The relationship between human, social and financial capital and small and medium enterprise (SME) performance in South Africa
- Authors: Siso, Masiso Nomakha
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Small business South Africa , Small and medium enterprises , Enterprise performance management , Financial literacy , Human capital , Social capital (Sociology) , Financial capital , Resource-based view
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/462823 , vital:76338
- Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on developing countries, exacerbating economic stagnation, high poverty rates, and unemployment. South Africa, in particular, faces significant challenges, with a 35.3 percent unemployment rate and a 17.4 percent GDP decline in 2021. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are crucial during these economic challenges, traditionally employing a substantial workforce and contributing significantly to the GDP. Despite their importance, SMEs often struggle, with a small percentage surviving the initial two years. Limited research has been conducted on the resources and capabilities crucial for enterprise performance in South Africa. While studies in developed countries exist, few explore the relationship between resources and capabilities facilitating SME performance in developing contexts. This study focuses on human capital, bonding, bridging, and linking social capital, and financial capital as key resources and capabilities. Given the backdrop that many entrepreneurs in South Africa may not possess formal education or extensive work experience, this study contends that financial literacy—encompassing financial knowledge, behaviour, and attitude—serves as a proxy for human capital. Additionally, a notable portion of entrepreneurs in South Africa face a deficit in the skills and knowledge essential for identifying entrepreneurial opportunities. Even among those possessing these capabilities, the challenge lies in the lack of necessary resources, including social and financial capital, to effectively transform such prospects into viable new ventures. This study employed a causal research design and adopted a quantitative research approach within a post-positivist paradigm. The primary objective was to investigate the relationship between the following independent variables; human (where financial literacy was used as a proxy which consisted of financial knowledge, attitude and behaviour), bonding, bridging and linking social capital, and financial capital and the dependent variable; SME performance. An online self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data from SME owners/managers. A pilot study was undertaken, in which an electronic link to the questionnaire was sent to potential respondents. Potential respondents were identified using purposive and convenience sampling methods. Data collection yielded 334 usable responses from SME owners/managers in South Africa. After cleaning the data, the analysis examined the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Cronbach Alpha Coefficient analysis were used to confirm the validity and reliability of the measurement instrument, respectively. Descriptive statistics, regression, and correlation results were reported. Furthermore, a group mean analysis, including independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVAs, were performed to investigate potential significant differences in variables based on demographic and enterprise related variables. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between financial capital and SME performance. This indicates that an entrepreneur's ability to access financial capital or possess financial capital contributes to the performance and success of enterprises in South Africa. This finding underscores the crucial role of financial capital in facilitating the growth and sustainability of enterprises, as it provides a buffer against unfavourable economic shocks, enables entrepreneurs to pursue more capital-intensive strategies, and affords them more time to learn and overcome challenges. Conversely, no significant relationships were found between financial knowledge, behaviour, and attitude, bonding, bridging, and linking social capital, and SME performance. This study contributes to the development of SMEs in South Africa by identifying the critical resources and capabilities essential for their survival and growth. Additionally, it offers valuable recommendations for policymakers to create a conducive environment for entrepreneurs and suggests potential educational initiatives and support structures. Furthermore, this study advocates for the exploration of innovative financing approaches to build a financial cushion and bolster resilience against economic upheavals. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economic History, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Siso, Masiso Nomakha
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Small business South Africa , Small and medium enterprises , Enterprise performance management , Financial literacy , Human capital , Social capital (Sociology) , Financial capital , Resource-based view
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/462823 , vital:76338
- Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on developing countries, exacerbating economic stagnation, high poverty rates, and unemployment. South Africa, in particular, faces significant challenges, with a 35.3 percent unemployment rate and a 17.4 percent GDP decline in 2021. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are crucial during these economic challenges, traditionally employing a substantial workforce and contributing significantly to the GDP. Despite their importance, SMEs often struggle, with a small percentage surviving the initial two years. Limited research has been conducted on the resources and capabilities crucial for enterprise performance in South Africa. While studies in developed countries exist, few explore the relationship between resources and capabilities facilitating SME performance in developing contexts. This study focuses on human capital, bonding, bridging, and linking social capital, and financial capital as key resources and capabilities. Given the backdrop that many entrepreneurs in South Africa may not possess formal education or extensive work experience, this study contends that financial literacy—encompassing financial knowledge, behaviour, and attitude—serves as a proxy for human capital. Additionally, a notable portion of entrepreneurs in South Africa face a deficit in the skills and knowledge essential for identifying entrepreneurial opportunities. Even among those possessing these capabilities, the challenge lies in the lack of necessary resources, including social and financial capital, to effectively transform such prospects into viable new ventures. This study employed a causal research design and adopted a quantitative research approach within a post-positivist paradigm. The primary objective was to investigate the relationship between the following independent variables; human (where financial literacy was used as a proxy which consisted of financial knowledge, attitude and behaviour), bonding, bridging and linking social capital, and financial capital and the dependent variable; SME performance. An online self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data from SME owners/managers. A pilot study was undertaken, in which an electronic link to the questionnaire was sent to potential respondents. Potential respondents were identified using purposive and convenience sampling methods. Data collection yielded 334 usable responses from SME owners/managers in South Africa. After cleaning the data, the analysis examined the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Cronbach Alpha Coefficient analysis were used to confirm the validity and reliability of the measurement instrument, respectively. Descriptive statistics, regression, and correlation results were reported. Furthermore, a group mean analysis, including independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVAs, were performed to investigate potential significant differences in variables based on demographic and enterprise related variables. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between financial capital and SME performance. This indicates that an entrepreneur's ability to access financial capital or possess financial capital contributes to the performance and success of enterprises in South Africa. This finding underscores the crucial role of financial capital in facilitating the growth and sustainability of enterprises, as it provides a buffer against unfavourable economic shocks, enables entrepreneurs to pursue more capital-intensive strategies, and affords them more time to learn and overcome challenges. Conversely, no significant relationships were found between financial knowledge, behaviour, and attitude, bonding, bridging, and linking social capital, and SME performance. This study contributes to the development of SMEs in South Africa by identifying the critical resources and capabilities essential for their survival and growth. Additionally, it offers valuable recommendations for policymakers to create a conducive environment for entrepreneurs and suggests potential educational initiatives and support structures. Furthermore, this study advocates for the exploration of innovative financing approaches to build a financial cushion and bolster resilience against economic upheavals. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economic History, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Mega-churches and the neo-Pentecostalisation of South Africa’s black middle class
- Authors: Ngoma, Amuzweni Lerato
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Megachurch , Charismatic Movement , Pentecostalism South Africa , Middle class Black people South Africa , Bourdieu, Pierre, 1930-2002 , Habitus (Sociology) , Social capital (Sociology)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432422 , vital:72869 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432422
- Description: This thesis argues that the presence and expansion of South African neo-Pentecostal Charismatic Churches (neo-PCCs) and mega-churches holds significant political economy consequences. Methodologically, the thesis is anchored on digital and in-person ethnography, life history and in-depth interviews. The central argument of this thesis is that neo-PCCs and mega-churches are holding spaces for societal change. The symbolic capital of neo-PCCs and mega-churches and the neo-Pentecostalised habitus, which is co-produced by middle-classes acts as a conduit that facilitates social transitions of political and economic orders. Indeed, religion emerges as a transition mechanism as Durkheim argued for France. It has helped South African social groups to extricate themselves from racist discourses, foster non-racialism and build empowered, somewhat deracialised modern middle-class discourses and tastes. White and Black middle classes have co-produced neo-Pentecostal habiti in the post-apartheid era, that have first, built dispositions for neoliberal capital democracy from apartheid capitalism, second as a middle classing and elite making mechanism and field, third as a stabilising, consolidating and upward strategy of social reproduction. In this way, neo-PCCs and the Black middle class have significantly affected the post-apartheid social formation by producing dispositions that uphold financialised neoliberal capitalism. Significantly, accumulated cultural capital is an indispensable resource in initiating and building post-apartheid institutions. As in the neo-PCC field, it has been pastors, prophets and bishops that have demonstrated the capability to accumulate, transubstantiate and maintain cultural capital that has made their churches comparatively durable social institutions. In a political economy context of state-capture and corruption, a post-GFC-and-COVID-19 milieu characterised by the absence of economic growth, rising unemployment, business closure and ever-increasing interest rates that affect indebted middle-class households and the poor alike, the mega-churches studied herein and their neo-Pentecostalised Black middle class adherents expressed an intense dislike for South African politicians across party lines, and especially the poor performance of the African National Congress-dominated state. So that it is possible that mega-churches and their leaders will outlive many new political parties and independents in the same way that they have outlived post-1994 political parties such as the New National Party, Agang South Africa and the Independent Democrats. Much like the buffer Black middle class that was promoted by the apartheid state as a project of reforming apartheid in the 1970s, whose political activism was pragramatically disengaged, this will likely continue, unless if, generally the post-apartheid Black middle classes shift their sociality from in-ward looking-enclaved social anxiety. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Ngoma, Amuzweni Lerato
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Megachurch , Charismatic Movement , Pentecostalism South Africa , Middle class Black people South Africa , Bourdieu, Pierre, 1930-2002 , Habitus (Sociology) , Social capital (Sociology)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432422 , vital:72869 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432422
- Description: This thesis argues that the presence and expansion of South African neo-Pentecostal Charismatic Churches (neo-PCCs) and mega-churches holds significant political economy consequences. Methodologically, the thesis is anchored on digital and in-person ethnography, life history and in-depth interviews. The central argument of this thesis is that neo-PCCs and mega-churches are holding spaces for societal change. The symbolic capital of neo-PCCs and mega-churches and the neo-Pentecostalised habitus, which is co-produced by middle-classes acts as a conduit that facilitates social transitions of political and economic orders. Indeed, religion emerges as a transition mechanism as Durkheim argued for France. It has helped South African social groups to extricate themselves from racist discourses, foster non-racialism and build empowered, somewhat deracialised modern middle-class discourses and tastes. White and Black middle classes have co-produced neo-Pentecostal habiti in the post-apartheid era, that have first, built dispositions for neoliberal capital democracy from apartheid capitalism, second as a middle classing and elite making mechanism and field, third as a stabilising, consolidating and upward strategy of social reproduction. In this way, neo-PCCs and the Black middle class have significantly affected the post-apartheid social formation by producing dispositions that uphold financialised neoliberal capitalism. Significantly, accumulated cultural capital is an indispensable resource in initiating and building post-apartheid institutions. As in the neo-PCC field, it has been pastors, prophets and bishops that have demonstrated the capability to accumulate, transubstantiate and maintain cultural capital that has made their churches comparatively durable social institutions. In a political economy context of state-capture and corruption, a post-GFC-and-COVID-19 milieu characterised by the absence of economic growth, rising unemployment, business closure and ever-increasing interest rates that affect indebted middle-class households and the poor alike, the mega-churches studied herein and their neo-Pentecostalised Black middle class adherents expressed an intense dislike for South African politicians across party lines, and especially the poor performance of the African National Congress-dominated state. So that it is possible that mega-churches and their leaders will outlive many new political parties and independents in the same way that they have outlived post-1994 political parties such as the New National Party, Agang South Africa and the Independent Democrats. Much like the buffer Black middle class that was promoted by the apartheid state as a project of reforming apartheid in the 1970s, whose political activism was pragramatically disengaged, this will likely continue, unless if, generally the post-apartheid Black middle classes shift their sociality from in-ward looking-enclaved social anxiety. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Stakeholder relationship management and the perception of trust: a case study of a salient stakeholder
- Authors: Chambers, Craig Brian
- Date: 2022-06
- Subjects: Stakeholder management South Africa Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Stakeholder theory , Trust , Industrial priorities , Social capital (Sociology)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419060 , vital:71612
- Description: Trust is an essential aspect in developing meaningful relationships between firms and their stakeholders. Mayer, Davis and Schoorman (1995, p.709) define trust as “the willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party based on the expectation that the other party will perform a particular action important to the trustor irrespective of the ability to monitor or control that other party”. This study took the form of an explanatory case study that focussed on an interaction between a firm and a salient stakeholder and attempted to explain how this interaction influenced the perceived trustworthiness of the firm in stakeholders that were observing the interaction. The study attempted to add to the work of Crane (2020), whose research had focussed on stakeholder connectedness, and specifically how this could be utilized by firms interacting with stakeholders to engender trust in a wider group of stakeholders. The research aimed to evaluate how the Sterile Insect Release programme, operating by the firm in the Sunday’s River Valley, was given a second chance through engagement with a salient stakeholder and how the interaction was observed by a wider group of stakeholders leading to perceived stakeholder trustworthiness and social capital. The study had five objectives, namely to; (1) analyse how a firm’s ability, benevolence, and integrity enables (or does not engender) the development of the firm’s trustworthiness amongst its stakeholders; (2) analyse how the firm’s engagement with a salient stakeholder enables (or does not engender) increased levels of trustworthiness in the firm by the stakeholders that are observing its interaction with a salient stakeholder; (3) analyse the benefits of social capital gained through increased levels of stakeholder trust; (4) identify good practice guidelines for firm engagement with salient stakeholders to ensure the correct cues are portrayed to observing stakeholders for the development of the trustworthiness of the firm; and (5) make recommendations related to management practices that will support the development of trust. The research adopted a qualitative approach and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three groups of stakeholders that were present at the meeting. A review of the literature was undertaken to identify various propositions for the research and from which a theory-driven coding memo was developed. The derived propositions were as follows: (1) observing a firm’s engagement with a single salient stakeholder will provide cues to observing stakeholders about the trustworthiness of the firm, and (2) perceptions of a firm’s trustworthiness will result in increased social capital between the firm and its stakeholders. The first proposition was divided into three sub-propositions for the study which stated; (a) observing a firm’s engagement with a single salient stakeholder will provide cues to observing stakeholders about the ability of the firm; (b) observing a firm’s engagement with a single salient stakeholder will provide cues to observing stakeholders about the benevolence of the firm; and (c) observing a firm’s engagement with a single salient stakeholder will provide cues to observing stakeholders about the integrity of the firm. From the literature analysis, various themes were identified which include, observed interactions, ability, benevolence, integrity, trustworthiness, and increased social capital. The research findings confirmed the propositions as being relevant to the case study. The findings confirmed that ability, benevolence, and integrity are key attributes in portraying trustworthiness when interacting with a salient stakeholder. All three attributes were noted by the interviewees as being important to observing stakeholders in the development of trust in a firm, although ability and integrity were found to be the dominant attributes in this case study. The findings did present some evidence that an increased level of perceived trustworthiness in the firm did positively influence the levels of social capital, however, this was not a common theme among all the interviewees. In the light of these findings, it is recommended that firms utilize stakeholder models to identify salient stakeholders that are influential within the markets in which they operate. The firm should actively pursue a strong relationship with these stakeholders, and further attempt to generate opportunities to interact with these stakeholders in a public forum where stakeholder connectedness could be utilized to develop perceived trust in the wider group of stakeholders. The firm should focus on open, honest, and transparent communication which are key aspects for portraying the attributes of ability, benevolence, and integrity. The study addresses a gap in the trust literature at a stakeholder level and therefore has contributed to the trust literature by addressing how the connectedness between stakeholders can lead to trust in a wider group of stakeholders by increasing efficiency during these interactions and utilizing situational circumstances to build social capital. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-06
- Authors: Chambers, Craig Brian
- Date: 2022-06
- Subjects: Stakeholder management South Africa Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Stakeholder theory , Trust , Industrial priorities , Social capital (Sociology)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419060 , vital:71612
- Description: Trust is an essential aspect in developing meaningful relationships between firms and their stakeholders. Mayer, Davis and Schoorman (1995, p.709) define trust as “the willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party based on the expectation that the other party will perform a particular action important to the trustor irrespective of the ability to monitor or control that other party”. This study took the form of an explanatory case study that focussed on an interaction between a firm and a salient stakeholder and attempted to explain how this interaction influenced the perceived trustworthiness of the firm in stakeholders that were observing the interaction. The study attempted to add to the work of Crane (2020), whose research had focussed on stakeholder connectedness, and specifically how this could be utilized by firms interacting with stakeholders to engender trust in a wider group of stakeholders. The research aimed to evaluate how the Sterile Insect Release programme, operating by the firm in the Sunday’s River Valley, was given a second chance through engagement with a salient stakeholder and how the interaction was observed by a wider group of stakeholders leading to perceived stakeholder trustworthiness and social capital. The study had five objectives, namely to; (1) analyse how a firm’s ability, benevolence, and integrity enables (or does not engender) the development of the firm’s trustworthiness amongst its stakeholders; (2) analyse how the firm’s engagement with a salient stakeholder enables (or does not engender) increased levels of trustworthiness in the firm by the stakeholders that are observing its interaction with a salient stakeholder; (3) analyse the benefits of social capital gained through increased levels of stakeholder trust; (4) identify good practice guidelines for firm engagement with salient stakeholders to ensure the correct cues are portrayed to observing stakeholders for the development of the trustworthiness of the firm; and (5) make recommendations related to management practices that will support the development of trust. The research adopted a qualitative approach and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three groups of stakeholders that were present at the meeting. A review of the literature was undertaken to identify various propositions for the research and from which a theory-driven coding memo was developed. The derived propositions were as follows: (1) observing a firm’s engagement with a single salient stakeholder will provide cues to observing stakeholders about the trustworthiness of the firm, and (2) perceptions of a firm’s trustworthiness will result in increased social capital between the firm and its stakeholders. The first proposition was divided into three sub-propositions for the study which stated; (a) observing a firm’s engagement with a single salient stakeholder will provide cues to observing stakeholders about the ability of the firm; (b) observing a firm’s engagement with a single salient stakeholder will provide cues to observing stakeholders about the benevolence of the firm; and (c) observing a firm’s engagement with a single salient stakeholder will provide cues to observing stakeholders about the integrity of the firm. From the literature analysis, various themes were identified which include, observed interactions, ability, benevolence, integrity, trustworthiness, and increased social capital. The research findings confirmed the propositions as being relevant to the case study. The findings confirmed that ability, benevolence, and integrity are key attributes in portraying trustworthiness when interacting with a salient stakeholder. All three attributes were noted by the interviewees as being important to observing stakeholders in the development of trust in a firm, although ability and integrity were found to be the dominant attributes in this case study. The findings did present some evidence that an increased level of perceived trustworthiness in the firm did positively influence the levels of social capital, however, this was not a common theme among all the interviewees. In the light of these findings, it is recommended that firms utilize stakeholder models to identify salient stakeholders that are influential within the markets in which they operate. The firm should actively pursue a strong relationship with these stakeholders, and further attempt to generate opportunities to interact with these stakeholders in a public forum where stakeholder connectedness could be utilized to develop perceived trust in the wider group of stakeholders. The firm should focus on open, honest, and transparent communication which are key aspects for portraying the attributes of ability, benevolence, and integrity. The study addresses a gap in the trust literature at a stakeholder level and therefore has contributed to the trust literature by addressing how the connectedness between stakeholders can lead to trust in a wider group of stakeholders by increasing efficiency during these interactions and utilizing situational circumstances to build social capital. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-06
Exploring the entrepreneurial intention of students in one Higher Education Institution (HEI)
- Authors: Kenye-Duma, Ayanda Rachel
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship South Africa , Intention , Entrepreneurship Study and teaching (Higher) South Africa , Students Attitudes , Social entrepreneurship , Social capital (Sociology) , Unemployment South Africa , Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/284514 , vital:56070
- Description: This study was interpretive and qualitatively explored students' entrepreneurial intentions at Rhodes University. It was conducted to understand entrepreneurship among students. Understanding students' entrepreneurship is critical as entrepreneurship is touted as a reasonable response to alleviate the high unemployment in South Africa. The study explored how students became entrepreneurs (or how their entrepreneurship intentions were formed) and the factors that enhanced (enablers and barriers) and inhibited them. The significance of living with and after COVID-19, youth and graduate unemployment alleviation places entrepreneurship development by institutions of higher learning, governments and private sector in the centre of economic recovery. The establishment of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) in 2016, highlights the commitment of the South African government, for Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to engage more in entrepreneurship and do more research to understand how students become entrepreneurs and unravel the challenges. Understanding students' entrepreneurship intentions can facilitate a supportive environment for students entrepreneurship. With “very little research about student entrepreneurship at this university” being the guiding research problem, the aim was to gain insight into the entrepreneurship intention of university students by exploring factors that influence students to become entrepreneurs. The study employed Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour to explore the entrepreneurial intentions of university students in terms of the underlying attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. The students who participated in the study fell into three categories of entrepreneurial intention: (i) Intending to start a business, (ii) starting a business, and (ii) those who were already operating a business. All the participants, irrespective of their stage of entrepreneurial intention, demonstrated a positive attitude and self-efficacy. All participants showed self-efficacy by identifying barriers and taking positive steps to overcome them. The main barriers were access to funding, capital, training, business opportunities with the university and lack of interaction with established entrepreneurs. The results demonstrated the close interplay of attitudes, social norms and perceived behavioural control in students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Social recognition of entrepreneurship, social capital, education and role models contributed to positive attitudes, and social norms influenced students’ entrepreneurial intentions. A supportive environment was found to be critical for nurturing entrepreneurship intentions. The study recommends a supportive climate cultivated by Rhodes University to promote entrepreneurship. The supportive environment must include the elevation of entrepreneurship in prominent offices of the university, strengthening entrepreneurship societies and interactions with established entrepreneurs, and engagement with the private sector to contribute and promote entrepreneurship among students. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
- Authors: Kenye-Duma, Ayanda Rachel
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship South Africa , Intention , Entrepreneurship Study and teaching (Higher) South Africa , Students Attitudes , Social entrepreneurship , Social capital (Sociology) , Unemployment South Africa , Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/284514 , vital:56070
- Description: This study was interpretive and qualitatively explored students' entrepreneurial intentions at Rhodes University. It was conducted to understand entrepreneurship among students. Understanding students' entrepreneurship is critical as entrepreneurship is touted as a reasonable response to alleviate the high unemployment in South Africa. The study explored how students became entrepreneurs (or how their entrepreneurship intentions were formed) and the factors that enhanced (enablers and barriers) and inhibited them. The significance of living with and after COVID-19, youth and graduate unemployment alleviation places entrepreneurship development by institutions of higher learning, governments and private sector in the centre of economic recovery. The establishment of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) in 2016, highlights the commitment of the South African government, for Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to engage more in entrepreneurship and do more research to understand how students become entrepreneurs and unravel the challenges. Understanding students' entrepreneurship intentions can facilitate a supportive environment for students entrepreneurship. With “very little research about student entrepreneurship at this university” being the guiding research problem, the aim was to gain insight into the entrepreneurship intention of university students by exploring factors that influence students to become entrepreneurs. The study employed Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour to explore the entrepreneurial intentions of university students in terms of the underlying attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. The students who participated in the study fell into three categories of entrepreneurial intention: (i) Intending to start a business, (ii) starting a business, and (ii) those who were already operating a business. All the participants, irrespective of their stage of entrepreneurial intention, demonstrated a positive attitude and self-efficacy. All participants showed self-efficacy by identifying barriers and taking positive steps to overcome them. The main barriers were access to funding, capital, training, business opportunities with the university and lack of interaction with established entrepreneurs. The results demonstrated the close interplay of attitudes, social norms and perceived behavioural control in students’ entrepreneurial intentions. Social recognition of entrepreneurship, social capital, education and role models contributed to positive attitudes, and social norms influenced students’ entrepreneurial intentions. A supportive environment was found to be critical for nurturing entrepreneurship intentions. The study recommends a supportive climate cultivated by Rhodes University to promote entrepreneurship. The supportive environment must include the elevation of entrepreneurship in prominent offices of the university, strengthening entrepreneurship societies and interactions with established entrepreneurs, and engagement with the private sector to contribute and promote entrepreneurship among students. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
Citizenship, social capital and HIV/AIDS: a sociological analysis derived from the experience of the Umkhanyakhude district community, Kwazulu-Nata
- Nyawasha, Tawanda Sydesky https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4854-9989
- Authors: Nyawasha, Tawanda Sydesky https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4854-9989
- Date: 2009-02
- Subjects: Social capital (Sociology) , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- South Africa , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26208 , vital:64965
- Description: This thesis is a multi-level analysis that seeks to examine the utility of applying the concept of social capital in dealing with a complexity of challenges and problems caused by HIV/AIDS in areas of social marginality. It examines social capital in the context of rurality and how its usage can successfully mediate on the effects of all structural factors fuelling the HIV/AIDS epidemic including poverty and social marginality. It does this against the background of scholarly research findings on the relevance of community or neighbourhood social structure in resolving a host of issues affecting its citizens. The study establishes that the ‘public benefit’ of social capital lies in resource connectivity, meso-level interactions and reciprocal transactions useful for HIV/AIDS prevention. Social capital is therefore identified in this study as civic engagement, neigbourliness, voluntary association or civic membership and collective action. The central thesis or argument advanced by this study is that community or village level interactions and associations among people and groups can greatly influence community cohesion and action towards HIV/AIDS prevention, avoidance and mitigation. In its pursuit of a deeper enquiry and understanding of the most often misunderstood concept or rather elusive in both the social science and public health lexicon, the thesis identifies the major sources of social capital as voluntary civic membership or associations in community groups, local village or community assemblages, exchanges of HIV/AIDS specific information, public discussions and other social spaces useful in helping community citizens to get an awareness of HIV/AIDS thereby making them adopt an HIV/AIDS protective behaviour. In this thesis, community or village-level social capital is seen as having a significant effect on household and HIV/AIDS. The study establishes that the prevalence of norms of ‘civicness’ and the vibrancy of horizontal ties at the community or village level generates the needed stocks of social capital for poverty reduction and HIV/AIDS mitigation.Building on Habermas’s(1992) theories of the ‘public sphere’ and ‘communicative action’ andthe Freirian(1996) discourse of ‘dialogue and praxis’, the study highlights the need for social for communication and dialogue in order to break the silence around HIV/AIDS in rural societies. Deliberative discussions or community conversations are suggested to build a critical awareness and consciousness on HIV/AIDS within the community or village context. In this study, quantifiable evidence tends to suggest that there is a strong correlation between lack of HIV/AIDS specific knowledge and HIV/ AIDS vulnerability. The study underscores the need forpublic communication on HIV/AIDS through community-level dialogues and conversations.Community dialogues and conversations are suggested to be active forms of interaction generating significant levels of social capital in the form of public knowledge on HIV/AIDS. This form of public knowledge is perceived as generating action oriented towards HIV/AIDS prevention and fostering the adoption of safer behavioural practices. The thesis also highlights the often muted link or correlation between human capital in the form of education and social capital. In several instances, the study has proven that human capital and education in particular helps in the creation of high stocks of social capital that can be applied to counteract both household and village level HIV/AIDS. The research further establishes the need for citizenship education which is more contextual and calls for critical enquiry, reflection and thinking on the part of all citizens or villagers. All in all, the research extends the existing knowledge on collective efficacy, village or neighbourhood advantage, associational or group membership, village governance and HIV/AIDS in the developing economies. It sheds more light on how village-level processes, interactions and exchanges within the ‘public sphere’ can be streamlined to deal with issues of marginality and rural HIV/AIDS. These study findings on social capital contribute to the ongoing debate about social capital, its relevance and applicability, in solving public health issues and challenges in developing societies. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2009
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009-02
- Authors: Nyawasha, Tawanda Sydesky https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4854-9989
- Date: 2009-02
- Subjects: Social capital (Sociology) , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- South Africa , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26208 , vital:64965
- Description: This thesis is a multi-level analysis that seeks to examine the utility of applying the concept of social capital in dealing with a complexity of challenges and problems caused by HIV/AIDS in areas of social marginality. It examines social capital in the context of rurality and how its usage can successfully mediate on the effects of all structural factors fuelling the HIV/AIDS epidemic including poverty and social marginality. It does this against the background of scholarly research findings on the relevance of community or neighbourhood social structure in resolving a host of issues affecting its citizens. The study establishes that the ‘public benefit’ of social capital lies in resource connectivity, meso-level interactions and reciprocal transactions useful for HIV/AIDS prevention. Social capital is therefore identified in this study as civic engagement, neigbourliness, voluntary association or civic membership and collective action. The central thesis or argument advanced by this study is that community or village level interactions and associations among people and groups can greatly influence community cohesion and action towards HIV/AIDS prevention, avoidance and mitigation. In its pursuit of a deeper enquiry and understanding of the most often misunderstood concept or rather elusive in both the social science and public health lexicon, the thesis identifies the major sources of social capital as voluntary civic membership or associations in community groups, local village or community assemblages, exchanges of HIV/AIDS specific information, public discussions and other social spaces useful in helping community citizens to get an awareness of HIV/AIDS thereby making them adopt an HIV/AIDS protective behaviour. In this thesis, community or village-level social capital is seen as having a significant effect on household and HIV/AIDS. The study establishes that the prevalence of norms of ‘civicness’ and the vibrancy of horizontal ties at the community or village level generates the needed stocks of social capital for poverty reduction and HIV/AIDS mitigation.Building on Habermas’s(1992) theories of the ‘public sphere’ and ‘communicative action’ andthe Freirian(1996) discourse of ‘dialogue and praxis’, the study highlights the need for social for communication and dialogue in order to break the silence around HIV/AIDS in rural societies. Deliberative discussions or community conversations are suggested to build a critical awareness and consciousness on HIV/AIDS within the community or village context. In this study, quantifiable evidence tends to suggest that there is a strong correlation between lack of HIV/AIDS specific knowledge and HIV/ AIDS vulnerability. The study underscores the need forpublic communication on HIV/AIDS through community-level dialogues and conversations.Community dialogues and conversations are suggested to be active forms of interaction generating significant levels of social capital in the form of public knowledge on HIV/AIDS. This form of public knowledge is perceived as generating action oriented towards HIV/AIDS prevention and fostering the adoption of safer behavioural practices. The thesis also highlights the often muted link or correlation between human capital in the form of education and social capital. In several instances, the study has proven that human capital and education in particular helps in the creation of high stocks of social capital that can be applied to counteract both household and village level HIV/AIDS. The research further establishes the need for citizenship education which is more contextual and calls for critical enquiry, reflection and thinking on the part of all citizens or villagers. All in all, the research extends the existing knowledge on collective efficacy, village or neighbourhood advantage, associational or group membership, village governance and HIV/AIDS in the developing economies. It sheds more light on how village-level processes, interactions and exchanges within the ‘public sphere’ can be streamlined to deal with issues of marginality and rural HIV/AIDS. These study findings on social capital contribute to the ongoing debate about social capital, its relevance and applicability, in solving public health issues and challenges in developing societies. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2009
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- Date Issued: 2009-02
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