This study set out to investigate how mobile money apps facilitate the maintenance of interpersonal relationships and transnational communication practices among migrant women entrepreneurs. Mobile money apps such as MamaMoney, MoneyTrans and Mukuru are a form of communication that are relevant and beneficial to the unbanked migrant women entrepreneurs in South Africa. The main research question was: how do mobile money apps facilitate the maintenance of interpersonal relationships and transnational communication practices among migrant women entrepreneurs? The methodology was informed by a feminist qualitative approach to three focus group discussions with fifteen participants from Nigeria, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. A thematic analysis of transcriptions of focus group discussions was conducted and two broad themes were identified. The first broad theme explores the communicative dimensions of money transfer through mobile money apps by migrant women entrepreneurs, particularly in relation to their roles as mothers, daughters, sisters and friends in the diaspora. The second broad theme is the use of mobile money apps to solicit emergency funds and financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicate that mobile money apps have reshaped communication practices of migrant women entrepreneurs by enhancing interpersonal communication and facilitating social practices. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the two-way nature of bonds of mutual support amongst migrants. This study also draws on the idea of remittance scripts (Carling, 2014). Remittance scripts are a helpful way to conceptualise remittances as social transactions that take several different forms. The theoretical frameworks used in this dissertation are reverse remittances (Mazzucato, 2011), networked individualism (Raine and Wellman, 2012) and polymedia (Madianou and Miller, 2013). The importance of reverse remittances during the COVID-19 period highlights reciprocal bonds of social saving when eMWEs used mobile money apps to solicit financial help and emergency relief when they were unable to work due to the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa. Reverse remittances also highlight the shift in power relations and the need for communication between eMWEs' and their families and friends at home. As suggested by Kusimba et al., (2015) the application of networked individualism in modern African societies is used in this study to understand how mobile money apps have afforded eMWEs with personal communication channels in addition to household-centred communication around money. Polymedia is used in this study to understand how eMWEs use mobile money apps in conjunction with the complementary affordances of other platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, which compensate for limitations of mobile money apps.

Venture failure has been studied from the entrepreneur’s perspective through previous qualitative research. However, very few studies have considered the specific business environment in which entrepreneurs operate. This thesis addresses entrepreneurial failure and focuses on the EU healthcare sector. The paucity of academic research combining the lived experience of venture failure and the healthcare industry context, highlights the importance of this study. An interpretative phenomenological approach is used to provide situated insights, rich details and thick descriptions of participants’ experiences whilst allowing appreciation of the business context and development of common themes. Through in-depth interviews with seven entrepreneurs, this study develops a deeper understanding of what it is like to experience venture failure in the healthcare industry. Findings show that entrepreneurs were not only deeply affected by emotional hardship, but also suffered from detrimental social consequences as a result of stigmatisation and no longer being part of the healthcare industry. Findings suggest there is a relationship between entrepreneurial optimism, post-failure effects and longer-term outcomes, with a central role for healthcare entrepreneurs’ intrinsic motivation. This work adds empirical weight to the existing body of entrepreneurial failure theory. The exclusive focus on the healthcare industry adds a new perspective to academic theory and is also of value to entrepreneurship practice. Entrepreneurs’ genuine desire to make a difference in healthcare, despite the industry’s complexity and the challenges it entails, deserves more attention from policy makers, investors and other stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem. Finally, the insights derived from the narratives of entrepreneurs who experienced failure, might help other entrepreneurs in their endeavours.

No description available.

No / Unethical business practices, the conduct of corrupt rulers and conflict entrepreneurs in conflict-prone societies have provoked genuine humanitarian concern from NGOs and activists who constitute the main driving force behind calls for ethical markets. However, powerful players, such as western multinational corporations and OECD governments, have been able to undercut campaigns for compulsory legal regulatory codes by promoting industry self-regulation and voluntary codes of conduct. This article assesses a number of these initiatives to control the trade in conflict goods and promote good resource governance. It concludes that current mechanisms constitute a weak attempt to control the negative impacts of the market and, by failing to tackle the real causes of instability, are inadequate for building a political economy of peace.

The study's main objective is to explore the association of the internal barriers female entrepreneurs may experience when pursuing funding opportunities and the consequences of these barriers in the Swedish market. Statistics indicate that women create more profitable businesses, yet only 1% of all venture capital is distributed to female-only founding teams. Additionally, women continuously encounter challenges in pursuing external funding, which arise from internal barriers and societal and external perceptions. The research is grounded on a thorough literature review, the empirical findings derived from a qualitative data analysis through semi-structured interviews with eight female entrepreneurs and one “industry professional”.  The frame of reference assisted in analyzing the empirical findings by drawing parallels between gender role theory and self-efficacy theory. The findings unveiled three prominent internal barriers to apprehension when seeking external funding: Civil status, Fear of failure, and Gender bias. The study uncovers that internal barriers substantially impede female entrepreneurs’ access to funding, causing apprehension to seek external funding and a tendency to utilize slow-paced organic growth strategies. Therefore, scalability is hampered, and gender disparities remain in the Swedish funding landscape. The researchers suggest governmental implementations of networks aimed at supporting and educating female entrepreneurs, as well as standardizing measures of financial institutions to improve the funding landscape.

Background: In an era defined by rapid change and economic transformation, the traditional barriers that once separated academia and entrepreneurship are dissolving. In this changing environment, a distinct category of individuals emerges: Student Entrepreneurs. These individuals possess a unique combination of academic competence with the visions of being an entrepreneur. As entrepreneurship evolves to embrace action-based approaches, universities are attempting to foster a new generation with entrepreneurial mindsets equipped not just with theoretical knowledge, but also with practical skills needed to thrive in today’s dynamic business market. However, despite the emergence of student entrepreneurship, the unique population remains significantly under-researched.   Research Problem: The study upon student entrepreneurs is limited and the existing research studies upon the entrepreneurial intentions and motivation, identities of student entrepreneurs along with their characteristics and challenges, Studies within entrepreneurship educations are mostly researched upon only from the viewpoint of how institutions can enhance entrepreneurial actions towards students. However, when it comes to understanding how student entrepreneurs manage their dual role as students and entrepreneurs, there is still needed to conduct a deeper understanding of research in this field.     Research Questions: How do Student entrepreneurs manage between their student and entrepreneur roles?  What kind of strategies do student entrepreneurs use to manage their dual roles? Research Purpose: The research purpose of this research is to understand how student entrepreneurs manage their student and entrepreneurial roles, and the coping strategies employed to manage the balancing of their dual roles. Specifically, this research seeks to clarify the dynamics of role management process and the coping strategies that facilitate these dual roles.  Research Method: A qualitative study is carried out following the underlying research philosophy of relativism and social constructionism approach. The study then outlines the choice for research design and method as an exploratory short-term longitudinal study with grounded theory analysis. Moreover, the study further conducted the procedure of sampling methods, research design, data collection and data analysis using Gioia method which divides the data into first-order codes, second-order themes, and third-order dimensions.  Conclusion: Student entrepreneurs deal with managing their dual roles by strategically employing coping strategies tailored to the different phases of their entrepreneurial and academic paths. This approach is then underpinned by strong motivational factors, supportive ecosystems and through adaptive strategies that meet the evolving demands of the dual roles of student entrepreneurs.

L'histoire des mentalités a généralement placé l'accent sur la nature collective et interclasse des attitudes étudiées. De ce fait, elle a souvent omis la réalité existentielle des acteurs historiques. Cette recherche cherche à examiner le vécu d'un groupe spécifique, les entrepreneurs de pompes funèbres des Provinces maritimes au tournant du siècle. Elle propose d'étudier l'élaboration d'un projet par lequel ils ont tenté de transformer leur métier de croque-mort/menuisier en une profession spécialisée dans la préparation et la désinfection des cadavres. Cette transformation devait leur permettre d'atteindre un niveau professionnel semblable à celui atteint par les médecins de la même époque. Ce travail analyse également jusqu'à quel point ce plan a été réalisé et la réaction des Monctoniens face à celui-ci. Puis, est envisagée l'influence de l'expérience vécue par les entrepreneurs de pompes funèbres américains vingt ans auparavant sur leurs homologues des Provinces maritimes. La réforme du cérémonial funéraire qui a découlé de la démarche des entrepreneurs de pompes funèbres est envisagée en tant qu'interprétation possible de trois courants sociaux nord-américains de la période 1850-1920: les attitudes changeantes devant la mort où celle-ci est investie d'un visage plus doux ; l'importance accrue de l'hygiénisme et la mise en place d'un système de santé publique ; la venue de la professionnalisation et la volonté grandissante des Nord-Américains de recourir aux services de spécialistes afin de subvenir à leurs besoins. Du point de vue de la méthode, on a recours à deux méthodologies de prime abord irréconciliables. D'une part, on effectue une analyse quantitative des notices nécrologiques afin de déterminer le niveau d'utilisation de l'embaumement par les Monctoniens. D'autre part, il est question d'un examen microhistorique d'une institution particulière, l'enquête du coroner. On voit dans cette approche bipartite une façon de repérer des indices aptes à relativiser les résultats obtenus lors de l'analyse quantitative. / Québec Université Laval, Bibliothèque 2013

Syftet med denna uppsats är att beskriva hur styrkan i småföretags sociala och professionella nätverk påverkar valet av finansiell bootsrapping, med företagarens ursprung som betingad faktor. Målet med studien är att introducera och ge en generell översikt över orsakssambandet mellan de berörda koncepten. En undersökning genomfördes bland småföretag i Sverige för att identifiera det sociala och professionella nätverkets påverkan på finansiell bootstraping. I undersökningen antogs företagarens ursprung ha en modererande roll. Dessutom ingick en rad kontrollvariabler för att undersöka deras effekt på orsakssambandet. Sålunda ger det en djupare insikt om vilka underliggande individuella och organisatoriska attribut som påverkar företagares val av finansiell bootstrapping. En utökad kunskap för fenomenet finansiell bootstrapping kan ses som ett konkurrenskraftigt hjälpmedel vid egenföretagande. Framförallt blir det påtagligt för småföretagare som stöter på hinder i anskaffningen av externt finansiellt kapital. Denna uppsats baserades på 136 frågeformulär som returneras från småföretagare som är etablerade på den svenska marknaden. Medan resultatet bekräftar vikten av finansiell bootstrapping för småföretag, identifieras ursprungsskillnader i användningen av olika finansiella bootstrappingmetoder. Dessutom identifieras variationer i invandrare och inföddas användning av sociala och professionella nätverk. Vidare upptäcker vi att styrkan i småföretags nätverk har en positiv påverkan på finansiell bootstrapping. Däremot när ursprung antas ha en modererande effekt ges blandade resultat. Sålunda indikerar resultatet på att det finns vissa likheter i invandrare och infödda företagares finansieringsbeteende

No description available.

Cette recherche aborde la scène politique de deux pays d’Afrique de l’Est (Éthiopie-Kenya) en s’appuyant sur une analyse des enjeux politiques inhérents à la mise en place d’institutions mémorielles telles que les musées, les mausolées et autres lieux de mémoires. Notre thèse est que ces musées sont à comprendre avant tout comme des espaces intermédiaires de négociation entre les groupes qui les portent, l’État qui les finance ou les autorise, et les organisations internationales qui soutiennent et influencent les projets patrimoniaux des gouvernements. Cette recherche se concentre ainsi sur deux études de cas : le musée Konso en Éthiopie et le musée-mausolée de Koitalel Samoei au Kenya. Ces institutions s’inscrivent dans des contextes politiques particuliers au début des années 2000, à savoir l’application effective du pluralisme politique au Kenya et le renforcement de l’autoritarisme en Éthiopie. Au Kenya, la négociation autour de l’interprétation du passé en termes politiques se fait au sein même du musée-mausolée dédié au héros Koitalel Samoei, tandis que le cas éthiopien souligne plutôt que les rapports de pouvoir sont restructurés ou réorganisés par la présence d’un premier musée ethnographique en région, le musée Konso.L’apparition de musées communautaires témoigne, au Kenya comme en Éthiopie, d’un retour de l’identité ethnique en politique, qui est à la fois brandie comme une bannière par les gouvernements, mais également utilisée comme une catégorie opératoire ou une ressource par des acteurs particuliers, qu’on appellera ici des « entrepreneurs de patrimoine ». Par l’usage d’un nouveau capital, le patrimoine et sa préservation, ces « entrepreneurs de patrimoine » s’imposent ainsi à la fois comme des « entrepreneurs de soi » au sens de Michel Foucault, mais également comme des « entrepreneurs du nous » en politique, occupant une position graduelle dans les négociations et les prises de décisions publiques. Dès lors, il faut décentrer le regard pour s’intéresser à ce que le musée fait au politique, et non plus seulement à ce que la politique fait des musées.En incluant également l’analyse des usages politiques de la mémoire étatiques et internationaux, ce travail cherche à renverser la perspective en adoptant une entrée microsociologique et ethnographique en science politique, étudiant les déterminants et les modalités de la reconstruction nationale du point de vue des musées communautaires. Cette approche « par le bas », articulée aux niveaux d’analyse macro (État, idéologie, cadre institutionnel) et micro (les institutions et acteurs du patrimoine, les élites politiques locales) invite ainsi à une réflexion plus générale sur la construction, la qualification et les perceptions des régimes politiques, entamant une réflexion sur la nature de l’État qui se dévoile à travers ces nouvelles politiques mémorielles et patrimoniales, ainsi que sur le rôle joué par ces nouveaux « entrepreneurs de patrimoine » dans la reconfiguration de la compétition politique. / This dissertation aims at understanding the political scene in two East African countries – Ethiopia and Kenya – by analysing the political dynamics surrounding the creation of memorial institutions such as museums, mausoleums and other memory spaces. I argue that these institutions must be first and foremost understood as intermediary spaces of negotiation between groups that are supporting them; the State that is financing and / or authorising them; as well as international organisations that are assisting and influencing the countries’ patrimonial policies. The two case studies of this research - the Konso Museum in Ethiopia and the museum-mausoleum of Koitalel Samoei in Kenya – are institutions that relate to specific political context: in Kenya, where political pluralism has been effectively accepted in the 2000s, the negotiation surrounding the political interpretation of the past takes place within the mausoleum-museum. In Ethiopia, where authoritarianism has been reinvigorated, local power relations are structured and reorganised by the presence of the South region’s first ethnographic museum.Both in Kenya and Ethiopia, the contemporary emergence of community museums illustrates the growing salience of ethnic identities in the political sphere – used as a resource and category of action both by the State and “patrimonial entrepreneurs”. By using a new kind of capital – heritage and its conservation – the latter strengthen their position both as “self entrepreneurs” (in the sense of Michel Foucault) and “we-entrepreneurs”, occupying an intermediary position in negotiations and public decision-making. Thus, we must look not only at what politics do to museums but also how museums do impact on political dynamics.In my research, through the study of community museums, I analyse the political uses of State and international memories, thus aiming at understanding the determinants and modalities of nation (re)building. I have adopted a microsociological and ethnographic approach within the framework political science. This “bottom-up” approach, articulated with macro levels of analysis (the State, ideologies and institutions) as well as micro levels (institutions and actors of heritage, local political elite) leads my argumentation to a larger debate on construction, qualification and perceptions of political regimes, the nature of the State as well as the role played by these new “patrimonial entrepreneurs” in the reconfiguration of political competition