The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management最新文献

{"title":"The role of financial management training in developing skills and financial self-efficacy","authors":"Corrinna L. Kirsten","doi":"10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.211","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.211","url":null,"abstract":"Background:  Financial management is an essential management function for any small business. Short-term financial management is especially crucial for start-ups and established businesses. Owners of small businesses in South Africa often need to perform this function themselves; however, many do not possess the skills and practices required to perform this function effectively. Financial self-efficacy acts as an important motivating factor in managing the finances of a business. Focused training is important in developing financial management skills, but little research has been conducted to determine whether this type of training improves financial management skills and financial self-efficacy. Aim:  To determine whether a tailor-made financial management training course improves the development of short-term financial management skills and financial self-efficacy of small business owners in South Africa. Setting:  This study sampled small business owners who attended a tailor-made financial management training course that focused on short-term financial management principles. Method:  A quasi-experimental study using a pre-test–post-test single-group design was applied using self-administered questionnaires. Results:  The results from a one-tailed paired-sample  t -test show that the training course significantly improved both the development of short-term financial management skills and the financial self-efficacy of participants. Conclusion:  Tailor-made financial management training courses enhance the short-term financial management skills of owners of small businesses and also improve their financial self-efficacy. By improving both their skills and self-efficacy, small business owners are likely to make better financial decisions and be more motivated to implement financial management practices.","PeriodicalId":274251,"journal":{"name":"The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management","volume":"77 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116462562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Self-service banking and financial literacy as prognosticators of business performance among rural small and medium-sized enterprises in Zimbabwe","authors":"Eugine Tafadzwa Maziriri, M. Mapuranga, N. Madinga","doi":"10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.180","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.180","url":null,"abstract":"Background:  This investigation breaks new ground by examining an inventive monetary approach (the utilisation of technology-based self-service banking, borrowing financial literacy and budgeting financial literacy) that, if embraced by rural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), can enhance business performance. Despite the expanded readiness of technology, the significance of rural SMEs has largely been overlooked, particularly in developing countries of Southern Africa. Therefore, the principal objective of this study is to fill this void. Aim:  The current study aims to investigate the impact of technology-based self-service banking, borrowing financial literacy and budgeting financial literacy on the business performance of rural SMEs within the agricultural sector of Zimbabwe. Setting:  In this study, data were collected in the rural area of Bindura, Zimbabwe. Method:  The study utilised a quantitative research design using a structured questionnaire. Data was collected from 151 managers, SME owners and heads of accounting departments within rural SMEs that are operating in the rural area of Bindura. Smart partial least squares was used to analyse the data. Results:  Technology-based self-service banking, borrowing financial literacy and budgeting financial literacy had a positive and a significant impact on business performance. Therefore, all three hypotheses were supported. Hence, the study’s findings validate the assertion that prognosticators such as technology-based self-service banking, borrowing financial literacy and budgeting financial literacy are instrumental in stimulating business performance among rural SMEs in Zimbabwe. A robust relationship was also found between budgeting financial literacy and business performance. Conclusion:  This study offers fruitful implications to academics by making a significant contribution to finance, accounting and small business management literature by systematically exploring the impact of technology-based self-service banking, borrowing financial literacy and budgeting financial literacy on business performance. This study stands to add new knowledge to the present body of finance, accounting and small business management literature in Africa – a context that is often ignored by academics in developing countries.","PeriodicalId":274251,"journal":{"name":"The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management","volume":"2015 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114606287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A qualitative approach to the entrepreneurial education and intentions nexus: A case of Zimbabwean polytechnic students","authors":"T. Ndofirepi, P. Rambe","doi":"10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.81","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.81","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Owing to the popularity of entrepreneurship as an alternative to formal employment, entrepreneurship education has become the main instrument for equipping graduates with survivalist and innovative skills for new venture creation in their post-college life. However, despite the growing body of literature on the entrepreneurship education–entrepreneurial intention nexus, there are limited studies based on qualitative methodologies covering this relationship.Aim: This article develops an in-depth understanding of the interface between exposure to entrepreneurship education and the entrepreneurial intention of students.Setting: The study draws on the perceptions of 27 purposively selected national certificate level students at a Zimbabwean polytechnic.Methods: The study used an interpretive qualitative research design, with data being collected through focus group discussions.Results: Findings suggest that while passive learning and teaching methods were critical to orienting students towards the entrepreneurship field, over-dependence on theoretical content, teacher-dominated delivery, the absence of deep practical orientation and engagement with industry undermined the significance of tertiary level entrepreneurship education.Conclusion: To enrich the development of potential entrepreneurs, the implication of these findings is that educators and policymakers should address various aspects of the entrepreneurship education value chain (from content creation, delivery strategy, enhancing practical orientation of the subject, and developing lasting relations with industry long before entrepreneurship starts) that potentially affect students’ willingness to engage in future entrepreneurship.","PeriodicalId":274251,"journal":{"name":"The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management","volume":"30 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123424736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using experiential marketing to leverage the small and medium-sized enterprises’ brand repositioning and revitalisation","authors":"B. Okanga","doi":"10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.128","url":null,"abstract":"Background:  It is easily discernible from theories that experiential marketing spawns frequent brand diagnosis, repositioning and revitalisation. However, the question as to how it can be used to leverage the repositioning and revitalisation of the usually struggling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs’) products is an area that has not been explored in most of the contemporary studies on how to improve SMEs’ market performance. Aim:  This research explores how experiential marketing can be effectively utilised to facilitate the repositioning and revitalisation of the usually struggling SMEs’ products. Setting:  The study was based on the SMEs in the Gauteng and Western Cape provinces in South Africa. Method:  The study used an inductive–exploratory–qualitative research paradigm to explore the opinions of 30 SMEs’ marketing managers on the values and challenges of using experiential marketing to undertake relevant brand diagnosis, repositioning and revitalisation. It is through such analysis that the study aimed to discern how experiential marketing can be effectively used to facilitate the repositioning and revitalisation of the usually struggling SMEs’ products. Results:  However, most of the SMEs were only found to use experiential marketing to leverage not only their promotion and marketing capabilities, as well as sales and profitability maximisation, but also the minimisation of the costs of marketing. Such approach was found to limit SMEs’ capabilities to proactively undertake brand diagnosis to identify the inhibitors of a brand’s effective market performance that must be addressed to turn around the performance of their struggling products or business concepts. Conclusion:  Considering that not much research has been conducted in this area, the study concludes with the experiential marketing framework that explicates how experiential marketing leverages brand diagnosis, repositioning and revitalisation.","PeriodicalId":274251,"journal":{"name":"The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129940396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Constraints to growth in informal sector activities and formalisation: A case study of Ghanaian slums","authors":"D. Mahadea, L. Zogli","doi":"10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.130","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Globally, people often migrate from rural to urban areas in search of employment. Lack of adequate employment opportunities in cities forced individuals to engage in slum informal economic activities out of necessity.Aim: The informal sector presently employed about 86% of labour in Ghana, contributing 42% to its gross domestic product (GDP). Various constraints held back the development of slum informal activities. Formalising the informal sector is advocated as a step to generate employment. This article investigated the dynamics of informal sector activities and formalisation among slum operators in Ghana, based on a survey in two major cities there.Setting: This article investigated the constraints that hinder the development of slum activities in Accra and Kumasi, two cities in Ghana, and examined the informal operators’ subjective well-being and their willingness to graduate to the formal sector, should the constraints be addressed.Methods: Data were collected by means of a questionnaire, administered to a random sample of 342 informal slum operators. Enterprise constraints are examined by using the principal component analysis (PCA) method and the likelihood of the informal operators’ graduating to the formal sector by using logistic regression.Results: The PCA identified six clusters as limitations, explaining about 77% of the variation in constraints. These related to a lack of business knowledge, credit access, tools and materials, security and social networking. The logistic regression results reflect that, of all the constraints, it is only when access to capital is addressed, that slum operators will move into formal activities.Conclusion: When people are happy in what they are doing, they are reluctant to move to the formal sector, despite incentives or interventions that address their enterprise constraints. Hence, slum operators and informal activities are unlikely to disappear. Nevertheless, policy-makers have to devise appropriate financing strategies for slum operators to help in their formalisation and growth pathways.","PeriodicalId":274251,"journal":{"name":"The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125512529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Logistics outsourcing and performance of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises in Nairobi","authors":"Joash Mageto, G. Prinsloo, R. Luke","doi":"10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/SAJESBM.V10I1.162","url":null,"abstract":"Background:  Logistics outsourcing has been accepted as a strategy through which small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can access the logistics capabilities they lack internally at a lower cost. However, the actual effect of logistics outsourcing on firm performance, especially among the SMEs in Nairobi, remains unknown. Aim:  The study aimed to investigate the relationship between logistics outsourcing and firm performance of manufacturing SMEs in Nairobi. Setting:  The study sampled manufacturing SMEs in Nairobi City County. Method:  In this study, a convergent parallel mixed methods design was applied. Survey data were collected from 163 manufacturing SMEs. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling to test the relationship between logistics outsourcing and firm performance. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted in five manufacturing SMEs. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interview data to provide more insight in the quantitative data. Results:  The anticipated direct link between logistics outsourcing and performance of manufacturing SMEs was not statistically significant. However, the study revealed a statistically significant indirect positive effect of logistics outsourcing on the performance of manufacturing SMEs through logistics outsourcing performance as a mediator variable. This article further highlights reasons and the process of logistics outsourcing and deduces a logistics outsourcing model for manufacturing SMEs to help improve their firm’s performance. Conclusion:  The established relationship and deduced logistics outsourcing model is likely to guide SME managers as to how to manage logistics outsourcing to improve performance. The finding that logistics outsourcing has a positive indirect effect on the performance of manufacturing SMEs through logistics outsourcing performance makes a significant contribution to theory.","PeriodicalId":274251,"journal":{"name":"The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133363744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}