Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)
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Item Factors influencing the competitiveness of small and medium clothing manufacturing enterprises in the eThekwini Municipal District in KwaZulu-Natal(2022) Mkhize, Dalisu Mhlengi; Lekhanya, Lawrence MpeleThe purpose of this study is to determine factors influencing the competitiveness of small and medium clothing manufacturing enterprises in the eThekwini municipal district in KwaZulu-Natal. SMEs in the clothing manufacturing industry remain at lower competency. This appears to be as a consequence of a lack of knowledge and understanding of those factors that contribute to their competitiveness. The study aimed to determine which factors contribute to the competitiveness of manufacturing SMEs, while also describing how they impact these small clothing manufacturing industry enterprises in the eThekwini District Municipality of KZN. Data were collected from different parts of the eThekwini district municipality, which include Durban central, South Coast of Durban, North Coast of Durban, and west parts of Durban. The sample consisted of 80 SME owners and managers of clothing manufacturing companies who are members of the National Bargaining Council for the clothing manufacturing industry in the eThekwini District Municipality. The research design embraces a quantitative research approach with a closed-ended questionnaire distributed to participants by the researcher. Due to lockdown restrictions posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, and some participants restricting visitors, arrangements were made to receive and return the completed questionnaire through email. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 for Windows. Numerous factors were anticipated to challenge the competitiveness of clothing manufacturing SMEs in the eThekwini District Municipality, with cheap imports, technological advances, and a lack of competitiveness knowledge by both employers and employees amongst these.Item An investigation of strategies to improve the competitiveness of the poultry industry in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana(2022) Yeboah, Isaac; Amisi, Baruti B.Copious research studies have been carried out on poultry production worldwide in the small and medium scale (SMS) sector, resulting in quantum challenges identified that oppose local industries, with production cost paramount. Nevertheless, none of these studies were found to offer effective strategies to overcome the challenges, revamp the poultry industry and enhance its competitiveness in the Brong Ahafo geographical area of Ghana. This research thus bridges the opening left and catalyses the debate by assessing SMS poultry producers’ competitiveness, along with the challenges that militate against the local industry, as well as government policies that seek to enhance the industry’s competitiveness. Additionally, strategies have been proposed to boost productivity and improve the poultry industry’s competitiveness. Moreover, the result will have specific significance, especially for developing countries who consider SMS poultry operation as employment creation, while also being a measure to enhance the local poultry industry’s competitiveness. This study adopted convergent mixed methods design through which quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently, analysed seperately and then merged and intepreted, looking for convergence, divergence, contradictions or relationships of the two sources of data. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a sample of 100 participants, comprising 66 SMS poultry farmers, 10 Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and veterinary officers, and 24 consumers of chicken. The SMS poultry farmers as well as the consumers received both closeended and open-ended questions. The MoFA and veterinary officials however, received only open-ended questions as the researcher required basically certain technical information from them as per the phenomenon under study. The administration of the questionnaires to the identified respondents was done through the help of a reserch assistant, with a personal interview as a follow up on the open-ended questions. This was done by means of site visits and hand delivery of the measuring instrument. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 24.0, was used to analyse the quantitative data, with outcomes presented in cross-tabulations, correlation and frequency tables, as well as figures. The constant comparative analysis (CCA) method was used to analyse the qualitative data. The outcomes reveal that a low level of education, lack of management skills as wellas high production cost are impeding the operations of local poultry producers. The overwhelming challenges confronting the industry are exacerbated by policymakers’ apathetic attitude towards its development. However, by employing cost effective strategies throughout the poultry value chain, local producers can increase production, add value and be competitive in the turbulent market setting, currently dominated by foreign mega competitors. A collaboration is recommended between lawmakers and the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF), based on the study findings, in order to create an enabling environment, within which to promote policy implementation and ensure the local poultry industry’s competitiveness.