Faculty of Management Sciences
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Item The impact of entrepreneurship programmes on students’ career decisions : the case study of the Durban University of Technology(2022-11) Mzimela, Mthokozisi Nkululeko; Chetty, GopalkrishnaUnemployment is a severe scourge that many countries, from both developed and underdeveloped economies, face. Thus, it has a very negative impact on the economy since it increases unemployment rates, poverty, and other social ills. In the South African context, it has been noticed that there seems to be an increasing trend in graduate unemployment and a lack of interest in entrepreneurship careers after graduating. In a quest for the best solution to this dilemma of graduate unemployment, the government has realised that the only way to revitalise the economy is through the development of entrepreneurship. Therefore, it has made entrepreneurship education a top priority in the institutions of higher learning. This resolution by the government was aimed at facilitating entrepreneurial activities and the cultivation of entrepreneurial talents through tertiary education. It was for this reason that most tertiary institutions introduced entrepreneurship education modules and qualifications in their course offerings. The primary aim of the study is to investigate the impact of entrepreneurship education on students’ future career decisions and also to identify challenges that prevent students from pursuing entrepreneurial activities. In addition, this study aims to find the most effective methods that can mitigate against identified challenges. This study was conducted at the Durban University of Technology (Durban campuses only). A mixed methods approach was used to conduct this research study. A sample size of 274 respondents was sampled from a population of 932 registered students of the entrepreneurship education module for the academic year of 2017 at the Durban University of Technology – the respondents were selected to participate in the data collection. A further three academic staff members within the department of entrepreneurial studies were also included in this study. The study findings highlighted that entrepreneurship education is instrumental in fostering students’ entrepreneurial skills and proclivity towards self-employment. However, certain challenges were identified as the root cause for entrepreneurship education not yielding the much-anticipated results. The study highlighted access to start-up capital as a major challenge, since the majority of students do not have a good credit record or collateral, as required by financial institutions. Therefore, the recommendations made in this particular study can be considered a point of reference for improved outcomes.Item The entrepreneurial mind-set of university students : a cross-cultural comparison between Namibia and Germany(Inderscience Publishers, 2011) Haase, Heiko; Lautenschlager, Arndt; Rena, RavinderThe objective of this article is to set a cornerstone to compare and understand the phenomenon of graduate entrepreneurship in developing and developed countries. Our central research questions are: Are there differences in the entrepreneurial intentions of university students? What are the factors that might explain potential differences in their entrepreneurial mind-set? In response to these questions, we performed a cross-sectional study exploring the prospective career paths of 2,353 university students from Namibia as well as from Eastern and Western Germany. We found that Namibian students have a higher entrepreneurial intention compared to their German counterparts. We detected several differences between both countries and revealed explanatory factors. However, they are not sufficient to explain the ‘regional dimension’ of the higher entrepreneurial intentions in Namibia. Several implications are presented.Item An investigation of the factors that influence academic performance of students registered for Financial Management at Durban University of Technology (DUT)(2022) Khumalo, Mhlonishwa; Mbali, CharlotteThe Durban University of Technology (DUT), whose vision is to be a centre of excellence in the heart of Africa, is keen on quality assurance and the maintenance of standards. However, the academic deans and quality assurance committee have noted that while some students perform highly, others do not perform well, raising concerns about those who do not perform well. This is particularly applicable in Financial Management Modules because should this poor performance go unchecked, the university may lose its reputation, which may result in a loss of confidence in DUT graduates amongst outside organisations. The study aimed at investigating the challenges encountered by students enrolled for Financial Management (FM) in order to establish strategies that can be adopted to improve performance. The research tool used was a questionnaire, which was then examined by quantitative methods. The sample consisted of 160 students enrolled in Financial Management courses. In order to preserve anonymity, their actual marks could not be used in the study, hence they were asked to gauge their own performance both in their Matriculation and in DUT examinations. This was then processed using the category data of their bio-characteristics (gender, age, type of school, mode of study) measured against their opinions of different modes of study used in FM courses at DUT. Some of the most important findings from the study results were that parental involvement with schoolwork resulted in a better Matric result, and that more of the third-year DUT students claimed this than the 4th years, indicating that parents are increasingly getting involved. At DUT, proportionately more 4 th years claimed lecturers as being most helpful, whereas for 3rd years, it was student-run groups. A notable 62.2 % of all respondents claimed that teaching methods in Financial Management should be revised. There was also a worrying number of nonresponses of up to 10%, for some of the teaching and learning methods, indicating that some registered students are not able to make full use of what is on offer. Lastly, another finding worth mentioning is the relationship between understanding terminology by respondents and the type of school they attended. Results showed that most of the respondents from rural and township schools had difficulty understanding terminology as compared to those from private schools.Item Inclination of higher education students towards medical and healthcare start-ups : an empirical study in the post covid scenario(NeuroQuantology, 2022-06-01) Lourens, Melanie Elizabeth; Newaskar, Prabha Shakya; Satyamurthy, D.V.Satyamurthy.G; Tamijeselwan, S.In an advanced world, extra fees aren't always a supply of worry, particularly if the pleasant of products and offerings received is better. Also, there's not anything uncommon approximately a populace stresses extra of a positive type of provider whilst its earnings capability increases. A better fashionable of dwelling is in truth a number of the elements which have brought about the increase in fitness care expenditure in latest decades. In maximum areas of the economy, the numerous troubles going through the fitness care machine might be alleged as possibilities with the aid of using marketers. However, on the grounds that health facility and scientific offerings believed to be vital are dominated with the aid of using the government – which price range 70% of the nation’s general fitness care costs – marketers are with the aid of using definition omitted from a massive a part of the fitness sector. In spite of governments having installation several running agencies and commissions, and regardless of the funding of huge sums of cash in latest years, our fitness care machine continues to be suffering to meet the people’s hopes. There isn't any uncertainty that marketers can be referred to as upon to soak up the demanding situations posed with the aid of using the getting older of the populace and the developing prices of fitness care on this nation. Sample of 215 students from higher education were considered to know different factors and their impact on Inclination of Higher Education Students Towards Medical and Healthcare Start-Ups. The study concludes that Scope and Opportunities, Skill and Talent, Entrepreneurial Consciousness and Awareness towards healthcare are the factors that determines the Inclination of Higher Education Students Towards Medical and Healthcare Start-Ups.Item Students’ perceptions towards careers in the hospitality industry(2021) Mlotshwa, Nelisiwe Rejoice; Mnguni, E. M.; Adebanjo, H. M.The hospitality industry, a sector within the tourism industry, contributes to the economy of the country and the livelihoods of the South African population. This research explored the perceptions of third-year hospitality students towards careers in the industry. These undergraduates are envisioned to be future employees of the hospitality industry; therefore, understanding their thoughts and intentions of joining the industry was paramount. However, research on findings of the perceptions of students towards this industry in South Africa, especially in Durban is limited. The perceptions of these students mainly relate to their understanding of careers in the hospitality industry. This report records the findings of student’s perceptions towards the hospitality industry in Durban, South Africa. The researcher used a mixed-method approach involving questionnaires and focus groups. The participants were drawn from the Department of Hospitality and Tourism at the Durban University of Technology (DUT)which is the only university of technology in KwaZulu-Natal that offers a national diploma in hospitality management. The research data was analysed using the SPSS version 27 and qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings suggest that the students’ perceptions toward the industry are positive. This was observed through a high percentage of students indicating their willingness to join the industry after graduating. However, the majority of the students in this research indicated their interest in starting their own businesses and travelling as the main reason for pursuing this qualification. Also discovered in the study was the influence of work-integrated learning (WIL) on students’ perceptions of the industry. The dissertation concludes by providing recommendations to the academic department and the industry that may retain this trend. Recommendations involved advising the university to ensure an element of entrepreneurship is evident to the curriculum, and the industry to improve their working conditions to entice students to join the industry after graduating.Item Exploring student perceptions of using the learning management system and social media for blended learning at a rural university(UNISA Press, 2015-01) Moodley, Padhma; Singh, Rachael Jesika; Cloete, J.Blended learning combines the strength of face-to-face learning with e-learning, which has become the catalyst for education reform today. Unfortunately there are many obstacles that can derail this format of hybrid learning before it can reach its full potential, especially at universities where budgetary constraints inhibit the development of the information and communication infrastructure. This study seeks to capture students’ perceptions regarding web-based activities at a rural university. Purposive sampling was used to generate the sample and a combined total of 380 second- and third-year students participated in this study. Second- and third-year students were selected as it is expected that they have experienced the university learning management system and its shortcomings, and are hence in a posistion to compare the learning management system with social media platforms. The data collection instrument was a self-administered questionnaire, which was analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings indicate that students at the rural university preferred to engage in blended learning through social networking technologies, as opposed to the learning management system, which they found was mostly unavailable or inaccessible at their residences.