The background in which global organisations operate in at present is very competitive. In an ever faster growing global economy the role of the entrepreneur within the large organisation becomes more and more important to ensure the company keeps the competitive edge. The Linde Group is a world class company with a world class management strategy and systems to support the strategy. Part of the The Linde Group management strategy is being a high performing organisation, wanting to give all employees the opportunity to contribute to improvement by sharing their ideas with the company. This study was done at African Oxygen Limited, South Africa, a regional business unit in Africa for The Linde Group. African Oxygen Limited embarked on various programmes to create opportunities for employees to think in an entrepreneurial way. Middle managers at African Oxygen Limited play an important role in the innovation programs implemented at African Oxygen Limited. Against this background, this study seeks to confirm whether African Oxygen Limited, South Africa has a true entrepreneurial climate and whether the middle management level involved with these initiatives share this perception. Corporate entrepreneurship is characterised by people who are innovative, creative, spend time and take risks. To support these entrepreneurial activities, the organisation needs a climate and culture that is beneficial to these activities. An entrepreneurial orientation within an organisation is marked by dimensions such as innovativeness, pro–activeness, risk–taking, competitive aggressiveness and autonomy. The entrepreneurial behaviour among middle level managers is most critical to the effective implementation of corporate entrepreneurship. The primary objective of this study was to assess the entrepreneurial climate in African Oxygen Limited and to make recommendations to foster corporate entrepreneurship within the organisation. The literature review was instrumental to gather secondary data on corporate entrepreneurship and to understand its dynamics. In order to gain primary data, quantitative research was carried out. The study population comprised lower and middle management, who were requested to complete questionnaires. This was followed by statistical analysis. The empirical results indicate no practical significance in respondents' perception based on the gender of the respondents. However, the results do indicate practical significant differences between the relationship between the groups of middle and lower management level with respect to entrepreneurial climate and the perceived organisational success. An evaluation of the corporate entrepreneurial climate in the organisation was performed and the average mean for the study calculated. Seven out of 13 constructs evaluated had a mean above the average mean of x = 3.502, the other six constructs evaluated had a mean ranked lower than the average mean. All of the constructs still had a mean above three out of five. All four of the used variables measuring the perceived organisational success, were reported by respondents to have a mean above three which is the neutral point. The average mean of the perceived success of the organisation was 3.688. It was clear that the constructs for perceived organisational success had a fairly strong presence, but there is still room for improvement. With reference to the entrepreneurial climate within Afrox the conclusion is that it is not optimally entrepreneurial and initiatives put into practice that should encourage entrepreneurial behaviour, are falling short. The study concludes with practical recommendations on assessment of the achievement of objectives and suggestions for future research. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The background in which global organisations operate in at present is very competitive. In an ever faster growing global economy the role of the entrepreneur within the large organisation becomes more and more important to ensure the company keeps the competitive edge. The Linde Group is a world class company with a world class management strategy and systems to support the strategy. Part of the The Linde Group management strategy is being a high performing organisation, wanting to give all employees the opportunity to contribute to improvement by sharing their ideas with the company. This study was done at African Oxygen Limited, South Africa, a regional business unit in Africa for The Linde Group. African Oxygen Limited embarked on various programmes to create opportunities for employees to think in an entrepreneurial way. Middle managers at African Oxygen Limited play an important role in the innovation programs implemented at African Oxygen Limited. Against this background, this study seeks to confirm whether African Oxygen Limited, South Africa has a true entrepreneurial climate and whether the middle management level involved with these initiatives share this perception. Corporate entrepreneurship is characterised by people who are innovative, creative, spend time and take risks. To support these entrepreneurial activities, the organisation needs a climate and culture that is beneficial to these activities. An entrepreneurial orientation within an organisation is marked by dimensions such as innovativeness, pro–activeness, risk–taking, competitive aggressiveness and autonomy. The entrepreneurial behaviour among middle level managers is most critical to the effective implementation of corporate entrepreneurship. The primary objective of this study was to assess the entrepreneurial climate in African Oxygen Limited and to make recommendations to foster corporate entrepreneurship within the organisation. The literature review was instrumental to gather secondary data on corporate entrepreneurship and to understand its dynamics. In order to gain primary data, quantitative research was carried out. The study population comprised lower and middle management, who were requested to complete questionnaires. This was followed by statistical analysis. The empirical results indicate no practical significance in respondents' perception based on the gender of the respondents. However, the results do indicate practical significant differences between the relationship between the groups of middle and lower management level with respect to entrepreneurial climate and the perceived organisational success. An evaluation of the corporate entrepreneurial climate in the organisation was performed and the average mean for the study calculated. Seven out of 13 constructs evaluated had a mean above the average mean of x = 3.502, the other six constructs evaluated had a mean ranked lower than the average mean. All of the constructs still had a mean above three out of five. All four of the used variables measuring the perceived organisational success, were reported by respondents to have a mean above three which is the neutral point. The average mean of the perceived success of the organisation was 3.688. It was clear that the constructs for perceived organisational success had a fairly strong presence, but there is still room for improvement. With reference to the entrepreneurial climate within Afrox the conclusion is that it is not optimally entrepreneurial and initiatives put into practice that should encourage entrepreneurial behaviour, are falling short. The study concludes with practical recommendations on assessment of the achievement of objectives and suggestions for future research. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Tile research focuses on the role played by the school in preraring learners for self-employment. It seeks to establish the extent to which entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and attitudes are being promoted ai school thus equipping learners for ihe world of business once they leave school. The study is undertaken ag~i the background of very high mte of unemployment currently facing South Africa. A nmnber of factors, such as high population growth, globalisation and a variety of other socio-political circlUllStance have resulted in the shrinkage of job opportunities in the formal sector of the economy. The unemployment problem mostly affects the rural schoolleavers, among other groups, in the community. Small bu.'$ine.<Js development is generally seen as the most promising solution to the unemployment problem. Preparing learners for entrepreneurship is therefore the most serious challenge facing schools today. The school is required to deliver the kind of education that will make it possible for learners to start and develop their own businesses once they leave school. Hence the quest for education that is relevant to the needs and aspirations of society. A qualitative study undertaken with rural schoolleavers who own small businesses reveals that the school has not yet taken delibemte steps to tester entrepreneurship among learners thus preparing them for self-employment when they leave school. Again it bas been demonstrated that schools have great potential to inculcate entrepreneurial knowledge, attitudes and skills once they can start working in close co-operation with the community. A shift from traditional approaches to teaching and learning to the progressive (entrepreneurial) approaches can contribute greatly in producing learners who are ready fbr life as independent, creative and influencial business leaders of the future. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-01T19:18:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 114590.pdf: 4049717 bytes, checksum: 40f52de3d80827347dd6002b351ea75c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-09 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O empreendedorismo é um fator de influência para o crescimento regional, responsável pela criação de emprego e renda, e, por isso, tem recebido muita atenção de estudiosos da área. O processo empreendedor realizado pelas mulheres, além dos traços característicos ao tema, aborda, ainda, questões específicas do gênero feminino. Este trabalho buscou o aprofundamento sobre o tema, tendo como objeto de análise as mulheres empreendedoras de Santa Catarina, seus empreendimentos e os principais fatores relacionados com o processo empreendedor. O objetivo geral da pesquisa foi compreender como se caracteriza o empreendedorismo feminino em Santa Catarina, segundo histórias de vida das mulheres participantes do Prêmio SEBRAE Mulher de Negócios. Para tanto, analisou-se as histórias empreendedoras das 86 participantes do Prêmio edição de 2010. Esses relatos foram analisados de forma interpretativa. No delineamento do perfil das mulheres catarinenses, verificou-se que estas são jovens, casadas, possuem filhos e já possuíam experiência profissional prévia, muitas vezes na área que empreendem. Quanto aos empreendimentos criados, destacam-se os voltados a atividade de comércio e serviços. No processo empreendedor o planejamento inicial da futura empresa foi, na maior parte dos casos, suprimido. Quanto aos recursos utilizados para constituírem essas empresas, observou-se que são originados de economias pessoais e familiares. Como dificuldades são apontados aspectos pessoais da vida das empreendedoras e a gerência do negócio, sendo as questões financeiras e de mercado as mais graves. Outro problema enfrentado pelas empreendedoras é a falta de confiança depositada nelas, assim como o conflito pessoal, familiar e empresarial, sendo dimensões conflitantes na vida dessas mulheres, pois concorrem por sua atenção. Por fim, a influência das redes no processo empreendedor feminino recebe destaque, visto que fornece suporte ao longo de toda a vida da empresa constituída.

abstract: Over the past few decades, businesses globally have advanced in incorporating the principles of sustainability as they strive to align economic outcomes with growing and complex social and environmental demands and opportunities. This transition is conditioned by the maturity, scale, and geographical location of a business (among other factors), with particular challenges placed on small enterprises in middle- to low-income communities. Within this context, the overarching research question of this dissertation is why and how business incubation processes may foster sustainable enterprises at the middle and base of the socioeconomic pyramid (MoP/BoP). To explore this question, in this project I used as a case study the experience of a network of social business incubators operated by Tecnologico de Monterrey, a private, non-profit, multi-campus university system in Mexico. Centering on its campus in Guadalajara and in order to understand if and how MoP/BoP businesses address sustainability, I developed a current state assessment of incubator processes, analyzing during two semesters the activities of incubated entrepreneurs and their goals, motivations, and outcomes. The general expectation at the outset of the study was that Tec's social business incubation process, in both its design and implementation, focuses on the economic viability and outcomes of incubated projects and hence does not promote entrepreneur commitment to sustainability goals and practices. The general approach of the research project involved a qualitative, in-depth ethnographic assessment of participants. Data were collected by means of the following research tools: (a) archival and documentary review, (b) participant observation, (c) surveys of participants (entrepreneurs and advisors/mentors), and (d) semi-structured interviews of participants. The overall design of the research was inspired by the transitions management approach and by the intervention research method, while qualitative results were assessed under the grounded theory approach. Results of the research are reported under three general categories: (a) analysis of entrepreneur goals, motivations, and outcomes, (b) identification of social and environmental opportunities, and (c) review of the role of social networks and broader support structures. While results confirmed the general expectation of the study, it was possible to establish (based on the interaction with the entrepreneurs and other actors) that there is both interest and commitment to identify and explore opportunities in social and environmental issues. Thus, the dissertation concludes with a proposal for potential future interventions in this social incubator, exploring a new vision and strategies for a transition to a more sustainability-oriented approach. Finally, key recommendations define the most critical elements of an agenda for transition in the social incubation process at Campus Guadalajara and provide input for other efforts. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Sustainability 2014

D.Ed. / The aim of the study was to determine a strategy to identify and develop entrepreneurship from the point of educational psychology. In this regard, it was necessary to divide the study into two components. The first was to determine a profile of the entrepreneur and secondly how this profile could be developed. In the first part in the literature attributes and skills of the entrepreneur were researched and empirical tested. Two questionnaires were specifically developed to identify attributes and skills of entrepreneurs: firstly a questionnaire, The Entrepreneurial Index Questionnaire, for individuals with a qualification standard six and higher and secondly a projective format questionnaire, The Entrepreneurial Index Projective Format, for semi-skilled and unskilled individuals. In the second part techniques were introduced to developed entrepreneurial attributes and skills: Neurolinguistic Programming and Educational Kinesiology. A specific program to develop entrepreneurship with young adults was also introduced. The programme was completed with a illustration of a young adult that completed the program. The following results were obtained from the empirical investigation: From the anova variance-analysis there is a significant statistical difference on all the entrepreneurial attributes and skills. The Scheffe-pair-variance-analysis show significant statistic differences on the average scores of the entrepreneurial attributes and skills except for: Questionnaire test General knowledge and driving force, responsibility, selfimage and interpersonal relations. Risk and responsibility, self-image and interpersonal relations. Drive force and depression. Adaptation and interpersonal relations. Responsibility and stress, aggression and depression. Stress and interpersonal relations. Self-image and depression. Aggression and interpersonal relations. Depression and interpersonal relations. Projective test Mental alertness in all pairs. Total work attitude and responsibility. Locus of control and responsibility. Locus of control and interpersonal relationships. Adaptation and responsibility. The program for the development of entrepreneurial skills was divided into four phases: what is possible, what is realistic, critical analysing of the business opportunity and lastly the implementation of above mentioned steps. Each phase went through specific steps and NLP and Edu-K was used in each step one to develop and anchor specific attributes and skills of entrepreneurship. The implementation of the program is implemented on five levels. The basic level is the individual environment. The entrepreneur is going to operate in the environment through behaviour. The behaviour is guided by the individual capabilities. These capabilities are organized by the believe systems. Believe systems are organized by the identity of the entrepreneur. The illustration analysis of the individuals that completed the course shows a growth and development in the entrepreneurial attributes and skills that were identified in the first part of the study. It seems possible to identify certain attributes and skills that is part of the successful entrepreneur, and develop it in the young adult to become an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurship today is an attractive option for future graduates due to various perks and benefits. However, there are also challenges and disadvantages that come with being an entrepreneur. This study is aimed at investigating the motivating factors and challenges that student entrepreneurs are facing when starting their own business in Sweden. For this study, a qualitative approach is chosen, and semi-structured interviews are used on six student entrepreneurs that live in Sweden. The results are analyzed by using thematic analysis and the study concluded that student entrepreneurs are motivated by the desire of independence, flexible schedules, following family traditions or parental self-employment, the desire to turn their hobby into a money-making enterprise, creativity, the fear of unemployment, social status, motivating others, personal skills and entrepreneurial capabilities. Moreover, the study also discovered three new motivational factors such as support from their previous employer, influence from friends and other people on the internet and the desire to experience new and exciting things. When it comes to challenges, student entrepreneurs are facing difficulties such as lack of resources, being a student while running a business, lack of networks, lack of knowledge, lack of entrepreneurial and administrative skills, lack of support from family/ business partner, lack of legal/formal help, negative personality traits and dealing with tax systems. Furthermore, two new challenges are also identified in the study that are the lack of credibility and the cultural differences and language barriers.

Due to different types of benefits and advantages, it is an attractive alternative for graduates to become entrepreneurs, either during their studies or after completing their education. In addition to the benefits and advantages of becoming an entrepreneur, there can be a number of challenges and disadvantages that they face. This study aims to explore the motivating factors and challenges that student entrepreneurs face when it comes to starting their own company in Sweden. A qualitative approach is what has been selected for this study and tenstudent entrepreneurs who live in Sweden have been interviewed through open ended semistructured interviews. Using a thematic analysis, the results could be analyzed, and this study concluded that student entrepreneurs are motivated by flexible schedules, independence, follow in the parents' footsteps as self-employed, preserve family tradition, transform passion/ hobby into business, outlet for their creativity, they do not have to worry to become unemployed and their own personal skills motivate them. The challenges that student entrepreneurs face and have difficulty with are lack of resources, lack of networks, lack of administrative and entrepreneurial skills, lack of legal / formal help from various organizations, lack of support from business partners or family, negative personality traits and management of tax systems. A new challenge was also identified, and this challenge is about forming a strong and sustainable team and when it comes to finding the right people to hire.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Development Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023 / Rural entrepreneurship is a relatively young sector in the entrepreneurship field, but it has emerged as one of the most important tools for rural economic growth in developing nations like South Africa. A majority of poor people live in the rural areas and face the challenges of extreme poverty levels, high unemployment rates, appalling socio-economic conditions, and inequalities. Therefore, rural entrepreneurship is regarded as a vital tool for accelerating Local Economic Development (LED) and improvement of the quality of life of the rural people and their communities. Rural entrepreneurship stimulates economic development by improving economic conditions, creating employment, reducing poverty and improving the overall standard of living of the rural populace. Theoretically, there is clear consensus that rural entrepreneurship has the potential to reduce poverty, unemployment, economic inequalities and low income as well as value creation and improving standards of life in rural areas through the creation of new enterprises. Entrepreneurial activities stimulate the local economy and create employment opportunities through the creation of new enterprises in the rural areas. Thus, entrepreneurship development is seen as one of the important components of LED and the development agenda in most developing countries. However, entrepreneurial success is dependent on various factors, internal or external, such as the need for achievement, locus of control and desire for personal control of business, human capital, infrastructure, training, communication network, financial support, business environment, economic climate, competitiveness, risk-taking propensity, confidence, and regulatory environment. These factors may determine or influence the success of enterprises, thereby hampering LED efforts in a particular locality. Literature further reiterates the importance of rural entrepreneurship development towards accelerating economic development of local communities in the developing countries. Entrepreneurship development is regarded as a driving force of local economic growth and development in the developing countries. Many developing countries are faced with numerous socio-economic challenges of extreme poverty levels, high unemployment rates, stagnant economic growth and poor living conditions. Entrepreneurship development has become an important policy agenda and priority for employment creation, poverty reduction and economic growth and development of communities in many developing countries. Thus, many developing countries have turned their focus on entrepreneurship development as an important mechanism and driver of economic development with expectations of addressing these challenges. Despite such efforts, entrepreneurship development in developing countries faces challenges such as financial, human, management, lack of access to markets, lack of capacity, lack of infrastructure and appropriate regulations. These challenges affect and undermine the potential of entrepreneurship to stimulate LED and address challenges affecting many developing countries. The role of local government in creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurial activities and LED to thrive is widely acknowledged in most developing countries. Local governments in developing countries have become important vehicles for the promotion and implementation of LED and the creation of enabling environment for entrepreneurial activities to take place. LED in these developing countries is driven mainly by globalisation and decentralisation as an important strategy to local development. Globalisation and decentralisation play an important role in reconfiguring of planning approaches to local and regional development in developing countries. The observations above are also prevalent in South Africa, where entrepreneurship development is one of the national development policy imperatives. However, South Africa has a low entrepreneurial rate compared to other developing countries because of various factors including those highlighted above. Lack of entrepreneurial spirit or culture is increasing highly in the country. Entrepreneurship development and LED practice in South Africa is shaped by overwhelming policies and legislations, which seek to support and encourage entrepreneurship and LED. These regulatory frameworks are aimed at creating conducive and enabling environment for LED and entrepreneurial activities to take place. Local governments have a constitutional obligation to promote social and economic development as well as improving the overall standard of living of local communities within the municipal area. In the process, municipalities must work collectively with local people and local stakeholders to develop their communities. LED has been adopted as one of the strategies to local growth and development of communities in South Africa. Despite LED efforts, the country continues to grapple with societal challenges of poverty, unemployment, inequality and stagnant growth of the economy. Currently, municipalities are plagued with various challenges and are in a dire state that threatens the ability to fulfil their constitutional and developmental mandate of promoting social and economic development. The aim of this study was to investigate rural entrepreneurship and its implications towards LED in the Mogalakwena Local Municipality, Limpopo Province. To achieve this aim, the study adopted descriptive, positivist case study design, and used the concurrent mixed methods approach to achieve the aim and objectives of the study. The study sampled 54 rural entrepreneurs around three Service Delivery Areas (SDAs) of Mokopane, Mapela and Bakenberg in Mogalakwena Local Municipality as well as key informants from Small Enterprise Development Agency, Local Economic Development Agency (LEDA) and Municipal LED Unit. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to solicit data from rural entrepreneurs whereas an interview schedule was used to solicit data from key informants. The study findings affirm that rural entrepreneurship plays a significant role towards LED through poverty alleviation, employment creation, economic opportunities, income generation, value or wealth creation, migration and overall improvement of the standard of living of local communities in Mogalakwena Local Municipality. Rural entrepreneurship is seen as one of the stimulators of economic activities in rural areas within the municipality. Despite the affirmation, the study found that rural entrepreneurs are faced with persistent challenges such as lack of access to finance and markets, lack of skills or capacity, stiff regulations and completion, crime, lack of infrastructure, lack of support by the municipality and poor participation or integration in LED. These challenges inhibit entrepreneurial activities to take place, thereby threatening the survival and success of rural enterprises. Therefore, the study recommends measures such as creation of an enabling regulatory environment, financial support models for entrepreneurs, skills development and training, recognition and integration of rural entrepreneurs in LED fora and promotion of entrepreneurship culture to maximize the potential of rural entrepreneurship in Mogalakwena Local Municipality. Additionally, future research is also important to tap into the niche area of rural entrepreneurship.

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