scholarly journals Environmental influences, employee resourcing strategies and small and medium-sized enterprises performance: Case of South African small restaurants

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Honest Mupani ◽  
Crispen Chipunza
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
South African ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Business Failure ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: Small businesses’ contribution to economic growth and employment creation cannot be disputed in South Africa, amid operating in an environment that is highly competitive and reports of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) high failure rates, in general. In view of this, and to our knowledge, no known theoretical study has been conducted in South Africa examining how certain environmental factors might influence the use of appropriate resourcing strategies for improved small businesses’ performance.Research purpose: This theoretical article investigates the relationships between environmental influences, employee resourcing strategies and business performance among South African small restaurants.Motivation for the study: There is a paucity of literature that has explored whether a relationship exists between the three variables among small restaurant businesses in South Africa, justifying the need for such an investigation.Research approach/design and method: This article, which is conceptual in nature, adopted a systematic literature review which entails combining all existing research literature related to the three variables so as to arrive at logical inferences.Main findings: The research contends that a relationship exists between the three variables.Practical/managerial implications: Small businesses need to be aware of the environmental influences that may contribute to business failure so that they attune employee resourcing strategies to the environment to achieve high performance.Contribution/value add: The article contributes to extant literature on the interplay between environmental factors, resourcing strategies and firm performance in small restaurant businesses of emerging economies.

scholarly journals Trust and organisational performance: A grounded theory approach for a South African district municipality

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zwelinzima J. Ndevu
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
South African ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Organisational Performance ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: A key role of local government in providing transparent, honest, accountable, efficient and effective service delivery to the communities they serve is determined by a number of plans, designs, actions and implementation. Trust among communities in the organisational set up is key in the success or failure of the efforts of the municipal entity and affects their individual and group performance.Research purpose: This study examines the relationship between trust and performance within a municipal environment and its effect on service delivery.Motivation for the study: The lack of sufficient and usable knowledge and information on the issue created the need for this research project that is an on-going effort dissecting and analysing key human resources challenges in the public sector.Research approach/design and method: Following a brief outline of the legislation, rules and regulations that determine the responsibilities of local government in South Africa and the context of the study, the qualitative method and design of focus groups as the key instrument of data collection was identified and analysed.Main findings: The results of the study pointed to the lack of trust among leadership and employees at all organisational levels.Practical/managerial implications: The existence of mistrust and problems identified in the process of performance management and evaluation has negative consequences on employee performance in the municipality.Contribution/value-add: The study findings have opened new doors to understanding key elements of organisational performance as the topic has received very scant attention in South African research literature.

scholarly journals A review of four decades of research in organisational career psychology by academia in South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dries Schreuder ◽  
Melinde Coetzee
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Career Guidance ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Career Interventions ◽  
Career Psychology ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Career Research

Orientation: Career research in organisations has increased in importance since the 1970s, which heralded new directions for organisational career research and practice both globally and nationally. Research purpose: The study critically reviewed trends in organisational career psychology research in South Africa from 1970 to 2011 in terms of global and present national challenges that require empirical investigation in the contemporary South African world of work context.Motivation for the study: The increasingly complex contexts, in which people have been pursuing their careers since the catalytic 1970s, demand the continuous generation and development of knowledge for the benefit of the discipline and practice of careers.Research design, approach and method: A broad systematic review was carried out to analyse documented academia research (N = 110) on careers from 1970 to 2011, which was published in six accredited South African scientific journals.Main findings: Much of the research addressed issues pertaining to career theory and concepts, the world of work and career assessment and technology. Career development, professional issues and organisational career interventions in the multi-cultural South African context appear to be under-researched.Practical/managerial implications: The insight derived from the findings can be employed by academia and researchers, in this field, to plan future research initiatives that will contribute to the profession and practice of career guidance and counselling in the contemporary workplace.Contribution/value-add: The findings provide preliminary insight that adds to the body of knowledge concerned with career studies in the South African organisational context.

scholarly journals Nigerian tourists to South Africa: Challenges, expectations and demands

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikechukwu O. Ezeuduji
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Flight Costs ◽  
Study Results ◽  
New Business ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Targeted Marketing ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: Identification of tourists’ needs and finding ways of satisfying them is crucial to any tourism destination.Research purpose: This paper investigated the challenges, demands and expectations of Nigerian tourists to South Africa.Motivation for the study: Nigeria, along with other African nations, has been identified as one of the core regional source markets with air links to South Africa. Increasing revenue generated from regional tourism is important to South African Tourism.Research design, approach and method: Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to analyse the data collected using a questionnaire survey of 320 Nigerian tourists to South Africa.Main findings: Results showed that Nigerian tourists visit South Africa mostly for the purposes of business, holiday, visiting friends and relatives, education and medical care. Challenges perceived by these Nigerian tourists visiting South Africa include long waiting time for the visa process in Nigeria, expensive cost of living in South Africa, safety and security problems, not so many airlines to choose from and expensive flight costs. Nigerian tourists mostly expect South Africans to be friendlier and have expectations of linking up with new business partners or performing transactions. They also have a strong demand for shopping, leisure and quality education.Practical/managerial implications: This study recommends a bilateral tourism relationship agreement between the Nigerian and South African governments to ameliorate the visa process; targeted marketing communications by South African Tourism toward Nigerian tourists based on study results; strong police presence and proper policing in South Africa; air transport liberalisation and low-cost carriers implementation for shared economic growth within the African region.Contribution/value-add: No former research has specifically identified Nigerian tourists’ challenges, expectations and demands whilst visiting South Africa.

scholarly journals Reconceptualising undergraduate entrepreneurship education at traditional South African universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manduth Ramchander
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Postgraduate Level ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Start Ups

Orientation: The relatively high number of unemployed graduates in South Africa is a major cause for concern. Entrepreneurial start-ups have been heralded as the panacea to the unemployment challenge.Research purpose: The aim of this study was to ascertain how entrepreneurship education, at traditional South African universities, measured against existing entrepreneurship education frameworks.Motivation for the study: Despite a plethora of entrepreneurship education initiatives, the South African higher education system fails to produce sufficient entrepreneurs; hence, the need to explore how entrepreneurship education is structured.Research design, approach and method: The research design was exploratory and both quantitative and qualitative in nature. The population comprised the eleven traditional universities in South Africa and all of them were included in the study. Secondary data was obtained from the respective universities’ websites. The search sequence in the websites were as follows: Faculty of commerce/Management Sciences, Year/handbook, undergraduate/postgraduate programmes. The word ‘entrepreneurship’ was also used as a keyword to search within the university website.Main findings: The findings revealed some entrepreneurship modules, with low total credit value in relation to total programme credit value, at the undergraduate level and specialisation at the postgraduate level with some form of centre or incubator initiatives. It was also found that little attention is given to the development of entrepreneurial skills such as perseverance, resilience and self-efficacy.Practical/managerial implications: The significance of this article lies in its potential to guide the reconceptualisation of entrepreneurship education at South African universities.Contribution/value-add: This study integrates an existing framework and model to reconceptualise the undergraduate entrepreneurship programme. The reconceptualised structure entails a programme where modules from other disciplines are integrated into an entrepreneurship programme as opposed to the current structure where entrepreneurship modules are integrated into other career-focussed programmes.

scholarly journals Human resource management as a profession in South Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huma Van Rensburg ◽  
Johan S. Basson ◽  
Nasima M.H. Carrim
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Sampling Strategy ◽  
The United States ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Hr Management ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Bona Fide ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: Various countries recognise human resource (HR) management as a bona fide profession. Research purpose: The objective of this study was to establish whether one could regard HR management, as practised in South Africa, as a profession.Motivation for the study: Many countries are reviewing the professionalisation of HR management. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the professional standing of HR management in South Africa.Research design, approach and method: The researchers used a purposive sampling strategy involving 95 participants. The researchers achieved triangulation by analysing original documents of the regulating bodies of the medical, legal, engineering and accounting professions internationally and locally as well as the regulating bodies of HR management in the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA) and Canada. Seventy- eight HR professionals registered with the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) completed a questionnaire. The researchers analysed the data using content analysis and Lawshe’s Content Validity Ratio (CVR).Main findings: The results confirm that HR management in South Africa adheres to the four main pillars of professionalism and is a bona fide profession.Practical/managerial implications: The article highlights the need to regulate and formalise HR management in South Africa.Contribution/value-add: This study identifies a number of aspects that determine professionalism and isolates the most important elements that one needs to consider when regulating the HR profession.

scholarly journals Constructing racial hierarchies of skill – Experiencing affirmative action in a South African organisation: A qualitative review

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanya Reuben ◽  
Shaida Bobat
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
South African ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Traditional Approaches

Orientation: Apartheid in South Africa constructed racial, economic, social and political segregation, the consequences of which are still experienced today. Government has made concerted efforts to ‘deracialise’ South Africa, most notably through affirmative action (AA) measures.Research purpose: This study aimed to explore employees’ social constructions of AA in a South African organisation.Motivation for the study: Research in this field focuses mostly on attitudinal perspectives of AA with an emphasis on traditional approaches. Subjective, contextualised approaches to AA have received little attention. Thus, this study aimed to critically engage with the embodied nature of prejudice, particularly in reference to how we understand and experience AA.Research approach, design and method: This study aimed to explore AA from a social constructionist orientation, using semi-structured interviews. More specifically, this study used Potter and Wetherell’s discursive psychology.Main findings: The findings illustrate how participants engage in discursive devices that continue to rationalise a racial order of competence. Ultimately, AA is a controversial subject that traverses many segments of life for all South Africans.Practical/managerial implications: The findings contribute to the discipline of industrial psychology, particularly with regard to policies around preferential treatment, and can add value to the ways in which organisational policy documents are conceptualised. The findings also suggest the importance of developing an inclusive, non-discriminatory organisational culture.Contribution/value-add: This approach adds to the existing body of knowledge around the embodied nature of prejudice. The study’s methodology highlights the value of studying context in meaning-making and implied inferences that underlie talk.

scholarly journals The use of storytelling in quantitative research reports: A marketing research firm perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Maritz ◽  
Daniel J. Petzer ◽  
Christine De Meyer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Marketing Research ◽  
Business Impact ◽  
Strategic Value ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: Actionable reporting ensures that a marketing research firm communicates with clients to achieve business impact as opposed to merely communicating data to clients. Storytelling communicates with impact as it focuses on creating engagement and inspiring action.Research purpose: This article investigates the use of storytelling as a tool for actionable reporting by South African marketing research firmsMotivation for the study: Clients of marketing research firms often criticise research reports as being too technical and lacking in strategic value. Storytelling is a reporting technique that can be used to develop actionable research and provide clients with more strategic value. Research design, approach and method: A total of 26 in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with client service directors and managers of marketing research firms that deliver quantitative research reports to clients.Main findings: Results indicated that all marketing research firms but one use storytelling. Barriers that impede more regular use are inexperienced research executives and the time intensity associated with creating stories.Practical/managerial implications: Storytelling should be used by marketing research firms to provide clients with more actionable research.Contribution/value-add: The study provides marketing research firms in South Africa with recommendations as to how to implement storytelling as a reporting technique, which will add value to clients and enable marketing research firms to remain competitive and develop relationships with clients. 

scholarly journals Understanding relational conditions necessary for effective mentoring of black-owned small businesses: A South African perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Makatleho J. Matabooe ◽  
Elmarie Venter ◽  
Chantal Rootman
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Culture Sensitivity ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
African Perspective ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: To gain an understanding of the relational conditions required for effective mentoring of black-owned small businesses.Research purpose: To identify relational-based conditions for effective mentoring, which can be used to enhance business management skills of owner-managers of black-owned small businesses and eventually improve the survival of these businesses in South Africa.Motivation for the study: By identifying relational-based conditions needed for effective mentoring of black-owned small businesses, recommendations can be put forward that could help achieve harmonious mentoring relationships and ultimately ensure effective mentoring of these businesses.Research design, approach and method: An interpretivism paradigm was adopted and aqualitative research methodology was selected. Semistructured interviews were used to gauge the perceptions of participants about relational issues necessary for effective mentoring. Content and constant comparative analyses were used to analyse data.Main findings: The findings revealed that conditions surrounding the knowledge and expertise of the mentor, experience and age of the mentor, approachability of the mentor, mutual respect, open communication, mutual trust and honesty, passion and patience of the mentor, mentee’s willingness to learn, alignment of expectations, as well as culture sensitivity of the mentor are to be considered for effective mentor–mentee relationship.Practical/managerial implications: Although mentoring is important to develop management skills of owner–managers, it is equally important that the mentor–mentee relationship is nurtured to achieve the desired outcomes of the relationship.Contribution/value-add: The alarming failure rates of small businesses in general and blackowned small businesses in particular could be improved by providing effective mentoring programmes to owner–managers by ensuring harmonious mentor–mentee relationships.

scholarly journals Teleworking in South Africa: Employee benefits and challenges

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Baard ◽  
Adèle Thomas
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Virtual Work ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Employee Perceptions ◽  
Employee Benefits ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
African Context ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: Virtual working arrangements present possible benefits to organisations and their employees. However, in South Africa, few organisations have implemented teleworking as a specific form of virtual work. The benefits and challenges to teleworkers are therefore largely unknown.Research purpose: The present study aimed to identify employee perceptions of personal benefits and challenges of teleworking.Motivation for the study: The study sought to contribute insights for South African business practice in this under-researched field.Research design, approach and method: This exploratory study collected primary data through the distribution of an electronic questionnaire to 94 employees at three South African organisations, with a 67% response rate. The survey included both closed and open-ended questions that were analysed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques.Main findings: Most of the internationally identified benefits of teleworking were supported by participants, such as improved productivity, increased job satisfaction and organisational loyalty, decreased stress and improved work-life balance. Challenges identified included an increase in working hours and the lack of availability of training opportunities.Practical/managerial implications: The possible employee benefits and challenges of teleworking may assist organisations in devising teleworking practices and procedures that leverage benefits and address challenges inherent in this form of work practice.Contribution/value add: The study aims to supplement the dearth of knowledge about teleworking, specifically in the South African context, to assist organisations practically in their development of this form of virtual work arrangement for the benefit of organisations and their employees.

scholarly journals The establishment and early history of the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP), 1977–1991

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huma Van Rensburg ◽  
Johan S. Basson ◽  
Nasima M.H. Carrim
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Field Research ◽  
The South ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Hr Management ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
History Of ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: Human resource (HR) management is recognised as a profession worldwide, especially in countries that are forerunners in the field. Research purpose: The main purpose of this study is to record the historical development of HR management as a profession. This study will provide a platform for evaluating the professional standing of HR management in South Africa.Motivation for the study: The motivation for the study is to record the historical development of HR management in South Africa because this is long overdue.Research design, approach and method: The researchers achieved triangulation by examining archived documents they obtained from the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) and semi-structured interviews with five founding members of the SABPP who were involved during the whole period of the study. The founding members also verified the researchers’ interpretations of the information they obtained from the documents and the interviews. The researchers used content analysis and coding to analyse the data they obtained from the archived documents and the semi-structured interviews.Main findings: The history of HR management in South Africa shows that it meets the four founding pillars of professionalism.Practical/managerial implications: The study also gives HR professionals confidence because HR management is achieving recognition as a profession.Contribution/value-add: The main contribution of the study is that it has recorded the history of HR management as a profession in South Africa properly for the first time.

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