Grand challenges and the myth of entrepreneurship: A study of high-stakes translations of South African entrepreneurship support organizations and their funders

Big Data enables organisations to use the large volumes of data generated through different devices and people to increase efficiency and generate more profits. South African retail organisations are already using data to their advantage using loyalty cards, but their capabilities and readiness in using Big Data is not very clear. This paper presents a qualitative approach to understand the current capabilities and readiness of Big Data in South African retail organisations. Two theoretical models; Technology Organisation Environment (TOE) together with Task Technology Fit (TTF) were used to understand the factors that enable adoption and implementation of Big Data in retail organisations. Semi structured interviews were conducted with individuals from retail organisations, Big Data vendors and IT professional service providers to get an understanding of the current status of Big Data in the South African context. The study reveals that South African retail organisations are capable and ready to adopt and implement Big Data, however, more efforts need to be placed from the organisational perspective and Big Data technology vendors need to provide more support to enable realisation of more benefits of Big Data in South African retail organisations.

Gender mainstreaming experienced a boom of popularity in development organisations around the world following the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. This article contributes to understanding the current state of gender mainstreaming, with a focus on South Africa. Discussions with gender practitioners in South African non-government organisations point to the widespread rejection of gender mainstreaming across the country. While gender mainstreaming cannot be said to have failed in South Africa, these findings suggest that it may need to be drastically revised, and provide some insights on how to move forward.

Orientation: The impact of toxic leadership on employees and organisations has only recently become the focus of certain research studies.Research purpose: The general objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between toxic leadership, job satisfaction, turnover intention and commitment. The aim further was to test whether organisation culture mediates the relationship between toxic leadership and certain job outcomes such as job satisfaction, turnover intention and commitment.Motivation for the study: Currently, no knowledge is available on the relationships between toxic leadership and job outcomes within the context of South African manufacturing organisations. Therefore, this study provides South African organisations and researchers with an insight into such a relationship and the mentioned mediation of organisational culture in the process.Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional research design with a sample size of N = 600 manufacturing employees was used. Product–moment correlations, multiple regression and structural equation modelling were used.Main findings: The test results returned both direct and indirect effects for all the relationships, which indicated only partial mediation in all the tested relationships.Practical/managerial implications: The results provided organisations’ insight into the possible consequences of toxic leadership on employees and the organisations’ culture.Contribution/value-add: The improved understanding of toxic leadership and the relationship with certain job outcomes contributes to the body of knowledge on both the theory of toxic leadership and on employees’ experience of such leadership styles in the work environment.

Orientation: South African automotive organisations require talented employees to compete both nationally and on a global scale, within the setting of Industry 4.0.Research purpose: This article was aimed at identifying talent management approaches for South African automotive organisations to ensure the availability of talent for Industry 4.0 talent demands.Motivation for this study: In general, South African organisations struggle with securing, developing and retaining talent, a challenge aggravated by accelerated technological breakthroughs accompanying Industry 4.0.Research approach/design and method: This article reports on the quantitative component of a combined method study conducted in South Africa’s automotive industry. Data were collected from operational and human resource management professionals in automotive organisations through convenience sampling.Main findings: A greater collaborative effort is required of key stakeholders associated with the automotive industry and within automotive organisations to address the issue of talent in a holistic and focused manner.Practical/managerial implications: The adoption of advanced technologies in the automotive industry necessitates the upskilling and reskilling of current employees, and a renewed focus on attracting talent specifically targeted for Industry 4.0 developments which require collaboration between government, automotive industry, and educational institutions.Contribution/value-add: The article emphasised a holistic approach to talent supply and management for South African automotive organisations in consideration of Industry 4.0, with implications for the government, educational institutions and the automotive industry.

The South West African People's Organization (SWAPO) was formed in the 1950s in contemporary Namibia among a group of about 200 Ovambo workers who had maneuvered their way through the bureaucratic maze of the migrant labor system to reach Cape Town where they faced the constant danger of falling foul of the repressive South African pass laws. Under the leadership of Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, this group established connections with white and black members of left and liberal South African opposition groups, such as the African National Congress, the Communist Party, the Liberal Party, the Congress of Democrats, and the South African Coloured People's Organization. In 1957 the South African government removed Toivo to Ovamboland, where he continued campaigning for political independence and petitioning the United Nations. The Ovambo People's Organization (OPO) emerged from this set of connections between Namibian and South African activists and against the background of the increasing internationalization of anti‐colonial resistance in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1960 it was transformed into SWAPO. Unlike other emerging leaders of the independence movement, such as Sam Nujoma, Toivo did not go into exile. In 1966 the apartheid government sentenced Toivo to 20 years in prison. He was released in 1984 and joined SWAPO in exile, which in the meantime had been recognized as the sole representative of the Namibian people under the organization's energetic president, Nujoma.

Synopsis: The increasing use of centralized procurement in South African mining organizations has led to the need to understand the effect that this procurement governance model has on project procurement performance in matrix organizations. The purpose of this study is: a) to understand the challenges experienced in projects in South African matrix mining organizations using centralized procurement; b) to explore how the aforementioned challenges impact project performance in terms of time, cost, quality and client satisfaction. Relevance for practice education: The study has identified knowledge gaps in centralized procurement literature especially in the context of the South African mining industry, which encourages further research in this field. Research design: This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study, where 13 semistructured interviews were conducted with project managers, procurement officials and suppliers of 5 different mining organizations in South Africa. Main findings: The study found that centralized procurement in a matrix mining organization is not perceived by the research participants to significantly influence procurement or project performance. The perception of the interviewees is that there are mainly positive effects in adopting centralized procurement in matrix mining organizations. Research implications: The study highlights the relevance of centralized procurement in the mining industry in South Africa and denotes areas of improvement within the industry which could improve project procurement as well capital expenditure.

The effects of organizational culture, psychological safety, and perceived leadership integrity on employee voice in organizations are evaluated in this paper. Ten (10) companies in South Africa and Nigeria's financial, service, and manufacturing sectors served as the sample for this research. Intentionally, surveys were disseminated to 200 employees from five workplaces in Nigeria and 200 employees from five workplaces in South Africa. To test the investigation's hypotheses and collect data on participants' opinions on corporate culture, psychological safety, leadership integrity, and employee voice, 400 people were recruited. One hundred eighty-one (180) surveys were discovered in Nigeria, while one hundred eighty-three (183) surveys were found in South Africa. The data was collected and analyzed using SPSS version 29 (Statistical Packages for Social Sciences). According to this study, perceived leadership integrity positively and significantly impacts employee voice in South African and Nigerian organizations. It also showed how employee voice in South African and Nigerian organizations is favorably influenced considerably by perceived leadership integrity. Further, it demonstrated how perceived corporate culture favorably influences employee voice in South African and Nigerian organizations. Additionally, this study showed how employee voice in South Africa and Nigeria is positively impacted by perceived leadership integrity, psychological safety, and organizational culture.

The study aims to assess the challenges posed to the competitiveness of South African construction contractors in other African countries. This was instituted to formulate a pathway for the penetration of South African contractors into the business environment of other African countries. The study employed a quantitative method underpinned by a post-positivism philosophical approach using a questionnaire as the research instrument. The target respondent of the study was construction professionals, while the study area was Gauteng province of South Africa. The data analysis methods were mean item score, Kruskal-Wallis h-test, and Student Newman Kaul post hoc test. Findings from the study showed that the most significant challenges faced by South African construction organisations in exploring business opportunities in other African countries are collusive acts, high cost of financing, lack of technical skills, and difficulties in obtaining loans. Also, the difference in viewpoints given by the sampled professionals is outlined in the study’s findings. Based on the results obtained from the analysis, the study made recommendations that would aid the competitive capabilities of South African construction organisations in the business landscape of other African countries.

When two African cultures collide: A study of interactions between managers in a strategic alliance between two African organizations

This paper explores research done in the South African construction organizations to determine whether the management of diversity is important. The study further identified eleven diversity issues using a literature survey and expert interviews. These issues were rated according to importance and maturity during a two round Delphi study with 33 experts. The four most important diversity factors were found to be: Organizational support and leadership for diversity; Foster individual maturity and ability to embrace diversity; Encourage intercultural understanding; and Commit to diversity in organizational vision. South African construction organizations are not yet mature in their management of diversity issues.

This research investigates how the business strategy factors for South African organizations either support or impede moving business capabilities to a Cloud Computing (CC) environment. In particular, the research considers larger organizations within the investment services industry. By performing a qualitative study the research investigates the various business and Information Technology (IT) strategies. The various CC options are then explored to draw a correlation between the business strategy factors and CC. It concludes that cloud computing offers no competitive differentiation for South African investment services organisations. For these organisations, their existing business models remains profitable. Business strategy, therefore, has no compelling reason to consider cloud computing. South African investment services organizations align with their business strategies through the service-level method, which cause the IT departments to focus on stability and reliability.

This research investigates how the business strategy factors for South African organizations either support or impede moving business capabilities to a Cloud Computing (CC) environment. In particular, the research considers larger organizations within the investment services industry. By performing a qualitative study the research investigates the various business and Information Technology (IT) strategies. The various CC options are then explored to draw a correlation between the business strategy factors and CC. It concludes that cloud computing offers no competitive differentiation for South African investment services organisations. For these organisations, their existing business models remains profitable. Business strategy, therefore, has no compelling reason to consider cloud computing. South African investment services organizations align with their business strategies through the service-level method, which cause the IT departments to focus on stability and reliability.

Orientation: This article explores employees’ subjective experiences of employment equity (EE) within South African organisational contexts, adding diverse and in-depth insights to the post-apartheid EE discourse.Research purpose: The purpose is to hear the voices of employees of different social-cultural, racial and gender backgrounds on the experiences of EE in contemporary South African organisations.Motivation for the study: Research suggests that South African organisations are pressurised to redress past racial inequality. Understanding employees’ subjective experiences of EE adds value to the debate and provides the reader with an in-depth contemporary image of EE in post-apartheid South African organisations.Research approach/design and method: A hermeneutic phenomenological approach, within the qualitative interpretive paradigm, yielded in-depth, rich and detailed descriptions of employees’ experiences of EE in both the private and public sectors of the South African workplace.Main findings: Findings show five themes that are associated with experiences of EE within South African organisations. This study highlights differences of experiences regarding EE plans and processes based on racial background, gender and age, as well as on historical socio-cultural and racial classifications of being a member of advantaged and disadvantaged groups. The following findings are highlighted: the insight into the experiences of EE from the perspectives of the ‘born-frees’ (the differences in experiences of different age groups of employees) and the experienced discrimination of black male and female employees regarding race and the experiences of gender-based discrimination being described by black and white male employees.Practical/managerial implications: Findings show the focus of experiences of EE, the conflicting issues and what South African organisations need to focus on in terms of human resources management (HRM) and the development of employee relations across racial and gender divides. It shows which topics need to be addressed in employee development and training programmes to manage diversity constructively and effectively.Contribution/value-add: The findings can be used by human resources managers to: (1) monitor the progress towards EE competently and vigorously, (2) create awareness and communication within individuals, organisations and society regarding EE, (3) create best practices in order to benefit from EE (members of all racial, gender, cultural groups), (4) create a discourse on humanistic and reflexive HRM, and(5) implement consulting, training and development programmes in organisations that are strategically, sustainably and long-term orientated.

There is a growth of cyber-attacks in South Africa. Seeing that there are over 38 million Internet users in South Africa, this is no surprise. The South African government has published the National Cybersecurity Policy Framework (NCPF) and Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) to move towards mitigating cyber threats due to the increase of the presence of South African organisations and citizens in cyber space. This demonstrates that there is a need for organisations to have a clear roadmap to implement and improve on their own cybersecurity capabilities. South African organisations need to take a proactive stance in cybersecurity because businesses rely heavily on technology for day-to-day operations. Currently cyber-attacks cost South African organisations over R2 billion, and the current work-from-home arrangement that most organisations have implemented will only worsen the situation. While a cybersecurity roadmap will differ in every organisation based on the organisation’s vision, goals, and objectives, along with their information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT), a starting point is perhaps the identification of key research and development (R&D) areas together with key activitiesthat organisations can focus on in order to improve their cybersecurity capabilities. Cybersecurity capabilities are tools that organisations use to strengthen their organisation and protect themselves from potential cyber threats. The purpose of this study was to investigate R&D areas that organisations should invest in for the purpose of improving their cybersecurity capabilities. There are various subfields in cybersecurity that can be explored for organisations to advance their cybersecurity capabilities. Five integral R&D dimensions were identified together with key activities and are presented and discussed. A conceptual framework is also presented which maps the R&D dimensions and activities to the main pillars of cybersecurity, i.e., People, Processes, and Technology. South African organisations could reference the framework and adapt it for their business needs to protect themselves against potential cyber threats.

The previous studies have delineated the weakness and drawbacks of e-waste practices in various organisations. However, these studies failed to address major issues relating to effective e-waste management, hence the high rate of obsolescence of electronic equipment continues to grow becoming the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Organisations are paying little attention to the environmental aspects, and there is limited research surrounding e-waste in South African organisations. The primary motivation of the study was to determine the current e-waste practices in the South African organisations to contribute to sustainable e-waste management. The sample was drawn from ten South African organisations from the viewpoint of Information Technology (IT) professionals and managers through semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study revealed that there is a lack of environmental awareness programme in South African organisations, research is not conducted during the procurement process and there is no procurement strategy, limited budget is provided to purchase electronic equipment, hardware’s and software’s are not upgraded to extend the life span of electronic equipment, and data is not managed appropriately, there is lack of recycling capacity, obsolete electronic is not properly disposed of, and there is non-conformance to environmental legislations due to lack of enforcement. The study recommends an increased environmental awareness programme in South African organisations, research to be conducted prior purchasing, develop procurement strategy, provide sufficient budget and purchase environmentally friendly electronic equipment that are less harmful to the environment. The hardware’s and software’s should be upgraded to extend the life span of electronic equipment, and recycling of e-waste should be conducted to reduce and manage e-waste. To some extent, obsolete electronic equipment should be returned to the supplier to ensure safe disposal, and effort should be made to ensure regulatory compliance with the environmental legislations.