Challenges and opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Botswana: Revisiting the role of entrepreneurship education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate challenges faced by and opportunities open to women entrepreneurs in Botswana and how entrepreneurship education can boost their knowledge and skills of doing business profitably and contribute to women empowerment. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 400 women entrepreneurs of different ages, educational levels and from trades and different geographical locations were selected using a stratified random sampling procedure to participate in the study from ten towns and cities in the country. A structured questionnaire that used a five-point Likert scale was used for data collection. One-way ANOVA, regression analysis and descriptive statistics were used as tools for data analysis. Findings – Findings showed that women entrepreneurs faced a complex web of challenges among which were access to finance, lack of training leading to lack of technical skills, lack of knowledge of sources of financing and technical support, high competition in the market, marginalisation of women and lack of knowledge of marketing strategies. The key findings were that while women entrepreneurs faced a number of challenges, the legal and regulatory environment in Botswana was highly conducive and supportive of women entrepreneurship and also that customised entrepreneurship education and training offered opportunities for women entrepreneurs to enhance their knowledge and technical skills. Research limitations/implications – The study only used a quantitative approach to collect data. It could have perhaps been more enriching if a mixed-methods approach were used to help probe the participants more. The study also only used women entrepreneurs in cities and towns. Perhaps, it could have also got some women entrepreneurs from rural areas to hear what they say. These limitations will be addressed in future studies. Practical implications – Practical implications of the study are that women entrepreneurs need more training in business entrepreneurship for them to gain more knowledge and skills; finance houses become more accommodating to women entrepreneurship they could help in the empowerment of these people as theyshow potential in their businesses; and if more pro-women entrepreneurship policies are developed, they could enhance the activities of women entrepreneurs. Social implications – Women can perform as much as men in business if given the necessary support. Originality/value – This study contributes to the body of knowledge on women entrepreneurship as it helped expose challenges women entrepreneurs face as well as opportunities for them to take advantage of and improve their business operations.Curriculum and Instructional Studie

Factors influencing students’ choice of a federal university: a case study of a Nigerian federal university

The factors affecting students’ choice of higher education is essential for the university’s management. Various research across the world has been carried out to understand how students select their preferred universities for tertiary study; however, there is a shortage of insight from an African perspective. Specifically focusing on a federal university in Nigeria, this study aims to explore factors influencing students’ interest in the school and why they selected it as their study location. A structured questionnaire from 282 undergraduate students based on stratified random sampling was used to understand these choice factors. The study found that personal interest greatly influenced students’ decisions, followed by parental influence, university reputation, university ranking, and fees. The results provide an understanding of students’ choices for universities in a Nigerian context, which is a loose representation of the general influences of students’ choice for study sites on the continent. This would enable stakeholders working in the Nigerian education sector including academics, administrators and practitioners and international collaborators to understand the most effective ways to reach out to prospective students and draw useful lessons for universities' marketing strategies, which could be recommended not only in Nigeria but in Africa at large

Factors influencing curriculum implementation in accredited private higher education institutions in Botswana

Please follow the DOI link at the top to access the full-text of the article on the publisher's websitePurpose – The study investigated factors influencing how the curriculum is implemented in accredited private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in Botswana. Design/methodology/approach – The study investigated factors influencing curriculum implementation in accredited private universities (PUs) operating in a highly regulated higher education environment in Botswana. A total of six PUs which have been operating in Botswana for at least five years were purposively selected for the study. The mixed methods approach was used in the study. From the six PUs, a sample of 306 lecturers was selected from a population of 1,500 lecturers using stratified random sampling strategy for the quantitative phase of the study, and 25 academic middle managers (AMMs) were also selected from a population of 273 academic middle managers using purposive sampling strategy for the qualitative phase. A structured questionnaire and a semi-structured interviewguidewere used for data collection. Principal component analysis (PCA)was performed to test the reliability and validity of the measurements. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, one-way ANOVA and regression analysis were used for quantitative data analysis, while a meta-aggregative approach was used for analysing qualitative data. Results showed that educational level, characteristics of the curriculum, of the institution and of the external environment had a significant influence on how curriculum is implemented in PUs in Botswana,while gender, age and years of teaching experience did not have a significant influence.These results have implications on educational policy formulation by regulatory authorities aswell as practice in universities for the purpose of enhancing curriculum implementation. Findings – Results showed that educational level, characteristics of the curriculum, of the institution and of the external environment had a significant influence on how the curriculum is implemented in PUs in Botswana, while gender, age and years of teaching experience did not have a significant influence. Research limitations/implications – Data were collected from lecturers in accredited private higher education institutions in Botswana only which limited the scope of insight into challenges facing accredited private institutions. Future research needs to expand the scope and consider private both private and public higher education institutions in Botswana and beyond so that more insight on the factors affecting curriculum implementation in higher education institutions can be established and appropriate policies and processes could be put in place for effective curriculum implementation. Practical implications – The study provides insight into challenges affecting curriculum implementation in higher education institutions and how regulatory authorities, institutional authorities and lecturers can contribute to effective curriculum implementation in these institutions. Social implications – The study offers an opportunity for higher education institutions to implement the curriculum in a manner that satisfies its primary customers who are the students by taking cognizance of and satisfying factors that contribute to effective curriculum implementation. Originality/value – There is no study known to the researcher that has been conducted on factors affecting curriculum implementation in accredited private universities in Botswana. This study, therefore, is an eye opener on such factors and what actions regulatory authorities, institutional management and lecturers should take to promote effective implementation of the curriculum in higher education institutions in Botswana

Primarily investigating into the relationship between talent management and knowledge management in business environment

Purpose: This paper aims to address concepts, visions and gaps in literature in the field of the relationship between talent management and knowledge management in business organisations. It also aims to develop a model for the relationship between talent management processes and knowledge management processes. This is because there are practical benefits for business organisations focused on developing knowledge and talents. Design/methodology/approach: This study takes on a detailed literature review of the relationship between talent and knowledge management in business organisations. Conclusion: The key conclusion for this research is that more research is required to examine further the relationship between talent management processes and knowledge management processes in the business environment. It also concludes that it is worth noting scholars’ serious interest in attraction, development, and talent retention processes. Conversely, it also viewed that the majority of researchers in the field of knowledge management have focused on creation, application, knowledge storage, transfer and acquisition of knowledge. This research provides a comprehensive review of further research in selecting the common processes associated with talent management processes and knowledge management processes