Capitalising on South Africa's innovation resource through entrepreneurship in the creative industries

Date
2012-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
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.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Benutting van Suid-Afrika se innovasie hulpbron deur middel van entrepreneurskap in die kreatiewe bedrywe. In lig van die huidige wêreldwye uitdagings, insluitend die plaaslike behoeftes en geleenthede, is daar ‘n noodsaaklikheid vir die beter benutting van Suid-Afrika se innovasie-hulpbron. As gevolg van die feit dat ontwerpers oor kreatiwiteit en die vermoë om te innoveer beskik, word daar voorgestel dat ‘n verhoging in die gehalte en hoeveelheid entrepreneuriese aktiwiteite in die kreatiewe sektore ‘n beduidende impak op die volhoubaarheid, mededingendheid en waarde toevoeging van Suid-Afrika se ekonomiese aktiwiteite sal hê. Daar word geredeneer dat ontwerpers en kreatiewe individue oor ‘n bepaalde aantal intrinsieke entrepreneuriese eienskappe beskik en verder dat ‘n aantal entrepreneuriese gedragspatrone deur ontwerp onderwys ontwikkel en bevorder kan word. Dit is daarom nodig om hierdie vaardighede met die vereiste sake beginsels, eienskappe en vermoëns te versterk en optimeer. Om hierdie rede ondersoek hierdie studie die kontekstuele eienskappe en behoeftes van klein sake-ondernemings in die Suid-Afrikaanse ontwerp sektore. Die doel is om toepaslike en praktiese voorstelle vir die verbetering van ‘effektiewe’ entrepreneuriese aktiwiteite in die ontwerp nywerhede te voorsien. Die huidige stand van entrepreneurskap-onderwys is bepaal deur ‘n verteenwoordigende steekproef van die Suid-Afrikaanse entrepreneurskap kursusse te ontleed. Die uitkoms van hierdie proses word gebruik as ‘n basis-lyn in die raadpleging van ‘n aantal deskundiges in die Suid- Afrikaanse klein sake-sektor, ten einde die konteks-spesifieke ‘sukses faktore’ vir klein ondernemings in Suid-Afrika vas te stel. Empiriese data word dan versamel met betrekking tot die huidige stand van die entrepreneurskap en kleinsake inhoud wat in die ontwerp onderwys van Suid-Afrika vervat word. Die resultate van al hierdie prosesse is ontleed tesame met die empiriese resultate wat verkry is ten opsigte van die vermoëns en houdings wat gekoppel word aan ontwerpers wat tans werksaam is in die klein ondernemings in Suid-Afrika. Die uitkoms van hierdie analise poog om ‘n raamwerk daar te stel vir die beskrywing van die belangrikste elemente (en verhoudings tussen elemente) wat benodig word in die ontwikkeling van effektiewe entrepreneuriese vermoëns.
Description
Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Keywords
Entrepreneurship, Educational model, Design innovation creativity, Dissertations -- Industrial engineering, Theses -- Industrial engineering
Citation