SMMEs contribute to socio-economic development, and play a critical role in reducing unemployment. Information and communication technology infrastructures (ICTs) impacts on the establishment, growth, and success of SMMEs and also on how enterprises manage their operational activities. This study was conducted in Pretoria, South Africa, in Gauteng province, with the objective to study SMMEs owned by women in order to identify the challenges they encounter in accessing and using ICT infrastructures. The researcher addressed issues related to ICTs in general, and then assessed the challenges preventing business owners from accessing and using ICT infrastructures in order to improve their operational capabilities. A qualitative research methodology which included explorative and descriptive approaches was used. The findings of the study revealed the following challenges which women experience in their businesses: entrepreneurial challenges, infrastructure, ICTs, family responsibilities, support from government and other relevant bodies, lack of mentoring, financial and gender inequality. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

SMMEs contribute to socio-economic development, and play a critical role in reducing unemployment. Information and communication technology infrastructures (ICTs) impacts on the establishment, growth, and success of SMMEs and also on how enterprises manage their operational activities. This study was conducted in Pretoria, South Africa, in Gauteng province, with the objective to study SMMEs owned by women in order to identify the challenges they encounter in accessing and using ICT infrastructures. The researcher addressed issues related to ICTs in general, and then assessed the challenges preventing business owners from accessing and using ICT infrastructures in order to improve their operational capabilities. A qualitative research methodology which included explorative and descriptive approaches was used. The findings of the study revealed the following challenges which women experience in their businesses: entrepreneurial challenges, infrastructure, ICTs, family responsibilities, support from government and other relevant bodies, lack of mentoring, financial and gender inequality. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Management: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation Johannesburg, 2015 (March 2015) / The purpose of this research is to investigate human capital and social capital as determinants to access to finance for women SMME owners in South Africa. The study focuses on Human capital which encompasses social capital and looks at access to finance within the South African context. It does not include all other factors discussed in entrepreneurship theory. The major theories underlying this research are Social Network theory and Human capital theory. Human capital theory is viewed as formal education, skills attained and knowledge gained through informal knowledge such as prior work experience, industry experience and apprenticeship opportunities. These variables are assessed to see if they determine access to finance; which is a barrier to entrepreneurship in South Africa for SMME owners. This constraint is stressed in all The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) reports from 2009 to 2014. This paper focuses on a single gender; females and assesses these capital factors as determinants to access finance for their entrepreneurial activity. Social capital as a factor is studied as a component of Human capital and two variables are assessed: strong ties and weak ties. Access to finance is evaluated as both debt and equity for entrepreneurs. Bivariate analysis was used to test the theories for results. The results showed an importance of human and social capital for entrepreneurs in running their businesses however not all human and social capital factors were confirmed to entirely determine access to finance for the women entrepreneurs. This study can potentially assist SMME owners within South Africa, financial institutions, policy makers and support organisations for women-owned businesses with insight into what determines accessing finance for business. / MT2016

The topic of this study is “An exploration of the reasons surrounding Indian businesswomen’s involvement in home-based businesses in Shallcross, Durban”. The objective of this study was to investigate some of the reasons why Indian women choose to venture into small business. This study also explored some of the history of the Indian people of Natal (now known as KwaZulu-Natal) and briefly touched on the past and present lives of Indian women in South Africa. The informants used in this study were Indian women who owned small home-based businesses. They all reside in Shallcross where they operate their businesses from their homes. Shallcross is situated in Durban, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Their businesses consisted of various types like hair salons, catering and gift shops. All interviews with the informants were informal in nature. Informal, unstructured yet indepth interviews and life histories were used in the study to collect data. Life histories were summarized to highlight the aims and results of the study. The literature reviewed for this study focused on issues on female entrepreneurship in South Africa. The most part of the literature review paid special attention to the changing role of Indian women, the nature of small businesses and their importance in South Africa’s developing economy, female motives for entrepreneurship and the future of female entrepreneurship. The literature review process has revealed a gap in the literature regarding Indian women involved in small business, but the literature also provided greater clarity and understanding of women entrepreneurship from both historically and contemporary perspectives. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sci.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

This research aims to analyze the continuities and innovations in managing female executive in relation to the categories of process of decision making, model of leadership, personal communication and interpersonal skills. With the growth of womens presence in the world of work, women began to increasingly occupy positions high in organizations, leading to a question about the continuities and innovations arising from way of them to manage the executive. Is it possible that the women have new patterns and models of management or follow characteristic patterns of male management? To achieve the proposed objectives we decided to conduct this research with phenomenological inspiration considering the interpretation that each individual who was researched presents from the reality experienced in the management of the organizations to which they belong. This is a qualitative research, using a case study as method, based on women in positions of senior management in companies Sergipe. The data collected were analyzed using the technique of discourse analysis. From the data obtained it can be seen that the executive clearly perceives differences of management between the way of males and the females with respect to categories analyzed. For the interviewed women, for the categories chosen, women have more flexible and humanitarian characteristics, while men are considered more inflexible, objectives and in some cases more austere. It can be concluded that women consider that in their executive management uses innovative features with respect to the categories analyzed. As for permanences of male management characteristics, only a minimum number of respondents pointed to use some nuances of managing men, not as a guide but in order to merge the two modes of management in specific situations. / A presente pesquisa tem o objetivo de analisar as inovações e permanências existentes na gestão executiva feminina em relação às categorias de processo de tomada de decisão, modelo de liderança, comunicação pessoal e relacionamento interpessoal. Com o crescimento da presença feminina no universo do trabalho, as mulheres começaram a ocupar cargos cada vez mais altos nas organizações, originando um questionamento acerca das inovações e permanências decorrentes do modo de gerir das executivas. Será que as mulheres dispõem de novos padrões e modelos de gerenciamento ou seguem padrões característicos da gestão masculina? Para atingir os objetivos propostos optou-se pela realização de pesquisa com inspiração fenomenológica, considerando a interpretação que cada indivíduo pesquisado apresenta da realidade vivida na gestão das organizações da qual fazem parte. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, utilizando como método o estudo de caso, baseado em mulheres que ocupam cargos de alta gestão em empresas sergipanas. As informações coletadas foram analisadas utilizando-se a técnica da análise de discurso. A partir dos dados obtidos pode-se observar que as executivas percebem claramente diferenças entre o modo de gestão masculina e feminina no que diz respeito às categorias analisadas. Para as entrevistadas, em relação às categorias eleitas, as mulheres possuem características mais flexíveis e humanitárias, enquanto os homens são considerados mais inflexíveis, objetivos e em alguns casos, mais severos. Pode-se concluir que as mulheres executivas consideram que a sua gestão utiliza características inovadoras no que diz respeito às categorias analisadas. Quanto às permanências de características da gestão masculina, apenas um número mínimo de entrevistadas apontou utilizar alguma particularidade do gerenciamento masculino, mas não como orientação e sim com a finalidade de mesclar os dois modos de gestão em situações específicas.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration (Entrepreneurship))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Given good conditions, women can run businesses, support their families and the community, and contribute to economic growth. The lack of women’s involvement in entrepreneurship is a huge loss to the nation and society. Women make up 51.83% of the population in Rwanda, but are underrepresented in business – largely due to social customs, religion, and cultural beliefs. Society perceives women as too weak to conduct business, and prefers them to be confined to housekeeping activities and dependency on men. Interestingly, literature indicates that involving women in entrepreneurial activities help. Despite this, women in Rwanda have broken the barrier and started up business. However, they face many challenges; their businesses remain small scale compared to their counterparts. The aim of this study is to determine the challenges experienced by women entrepreneurs in Kigali. This research is significant because it attempts to identify the challenges to entrepreneurship in Kigali, by allowing the voices of women entrepreneurs to be heard. The study uses a quantitative descriptive approach. The target population was women in formal and informal business in the districts of Gasabo, Kicukiro, and Nyarugenge in the city of Kigali. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from 398 women entrepreneurs after obtaining their informed written consent. The data was analysed using recent Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Findings were interpreted and discussed in a numerical narrative featuring frequency, percent, valid percent, cumulative percent, mean, and standard deviation. The results show that women entrepreneurs in Kigali experience more challenges, among others including: High shop rentals, lack of start-up capital, lack of collateral to obtain a loan, high taxes, high interest rate and high transport, and a lack of information technology skills. This study has uncovered that women entrepreneurs face a lot of challenges while running their business in Kigali. Fortunately, the solution is within reach. For instance, women entrepreneurs themselves, family, society, government, stakeholder, and researchers should work together to eradicate these challenges. Women entrepreneurs should work together in cooperatives to minimise shop rentals, possible access to capital and so forth. In addition, they can leverage their experience and know-how.

This research aims to analyze the continuities and innovations in managing female executive in relation to the categories of process of decision making, model of leadership, personal communication and interpersonal skills. With the growth of womens presence in the world of work, women began to increasingly occupy positions high in organizations, leading to a question about the continuities and innovations arising from way of them to manage the executive. Is it possible that the women have new patterns and models of management or follow characteristic patterns of male management? To achieve the proposed objectives we decided to conduct this research with phenomenological inspiration considering the interpretation that each individual who was researched presents from the reality experienced in the management of the organizations to which they belong. This is a qualitative research, using a case study as method, based on women in positions of senior management in companies Sergipe. The data collected were analyzed using the technique of discourse analysis. From the data obtained it can be seen that the executive clearly perceives differences of management between the way of males and the females with respect to categories analyzed. For the interviewed women, for the categories chosen, women have more flexible and humanitarian characteristics, while men are considered more inflexible, objectives and in some cases more austere. It can be concluded that women consider that in their executive management uses innovative features with respect to the categories analyzed. As for permanences of male management characteristics, only a minimum number of respondents pointed to use some nuances of managing men, not as a guide but in order to merge the two modes of management in specific situations. / A presente pesquisa tem o objetivo de analisar as inovações e permanências existentes na gestão executiva feminina em relação às categorias de processo de tomada de decisão, modelo de liderança, comunicação pessoal e relacionamento interpessoal. Com o crescimento da presença feminina no universo do trabalho, as mulheres começaram a ocupar cargos cada vez mais altos nas organizações, originando um questionamento acerca das inovações e permanências decorrentes do modo de gerir das executivas. Será que as mulheres dispõem de novos padrões e modelos de gerenciamento ou seguem padrões característicos da gestão masculina? Para atingir os objetivos propostos optou-se pela realização de pesquisa com inspiração fenomenológica, considerando a interpretação que cada indivíduo pesquisado apresenta da realidade vivida na gestão das organizações da qual fazem parte. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, utilizando como método o estudo de caso, baseado em mulheres que ocupam cargos de alta gestão em empresas sergipanas. As informações coletadas foram analisadas utilizando-se a técnica da análise de discurso. A partir dos dados obtidos pode-se observar que as executivas percebem claramente diferenças entre o modo de gestão masculina e feminina no que diz respeito às categorias analisadas. Para as entrevistadas, em relação às categorias eleitas, as mulheres possuem características mais flexíveis e humanitárias, enquanto os homens são considerados mais inflexíveis, objetivos e em alguns casos, mais severos. Pode-se concluir que as mulheres executivas consideram que a sua gestão utiliza características inovadoras no que diz respeito às categorias analisadas. Quanto às permanências de características da gestão masculina, apenas um número mínimo de entrevistadas apontou utilizar alguma particularidade do gerenciamento masculino, mas não como orientação e sim com a finalidade de mesclar os dois modos de gestão em situações específicas.

The Government of South Africa has placed a lot of emphasis on economic growth and the involvement of Black people in the mainstream of the economy. The implementation of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) created opportunities for direct empowerment of Black females in ownership and management. The Construction Industry is being challenged to increase the number of Black females in management and ownership levels. Due to the nature of the Industry, only a small population of females considers Construction as a career option. The Industry has also lost a significant number of skilled Engineers and is experiencing a shortage of skilled managers in Middle and Senior Management Levels. The research problem questioned the current state of empowerment for Black women in the Construction Industry as measured against the B-BBEE Scorecard. The literature review focused on the requirements of the B-BBEE scorecard and Construction Charter. The second phase focused on gender equality and the achievements of women in Construction. The research design was done by using questionnaires to the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec) members in the Eastern Cape. The research design and survey aimed to determine the status of empowerment in the Construction Industry. With reference to both the literature review and the empirical findings the state of female empowerment can be determined. Therefore iv recommendations and opportunities for further research in this regard can be identified.

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Thesis (MBA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / In today‟s post-modern era, the role of women-owned small businesses in economic development is inevitable. Women are willing to act in business and contribute to the nation‟s growth. However, most women in small businesses face a wide variety of challenges both in starting and in growing their business ventures. Some of the challenges relate to lack of skills and an environment that is not favourable to women small business owners. Thus, a study was conducted in Lepelle-Nkumpi local municipality in Limpopo Province. The aim of the study was to investigate the challenges faced by women-owned small businesses in the Lepelle-Nkumpi local municipality, Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study used a qualitative research method to collect data. Fifteen (15) individuals participated in the study; twelve (12) of the participants were women who owned small businesses in the municipality and three (3) of the participants were officials working in the LED unit. Participants in the study were chosen purposively because of the knowledge that they possessed. Semistructured interviews were used in the qualitative study to collect data. The study discovered that some of the challenges included lack of skills and training, lack of access to finance, lack of marketing strategies and inadequate resources. Thus, the study recommended that the municipality should provide need-based training for small business owners.