Development of an inter-generational business sustainability framework for family-owned passenger bus companies in Zimbabwe.

Abstract

Abstract

Family businesses being the predominant form of business organization, and estimated in the range of 60-98% of all firms worldwide, contribute immensely to world economies. It is however deplorable that throughout the world they are victims of intergenerational demise, failing to sustain themselves over multiple generations, emanating from a plethora of challenges that seed them into total collapse. Their very low survival rates are a matter of concern. Zimbabwe’s passenger transport sector is typical, with glaringly overwhelming cases of failure. Evidence abound in Zimbabwe of family-owned passenger bus companies (FOPBCs) that have folded, following the passing on of their founders. The sibling and consortium generations succeeding the founders have plunged the businesses into extinction. Despite a tremendous surge in family business research due to their global importance, the totality of studies focused on Africa is small. Notwithstanding their prevalence there exists absence of in-depth knowledge on their operations, including in Zimbabwe. Accordingly, this study focussed on investigating the determinants for business sustainability of FOPBCs in Zimbabwe. Drawing from various business theories, models and literature, the research utilized a pragmatic paradigm that adopted the exploratory sequential mixed method design (Qual – Quan research) to investigate the factors influencing the survival of Zimbabwe’s FOPBCs. The qualitative research component undertook ten (10) interviews based on nonprobability sampling techniques, to derive relevant themes based on NVivo 2020, that were then employed to design a questionnaire. The follow-up questionnaire was deployed on a census of one hundred and fifty-three (153) FOPBCs in Zimbabwe as the study population. The resultant quantitative data was analysed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) through the application of principal components analysis (PCA), to determine the factors influencing the survival of Zimbabwe’s FOPBCs. The key outputs are methodological, contextual and intergenerational business sustainability framework contributions. The study revealed that succession planning, leadership, total capital, management, family entrepreneurship, strategy, governance, and external environmental factors bear strongly on cross generational sustainability. These factors form the intergenerational business sustainability framework for the FOPBCs. Imperatively, leaders of such companies, policy makers and scholars must pay devout attention to addressing the challenges in logistics and passenger transport management.

Iqoqa

Ibhizinisi lomndeni okuyilona elibonakala lithandwa kakhulu emkhakheni wezambhizinisi, kanti futhi okubanakala lihamba phambili ngamaphesenti angama-60 kuye kwangama-98 umhlaba wonke, yilona elibambe iqhaza elikhulu emnothweni womhlaba. Nokho kuyadabukisa ukubona ukuthi emhlabeni wonke jikelele ibhizinisi lomndeni ligcina lifadalala ezandleni zezizukulwane, ngenxa yokuhluleka ukuzilawula ngokushintshana kwezizukulwane, ngezizathu eziningi nezenza ligcine lifa lelo bhizinisi. Amathuba angathembisi okuphumelela kwamabhizinisi omndeni aletha ukukhathazeka okukhulu. Ibhizinisi lezokuthutha eZimbabwe liyisibonelo salokhu, elibonakala lifadalala ngendlela eyisimangaliso. Buningi ubufakazi eZimbabwe bamabhizinisi omndeni amabhasi, ifamily-owned passenger bus companies (FOPBCs) afadalala kulandela ukushona kwalabo abawasungula. Uzalo kanye nesizukulwane esalandela abasunguli bala mabhizinisi bahluleka ukuwalawula agcine ngokuwa. Ngale kokwanda kocwaningo emhlabeni ngamabhizinisi omndeni ngenxa yokubaluleka kwawo emhlabeni jikelele, luncane ucwaningo olugxile e-Afrika. Ngale kokwanda kwalawa mabhizinisi, luncane ulwazi olukhona ngokusebenza kwawo, kufaka phakathi neZimbabwe. Lolu cwaningo lwabheka izinto ezingenza ukuqhubeka kwe-FOPBCs eZimbabwe. Ngokulawulwa izinjulalwazi ezahlukene zamabhizinisi, izindlela zocwaningo nemibhalo yocwaningo, lolu cwaningo lulandela ipharadaymu yobuqiniso esebenzisa inhlanganisela yobunjalo bocwaningo (okuyikhwalithethivu nekhwantithethivu) ukucwaninga ngezinto ezingaletha ukuqhubeka kwe-FOPBCs eZimbabwe. Ingxenye yekhwalithethivu yasebenzisa inhlolovo eyishumi (10) kubahlanganyeli abaqokwe ngokwenhloso, ukuthola izindikimba ezinohlonze kwasetshenziswa i-NVivo 2020, ukwakha uhlakasikwele lwemibuzo. Uhlakasikwele lwemibuzo elandelisayo yona yenza izibalo eziyikhulu namashumi ayisihlanu nantathu (153) e-FOPBCs eZimbabwe njengabahlangayeli bocwaningo. Imininingo yekhwantithethivu yona yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa indlela esakuhlola, i-exploratory factor analysis (EFA) kusetshenziswa i-application of principal components analysis (PCA), ukubheka izinto ezingasimamisa i-FOPBCs eZimbabwe. Imiphumela ebalulekile ibheka izindlela zokucwaninga, isimo kanye nokuxhumana kwezizukulwane ekulawulweni kwebhizinisi lomndeni. Lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi ukushintshana kwezandla, ubuholi, imali, ukuphatha, ulwazi lwebhizinisi emndenini, imibono, ukulawula, kanye nezimo zangaphandle komndeni, konke kunomthelela othize ekuphumeleleni kwebhizinisi. Zonke lezi zinto ziwumgogodla wokuphumelela kwebhizinisi lomndeni isizukulwane ngesizukulwane enkampanini yamabhasi. Okubalulekile ukuthi, abaholi bezinkampani, ababhali bezinqubomgomo kanye nezifundiswa kumele bazinikeze isikhathi bacubungule izinselelo ezibhekene nebhizinisi lezokuthutha nokuthuthwa kwempahla.