Since the early 1990s entrepreneurship education has experienced a significant
interest and growth in South Africa, due to the fact that it plays a very important part
in the success of businesses, whether it is a new or an existing business venture.
Corporate entrepreneurship can be defined as the development of new ideas and
opportunities within a large organisation and is characterized by individuals who are
energetic, creative, innovative, self-confident and take calculated risks.
When looking at the entrepreneurial orientation variables, Autonomy,
Innovativeness, Risk-taking, Pro-Activeness and Competitive aggressiveness
in any organisation, they require an acceptable climate to ensure that each
dimension prosper. The line, middle and senior managers play an important role in
entrepreneurial actions, whether it is part of creating the climate or driving the
process once initiated. Entrepreneurial success factors such as creativity, innovation,
risk orientation, leadership, good human relations, a positive attitude and
perseverance, are all attributes of successful entrepreneurs.
The primary research focus of this study has been to investigate the influence of
entrepreneurial orientation variables (Autonomy, Innovativeness, Risk-taking, Pro-
Activeness and Competitive aggressiveness) on the perceived success in a personal
protective equipment organisation in South Africa. For the purpose of this study, the
business success has been measured by means of two dependent variables namely
Business growth and Business development and improvement.
An empirical study has been conducted by using a questionnaire that measured five
dimensions regarding entrepreneurial orientation. Data from 42 participants have
been collected and analysed, and the results indicate that the organisation have
certain aspects of entrepreneurial orientation present.
The results show that the managers in the personal protective equipment business
perceived that the entrepreneurial orientation variable Innovativeness have a
positive influence on their Business Growth. An important relationship between the
independent variable Innovativeness and the dependent variable Business
development and improvement has been found to exist.
Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial orientation are more than just vibrant words in
the industry; they play important roles in the survival and growth of organisations. It is
also crucial to understand that the correct climate needs to be fostered within the
organisation to ensure that all the various aspects of corporate entrepreneurship are
achieved. The organisation will reap greater benefits that could contribute to the
business staying the leader in the industry, being more competitive, creating new
ventures, and introducing new products and services.
The area of significant concern for the organisation is a low or poor tolerance for risktaking.
Practical recommendations, suggestions and an action plan are presented in
order to improve the entrepreneurial climate of the organisation. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/15503 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Pieterse, Petrus |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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