Browsing by Author "Khoase, Refiloe Gladys."

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Effectiveness of institutional mechanisms on small businesses in Mokhotlong and Qacha’s Nek, Lesotho.
(2021) Molebatsi, Mokete Bernard.; Khoase, Refiloe Gladys.; Derera, Evelyn.
The Lesotho Government, like other governments, enacted the Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) Policy to address the issue of MSME development. It is perceived worldwide that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) constitute a large sphere of economic activity that accounts for the major share of employment and is a powerful force for poverty reduction. However, SMEs are exposed to today’s risky business environment, which compels economies to intervene by effectively implementing MSMEs policies. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the institutional mechanism to assist MSMEs in the Mokhotlong and Qacha’s Nek districts in Lesotho. While economies have adopted mechanisms to develop Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), several studies have shown that most businesses still face challenges despite the efforts of their governments. Therefore, since the Lesotho Government had implemented the MSME Policy in 2016 to develop the sector, it is essential to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the Policy in Lesotho. Primary data was collected through the use of questionnaires that were distributed to MSME owners in both districts. The questionnaires were hand-delivered to a sample size of 331, however, only 202 responses were received by the researcher. The list of MSMEs registered with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in both districts was used by the researcher to select the respondents using probability sampling also known as the random sampling method. For the respondents who did not indicate their physical addresses on the list a nonprobability sampling method, namely, convenience sampling, was used. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Windows Version 26 was used to analyse the collected data. The Government of Lesotho has put in place several initiatives to boost MSMEs by establishing the Ministry of Small Business, Cooperatives and Marketing and the MSME Policy among others. While some MSMEs benefited from the Policy, others faced some challenges. Due to perceived barriers such as access to finance, access to training and poor infrastructure, among others, some MSMEs decided to operate informally. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the implementation of the MSME Policy is vital as it might guide policymakers in amending the Policy by devising adequate strategies to create and enhance a conducive environment in which MSME owners can operate. Findings suggest that institutional mechanisms to assist MSMEs in Mokhotlong and Qacha’s Nek are ineffective in the development of MSMEs. The majority of respondents agreed that they are aware of the supporting institutions that are meant to assist MSMEs, and have received such assistance. However, a gap exists in the quality of services provided. Thus, the objective of the Policy will not be met if the various mechanisms put in place to assist MSMEs are not of the quality needed. In terms of the findings, the following recommendations can be made: • The institutional mechanism needs to be improved to achieve the set goals. • The supporting institutions should offer training based on the results of the assessment of the relevant needs of MSMEs. • The quality of service offered by the supporting institutions should be improved. • The market be opened to businesses that want to invest in financial institutions. • The use of new research findings be utilised by managers and policymakers to enable them to easily redesign policies based on scientific information.
The impact of interventions from supporting institutions on managerial competencies: a case of small, medium and micro-sized enterprises in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
(2019) Moise, Lusambya Lukendo.; Khoase, Refiloe Gladys.; Derera, Evelyn.
The contribution of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) sector in the economic and social development of a country has been recognised worldwide. Governments around the world have designed interventions to promote the growth of the SMME sector in an attempt to stimulate national economic growth. The South African government, through public and private supporting institutions, devised interventions to provide financial and non-financial support to SMMEs. However, despite these interventions, the failure rate of small businesses in South Africa is still high. Numerous scholars identified lack of managerial competencies as one of the main causes to the failure of SMMEs. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of interventions from supporting institutions on managerial competencies of Small, Medium and Micro-Sized Enterprises (SMMEs) within the context of Pietermaritzburg city in South Africa. The nature of this study is descriptive. A quantitative survey was conducted on a sample of 148 SMMEs’ owners and managers, identified through convenient and snowball sampling. Data were collected by means of personally administered questionnaires. Frequency analysis, crosstabulation analysis with chi-square, Spearman correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were statistical methods employed to analyse the data. The study found that government and private supporting institutions are not the primary sources of developing the managerial competencies of SMMEs’ owners and managers. SMME’s owners and managers rely more on job experience, formal education/training, and In-house training. Most SMMEs’ owners and managers are not utilising different interventions designed by supporting institutions, due to some challenges such as lack of awareness, lack of finance, and too much bureaucracy and red tape. Despite the non-utilisation of services offered by supporting institutions, the study found that receiving interventions from supporting institutions has a significant impact on developing some managerial competencies of SMME’s owners and managers such as conceptual skills and technical skills. Based on the research findings, practical recommendations were provided on how to promote SMMEs through interventions that enhance the managerial competencies of SMMEs’ owners and managers.
The impact of the regulatory framework on small, medium and micro enterprises in Lesotho.
(2011) Khoase, Refiloe Gladys.; Mhlongo, Xolani P.
In various economies, businesses operate in a macro-environment influenced by uncontrollable external forces, namely political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. For businesses to succeed in a macro-environment all external forces have to be identified and analysed carefully by the business and adaptability to the environment is also very important. Governments intervene by setting up regulatory frameworks that govern all businesses. For instance, for every business to start or grow, there are a numerous legal requirements involved. Businesses have no control over these requirements, but to adapt and comply. These requirements affect the performance of business activities either positively or negatively. However, failure to comply with these requirements could lead to the business’ reputation being destroyed, and loss of customers. The aim of this research is to analyse the perceptions of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) owners and managers about the impact of Lesotho government intervention on SMMEs start-up and growth. It also determines whether there is a need for government intervention in these phases. It further determines the extent to which the Lesotho government intervention supports or hinders SMMEs in their quest for start-up assistance and sustainable growth. The White Paper which proposes strategies for development of SMMEs in Lesotho was studied to find out if its intentions have been accomplished. The primary data for this study were gathered through surveys sent out to SMMEs in Lesotho. The questionnaire was designed to be hand-delivered to a sample population of 370. The sample size was calculated using online survey system. At a confidence level of 95 percent and confidence interval of 5, a population value of 10,341 resulted in a sample size of 370 respondents. A list of registered SMMEs with the Ministry of Trade & Industry, Cooperatives & Marketing (MTICM) was accessed. To select respondents from this list, the researcher used a probability sampling method called stratified random sampling, to represent all the key subgroups of the population. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows Version 18 was used to analyse the responses obtained from structured and unstructured questions. To facilitate the smooth operation of businesses, governments also create a conducive environment. There are quite a number of initiatives taken by the Lesotho government in an attempt to improve the country’s overall economic environment. The government has used functional and selective interventions just like other developing and developed countries. Functional interventions include the improvement of infrastructure, education and health. Selective interventions include regulations focused on the development of SMMEs and institutional infrastructure aimed at skills training. The viii focus of this study is on selective interventions. Some SMMEs have benefitted from these initiatives, however, other SMMEs still encounter challenges within the regulatory framework which hinder their establishment and growth. Due to the perceived pitfalls, such as high costs of doing business, some businesses decide to operate informally. This means among others, formal tax losses for the government and SMMEs not receiving incentives designed for them. If the Lesotho government could reform and simplify business regulations, this could reduce the increasing number of informal sector businesses and encourage them to grow and operate formally.
The influence of managerial leadership styles on the sustainable growth of small and micro enterprises in South Africa.
(2020) Mudahogora-Murekezi, Alphonsine.; Khoase, Refiloe Gladys.
Communities are concerned about the sustainability of businesses. The determining factors for sustainable growth of businesses include experience, relationship with employees, supply and demand, and whether or not the key industry resources are available. The other key factor that contributes to the sustainability of businesses is managerial leadership style. There are different styles of managerial leaderships, and the aim of this research is to investigate the influence of three managerial leadership styles on the sustainable growth of small enterprises in South Africa (SA). The primary data for this study was gathered through hand-delivered questionnaires sent to a sample of 384 small enterprise owners in Pietermaritzburg (PMB), South Africa. The sample size was chosen based on the survey calculations by Krejcie and Morgan (1970). Their survey calculations are similar to the calculations one gets from an online survey calculator. At a confidence level of 95 percent and a confidence interval of 5, a population value of 770,007 resulted in a sample size of 384 respondents. The researcher used a non-probability sampling method with convenience and snow-ball sampling methods to collect data. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows Version 25 was used to analyse the responses obtained from structured and unstructured questions. For any organisation to succeed and become profitable, it is imperative that the leadership have the necessary style, skills, and vision. Current research has shown that the two predominant styles of leadership that are well suited to small enterprises are transformational leadership and the transactional leadership. However, the study by Franco and Matos (2015) has evident that laissez-faire leadership style is appropriate for SMMEs as well. For the results of this study to perceive that laissez-faire leadership style has several gaps, could be because of the particular sector the business falls under. Based on the type of business, due to the involvement of monetary transactions in some business organisations, employees still need to be monitored and the decisions made mostly need to be shared, as the employees cannot make decisions on their own.
The influence of public and private supporting institutions on small, medium and micro enterprise development : a comparative study between Lesotho and South Africa.
(2015) Khoase, Refiloe Gladys.; McArthur, Brian Walter.; Mutinta, Given Chigaya.
Due to high rates of poverty and unemployment, economies are taking both immediate and longterm measures to tackle the issue. Amongst the measures economies have taken, are the development of SMMEs, especially in developing countries. It is perceived that SMMEs are high contributors of economic growth. To develop SMME sector, there are established public and private supporting institutions. The presence of these institutions perceived to create a favourable environment where SMMEs are able to grow sustainably and contribute to the country’s economy. If these institutions are not utilised, SMMEs could fail to develop and close down at the early stages. The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of the public and private supporting institutions with regard to businesses start-up and sustainable growth. Both Lesotho and South Africa have put in place a number of initiatives in the quest to support business development. However, there is not much said about the success or failure of such interventions from the public and private supporting institutions’ perspectives. Thus, there is a need to investigate the positive outcomes emanating from such institutions as well as the pitfalls resulting from their interventions that may hinder the start-up and growth of SMMEs. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data. Semi-structured interviews with six supporting institutions in Maseru Lesotho, and six from Pietermaritzburg in SA were conducted. The survey covered a sample size of 379 owner-managers of registered SMMEs across all sectors in Maseru, and 384 in Pietermaritzburg. These sample sizes were generated using an online sample size calculator. A non-probability sampling method known as snowball sampling was used for the interveners (implementing agencies). Probability sampling methods known as stratified random sampling and cluster sampling methods were used for the SMMEs. The coded responses obtained from the interviews and questionnaires were analysed using NVivo 10 for Windows and SPSS for Windows, Version 22 respectively. Most SMMEs’ owner-managers in both Maseru and Pietermaritzburg are aware of the available supporting institutions and the assistance they provide at start-up and growth phases. However, entrepreneurs do not make full use of these institutions. Some entrepreneurs perceive that services provided by the supporting institutions are satisfactory, while some are not satisfied with such services. The main support they use is registering with these institutions which then allows them to operate formally. However, not making full use of supporting institutions’ programmes hampers SMMEs’ establishment, and they also do not grow sustainably. It is anticipated that the vii research findings will inform policy makers about factors that may contribute to or hinder the effectiveness of supporting institutions’ interventions at SMMEs’ start-up and growth phases. This is perceived will help policy makers and supporting institutions in devising adequate strategies to improve policy implementation or their service provision to SMMEs.
An investigation of challenges affecting the implementation of project management practices : a case study of Msunduzi Expanded Public works Programme clearing project.
(2019) Mkhwanazi, Makhosazana Ntandokazi.; Khoase, Refiloe Gladys.; Derera, Evelyn.
In 2003, the Expanded Public Works Programme was introduced as a complementary measure to decrease the growing unemployment and poverty rates in South Africa. EPWP focused on expanding methods of labour-intensive production through government-funded projects in order to produce more employment prospects. Recent studies have raised questions on the effectiveness of EPWP in achieving both its environmental and poverty alleviation goals. Recent studies have identified that EPWP has been facing poor performance and inability to meet set annual targets due to poor Project Management. It is against this background that this study investigated the challenges affecting the implementation of Project Management practices in the Msunduzi EPWP clearing project. The study was undertaken in Pietermaritzburg, which is situated in KwaZulu-Natal Province. This study was exploratory; it adopted a qualitative case study approach, primarily investigating the Msunduzi EPWP project. In-depth interviews were used to interview the target population of thirty-one. The target population comprised of all the people in the Project Management level of the Msunduzi EPWP project, including the EPWP board members who oversee Project Management issues for the EPWP projects. Data collected was analysed thematically. Themes that emerged from the analysis of data are presented and discussed under relevant headings formulated from specific research objectives. The results revealed that majority of the people managing the teams do not possess any Project Management qualification. There was also evidence of lacking of training, the Project Manager and contractors were not receiving relevant training to aid them in their job roles. Lack of resources posed as a major contributor to poor Project Management, which has resulted in poor auditing and reporting. There was also no efficient system of Monitoring and Evaluation. The results also revealed that top management intervention in resolving existing Project Management challenges was minimal, it was stated that no strategies have been implemented as a resolution to all identified challenges. In addition, the study revealed that internal administrative delays caused non-compliance in several Project Management practices. This has caused serious implications on the performance of the Msunduzi EPWP project. Several recommendations were established by the researcher to address the Project Management challenges identified in this study. The researcher anticipates that the recommendations will benefit a number of people including government, local leadership, Project Managers, scholars, project workers, contractor, implementing agent‟s, and suppliers.