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Faculty of Management Sciences

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Businesspeople--South Africa

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    The application of marketing intelligence for the survival, growth and success of Chinese entrepreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal
    (2017) Yu, Xiao; Penceliah, Soobramoney; Govender, Jeevarathnam Parthasarathy
    There has been substantial research related to small and medium-sized Chinese enterprises in various countries. However, little research has been done on marketing by Chinese entrepreneurs in South Africa. Furthermore, no documented research has been conducted on the use of marketing intelligence by Chinese entrepreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal. For entrepreneurs, marketing intelligence plays an important role in the performance of their businesses. This study is aimed at assessing the application of marketing intelligence by Chinese entrepreneurs regarding their survival, growth and success in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This study was conducted within the main industrial areas in KwaZulu-Natal, where Chinese entrepreneurs are based. The research was of a quantitative, descriptive and cross sectional nature, conducted among a sample of 120 business owners, managers, marketing executives and senior staff. The results revealed that the use of marketing intelligence in strategic decision-making by Chinese entrepreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal is very limited. The extent of awareness of marketing intelligence was fairly low. It also emerged that most of the respondents still acknowledged the importance of marketing intelligence and the role it could play in their businesses’ success. Pursuant to the general requirement for an original contribution in a doctoral thesis, the study provides a framework for current and potential Chinese entrepreneurs with regard to the application of marketing intelligence in their marketing planning.
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    An investigation into organisational leadership for the development of community arts centres
    (2017) Zulu, Lungani Innocent; Chetty, Gopalkrishna
    Modern human resource management practices have the potential to ensure successful businesses and organisations. This is more so where the most significant resource in the organisation are people. This study seeks to examine the leadership and managerial style that ideally could be useful in promoting and developing sustainable businesses with the focus of the study being in community arts centres. This study may be able to contribute to identifying and/or developing future entrepreneurs who may have an interest in opening their own community arts centres and businesses. The results of successful art centres may result in a proliferation of such centres and ultimately offering alternative careers and the opportunities for growth and development for the young South African. This may result in the creation and development of a more robust creative art and drama industry. While it is acknowledged that various other resources are critical for a business to develop including finance, the focus on the management of people forms the basis of this research. The Department of Arts and Culture has identified cultural industries as one of the drivers of economic growth and job creation. Early indications are that the cultural industries are already making a significant contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. The Department of Trade and Industry estimates that the craft sector alone contributes about R2-billion (about 200 million Euros) or 0.14% to South Africa’s GDP annually (Department of Arts and Culture 2013). Community art centres could be the seeds for the growth of the cultural industry. The study included 101 participants, made up of eight (8) centre managers, 69 administrative staff members and 24 centre users. The key findings in this study covered the identification of the leadership, managerial qualities and attributes needed by owners and employees to successfully run/manage a business such as community art centre; to determine whether there is leadership development taking place as a strategic intent so that the next level of managers can head up these centres as well as encouraging some staff to pursue the entrepreneurial route and finally examining human resource principle, processes and practices that are useful when leading and managing a successful community arts centres.