprises to innovate, produce quality products and/or services, be efficient and effectively respond to customers if competitive advantage is to be achieved. In this study innovation, quality, efficiency and customer responsiveness were identified as mediating variables. In view of the problem identified above, that is achieving and maintaining competitive advantage in the globalised economy by small and medium enterprises, the primary objective of this study is to establish how interorganisational relationships with large enterprises influence the competitive advantage of small and medium enterprises. Competitive advantage is the dependent variable in this study and was measured in terms of cost reduction and unique and/or improved products and/or services.

Employee empowerment is a strategy that small business managers can deploy to add value to the business. This strategy is aimed at cultivating the power and ability of employees in their jobs. A business is a business by people working in it though they differ in many ways their contribution to the success of the organization is very important. However, these people are not often recognized as value contributors in the success of the business and for this reason they do not intend to add value to the business and they become demotivated to do their jobs properly. People are the business storehouse of knowledge and they are central to the organization's competitive advantage. Well educated, coached, and highly motivated people are critical to the development and execution of strategies, especially in today's fast-paced market, where top management can no longer assure the business competitiveness in isolation. In the business world, almost all businesses are doing the same, small businesses should strive to do things differently, and the only way that they can achieve that uniqueness is through instilling frankness and liberty to employees so that they act as if the business also belongs to them. The reason behind this success is the strategy the business is using to get into the heart of its customers, and this strategy is “employee empowerment”. People are the business's most underutilized resource; involvement in an organization is no longer a one-way road. In today's corporate environment a manager must work towards engaging the organization forcefully enough to achieve its objectives. New knowledge-based enterprises are characterized by flat hierarchical structures and a multi-skilled workforce. Managers assume more leadership and coaching tasks and work hard to provide employees with resources and working conditions they need to accomplish the goals they have agreed to. In brief, managers work for their staff, and not the reverse and this makes employees feel valued. Small business owners should tap into a new dimension of utilizing employee empowerment strategies in their businesses as these are proficient and are not costly. This paper investigates employee empowerment strategies that can be used by small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME's). An important reason for this investigation is that small businesses have incompetent skilled labour force due to the fact that they operate under a limited budget from which it would be difficult to get skilled workers who will demand higher salaries, as a result they need to put their energies rather on equipping and educating their employees through empowerment, which could at the end make them feel valued and part of the business. It is imperative to firstly assess the current situation of small business commitment to employee empowerment strategies; to what extent do they use employee empowerment strategies in their businesses In terms of the empirical study it was determined that small businesses were not aware of the concept of employee empowerment, but are in actual fact practicing employee empowerment strategies that have been theoretically revealed, according to the researcher’s observation, they were not aware of the impact of employee empowerment in the organization and that they can be implemented into the business. Therefore, by introducing the concept of employee empowerment and the strategies that can be used in small businesses, SMME's can enhance their services to customers, increase productivity and contribute to the welfare of employees to add value to the individual, the business and the country.

In this day of speed and efficiency there is a large segment of our medium and small sized businesses that is at least in part operating as in the horse and buggy days. The ideas presented here have been developed by actual practice and are based on information. obtained from sources listed in the bibliography. Because these ideas and theories have been modified over a period of four years of application, they seem to have lost their identity. Basically there is nothing new in the world, but man through a process of supplementation or modification has created what appeared to be new or different. My ideas are not new but supported by the use of proper equipment they can produce results which are economical as to time and money. The need of small business to have information and analysis readily available is as great as that of the large corporation using electronic brains. I feel that the ideas and theories presented in this thesis go a long way toward solving this problem. However, I feel that this is only a stop-gap between the formal journalizing of the past and a mechanical method, yet to be devised, at a cost that all can afford. The analysis made available at low cost makes it possible for small business to plan its future operation more accurately. The proper use of reserves, in conjunction with this, helps insure the effective continuation of business and gives the proprietor a peace of mind not possible in a hand-to-mouth situation found in a great many operations today.

This research is the result of a need within the entrepreneurial community, amongst both existing businesses as well as aspiring entrepreneurs, to pay attention to the marketing skills, abilities and activities required to navigate in the rapidly changing business environment in which they operate. It’s no longer enough that an entrepreneur only possesses the entrepreneurial will and drive to start an enterprise. In order to succeed and thrive, they require a skill set that needs to be employed from the beginning. The ability of the entrepreneur to successfully market their business, particularly in the early phases of development, is a crucial skill that can ensure the survival of the enterprise. The research comprised of sixteen in-depth interviews with existing entrepreneurs in South Africa, as well as four with experts in the fields of SMEs and Marketing. All of the interviews were conducted face-to-face, with the exception of one of the SME and Marketing experts, whose interview was conducted telephonically. The interviews followed a semi-structured discussion guide that allowed for variations in the discussion as required. A number of the entrepreneurs interviewed had not conducted any marketing planning in the start-up phase of their ventures, yet succeeded. The entrepreneurs did, however, practice ad-hoc marketing activities in the early stages of their business, as well as networking with customers, suppliers and their industry. It was also found that the respondents’ knowledge of how to market their businesses increased over time, and as their businesses matured, they allocated more significant resources towards marketing their businesses. The research project concludes that: whilst beneficial, upfront marketing planning is not essential for start-ups; networking and ad-hoc marketing is important for start-ups to practice; putting a significant allocation of resources towards marketing is valuable. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

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Thesis (M. Tech. (Business Administration)) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014 / This exploratory study seeks to contribute to the theoretical and empirical understanding of the transition of small businesses from the informal to the formal sector. It builds on the role of the informal sector as “engines” for economic and socio-cultural development. Using selected businesses in the Mangaung area of the Free State province as case studies, this study investigates the motives for transition of informal businesses to the formal sector in South Africa, challenges encountered in the process of formalisation and the coping strategies relied upon to deal with challenges encountered in the process of formalisation. Key indicators were identified from the literature and were further developed for investigation. A qualitative approach was used for the collection of data from selected transited businesses in the Bloemfontein area using semi-structured interviews. Findings from the study suggest that the decision by small business owners to formalise is motivated by their desire to grow and expand their businesses; access to proper banking services; and to access government contracts and tenders. The results also reveal that the quest for growth is however hindered by long queues endured by business applicants during the process of formalisation; lack of adequate and relevant information on the process of formalisation; coupled with the lack of government support for informal businesses’ transitioning to the formal sector. Findings further revealed that adequate information on the process of formalisation and self-trust are key coping mechanisms needed by small business owners to successfully progress/ transit to the formal sector. Based on these findings, the study recommends that government both provincial and national play a more proactive role in regulating the informal economy by creating an environment conducive for their growth and development, and facilitating their transition to the formal sector. Informal small business owners also must be provided with information on the process of formalisation and of the existing government structures put in place to support businesses in their transition phase.