MICROENTERPRISE GROWTH AT THE BASE OF THE PYRAMID: A RESOURCE-BASED PERSPECTIVE

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (04) ◽  
pp. 1350026 ◽  
Author(s):  
JUSTIN W. WEBB ◽  
MICHAEL H. MORRIS ◽  
RUBIN PILLAY
Keyword(s):  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
South African ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Base Of The Pyramid ◽  
Institutional Voids ◽  
Business Skills ◽  
Potential Sources

In a base-of-the-pyramid context, the ability to start ventures is often quite robust because micro-entrepreneurs are able to start with few resources and can often sustain ventures for extended lengths of time in the absence of meaningful revenues. Yet, the ability to grow ventures tends to be much more problematic. This paper examines the role of resources in yielding competitive advantage for microenterprises in base-of-the-pyramid markets, arguing that the value of resources is a function of their ability to supplement formal institutional voids. We consider access to formal infrastructure, assets that provide stability and business skills as potential sources of competitive advantage. We also examine the effect of resource allocation tactics on microenterprise growth. We test our theory using a sample of South African microenterprise owners. Implications are drawn for ongoing theory development and practice.

scholarly journals The Biogeographical Foundations of African Marketing Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-87
Author(s):  
Paul T. M. Ingenbleek
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
The North ◽  
Potential Sources ◽  
Marketing Systems ◽  
Geological Boundaries ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Evolutionary Consequences ◽  
Formal And Informal Sectors

The marketing literature is showing an increasing interest in Africa. This article addresses the contextual macro-level characteristics that such studies have in common, and traces the typical characteristics of African marketing systems back to their ultimately biogeographical foundations. These foundations include the north-south orientation of the main continental axis, the low presence of geological boundaries such as mountains and rivers, and Africa as the “cradle of mankind.” Through their evolutionary consequences, these factors evolved into the aggregate marketing system traits typical to Africa, which include the existence of multi-level markets connected by traders, a sharp distinction between the formal and informal sectors, and an overwhelming presence of micro-entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers. This analysis generates new insights into, among others, the role of biogeographical factors in marketing systems theory and the potential sources of competitive advantage and disadvantage for the endogenous African firms inherent to the system.

scholarly journals The Role of Basic Business Skills Development and Their Influence on South African Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise Sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Juan-Pierré Bruwer ◽  
Judith Smith
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Foreseeable Future ◽  
Business Skills ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
The Individual

South African Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) have received vast amounts of attention from both government and scholars over the years, mainly due to the socio-economic value they add to the national economy. Notwithstanding the importance of these business entities to the South African economy, prior research suggests that South African SMMEs have one of the worst sustainability rates in the world; mainly attributable to the influence of unmanaged economic factors. Included in these economic factors is the matter of a scarcity of skills, particularly that of basic business skills. Though limited research has been conducted on the individual business skills which require development in South African SMMEs the perception was formulated that the development of basic business skills in these business entities may have a positive influence on their attainment of key businesses objectives in the foreseeable future. As such, empirical research was performed which fell within the positivistic research paradigm; data were gleaned from South African SMME management through means of a questionnaire. Stemming from the results, it was found that although there is a dire need for the development of basic business skills in South African SMMEs. It can be argued that some basic business skills were more important to develop than others as only a few had a positive influence on the attainment of business objectives.  

scholarly journals The resource-based view and marketing: The role of market-based assets in gaining competitive advantage

2001 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 777-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajendra K. Srivastava ◽  
Liam Fahey ◽  
H. Kurt Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Customer Value ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Shareholder Value ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Practice Management ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Resource Based View

This article posits a framework that shows how market-based assets and capabilities are leveraged via market-facing or core business processes to deliver superior customer value and competitive advantages. These value elements and competitive advantages can be leveraged to result in superior corporate performance and shareholder value and reinvested to nurture market-based assets and capabilities in the future. The article also illustrates how resource-based view (RBV) and marketing considerations in the context of generating and sustaining customer value can refine and extend each other’s traditional frames of analysis. Finally, the article posits a set of research directions designed to enable scholars to further advance the integration of RBV and marketing from both theory-driven practice management as well as a problem-driven theory development perspectives.

scholarly journals The Role of Basic Business Skills Development and Their Influence on South African Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise Sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2(J)) ◽  
pp. 48-62
Author(s):  
Juan-Pierrà Bruwer ◽  
Judith Smith
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Foreseeable Future ◽  
Business Skills ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
The Individual

South African Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) have received vast amounts of attention from both government and scholars over the years, mainly due to the socio-economic value they add to the national economy. Notwithstanding the importance of these business entities to the South African economy, prior research suggests that South African SMMEs have one of the worst sustainability rates in the world; mainly attributable to the influence of unmanaged economic factors. Included in these economic factors is the matter of a scarcity of skills, particularly that of basic business skills. Though limited research has been conducted on the individual business skills which require development in South African SMMEs the perception was formulated that the development of basic business skills in these business entities may have a positive influence on their attainment of key businesses objectives in the foreseeable future. As such, empirical research was performed which fell within the positivistic research paradigm; data were gleaned from South African SMME management through means of a questionnaire. Stemming from the results, it was found that although there is a dire need for the development of basic business skills in South African SMMEs. It can be argued that some basic business skills were more important to develop than others as only a few had a positive influence on the attainment of business objectives.  

Placental Heterogeneity in Stillbirth and Its Relations to Maternal Exogenous Characteristics

2021 ◽  
pp. 109352662110631
Author(s):  
Nompumelelo Z. Mtshali ◽  
Steven M. Burgess ◽  
Salome Maswime ◽  
Colleen A. Wright
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Intrauterine Infection ◽  
Maternal Characteristics ◽  
Generalized Patterns ◽  
Maternal Hiv ◽  
Consensus Classification ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Heterogeneous patterns of placental lesions in stillbirth signal important variations in placental histopathology that may be diagnostic in stillbirth. We explore placental heterogeneity and its associations with maternal characteristics (including HIV) using latent class analysis. Methods: Placental and maternal data and slides were assessed retrospectively for 122 confirmed stillbirths (gestational age ≥ 28 weeks) delivered at a major South African academic hospital between January 2016–July 2018. The slides were reviewed by 2 pathologists and classified using the Amsterdam Consensus Classification System. Latent class analyses were conducted on raw data. Results: We identify 5 latent placental classes in stillbirth based on similarity in patterns of observed diagnostic criteria and their associations with maternal characteristics. Three classes bear similarity to generalized patterns of placental injury identified previously. Our study shows that intrauterine infection was the commonest histopathological condition associated with stillbirth in our setting. Novel findings include 2 classes, distinguished by high placental RPH and maternal HIV, respectively, and the non-emergence of a class distinguished by VUE. Conclusion: The size and content of the latent classes and their similarity/dissimilarity to the more generalized patterns identified previously suggest potential new avenues for investigation and theory development concerning the role of the placenta in stillbirth and the impact of HIV.

Learning Zulu

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Cultural History ◽  
South African ◽  
Press Coverage ◽  
African History ◽  
African Culture ◽  
The Past ◽  
Correct Form ◽  
Linguistic Purism

When this book's author began studying Zulu, he was often questioned why he was learning it. This book places the author's endeavors within a wider context to uncover how, in the past 150 years of South African history, Zulu became a battleground for issues of property, possession, and deprivation. The book combines elements of analysis and memoir to explore a complex cultural history. Perceiving that colonial learners of Zulu saw themselves as repairing harm done to Africans by Europeans, the book reveals deeper motives at work in the development of Zulu-language learning—from the emergence of the pidgin Fanagalo among missionaries and traders in the nineteenth century to widespread efforts, in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, to teach a correct form of Zulu. The book looks at the white appropriation of Zulu language, music, and dance in South African culture, and at the association of Zulu with a martial masculinity. In exploring how Zulu has come to represent what is most properly and powerfully African, the book examines differences in English- and Zulu-language press coverage of an important trial, as well as the role of linguistic purism in xenophobic violence in South Africa. Through one person's efforts to learn the Zulu language, the book explores how a language's history and politics influence all individuals in a multilingual society.

ROLE OF LIBRARIANS IN TEACHING INFORMATION LITERACY IN ZIMBABWEAN AND SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinashe Mugwisi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
Information Skills ◽  
The University

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the Internet have to a large extent influenced the way information is made available, published and accessed. More information is being produced too frequently and information users now require certain skills to sift through this multitude in order to identify what is appropriate for their purposes. Computer and information skills have become a necessity for all academic programmes. As libraries subscribe to databases and other peer-reviewed content (print and electronic), it is important that users are also made aware of such sources and their importance. The purpose of this study was to examine the teaching of information literacy (IL) in universities in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and the role played by librarians in creating information literate graduates. This was done by examining whether such IL programmes were prioritised, their content and how frequently they were reviewed. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to 12 university libraries in Zimbabwe and 21 in South Africa. A total of 25 questionnaires were returned. The findings revealed that IL was being taught in universities library and non-library staff, was compulsory and contributed to the term mark in some institutions. The study also revealed that 44 per cent of the total respondents indicated that the libraries were collaborating with departments and faculty in implementing IL programmes in universities. The study recommends that IL should be an integral part of the university programmes in order to promote the use of databases and to guide students on ethical issues of information use.

The role of human resources in processes of portuguese firms’ RD&I certification and development

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sérgio Gomes ◽  
Vítor Braga ◽  
Alexandra Braga
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Research Development ◽  
Innovation Activities

Innovation is seen as a competitive advantage that many companies use to ensure the continuity and success of your business.NP 4457:2007 is the Portuguese norm that supports management, based on a model of innovation backed up by interfaces and interaction between technical/scientific knowledge, its specific mechanisms and the overall society.Our paper aims to analyse innovation activities and the involvement of human resources in Portuguese firms certified by NP4457 and associated to the implementation of Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I) management systems. We have collected the data through IPAC’s database, using a survey administered to all firms.Our results suggest the existence of a Human Resources (HR) involvement policy, customers and suppliers. The involvement of stakeholders with innovation activities results of its acceptance as a mechanism able to generate wealth, with benefits for both firms and the community.

Problematic Political Consumerism

2018 ◽  
pp. 698-720
Author(s):  
Michele Micheletti ◽  
Didem Oral
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
Ideal Type ◽  
Type Model ◽  
Political Consumerism ◽  
Research Challenges ◽  
Moral Claims

Typically, political consumerism is portrayed in straightforward, unproblematic ways. This chapter discusses how and why political consumerism—and particularly boycotts—can be confusing and problematic. Theoretically it focuses on moral dilemmas within political consumerism and the key role of overriding moral claims in the motivations for and actions of political consumer causes. An ideal type model, constructed for analyzing unproblematic and problematic political consumerism, is applied to cases of more unproblematic political consumerism (e.g., the Nestlé, Nike, and South African boycotts) and more problematic political consumerism (e.g., the Disney boycott and the movement against Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestine territories). The chapter also addresses why other forms of political consumerism (buycotts and discursive actions) seem less vulnerable to moral dilemmas as well as the research challenges in studying more problematic cases of political consumerism.

scholarly journals Truth and reconciliation in South Africa: Hindu experiences and concerns

2004 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
P.G.J. Meiring
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Truth And Reconciliation Commission ◽  
Faith Communities ◽  
The South ◽  
Reconciliation Commission ◽  
Truth And Reconciliation ◽  
Hindu Community ◽  
The Way

The author who served on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), focuses on the Hindu experience in South Africa during the apartheid years. At a special TRC Hearing for Faith Communities (East London, 17-19 November 1997) two submissions by local Hindu leaders were tabled. Taking his cues from those submissions, the author discusses four issues: the way the Hindu community suffered during these years, the way in which some members of the Hindu community supported the system of apartheid, the role of Hindus in the struggle against apartheid, and finally the contribution of the Hindu community towards reconciliation in South Africa. In conclusion some notes on how Hindus and Christians may work together in th

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