To date, the usual analysis of an entrepreneur personality is primarily a gut feeling of theventure capitalist and is hard to codify. This paper aims to explore in a qualitative way what itis about the characteristics and the personality of the entrepreneur that influences theinvestment made by the venture capitalists. These findings will then be used to discuss if anartificial intelligence application can be used to analyze the personality of entrepreneurs.The primary source of information for this paper is interviews with venture capitalists. Theauthors searched for similarities within the available literature on entrepreneurial personalitiesand found that the majority of the personality traits mentioned by the venture capitalist can befound in the literature.The research findings suggest that all venture capitalist value an entrepreneur that has passionfor what she is doing and has the ability to get the job done. Additionally, most of the venturecapitalist interviewed value an entrepreneur that is coachable, flexible, visionary, and is ableto communicate that vision well.Finally, based on the results, the authors proposed a framework for how an artificialintelligence system can be structured to assess personalities of entrepreneurs.

The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of the interventions used by the South African Breweries (SAB) KickStart Programme to establish and grow entrepreneurial small businesses among young South Africans. South Africa has an extremely high unemployment rate, low economic growth and a dismal Total (early-stage) Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA). With regard to established businesses (older than three-and-a-half years), the GEM report of 2005 ranked South Africa the lowest of all the countries surveyed. The SAB KickStart Programme comprises five phases: an awareness campaign, recruitment and training, a business plan competition for grants, success enhancement and national awards. The following interventions form part of the programme: the General Enterprising Tendency (GET) test; two-week live-in business management training; funding and mentoring; and a national competition for prize money. At every stage, adjudication is based on business plans and presentations. The evaluation of the effectiveness of an existing entrepreneurship programme, the SAB KickStart Programme, has several advantages, in so far as it determines whether the programme does indeed attain its objectives, and could help to improve the structuring of such programmes for future use by other corporations in South Africa. The population for the study comprised all the participants of the SAB KickStart Programme, from 2001 to 2006. A questionnaire was developed and a response rate of 28.5% was realised. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to the turnover and percentage profit figures of respondents to investigate the significance of the type of SAB KickStart support afforded. The results were confirmed by the Bonferroni multiple comparison of means test. The deduction is that funding and mentoring, after training, adds value to the programme. Eighty per cent of the SAB KickStarters were still operating their initial businesses, which they owned when they started on the programme, while a further six per cent had started another business, hence a "failure" rate of only 14 per cent. Many other meaningful findings emerged. In conclusion, it can be said that the SAB KickStart Programme adds value and advances entrepreneurship, and could possibly be applied by other large institutions in South Africa In conclusion, it can be said that the SAB KickStart programme adds value and advances entrepreneurship, and can be elevated to other large institutions in South Africa. / Business Management / D.Comm. (Business Management)

The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of the interventions used by the South African Breweries (SAB) KickStart Programme to establish and grow entrepreneurial small businesses among young South Africans. South Africa has an extremely high unemployment rate, low economic growth and a dismal Total (early-stage) Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA). With regard to established businesses (older than three-and-a-half years), the GEM report of 2005 ranked South Africa the lowest of all the countries surveyed. The SAB KickStart Programme comprises five phases: an awareness campaign, recruitment and training, a business plan competition for grants, success enhancement and national awards. The following interventions form part of the programme: the General Enterprising Tendency (GET) test; two-week live-in business management training; funding and mentoring; and a national competition for prize money. At every stage, adjudication is based on business plans and presentations. The evaluation of the effectiveness of an existing entrepreneurship programme, the SAB KickStart Programme, has several advantages, in so far as it determines whether the programme does indeed attain its objectives, and could help to improve the structuring of such programmes for future use by other corporations in South Africa. The population for the study comprised all the participants of the SAB KickStart Programme, from 2001 to 2006. A questionnaire was developed and a response rate of 28.5% was realised. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to the turnover and percentage profit figures of respondents to investigate the significance of the type of SAB KickStart support afforded. The results were confirmed by the Bonferroni multiple comparison of means test. The deduction is that funding and mentoring, after training, adds value to the programme. Eighty per cent of the SAB KickStarters were still operating their initial businesses, which they owned when they started on the programme, while a further six per cent had started another business, hence a "failure" rate of only 14 per cent. Many other meaningful findings emerged. In conclusion, it can be said that the SAB KickStart Programme adds value and advances entrepreneurship, and could possibly be applied by other large institutions in South Africa In conclusion, it can be said that the SAB KickStart programme adds value and advances entrepreneurship, and can be elevated to other large institutions in South Africa. / Business Management / D.Comm. (Business Management)

Cette thèse s’intéresse aux croyances, représentations et facteurs qui façonnent l’intention de croissance du dirigeant de PME. Produire de la connaissance sur ces éléments est essentiel. A un niveau social, l’intention de croissance constitue un enjeu dans une période marquée simultanément par le chômage et le manque d’attirance des dirigeants pour la croissance. A un niveau académique, la connaissance des micro-fondations de la croissance demeure méconnue et à renforcer (Wright et Stigliani, 2012). L’enquête qualitative est constituée de 32 entretiens individuels, complétée par 2 entretiens collectifs focalisés et des données recueillies lors des salons majeurs de la PME. Les résultats mettent d’abord en évidence la construction cognitive du phénomène de croissance, puis soulignent la nature distincte des croyances qui façonnent l’intention de croissance et ses deux formes de négation identifiées : l’intention de non-croissance et la non-intention de croissance. Des propositions concrètes sont avancées pour encourager l’intention de croissance du dirigeant. / This thesis focuses on the beliefs, representations and factors shaping SMEs owners’ growth intention. Produce knowledge on these elements is crucial. At a social level, growth intention is an issue in a period marked simultaneously by unemployment and lack of attraction of entrepreneurs for growth. At an academic level, knowledge of the micro-foundations of growth remains unknown and need further strengthening (Stigliani and Wright, 2012). The qualitative survey consists of 32 individual interviews, supplemented by 2 focus group interviews and data collected during major exhibitions of SMEs. First results highlight the cognitive construction of growth phenomenon and emphasize the distinct nature of the beliefs that shape growth intention and its two forms of denial identified: intention of no-growth and no-intention of growth. Concrete proposals are put forward to encourage SMEs owners’ growth intention.

Cette thèse examine la bourgeoisie musulmane-turque marchande et industrielle, dans la période de la fondation de la République en Turquie. L’argument principal de cette étude consiste à prouver que les commerçants et les entrepreneurs musulmans-turcs dans les années 1920 constituaient une classe sociale qui cherchait à dominer économiquement, socialement et politiquement. Au début de la République, les commerçants et industriels musulman-turcs constituaient une classe qui possédait une culture et une idéologie commune, une vision englobante sur l'économie du pays. D'une part, cette étude révèle la composition interne de cette classe, les secteurs d'activité dont ses membres s'occupaient, leurs sources de richesse, leurs voies de développement. D'autre part, cette thèse révèle le rôle que joue cette classe sociale dans les années 1920 avec leurs demandes et leurs préoccupations, leur idéologie et leurs affiliations politique. / This thesis aims at demonstrate that Muslim-Turkish merchants and entrepreneurs in Turkey in the 1920’s constituted a social class, namely the national “bourgeoisie” of the country, seeking to dominate economically, socially and politically. At the beginning of the Republic, the Muslim-Turkish merchants and industrialists constituted a class which had a common culture and ideology, and a vision regarding the economy of the country in general. On one hand, this study reveals the internal composition of this class, its components, the business sectors they dealt with, the sources of their wealth and their paths of development, whereas on the other hand, it presents the role that this social class played in the 1920’s by focusing on their economic and political organizations, their demands and concerns, their ideology and political affiliations and finally on their relationship with the political power.

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This study examines the experiences of highly educated South Asian immigrant women working as home-based entrepreneurs within ethnic enclaves in Toronto, Canada. The importance of their work and experiences need to be understood in the context of two processes. On the one hand, there is the neoliberal hegemonic discourse of “enterprising self” that encourages individuals to become “productive”, self-responsible, citizen-subjects, without depending on state help or welfare to succeed in the labour market. On the other hand, there is the racialized and gendered labour market that systematically devalues the previous education and skills of non-white immigrants and pushes them towards jobs that are low-paid, temporary and precarious in nature. In the light of the above situations, I argue that in the process of setting up their home-based businesses, South Asian immigrant women in my study negotiate the barriers they experience in two ways. First, despite being inducted into different (re)training and (re)learning that aim to improve their deficiencies, they continue to believe in their abilities and resourcefulness, thereby challenging the “remedial” processes that try to locate lack in their abilities. Second, by negotiating gender ideologies within their families and drawing on community ties within enclaves they keep at check the individuating and achievement oriented ideology of neoliberalism. They, therefore, demonstrate how the values of an “enterprising self” can be based on collaboration and relationship rather than competition, profit or material success. The concept of “negotiation”, as employed in this thesis, denotes a form of agency different from the commonly perceived notions of agency as formal, large-scale, macro organization or resistance. Rather, the concept is based on how women resort to multiple, various and situational practices of conformity and contestation that often can blend into each other.

This study examines the experiences of highly educated South Asian immigrant women working as home-based entrepreneurs within ethnic enclaves in Toronto, Canada. The importance of their work and experiences need to be understood in the context of two processes. On the one hand, there is the neoliberal hegemonic discourse of “enterprising self” that encourages individuals to become “productive”, self-responsible, citizen-subjects, without depending on state help or welfare to succeed in the labour market. On the other hand, there is the racialized and gendered labour market that systematically devalues the previous education and skills of non-white immigrants and pushes them towards jobs that are low-paid, temporary and precarious in nature. In the light of the above situations, I argue that in the process of setting up their home-based businesses, South Asian immigrant women in my study negotiate the barriers they experience in two ways. First, despite being inducted into different (re)training and (re)learning that aim to improve their deficiencies, they continue to believe in their abilities and resourcefulness, thereby challenging the “remedial” processes that try to locate lack in their abilities. Second, by negotiating gender ideologies within their families and drawing on community ties within enclaves they keep at check the individuating and achievement oriented ideology of neoliberalism. They, therefore, demonstrate how the values of an “enterprising self” can be based on collaboration and relationship rather than competition, profit or material success. The concept of “negotiation”, as employed in this thesis, denotes a form of agency different from the commonly perceived notions of agency as formal, large-scale, macro organization or resistance. Rather, the concept is based on how women resort to multiple, various and situational practices of conformity and contestation that often can blend into each other.

Purpose – The purpose of this research paper is to explore the challenges faced by Pakistani entrepreneurs in different cultural context of Sweden and Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach – In order to collect primary data, authors has conducted six interviews of Pakistani entrepreneurs. Three entrepreneurs were taken from Pakistan and three were taken from Sweden. For this research paper, authors has used Inductive approach as Research approach, Case study as research design, Qualitative data as research strategy, primary and secondary data as data sources and in-depth semi-structured interviews as data collection method, purposive and snowball method were used to select sample size. For the sake of collecting secondary data, two search engines were used; One Search and Google Scholar. Different published articles and journals were utilized in order to critically analyze Literature on similar topic. Conclusion – Challenges faced by Pakistani entrepreneurs in Pakistan are brand registration problem, corruption, Lack of support, Labour problem, Law and order, High taxes, Loan problem, Load shedding problem, high approach and high rental expenses. Explored challenges in Sweden are; Language barrier, Employees problem, Loan problem, High taxes, Saturation, less availability of shops, Racism, requirements for Swedish licences. Research limitations/implications – This research paper is only limited to Pakistani entrepreneurs who have start-ups in Pakistan and in Sweden.