Browsing by Author "Riley, Kim"
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- ItemCapitalising on South Africa's innovation resource through entrepreneurship in the creative industries(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Riley, Kim; Von Leipzig, Konrad; Schutte, C. S. L.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Capitalising on South Africa’s innovation resource through entrepreneurship in the creative industries. In light of the current global challenges as well as local needs and opportunities, there is a need for improved utilisation of South Africa’s innovation resource. Due to designers possessing creativity and the ability to innovate, it is proposed that an increase in the quality and quantity of entrepreneurship activity in the creative sectors will have notable impacts on the sustainability, competitiveness and value of South Africa’s economic activity. It is argued that designers and creative individuals inherently possess a number of entrepreneurial traits and that design education promotes the development of many entrepreneurial behaviours. Thus, it is necessary to offset and maximise these skills with the requisite businessrelated cognitions, attributes and abilities. For this reason, this study looks at the contextual characteristics and needs of small businesses operating in South African design sectors. The objective is to provide relevant and practical suggestions for improving ‘effective’ entrepreneurial activity in the design industries. The current state of entrepreneurship education in a representative sample of South African entrepreneurship courses is analysed. The outcome of this process is used as a base-line in consulting a number of experts in the South African small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, in order to ascertain the context-specific ‘success factors’ for small businesses in South Africa. Empirical data is then gathered regarding the current state of entrepreneurship and small business content in design education in South Africa. The results of all these processes are analysed in conjunction with the empirical results regarding the individually perceived abilities and attitudes of designers currently operating small businesses in South Africa. The outcome of this analysis is a framework describing the important elements (and relationships between elements) necessary in the development of effective entrepreneurial ability.