Browsing by Author "Matthee, Sabrina Vinette"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring factors hampering the performance of business incubators in Aouth Africa – a public, private, and university business incubator cross-case analysis
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Matthee, Sabrina Vinette; Solomon, Goosain; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept of Business Management.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Business incubators (BIs) are policy instrument investments that are expected to develop and grow small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMME), which in turn enhance the socio-economic landscape of a country as a return on the investment. Despite numerous business incubation programmes run by government entities, private organisations, and universities, their impact on SMMEs has not been well documented. Limited attention has been given to the challenges BIs face in their efforts to support incubatees, yet BIs are unconditionally expected to deliver to their mandate. Furthermore, little, if any, evidence is documented of the factors hampering the performance of public, private, and university BIs. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the factors hampering the performance of public, private, and university BIs in South Africa. A resource-based view was assumed under a phenomenological approach that incorporated a cross-case analysis design. Qualitative data were collected by conducting 16 semi-structured interviews from purposively selected stakeholders from a public, private, and university BI respectively. The data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and subjected to thematic data analysis using the interpretative phenomenological analysis technique to interpret the everyday lived experiences of the selected stakeholders of the three cases studied, two of which have national footprints. Business incubator sustainability emerged as the primary overarching theme of the findings. Across all three cases, a lack of both financial resources and organisational resources was identified. The lack of these resources resulted in structural decoupling a phenomenon that is inherent to BIs in a survival mode, whereby the major activity of the incubator (incubation) tends to be disconnected from its organisational control structures and the activity itself is disconnected from its intended mandate. Structural decoupling was noted in all three cases in the current study and, although the degree at which it occurred varied in each case, its impact was observed in all three cases. The study contributed firstly towards diminishing the dearth in the literature; secondly, it initiated dialogue about the efficacy of public, private, and university BIs and, lastly, the study proposed a review of managerial practices and policies. Seldom is research without limitations. A primary limitation of this study is the limited cases considered within the categories of the BIs. Future studies of this nature could increase the number of cases within each category of a BI. In addition, replicating the study and including a developed country context and translating it into a comparative study might be useful. A further recommendation is that a longitudinal approach be adopted and the study be repeated over time to assess the progress in the performance of business incubators in South Africa.