Intuitive competitive intelligence: the entrepreneurial path to success for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector in the Eastern Cape Province.
| dc.contributor.advisor | Mutambara, Emmanuel. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Ganda, Fortune. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Nguza-Mduba, Bulelwa. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-04-19T09:47:27Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-04-19T09:47:27Z | |
| dc.date.created | 2020 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020 | |
| dc.description | Doctoral Degrees. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | The aim of this study was to examine whether small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector in Eastern Cape Province (ECP) employed intuitive competitive intelligence (ICI) to succeed in the business world. The research objectives were to determine practices that assisted SMTEs in ECP, to succeed in the business world; ascertain how SMTEs enterprises’ characteristics in ECP affected their ICI; investigate whether external forces influenced ICI practices of SMTEs in the province; identify a framework that could be developed to enhance understanding and research on ICI practices for SMTEs’ entrepreneurial success in the ECP. The study used mixed methods research. The study participants comprised of 100 business owners, 30 public body officials in the respective municipalities and 99 tourists, totalling 299 participants. For SMTEs sampling was done through random sampling, for public body officials, purposive sampling was used, while for tourists, convenience sampling was employed. The empirical data was gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed to all the participants. The quantitative data analysis was done using the SPSS, in which descriptive statistics and regression analysis (multiple and logistic) were undertaken. The qualitative data analysis was achieved using inductive and thematic analysis procedures. Findings confirmed that SMTEs are faced with challenges that affect their sustainability and entrepreneurial success, such as low level of education, dependence on a few workers who undertake multiple tasks in the enterprise, and racial background of business owners. Tourists indicated that SMTEs had poor infrastructure to access accommodation facilities, location of the facility and service provided. Public bodies did understand tourism policies though they did not have a reliable database of SMTEs to provide them with support, more especially those established in rural areas. Drawing from empirical studies and literature review, this research proposes an ICI framework to comprehend and research intuitive competitive intelligence practices. Recommendations mentioned that the study should be replicated in other provinces for comparison purposes of ICI application. A study of performance of district and local municipalities should be undertaken to determine and try to solve problems that affect tourism activities, as well as developing strategies to attract tourists to ECP. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/20325 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.subject.other | Tourism industry. | en_US |
| dc.subject.other | Entrepreneurial success. | en_US |
| dc.title | Intuitive competitive intelligence: the entrepreneurial path to success for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector in the Eastern Cape Province. | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |