Browsing by Author "Hlatywayo, Victor."

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Corporate social responsibility in small and medium enterprises in Pietermaritzburg.
(2015) Hlatywayo, Victor.; Derera, Evelyn.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been identified and adopted by large businesses as a business strategy that is used to enhance company performance. It is globally used to link business and society through sustainable development and good governance. Studies show that CSR in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is under researched and is still associated with large firms, even in emerging economies where SMEs play a pivotal role in the economic development of their countries. The main objective of this study is to explore the nexus between CSR and SMEs in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. In particular, the study explores the perceptions, the drivers of CSR activities in SMEs, the challenges of implementing CSR initiatives and the strategies employed by SMEs to overcome some of the challenges they encounter. A non-systematic literature review approach was conducted where insights were drawn from a wide range of secondary sources such as peer reviewed journal articles, non-peer reviewed publications on the topic. Mixed methods was used to collect primary data. An exploratory sequential design was adopted as a mixed method technique to understand the interplay between CSR concepts in SMEs. Two hundred and forty-three (n=243) respondents participated in the study in their capacity as entrepreneurs, managers or supervisors and employees. A convenience sampling technique was used to select participants for the study. A thematic analysis technique was used to analyse qualitative data. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) computer software was used to analyse quantitative data. The empirical findings reveal that SMEs acknowledged CSR as business concept. The results indicated that their CSR activities are mainly hampered by lack of finance, management skills shortage, and minimal access to information and shortage of manpower. Finally, the results revealed that SMEs prefer to engage in partnerships with each other or large businesses when implementing CSR initiatives. Government should introduce regulatory framework as policy (e.g. tax incentives) that encourages SMEs to engage in CSR programs. This approach will redefine the voluntary nature of CSR and mitigate some of the daily challenges SMEs encounter in their pursuit for sustainable growth.
Investigating predictors for the successful implementation of open innovation: a case of small and medium enterprises in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa=Ukuphenya iziqaguli ekuqalisweni ukusebenza okunempumelelo kombonokuziqambela ovulekile: Okucwaningwayo amabhizinisi amancane namaphakathi KwaZulu-Natali, eNingizimu Afrika.
(2022) Hlatywayo, Victor.; Williamson, Mervywn Kenneth.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a major role in South Africa’s economic growth. These entities are faced with managerial issues that pose dangers to their survival. Open innovation (OI) emerged as a critical business strategy used predominately by large businesses to improve performance. It is defined as a distributed innovation process based on purposively managed knowledge flows across organisational boundaries, using pecuniary and nonpecuniary mechanisms compatible with the organisation’s business model. Studies shows that the OI concept is not widely used by SMEs in South Africa. Specifically, the study aimed at understanding whether internal knowledge, external knowledge, and strategic networks influence the successful implementation of OI in SMEs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A case study approach was used to study SMEs in Pietermaritzburg. Convergent parallel mixed methods approach was adopted where qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data. Purposive and convenience sampling were utilised as non-probability approaches to select participants from a sample of 260 SMEs owners, managers/supervisors, and employees. The findings indicated that there is correlation between internal knowledge, external knowledge, and strategic networks in influencing the successful implementation of OI in SMEs. The findings also identified dominant factors that affect full adaptation of OI by SMEs. The factors include lack of leadership, adaptation capacity, patent and motivation issues, lack of finance, and lack of collaboration. Given the findings of this study, SMEs are encouraged to embrace OI principles where collaborative and strategic partnerships are formed with other businesses to complement internal innovation processes for sustainable growth. Further research should be done to identify strategic and sustainable partnership models for the application of OI in SMEs. Government and policy makers are encouraged to craft and enact policies that incentivise and encourage SMEs partnerships through OI initiatives. Given the inter-relationships between internal knowledge, external knowledge, and strategic networks in predicting successful application of OI in SMEs, the study encourages SMEs owners to adopt OI to deal with failure rate and improve their innovation processes. Embracing OI will assist SMEs deal with sustainability issues as innovative processes and new partnerships are forged to boost operations. Iqoqa: Isendlalelo: Amabhizinisi amancane namaphakathi (ama-SME) abamba iqhaza elikhulu ekukhuleni komnotho eNingizimu Afrika. Lezi zingxenye zibhekene nezindaba zezimenenja ezibeka engozini ukusimama kwazo. IOpen Innovation (i-OI) iqubuka njengemiqondosu yebhizinisi elibucayi esetshenziswa ikakhulukazi emabhizinisini amakhulu ukuphucula insebenzo. Ucwaningo lukhombisa ukuthi umqondomsuka we-OI awusetshenziswa kakhulu ama-SME eNingizimu Afrika. Inhloso yocwaningo: Kunesidingo esinentshisekelo esicwaninga iziqaguli zokuqalisa ukusebenza okunempumelelo ze-OI kuma-SME KwaZulu-Natali, eNingizimu Afrika. Ikakhulukazi, ucwaningo luhlose ukuba kube nokuqonda ukuthi ulwazi lwangaphakathi, ulwazi lwangaphandle, nobuxhakaxhaka bemiqondosu enomthelela ekuqaliseni ukusebenza okuyimpumelelo kwe-OI kuma-SME KwaZulu-Natali, eNingizimu Afrika. Umumosakhiwo/Indlelakwenza ucwaningo/ Indlelasu: Indlelasu yocwaningonto yasetshenziswa ukubheka i-SME eMgungundlovu. Indlelasu yezindlelakwenza ucwaningo eziyindlelangxube eyinguqulakuqondanisa lapho kwasetshenziswa khona izindlela zekhwalithethivu nekhwantithethivu ukuqoqa imininingo. Kwathathwa amasampula ahlosiwe nasebenza ngendlela ngoba izindlelasu ezingaqaguleki zikhetha ababambiqhaza esampuleni elinabanikazi bama-SME abangama-260, izimenenja/izinduna, nabasebenzi. Imiphumela/Okutholakele: Okutholakele kukhombise ukuthi kunokuxhumana phakathi kolwazi lwangaphakathi, ulwazi lwangaphandle, nobuxhakaxhaka bemiqondosu enomthelela ekuqaliseni ukusebenza ngempumelelo ye-OI yama-SME. Okutholakele kuphinde kwakhombisa izinto eziqonelayo ezinomthelela wenguqulasimo egcwele ye-OI yama-SME. Izinto zifaka ukungabibikho kobuholi, umthamokukwazi ukufukamela, iphethenti nezindaba zokugqugquzela, ukuntuleka kwezimali, nokuncipha kwensebenziswano. Izincomo: Uma kubukwa okutholakele kulolu cwaningo, ama-SME agqugquzelwa ukuba afukamele imigomo ye-OI lapho ukubambisana kwensebenzelwanondawonye enomqondosu kwakhiwa namanye amabhizinisi ukunezezela izinhlelokusebenza nemizamokwakha yangaphakathi ukuba kube nokukhula okusimeme. Ucwaningo olwengeziwe kumele lwenziwe ukuhlonza amamodeli obambiswano olusimeme lokufaka izicelo ze-OI kuma-SME. Uhulumeni nabenzi bezinqubomgomo bagqugquzelwa ukwakha nokumisa izinqubomgomo ezifaka uxhaso nezigqugquzela ubambiswano lwama-SME ngemizamomibono ye-OI. Izinkomba zobumenenja: Uma kubhekwa ubudlelwano phakathi kolwazi lwangaphakathi, ulwazi lwangaphakathi, nobuxhakaxhaka obunemiqondosu ekuqaguleni ukufaka isicelo esiyimpumelelo se-OI kwi-SME, ucwaningo lugqugquzela abanikazi bama-SME ukuba kwemukelwe i-OI ukubhekana nesikalosilinganiso sokungaphumeleli nokuphucula izinhlelokusebenza kwemizamokusebenza. Ukufukamela i-OI kuzosiza ama-SME abhekane nezindaba zokusimama njengezinhlelokusebenza zemizamokwakhiwa nobumbanokubambisana olusha lwenziwelwa ukufukula imisebenzi. Amabinzana asemqoka: Ulwazi lwangaphandle; ulwazi lwangaphakathi; imizamokwenza evulelekile; ama-SME; ubuxhakaxhaka obunemiqondosu