A poverty-reduction oriented perspective to small business development in South Africa: A human capabilities approach

Published ArticleDespite the South African government’s strategic policy interventions and huge investments into small business development over the past two decades, solid evidence of the transition of informal businesses to the formal sector is hard to encounter. Furthermore, the high rates of unemployment in the country point to the growing incapacity of smallscale, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) to address the chronic social ills of poverty, inequality and social deprivation ravaging the country. Building on mainstream literature on the government interventions designed to promote growth without equity among SMMEs and Sen’s capabilities approach, this theoretical study advances a poverty-reduction approach to entrepreneurship underpinned by a systematic integration of multiple-level conversion factors, sustainable resourcing (especially seed funding and managerial capacity development), commercialization of business activities, a strong entrepreneurial orientation and solid managerial capabilities. Such an integrated approach was deemed to strengthen the capacity of SMMEs to survive the competition from established commercialised enterprises

The entrepreneurial orientation of college students in a struggling economy context

Published ArticleThis study investigates the influence of perceived entrepreneurial capabilities and opportunity recognition beliefs on the entrepreneurial orientation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students at a particular polytechnic college in Zimbabwe. A quantitative survey was conducted among 169 polytechnic college students to establish their perceived entrepreneurial capabilities, opportunity recognition beliefs, and entrepreneurial orientations. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the corpus of quantitative data. The results partially confirmed the researchers’ postulation that students’ entrepreneurial orientations were directly linked to their perceived entrepreneurial capabilities and opportunity recognition beliefs. An implication for entrepreneurship educators and policy-makers is that the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education interventions for future entrepreneurs depends on the capacity of training programmes to integrate and focus on perceived entrepreneurial capabilities and opportunity recognition beliefs of students. The originality of the study lies in the re-constitution of individual opportunity recognition beliefs and perceived entrepreneurial capabilities concepts and a focus on potential entrepreneurs (that is, students) enrolled at a TVET institution in an economically distressed country. This is a previously unexplored research area since much research on entrepreneurial orientation has focused on firms in the developed world as their unit of analysis

The effect of previous employment experience and entrepreneurship exposure on entrepreneurship intentions of college level students - research

Published ArticleSections of the growing body of literature on the influence of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurship intentions (EI) of students tend to speculate about the effect of students’ previous employment experience and entrepreneurship exposure on their intentions to engage in entrepreneurship. Such speculation can be attributed to the indiscriminate treatment of the effect of prior entrepreneurship experiences and being employed on EI and the erroneous assumption that exposure to entrepreneurship education naturally translates into a desire to partake in entrepreneurship activities after undergoing the instructional programme. The researchers explored whether students with formal employment experience and those exposed to entrepreneurship (e.g. through family business) prior to undergoing entrepreneurship education had EI that are different from that of who had not been employed and/or exposed to entrepreneurship before. Drawing on a quantitative approach and a survey research design, the study examined the effect of entrepreneurship exposure and previous employment experience on the EI and antecedents of the EI of students in an economically challenged country. The findings of the study revealed that, although an overwhelming majority (80.5%) of students intended to engage in entrepreneurship, significant differences in EI levels persisted between those students who were employed prior to their entrepreneurship education and those who had not been employed. However, mixed results were reported amongst respondents who had different entrepreneurship backgrounds. A key implication of this study is the need to tailor entrepreneurship education programmes to the needs of participants with different employment and entrepreneurship experiences rather than take a one-size-fit-all approach

Cable Theft and Vandalism by Employees of South Africa’s Electricity Utility Companies: A Theoretical Explanation and Research Agenda

Published ArticleIn this paper, the researchers argue that unravelling perceptions and attitudes of relevant employees towards theft and vandalism is critical to stemming electric cable theft. The researchers draw on the Reasoned Action Theory (TRA) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to explain the involvement of electricity utility companies’ own employees in vandalism and theft of electricity copper cables.Drawing on a theoretical research approach involving the examination of mainstream literature, the paper explores the reasons for employees’ engagement in actions that contradict company policy, namely stealing from the employer or vandalizing organisational property. The findings suggests that personal traits (employee perceptions and attitudes), organizational factors (such as organizational climate) constitute presage factors that trigger psychological dispositions to rob the company of its material assets (copper cables) in general and ultimately steal and vandalise copper cables in particular

Analisis Kebutuhan Tenaga Perawat Berdasarkan Beban Kerja dengan Menggunakan Metode Workload Indicator Staff Need (Wisn) dan Work Sampling

The study was conducted in private hospital in the city of Binjai, which has 12 policlinic. Outpatient installation have 2 nurses and often ask for additional nurses from the emergency unit when a patient comes to the same outpatient polyclinic at 3 polyclinic or more. In addition the number of visitors has increased 2.5% in 2011 and 3.1% in 2012 while the number of nurses are fixed. Therefore need to analyze the needs of nurses based on workload to know the needs of nurses. Work Sampling method to determine the USAge patterns of working time and Workload Indicator Staff Need ( WISN ) for the calculation of energy need. The results of work sampling observations indicate that the two nurses had worked well because average 93% productive time. The results of calculations by the method of Workload Indicator staff Need ( WISN ) note the need for nurses is 2 people while the analysis it is necessary to the addition of 1 nurse

Synchronous in Merdeka Belajar Based Education Management Quality (EMQ

Educational accreditation qualifications in schools are the substantial part of education synchronous management. Synchronous management in the education unit can be based on the situation or condition of education at a certain period. This article aims to study of policy quality as the foundation of education in Indonesian’s policy quality by using the qualitative approach throught extensive literature, interviewing experts and personal experience. The situation or condition can be seen from the formation of policies and or the election of new leadership. 1) Merdeka Belajar is integrity and the result of policy, and there may be influence from the political elite as a means of fulfilling these situations and conditions. 2) In the management of basic, middle, upper and higher education units it is known as independent learning. 3) Freedom to learn is a reflection of the government in Era 4.0, which requires students to understand freedom as the actualization of human identity as a real human being, and not only freely expressing attitudes, thoughts, feelings and actions, but also free in accepting learning from all aspects of knowledge. 4) The actualization of Merdeka Belajarshould be based on student-centred learning, students as problem solvers, critical thingking, and decision maker. Keywords: Merdeka Belajar; EMQ; education management qualit

ANALISA MESIN PENDINGIN ADSORPSI DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN TENAGA MATAHARI

Penggunaan energi besar – besaran saat ini telah membuat membuat manusia mengalami krisis energi. Untuk mengatasi krisis energi di masa depan beberapa alternatif sumber energi mulai dikembangkan, salah satunya ialah energi matahari. Energi matahari biasa digunakan sebagai penerang dan sumber panas bagi kehidupan sehari - hari namun ternyata energi matahari dapat dikembangkan menjadi sumber energi lainnya misalnya untuk pendingin. Mesin pendingin siklus adsorpsi ini digerakkan oleh tenaga matahari dan tidak menggunakan energi mekanik sama sekali. Mesin pendingin siklus adsorpsi memiliki 3 komponen utama yaitu kolektor, kondensor, dan evaporator. Ketiga komponen utama alat ini terbuat dari bahan stainless steel yang bertujuan agar tahan terhadap korosi akibat dari refrigeran yang digunakan. Tujuan dari peneltian ini untuk mengetahui temperatur maksimum pada kolektor dan temperatur minimum pada air yang di dinginkan dan mengetahui laju perpindahan panas dari kolektor, kondensor, dan evaporator. Prosedur pengujian dengan memanaskan kolektor surya (desorpsi) dari pukul 08.00 WIB - 17.00 WIB, sedangkan proses pendinginan alamiah (adsorpsi) berlangsung dari pukul 17.00 WIB – 08.00 WIB. Pada penelitian ini menggunakan pasangan Alumina aktif moleculer seave 13X sebagai adsorben sebanyak 7 Kg dan methanol sebagai refrigerant sebanyak 4 L. Dari hasil pengujian dan perhitungan yang telah dilakukan didapat bahwa temperatur maksimum pada kolektor 102 oC dan temperatur minimum air 18,40 oC. Efisiensi kolektor tertinggi pada hasil pembahasan adalah 52 %

The Impact Of Perceived Justice On Behavioural Intentions In Retail Banking: An Investigation Of Explanatory Roles Of Service Recovery And Overall Satisfaction

ArticleCustomers’ behavioural intentions following a service failure is a major concern in the retail banking sector, especially given the fact that the cost of keeping an existing customer is much less than that of acquiring a new one. Service recovery is widely used as a strategy to please a customer after a service failure and yet literature focusing on service recovery ignores the role of overall satisfaction, and in this way, provides an incomplete explanation of the long-term impact of perceived justice on customers’ behavioural intentions. The current study strives to develop and test a service recovery model that explains the relationships among perceived justice, recovery satisfaction and overall customer satisfaction; and their effects on behavioural intentions for a retail bank in a developing economy. The study also seeks to examine the mediation roles of recovery satisfaction and overall satisfaction on the relationship between justice and behavioural intentions. To test the proposed model, data collected from 210 bank customers who recently experienced problems with their bank, were analysed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results suggest that the influence of justice on behavioural intentions is mediated by recovery satisfaction and overall satisfaction in series. Thus, the results reveal that the inclusion of overall satisfaction in service recovery models increases their explanatory power. Furthermore, an exploration of the mechanisms that enable justice to influence behavioural intentions stands out as one of the few empirical attempts that can bridge the theoretical gap arising from paucity of studies in this area. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed

A technostress–entrepreneurship nexus in the developing world

Research indicates that entrepreneurs are relying on digital technology for their en-trepreneurial endeavours, yet there is little knowledge on how to balance technology usage and wellbeing. Drawing on the concept of technostress and 643 observations of nascent South African entrepreneurs' interactions with digital technology, we advance knowledge at the technostress-entrepreneurship nexus. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) results reveal how digital self-efficacy moderates their behaviour and inability to balance digital technology usage with wellbeing. These results confirm entrepreneurship passion and perceived behav-ioural control as predictors of technostress amongst these entrepreneurs. They also suggest that the benefits of digital technology are not a predictor of technostress in African entrepreneurship; thus, extending a conceptual overlay of digital technology , digital self-efficacy, entrepreneurial passion (EP), and behaviour to define the mechanisms underlying a technostress-entrepreneurship nexus. The results show social, policy, and research implications in today's technology-driven environments characterised by a mixture of midrange to complete digital transformations