Browsing by Author "Els, Caro"

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    Supporting SMEs in partnerships: towards a relational capability framework
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Els, Caro; Grobbelaar, Sara; Kennon, Denzil; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In a developing country such as South Africa, the survival and growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is critical to the growth and prosperity of the country. Their importance for the modern economy, and their contribution to economic development is widely recognised and accepted. Nevertheless, they face several challenges which result in high failure rates. With the fast pace of technological change, and an increasingly dynamic business landscape, the topic of SME support is becoming more important. The changing business landscape can be viewed from an ecosystem perspective to make sense of the emerging, abstract concepts. The ecosystem perspective provides an alternative lens that captures this transformation by emphasising the importance of relationships, partnerships, and collaboration. It is becoming increasingly recognised that there are several strategic benefits for both large and small firms to enter into collaborative, symbiotic partnerships. Many characteristics inherent to SMEs, such as agility, flexibility and innovative capabilities are characteristics that larger firms are increasingly looking for in partners. The reality of partnerships however, particularly for an SME, is that they are both complex and challenging. If SMEs do not have guidance to strategically apply these characteristics, their already limited resources would constantly be placed under even more strain. In this vein, the study was continued with the objective to develop a framework that can guide a South African SME to identify, and improve the capabilities required to develop business-to-business (B2B) relationships in business ecosystems. In pursuit of this objective, the systems engineering approach was utilised to guide the problem solving process. This involved identifying the requirements that are necessary or compulsory for a relationship to function as desired, and converting these requirements into relational capabilities through which the requirements can be addressed in an SME. The relational capabilities were subsequently consolidated into a two-dimensional framework, referred to as the Relational Capability Framework (RCF). The RCF however needed to be transformed into a tool that could be used to guide an SME to identify and improve the necessary relational capabilities. This was done by adding a third dimension, Capability maturity, to the RCF to develop the Relational Capability Maturity Model (RCMM). The RCF and related RCMM were subject to a three-stage validation process. This involved 1) a capability ranking questionnaire, 2) two illustrated case studies, and 3) semi-structured interviews. Throughout this process, the RCF was continuously refined in order to provide the confidence that the framework delivers on its main objective. The RCMM was applied using a three-stage improvement process, including 1) evaluation, 2) planning and 3) improvement. Through the practical application, the framework has been proven to be useful in creating explicit knowledge. This knowledge can in turn be used to guide an SME to become self-aware, learn about their capabilities and identify opportunities for improvement. The framework presents a vehicle through which SMEs have the opportunity to address and improve their relational capabilities, and strengthen their position in B2B relationships. Through enabling SMEs to do this, it is believed to bring them one step closer to increased survivability, and increased success.