Browsing by Author "Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman."

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An assessment of impediments to continuity of family-owned small-and medium-enterprises beyond the first generation: a case of Manicaland in Zimbabwe.
(2021) Sango, Chidochomoyo Portia.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.
One of the most important issues of our time is indisputably the lack of continuity of family-owned businesses, which causes the closure of industries and rise in unemployment in Africa and the world as a whole. Understanding the contribution of family run businesses to the Gross Domestic Product of a country and in the reduction of unemployment is a critical piece of this delicate issue. Family firms lead to economic advancement of countries leading to poverty alleviation. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the impediments hindering family-owned businesses from continuing beyond the first generation, a case of Manicaland Zimbabwe. For this study, family-owned businesses in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe were surveyed and data collected on the impediments hindering these firms continuing beyond the first generation. The study used both quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyse results depending on the specific objective to be answered. Quantitative data was hence analysed using descriptive statistics whilst qualitative findings were transcribed, coded, and analysed using interpretation and thematic approaches which describe interpretations of participants’ views, perceptions, and experiences Practically the results may allow visionaries of family owned businesses, managers, educators, and others to take more informed actions in avoiding the impediments hindering the continuity of these firms after the demise of their founders. Purposive sampling was used. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data, and the response rate was 80%. The qualitative data was analysed using the Nvivo method whilst quantitative data was captured in Excel and later imported to SPSS.The results indicated that in as much as family-owned businesses contribute to the economic well-being of a nation, little is being done to train the visionaries in terms of succession so that their businesses continue beyond the first generation owners. Recommendations were made so as to reduce these impediments. A model was propounded for family-owned businesses in Africa to follow, so as to ensure continuity of these firms beyond the first generation.
The challenges faced by African women in management : a case of the National Research Foundation.
(2017) Nxumalo, Mbalenhle Mandisa.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.
At the dawn of the new South Africa (SA), the introduction of many policies and strategies that included new employment and labour laws aimed at transforming the country resulted in an increased number of African women employed in all sectors of the economy. Since the new dispensation, supporting policies and laws, more and more black women have taken up management positions in various organisations. However, there are not sufficient women in management. Those that aspire to management positions and or are already in management continue to face several challenges. If SA is to fast track its transformation agenda with even more women taking up management positions and rising through the ranks, it is important to understand and address the challenges and or barriers that they face as managers, and of course to propose solutions to these challenges. The main objectives for this study were to investigate the barriers that prevent African women from entering into management, and to investigate the challenges they encounter once they are in these positions. To address this problem, an exploratory and case study approach was used. An interview based survey was conducted with eleven out of fifteen African women managers at the National Research Foundation (NRF), the remaining four were not available for the interviews. Before the interviews, the researcher firstly discussed the motivation for the study with the aim of ensuring clarity and understanding. Due to the fact that the study was exploratory, data was collected using qualitative method. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The findings of this study supported the assumption that there are barriers that prevent African women from occupying managerial positions. These barriers include; the perceived unwillingness of the organisation to promote diversity in the workplace, the ‘think manager-think male’ stereotype, the issue of not having enough qualifications and skills, conflicting roles, glass ceiling and the SA history of apartheid and patriarchy. It was also revealed that once African women finally progress to these positions they face challenges; they are not acknowledged and respected as their male counter parts. African women sometimes find it difficult to maintain balance between responsibilities at work and at home. The abovementioned findings imply that African women are still underrepresented at management level. The existing literature attempted to compare the experiences of African women and white women management and discovered that their experiences are not the same.
An evaluation of business strategy execution at selected manufacturing companies in Pietermaritzburg : perspectives of shop floor employees.
(2018) Makhanya, Lehlohonolo Emmanuel.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.
South Africa has developed an established and diversified manufacturing base that has shown its resilience and potential to compete in the global economy. The manufacturing sector in South Africa has been faced with serious challenges with regards to global competition, cheap imports, local costs and lower productivity levels. Various studies have been conducted with the aim of establishing the causes of poor performance in this sector and in particular, lower levels of productivity. The main findings revealed that business strategy execution was a top down approach by nature and not a bottom up one. Consequently, in the absence of this bottom up approach, lack of training for lower level employees was found to be the main contributor to the problem of poor productivity. Furthermore, low educational levels and unskilled machine operators were also found to be the main causes of poor performance as well. Despite these findings, productivity within this sector continued to decline. The aim of this study was therefore to establish how the shop floor employees perceive the impact of the following key variables, namely: business culture, leadership engagement, leadership styles, work experience and training on the successful execution of business strategy for achievement of higher levels of productivity or organizational performance. Existing literature covered extensively aspects pertaining to the lack of employee involvement, skills and training, employee empowerment, organizations using a top down approach in developing and implementation of business strategy. All of these aspects were also found to be key in the failure of many organizations when it comes to business strategy execution. The study has brought the new dimension on the shop floor employees’ perceptions of business strategy implementation within the manufacturing organizations for the realization of improved productivity levels. The study followed a quantitative research method and pilot testing was conducted before the questionnaire survey phase. The questionnaire for this study consisted of closed or pre-coded questions and was distributed to shop floor employees employed in the manufacturing companies participating in this study. A total of 320 participants took part during the questionnaire survey with 100% response rate and the results were analysed using SPSS (version 25). The hypotheses were tested using the Chi square goodness of fit test. The main finding from the study was that the shop floor employees perceive business culture, leadership engagement, leadership style, employee training and experience as having a positive influence on the successful execution of business strategy in the manufacturing companies. A recommendation was therefore made that management of the manufacturing sector need to engage the shop floor employees in the process of strategy formulation and execution, as these lower level employees can come with valuable ideas that would enhance successful strategy execution and thus improve organizational performance and productivity.
Expanding entrepreneurship education to boost students' innovation in South African universities.
(2024) Mtshali, Thabo Wonder.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.; Mashau, Pfano.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused strain on businesses, some have suffered resulting in downsizing staff or closing permanently. The South African unemployment rate currently is at 32.9%. The labour market in South Africa is struggling to create opportunities and failing to counteract unemployment with relevant skills. The pandemic resulted in more people losing jobs which then contributed to the increase in unemployment. The country should reduce poverty by developing innovative entrepreneurs at a tertiary level. These difficulties indicate that people are facing challenges in getting decent jobs due to a lack of skills. Universities have a responsibility to operate entrepreneurially since they are affected by the reduction of public funds, educational market competence, and economic and social changes. Hence, the study focus is expanding entrepreneurship education in South African universities to strengthen the economy and create job opportunities in the country. Entrepreneurship education plays a significant role in educating people about business development and reducing poverty while creating job opportunities using innovation. The aim is to expand university entrepreneurship education by adding entrepreneurship education across all qualifications to help students develop entrepreneurial intention and a positive mindset towards business start-ups. The research focuses on the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Zululand, both located in KwaZulu-Natal Province. The research followed a mixed method. Qualitative data were collected using interviews with academic staff and were analysed using NVIVO thematic analysis programmes. The quantitative data were collected using questionnaires on students and were analysed using SPSS's latest version. The sample size was made up of 371 students and 4 academic staff from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and 348 students and 4 academic staff from the University of Zululand. The researcher got a 99.3 percent response rate from students and staff from both universities. The findings obtained reveal that expanding entrepreneurship education can help stimulate an entrepreneurial mindset and innovation in students. More than 88% of students agree that adding entrepreneurship education to the curriculum will help them stimulate an entrepreneurial mindset. However, students said, “universities do not have adequate infrastructure to support innovation and entrepreneurship education”. Academic staff members believe that higher education must have an active role in introducing and promoting entrepreneurship education because they have strong guiding policies and ideas but unsatisfactory implementation strategies. The research could help develop a curriculum that will stimulate an entrepreneurial mindset in students while exposing the university to industry and other external sponsors. The entrepreneurial spirit needs to be revived amongst students by restructuring various degrees, enhancing entrepreneurial thinking, developing student entrepreneurship programmes, and supporting venture creation. The study recommends expanding entrepreneurship education to give students more career options and employment opportunities. This could give students equal business opportunities and teach students that entrepreneurship can be taken as a career.
An exploratory assessment of corporate social responsibility implementation and stakeholder engagement : a case of Hulamin.
(2018) Nzama, Hlengiwe Ladyfair.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.
This case study assessed the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and stakeholder engagement of an aluminium manufacturer in an unstable market largely driven by socio-political changes in South Africa and in global markets. The study aimed to provide a broader understanding of the ideology of CSR and to explore the challenges influenced by the social structure, previously impacted by inequalities in terms of economic power, infrastructure, education, job opportunities, and access to basic services. The biggest concerns and challenges emanate from organisations not being equipped with systems that enable them to implement CSR initiatives, together with the need for more reliable indicators of progress after CSR strategies are instigated. The study adopted a qualitative research method which was exploratory in nature and a non-probability purposive sampling technique was used. The primary data-collection instruments were an in-depth focus group interviews and a questionnaire survey. The data collected was analysed using content analysis technique, which entailed the development of various themes and the creation of patterns which were organised into logical categories. The findings highlighted the lack of consistency in measuring CSR initiatives. Results also indicated how CSR as a concept lacks well-elaborated methods of practice. The results also identified the influences from the government and how CSR initiatives are guided by legislative policies and acts that have limited CSR obligations and allow for loopholes in corporations’ implementation strategies. The study implies the importance of organisational internal influences to promote stakeholder engagement and networking, highlighting the role of all internal stakeholders from executives to non-executive staff, taking into consideration that CSR initiatives are driven by local communities and cannot be monitored using global standards.
Farmers’ perceptions and attitudes to technology adoption in the Ugu District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2019) Kawula, Nomvikelelo.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.
Agricultural entrepreneurship is essential for fostering economic development and feeding growing populations in most less developed countries. Unfortunately, some farmers are experiencing a decline in production and failure to sustain their businesses. The main challenge for these farmers is the failure to embrace new and advanced agricultural technology. Agricultural technology adoption is a powerful tool for farmers to increase productivity and maximize their profits. Agricultural entrepreneurs are, in some instances, conservative and prefer to stick to traditional methods of farming. Based on the literature, many farmers fail to take advantage of the advancement in technology and as a result, find themselves not being as productive as they ought to be. Agricultural technology adoption has the potential to deepen the market share of agricultural output through which the smallholder farmers’ resource use and output diversification decisions could be guided increasingly by their objective of profit maximization. However, the major problem, according to literature, is that the new technology adoption rate by South African farmers is low. This study sought to investigate farmers’ perceptions and attitudes to technology adoption in the Ugu district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This study is descriptive in nature and thus qualitative research was conducted with the aim to gather the information that depicts the attributes of people, occurrences or circumstances. It also describes the technology adoption theory, which provided a theoretical framework for this study. Technology adoption theory examines the individual and the choices an individual makes to accept or reject an innovation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven farmers in Port Shepstone to collect the data in the study. Thematic analysis, which is the process of coding data and inducing of categories and themes, was used to analyse data. The study found that there are various factors such as lack of financial resources, lack of adoption by neighbouring farmers, perceived usefulness and size of the business contribute to farmers’ decision to adopt new agricultural technology. Farmers believe that technology is more expensive in early stages adoption but after that, it can help one grow their business and production. It was revealed that commercial farmers are more likely to adopt new technology than small-scale farmers.
The glass ceiling at Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and females’ response to it.
(2021) Moya, Nosipho.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.; Bozas, Alexander Robert.
Today’s women have a completely different mind-set to that of women of the past. Women want to work in managerial positions, but they are restricted by several challenges. Various authors have described the main challenge as the Glass Ceiling, a figurative, transparent barrier that prevents female workers from climbing the managerial ladder. The Glass Ceiling can be viewed as the pervasive and various form of gender inequities that occur at workplaces. The term was coined by Marilyn Loden at a 1978 women’s exposition to describe the invisible and artificial barriers that have kept female employees from being promoted to high level positions in organisations, a challenge which is not faced by their male counterparts. The purpose of this study was to determine female employees’ views on the Glass Ceiling at the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), in Pietermaritzburg. A descriptive design and qualitative research approach were adopted. An indepth semi-structured interview was used to collect data. Semi-structured interviews were used to examine nine female employees’ experiences and perceptions of Glass Ceiling at COGTA. Furthermore, this study opted for Interpretivism research paradigm. The study revealed that the respondents were of opinion that their careers were not progressing as fast as they wished; there was a perceived lack of fairness regarding promotions within the department, and the department did not have proper strategies to mitigate the effects of the Glass Ceiling. The study recommends that the department should introduce a well-articulated program for talent management that will take into account the aspirations of female employees.
An investigation into adoption of multiskilling by the South African manufacturing industry : a case study of Hulett Aluminium.
(2006) Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.; Hunter, Clive Robert.
There are a number of challenges that are facing the South African manufacturing industry today. Companies within this sector are trying all they can to ensure the optimal utilisation of physical and human resources and the maximisation of profit, all this at a very minimal possible cost. Each company within the industry is struggling for a competitive edge and bigger market share compared to other companies manufacturing the same product. Haas et al. (2005: 1) suggest that the manufacturing companies need more flexible labour strategies, like multiskilling, as a way of dealing with these challenges. Hulett Aluminium (Pty) Ltd, South Africa's largest aluminium producer and based in Pietermaritzburg, was used by the researcher as a case study. The company was founded in 1946 as a subsidiary of the international Alcan Aluminium Group. It is South Africa's largest manufacturer of semi-fabricated and finished aluminium products. The company introduced multiskilling in 2000, the main objective being to equip the employees with a variety of skills for the benefit of both the company and the employees themselves. This research study was undertaken to establish the extent to which Hulett Aluminium (Pty) Ltd has taken advantage of the theoretical benefits associated with multiskilling. To achieve this the following issues were investigated: preparation of a suitable environment for the application of multiskilling, effects of new, advanced technology on multiskilling, effects of absenteeism due to workshops, training programmes and personal matters, productivity levels, labour turnover, labour costs, trend towards selfmanaged groups, job satisfaction , employee motivation and industrial conflicts. This study first discussed the theoretical perspectives on multiskilling. This is followed by the description of Hulett Aluminium (Pty) Ltd, with specific description of the company's profile, the organisational structure, the aluminium supply chain and the company's core business . The description of the company is followed by the methodology used for the collection of data as well as the outline of the interpretation procedures followed. Research findings and discussion are also given. The key findings of this study are that both managers and shop floor employees at Hulett Aluminium agree that multiskilling contributes to increased organisational labour productivity, reduced organisational overall costs, and reduced industrial conflicts. Other areas of agreement include the fact that multiskilled employees need appropriate resources for the application of their skills; training is an essential tool for multiskilling and that rewards for a multiskilled workforce are a motivating factor for in the workplace. The final conclusion drawn is that much as Hulett Aluminium (Pty) Ltd has embraced multiskilling, there is still a lot the company needs to do or improve on, so that it could enjoy the benefits of the programme. Based on the findings of this study, some of the recommendations made for Hulett Aluminium are: • A detailed planning process for proper implementation ofmuItiskilling • All the relevant stakeholders within the company should be part and parcel of the implementation of the programme • Benchmarking with other manufacturing companies which have implemented multiskilling • Training of new recruits so that they could be at equal par with the old employees and also contribute positively to increased organisational productivity. 11
Leadership style and employee commitment: a case study of the KZN Office of the Premier.
(2020) Moshoeshoe, Belina Matseko.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.; Mkhize, Bongani Obed.
The researcher examined the relationship between the three leadership styles, namely, the transformational, transactional and laissez-faire styles as well as employee commitment and the perceived leadership style displayed by managers in the Office of the Premier in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Radical social and economic transformation is a topical issue on the political agenda of the South African political leaders. The South African political leaders are slowly transforming the government sector and this can be linked to leadership styles and employee commitment. A quantitative methodology was used for this study and self-administered questionnaires, consisting of a Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and an Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCG) were used to gather data from 150 respondents, 87 of whom responded. The Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 24.0 was used for the statistical analysis. A convenient sampling method was used because the researcher only focused on employees based in Pietermaritzburg. The reliability of the overall questionnaire was tested using Cronbach's Alpha method. The Cronbach's Alpha test showed a strong internal consistency amongst the questionnaire items. This shows that the questionnaire's leadership and organisational skills items were indeed a measure of the same constructs as would be expected from a well-designed questionnaire. It was found that the transformational and transactional leadership styles are the most adopted styles while the laissez-faire style, although it is adopted, is not as preferred as the other two leadership styles. The leadership style and employee commitment were found to be positively related. This implies that leadership styles play a vital role in employee commitment at the Office of the Premier. It is important for the leadership of the departments at the Office of the Premier to consider the findings to meet the organisational goals. It is further recommended that leadership in the Office of the Premier should embrace the transformational leadership style to transform the organisation and the workers, as well as to motivate the employees to work together to change the organisation and create sustainable productivity.
The perceived impact of management styles on employee job satisfaction and organisational commitment: a case study of Hulamin, Pietermaritzburg.
(2022) Nxumalo, Mbalenhle Mandisa.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.
This study, which drew on the view that the management style that a manager uses to direct their employees plays a vital role in ensuring employee satisfaction with their jobs and decisions to commit or not to their organisations, investigated the impact of management styles on employee job satisfaction and organisational commitment. The study used a quantitative research approach in which three variables were tested using job satisfaction as a moderating factor. The study used a questionnaire that had eight Likert-scaled sections numbered from B to I with each section consisting of items that address a specific measurement or construct to collect data from 242 employees at Hu- lamin, Pietermaritzburg. The response rate was 97 percent. The reliability of these constructs was analysed using Chronbach’s Alpha statistic. The study findings revealed that not all management styles impact job satisfaction and organisational commitment. The autocratic management style had a significant negative impact on organisational commitment without job satisfaction as a moderating factor and with job satisfaction as a moderating factor. The democratic management style had a significant positive impact on organisational commitment in the absence of job satisfaction as a moderating factor and with job satisfaction as a moderating factor. It was discovered that the laissez-faire management style can be subdivided into two categories, which comprise of negative attitudes (-) and positive attitudes (+). The laissez-faire management style (-) had no significant impact on organisational commitment in the absence of job satisfaction as a moderating factor and still had no significant impact on organisational commitment with job satisfaction as a moderating factor. Job satisfaction had a significant positive impact on organisational commitment, but its presence in the regression model did not significantly affect the impact of both the laissez-faire(-) and laissez-faire(+) aspects of the laissez-faire management style on organisational commitment. The paternalistic style of management was found to have a significant positive impact on organisational commitment in the absence of job satisfaction as a moderating factor and still had no significant impact on organisational commitment with job satisfaction as a moderating factor. The persuasive management style had a significant negative impact on organisa- tional commitment without the moderating effects of job satisfaction. However, in the presence of job satisfaction, the persuasive management style had no significant impact on organisational commitment. As a result, job satisfaction had a significant moderating effect on the impact of the persuasive management style on organisational commitment. The study findings have implications for practice in organisations, organisational policy formulation and research focusing on the determinants for employee commitment in organisations.
Performance evaluation of a South African aluminium manufacturing company based in Pietermaritzburg: the Balanced Scorecard approach.
(2021) Mgabhi, Mandisa Precious.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.
The current state of manufacturing industry in South Africa is in decline. Measuring and evaluating the firm’s performance to compete, grow and withstand harsh external forces is necessary. This will assist business executives to formulate and implement strategies that will provide a clear roadmap to achieve desired objectives. To address performance of a manufacturing company, literature related to business performance measurements and evaluation methods was reviewed. Furthermore, the research explored literature related to Kaplan and Norton Balance Scorecard as theoretical framework adopted for this study. The literature reviewed the Balance Scorecard as a business performance measuring tool by exploring each Balance Scorecard perspective individually and its relationship with business strategy. This study adopted post-positivism (positivist) paradigm as the data was quantitative nature. The primary data was collected by means of questionnaires which were analysed by means of descriptive statistics. There were 217 questionnaires distributed to participants, 187 completed responses were received, yielding a response rate of 86%. The results were measured to be reliable using Cronbach’s alpha. The aim of this study was to evaluate business performance within a South African manufacturing company using Hulamin as the case. The results showed inconsistency amongst the four Balanced Scorecard perspectives. The respondents indicated positive response on customer perspective, internal business process perspective and performance management whereas on financial and learning and growth perspective respondents indicated negative responses. Furthermore, the results and literature indicated that the Balanced Scorecard is not an adequate tool to be solely used to evaluate overall business performance.
Psychosocial determinants of entrepreneurial readiness: the role of TVET institutions in Nigeria.
(2021) Adeniyi, Adeshina Olushola.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.; Derera, Evelyn.
Scholarly works in recent times have made substantial efforts to identify that aspects of entrepreneurship that can stimulate entrepreneurial readiness for venture creation. Perhaps some of the most investigated subjects are personality traits, education, and social values. Previous studies on the need for entrepreneurial skills have established a disparity between the curriculum, pedagogical methods and the required skills for business creation. As a result, identifying the determinants of entrepreneurial readiness is of utmost necessity considering the increasing rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria. This current study aimed at determining psychosocial factors of entrepreneurial readiness by examining the influence of entrepreneurship education (EE), entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) on entrepreneurial readiness. This research study was sustained by the pragmatism philosophical paradigm. Case study research design was employed, and the mixed method approach was used in the collection of data for the purpose of triangulation of results. Through the use of triangulation technique, questionnaires were administered to a sample of 301 exit level students of three selected Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in South-West Nigeria, using convenience sampling strategy. A response rate of 96% from the students was achieved. With the adoption of purposive sampling technique, nine entrepreneurship teachers were selected for in-depth interviews from the three selected TVET institutions. Eight of the respondents granted the interviews, which was 88% response rate. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data was achieved through the use of NVivo 12 software. SPSS version 25 was used in analysing the quantitative data. Descriptive and inferential statistics which include, Pearson’s correlation and regression analyses of the quantitative data were conducted to achieved the research objectives. Three hypotheses were formulated to test the conceptual model through multiple regression analysis. A significant association was found between EE and entrepreneurial readiness. ESE searching, planning and implementing were found to be significantly associated with entrepreneurial readiness, but ESE marshalling has no significant association with entrepreneurial readiness. IEO as a whole showed significant association with entrepreneurial readiness, while risk-taking propensity was non-significant with entrepreneurial readiness. The study established that the exit level students lack the skills to gather economic or business resources towards starting a business. The study also revealed that entrepreneurship curriculum at the selected TVET institutions lacks practical approach. There is no evidence in literature that attempts a mixed method approach to determine psychosocial factors of students’ entrepreneurial readiness in the context of TVET institutions in Nigeria. The outcome of this study revealed that EE, ESE and IEO are psychosocial determinants of entrepreneurial readiness.
Responsible and sustainable business practices: An empirical study of KwaZulu-Natal-based small and medium enterprises.
(2021) Dlamini, Andile.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.
Historically, responsible and sustainable business practices have been mostly associated with large companies, not only in developing countries, but all around the world. However, since the joint sitting of the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, embracing sustainable development has become paramount for all businesses regardless of their size. South Africa is one of the most prominent countries in Africa. In the past decades, it has undergone massive social and economic developments (increased large-scale trade, infrastructure developments, increase in industrialisation, technological advancements, etc.). Consequently, these developments have highly accelerated the severity of social and environmental deteriorations in the country. South African businesses now face unprecedented challenges such as climate change, environment degradation, scarcity of resources, etc. These challenges force businesses to implement more responsible business practices to support the current rapid pace of economic growth. In most developing countries, there is limited concrete evidence on the adoption of sustainable and responsible business practices, particularly in the small business sector. Previous studies have poorly highlighted the role of SMEs in social and environmental responsibility. This study sheds light on the dynamics of SMEs with regard to social and environmental engagement through viable business practices. This study has, among other key objectives, discussed the barriers that deter SMEs from becoming responsible enterprises and examined the key drivers behind SMEs’ engagement in responsible social and environmental undertakings. The Stakeholder theoretical framework has been the key guide for this study. A non-systematic literature review was conducted, where insights were drawn from a wide range of available secondary sources such as journal articles, books chapters, peer-reviewed publications research papers and online articles. Quantitative primary data were collected by means of a selfadministered survey instrument. A total sample size of 333 SMEs within the Durban Metropolitan area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were examined. Furthermore, a convenience sampling method was used to select participants with additional assistance from the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI). The study, however, yielded a 52% overall response rate. The acquired data were captured and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The data were then further construed by the researcher using a series of descriptive statistical methods. The empirical findings of the study revealed that 40.2% of SMEs in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal are aware and understand the social and environmental issues surrounding their business. However, 45.4% of SMEs in the area still have a limited understanding of responsible and sustainable business practices. Even though some of the SMEs surveyed provided no concrete evidence that they are responsible businesses. The data sourced shows that 82.8% of SMEs in the area believe that they are responsible businesses and that that they engage in activities that enhance the social and environmental wellbeing of their surroundings. The study ascertained some of the challenges that SMEs face with regard to adopting responsible and sustainable business practices in the area. These challenges were, among others, are limited resources, time constraints, lack of knowledge of such business practices.
The role of SMMEs in poverty alleviation : the case of Richmond Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2019) Ntinga, Patience Thandeka.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.
The Apartheid era in South Africa can be agreeably noted as a system of the past, but unfortunately its effects still find access to the South African communities to this day. It is the legacy of this era that still shackles the majority to poverty, due to the economic, political and social distortions. Thus, poverty in the Richmond local municipality was the focus of the study. The aim of the study was to discover the role that Small Medium and Micro Enterprises of this municipality play in alleviating poverty. Small Medium and Micro Enterprises are recognised across the globe as engines of economic growth, as they are key in the economic development and job creation which are critical in poverty alleviation. These types of business establishments have been the strength of economic development in South Africa, as the country is confronted with a challenge of poverty and unemployment which is reported at a high of 28.7% in the first quarter of 2018. The South African government recognises the importance of this sector of business activity, so much so that a ministry of Small Business Development was established in early 2014. This study condenses poverty that arises from economic, political and social distortions to absolute and relative poverty concepts and as a way of determining the role played by the Small Medium and Micro Enterprises in the Richmond local municipality. Moreover, Business Social Responsibility initiatives that focused on the employees, customers, environment and community were also ascertained. A quantitative data collection method was used to collect data from a sample of fifty-one (51) Small Medium and Micro Enterprises; and a complete enumeration survey was utilised. Questionnaires with closed-ended questions were used to collect data from the Small Medium and Micro Enterprises, and the response rate of the Small Medium and Micro Enterprises was 94.44%. Data was then analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22.0. The data was further analysed quantitatively using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the study largely revealed that Small Medium and Micro Enterprises play a significant role in the alleviation of poverty in the Richmond local municipality. Furthermore, the study established the age group 41 – 50 years to be the most active age group in these Small Medium and Micro Enterprises and most of the respondents have secondary education. Additionally, the results reveal that most of the Small Medium and Micro Enterprises have been in operation for over 6 years and general dealers are the leading nature of Small Medium and Micro Enterprises. Of the study recommendations, is that the Municipality works hand in hand with Small Medium and Micro Enterprises in the pursuit of alleviating poverty; Small Medium and Micro Enterprises seek alternative streams of funding and that they continue exhaustively partaking in the non-monetary dependent Business Social Responsibility initiatives.
The significance of microfinance in the growth of small and medium enterprises in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
(2022) Makekita, Renate Ntumpi.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.
Despite the recognised potential of South African small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in addressing the socio-economic issues, access to microfinance services has always been one of the major challenges faced by most SMEs in the country, which hinders their growth and development. To determine the financial and nonfinancial options provided by microfinance institutions and how they influence growth of SMEs in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. The study focuses on the microfinancing options available for the development of SMEs in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. The study adopted a descriptive research approach. A quantitative survey was conducted on a sample of 153 SMEs’ owners and managers, identified randomly. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 were used to analyse data. The Pearson Chi-Square test was used to test for independence or association of categorical variables to determine the relationship between variables that form the basis of the study. The study revealed that a significant number of SMEs are not gaining access to microfinance whilst a limited number do and are experiencing growth. SMEs obtained financial assistance in the form of loans to start-up their businesses. Significant nonfinancial assistance accessed by SMEs from microfinance institutions included business plan writing and business governance. SMEs faced challenges of lack of awareness, employment formality and nationality constraints in accessing microfinance services. The chi-square test results reveal that significant growth is influenced by age, level of education, type of business, motivation of opening business, and access to MFIs.
The relationship between human capital development and performance: a case of Lagos State University in Nigeria.
(2023) Lawal, Ibrahim Olanrewaju.; Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman.