Values malleability or the potentially harmful effects of exposure to street trading? Derived global leadership and organisational behaviour effectiveness (GLOBE) individual values, context and informal entrepreneurial outcomes in the African city street trading context

Abstract

In this study, individual values were derived from the global leadership and organisational behaviour effectiveness (GLOBE) organisational culture values, theory and adapted for testing in the street trading context of a large African city. A deficiency in the literature was found to exist with regard to the effects of individual values in the greater Johannesburg city street trading sector. This research therefore, investigated the extent to which these values dimensions might be associated with three entrepreneurial outcomes: gross earnings, continuance satisfaction and entrepreneurial satisfaction. This research also investigated the extent to which values might be potentially shaped by this context over time. A cohort of street traders drawn from the greater Johannesburg trader population attending a street trader training programme at the University of the Witwatersrand was sampled. Following the GLOBE research precedent, correlation analyses were performed, and parametric and nonparametric correlation analyses were used to test the significance of associations predicted by theory. The underling factor structure of the nine derived individual value dimensions in this context was also tested using statistical factor analysis. Time in the sector, or experience, was found to be negatively associated with performance orientation, future orientation and humane orientation, yet positively associated with assertiveness. Institutional collectivism was found to be associated with higher levels of earnings. Other findings indicated that older traders are less performance oriented, and that the factor structure of GLOBE derived individual values might be context specific in a context that may contribute to an adaptation of values over time. Key words: Street traders, satisfaction, gross earnings, derived global leadership and organisational behaviour effectiveness (GLOBE) individual values.