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Doctoral Degrees (Management)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/7868

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Management) by SDG "SDG8"

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    Achieving sustainable competitive advantage: the case of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Botswana.
    (2023) Munodawafa, Tadios.; Naude, Micheline Juliana Alberta.; Govender, Krishna Kistan.
    The aim of the study was to investigate factors that impact on sustainable competitive advantage of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in Botswana. In Botswana, manufacturing SMEs have been targeted as a priority sector because of their potential to (1) diversify the country’s economy from diamond mining; (2) create employment thus reducing poverty; and increase the inflow of foreign currency through exports. Despite their potential, manufacturing SMEs are affected by traditional challenges which include – but are not exhaustive – lack of access to finance, lack of access to markets, lack of business acumen, lack of human capital and competition from multinational corporations. Primary data was collected from seven key government informants through face-to-face interviews and 348 manufacturing SME owners/managers using a structured questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data gathered from key government informants. This helped to obtain in-depth information about the phenomenon under observation. The data collected from manufacturing SMEs was analysed using a combination of descriptive and inferential statistics. The main findings revealed that manufacturing enterprises in Botswana are high risk enterprises and financial institutions are reluctant to provide them with funds. These SMEs are also affected by high rentals and high cost of land to use in their operations, high equipment and product quality costs. Manufacturing SMEs which export their products face additional challenges of traceability issues and mileage charges in the countries that they export their products. The study recommends that funding organisations should continue to review issues of collateral in order to increase access to finance by manufacturing SMEs. The Botswana government and tribal authorities issuing land should remove the bottlenecks related to application for land, especially for business purposes. Manufacturing SMEs should also consider SME equity funding as an alternative to funding and offers less risk compared to commercial banks and existing government-sponsored funding agencies. The findings of the study contribute towards the development of a sustainable theoretical framework that can be used by manufacturing SMEs to identify and utilise their internal resources and capabilities to increase their competitiveness, survive and grow.
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    Management practices and implementation of strategic planning among small businesses in Ghana.
    (2023) Eshun, Egya Gyanzah.; Naidoo, Vannie.
    Abstract This study focused on the management practices applicable and the extent of strategic planning among small firms in Ghana in order to propose measures for effective management of small firms. The research was conducted in the Kumasi metropolitan area of Ghana. The Pragmatic research philosophy was adopted for the research. The research respondents were small business owners/managers in Kumasi, Ghana. The study used mixed methods approach in data collection. Through this approach numerical data was gathered through the administration of questionnaire as also qualitative data was gathered through interviewing of selected small business owners/managers. The quota sampling method was applied to identify the sample of 500 small firms and the purposive sampling procedure was used to choose 10 small firm owners/managers to be interviewed. The quantitative data gathered in the research were analyzed applying the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21, whilst Content Analysis was applied for the qualitative data.The key findings identified in the study were that small businesses in Ghana have limited management skills and also some specific management practices were found to be significantly linked to various dimensions of growth of small businesses as well as competitive advantages enjoyed by small businesses.From the proposed framework developed for the effective management of small businesses it has been established that all the four categories of management practices studied, with the exception of operation-efficiency-focused management practices are significantly associated with the growth of the firm.Also all the four categories of management practices were found to be significantly associated with competitive advantages enjoyed by small businesses in Ghana. The study recommendations include improving the management capacity of small businesses in Ghana, especially in the area of strategic planning and also effectively resourcing and coordinating small business support institutions in Ghana to provide world class and seamless service to small businesses in Ghana. The study has also proposed measures for effective management of small businesses in Ghana so that they can perform their role as the prime mover of Ghana’s economy. Iqoqa Lolu cwaningo lwalubheka izindlela zokuphatha okuyizona kanye nokuthi imihlangano yokuhlonza inqubo yamafemu amancane eGhana ihamba kanjani ukuze aphathwe ngendlela efanele. Lolu cwaningo lwaqhutshwa kuMasipala weKumasi eGhana. Indlela yocwaningo ebheka ukusebenza kahle kwento yiyona eyalandelwa kulolu cwaningo. Abahlanganyeli bocwaningo ngosomabhizinisi nabaphathi bamabhizinisi eKumasi, eGhana. Lolu cwaningo lwasebenzisa indlela exubile yokukhiqiza imininingo. Ngale ndlela, imininingo eyizinombolo yakhiqizwa kusetshenziswa uhlakasikwele lwemibuzo kanti imininingo yekhwalithethivu yona yakhiqizwa kusetshenziswa inhlolovo nabahlanganyeli abangosomabhizinisi abancane nabaphathi bamabhizinisi. Indlela yokuqoka ngokungenhloso yasetshenziswa ukuthola amafemu amancane angama-500 kwase kusetshenziswa indlela yokuqoka ngenhloso ukuqoka abahlanganyeli abangosomabhizinisi abancane nabaphathi bamabhizinisi abayi-10 ababezohlatshwa ngemibuzo yenhlolovo. Imininingo yekhwantithethivu ihlaziywe kusetshenziswa indlela yokuhlaziya, iStatistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) ka-21, kwathi indlela yokuhlaziya ngokwengqikithi, iContent Analysis yona yasetshenziswa ukuhlaziya imininingo yekhwalithethivu. Imiphumela ebalulekile eyavela kulolu cwaningo ukuthi amabhizinisi amancane antula amava kwezokuphathwa kwawo kanti ezinye zezindlela zokukuphatha zinakho ukuletha ukukhula kwamabhizinisi amancane nokuwenza akwazi ukumelana nezimo zamabhizinisi amancane eGhana. Kule ndlela yokuphatha ngokuyikho amabhizinisi amancane, kuvelile ukuthi zozine izindlela zokuphatha amabhizinisi amancane, ngaphandle kwale ebheka indlela yokwenza izinto ngokuyikho, zonke zinakho ukwenza amabhizinisi amancane akhule. Zozine lezi zindlela zokuphatha amabhizinisi zatholakala zikwazi ukwenza amabhizinisi amancane akwazi ukumelana nezimo zamabhizinisi amancane eGhana. Lolu cwaningo luphakamisa ukuba kuthuthukiswe indlela yokuphathwa kwamabhizinisi amancane eGhana, ikhakhulukazi ekuhleweni kwamasu okulawula inkampani kanye nokuhlinzeka ngezidingo zokusebenza nokunikeza ukwesekwa kwezinhlaka zamabhizinisi ukuze iGhana ikwazi ukunikeza izidingo ezisezingeni lomhlaba kwezamabhizinisi amancane. Lolu cwaningo lunikezela ngamasu okwenza amabhizinisi amancane aphathwe kahle njengoba kuyiwona aphethe umcebo wezwe laseGhana kwezamabhizinisi.