Entrepreneurship leadership and creativity

Date
2000-03
Authors
Avenant, Leonie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this masters thesis the nature and theory of entrepreneurship, leadership and creativity are discussed. The primary objectives were to identify the entrepreneur. The secondary objectives were to evaluate that when he corporates his leadership skills and creativity if he can be a winner. Entrepreneurs create and manage change. Action-orientation is the essence of entrepreneurship. In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives an in-depth literature study was carried out. It was followed by informal interviews with different entrepreneurs, managers and leaders of big and small businesses. Young entrepreneurs were also interviewed. During this study it was found that leadership and creativity are necessary for entrepreneurship, in order to prosper in an increasingly competitive world. Development of entrepreneurship, leadership and creativity becomes an important strategic objective of schools and other organisations. There is a need for training young people and adults efficiently. This situation poses definite challenges. On the part of educators it requires innovative and unique approaches to develop these abilities. Entrepreneurs are leaders. Being a leader is a prerequisite to entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur must be a leader to attract, retain and get the most out of financiers, suppliers, customers, consultants, professionals and contractors. He must be a leader to get the best out of himself. Some entrepreneurs lead in such a way that their leadership is easy to observe and to understand, while others' ways are less visible or comprehensible; but they are all leaders. One thinks that leaders are born with leadership talent. Some small elements of leadership may come with birth (Shefsky, 1994: 168), but those elements tend to determine the quality of the leadership, not the existence of leadership talent. People can be educated how to be leaders. This can also be taught at school. Entrepreneurial leadership develops by keeping perspective so that dreams can become reality, knowing why one must lead, identifying targets and staying focussed. Like other forms of leadership, entrepreneurial leadership entails a blend of what is ethically correct and what is financially successful. The entrepreneurial leader must be prepared for the stimulation and the responsibility of the position. Creativity in entrepreneurship is challenging and stimulating. Intuition is the enabling factor in creativity. Once the entrepreneurial leader creates, he tears apart his good ideas. He will analyse how long his idea will take to develop, what the risk is and what the market is. He will estimate both sides of success, spectacular and worst case scenarios. His mind will be open for creativity to truth. He will be inquisitive, he will question everything and try to figure out how in the world everything can be done better.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie verhandeling word die aard en teorie van entrepreneurskap, leierskap en kreatiwiteit bespreek. Die primêre doelwitte was om te bepaal of die entrepreneur suksesvol kan wees as hy leierskap en kreatiwiteit koppel aan entrepreneurskap. Die entrepreneur skep verandering en hy bestuur verandering. Die wese van die entrepreneur is daarin om daadwerkilk op te tree. Om bogenoemde doelwitte te verwesenlik, is en diepgaande Iieteratuurstudie gedoen, asook onderhoude gevoer met verskeie entrepreneurs, bestuurders en leiers van groot en klein sakeondernemings. Daar is ook onderhoude met skoolgaande en jong entrepreneurs gevoer. Tydens die studie is bevind dat leierskap en kreatiwiteit noodsaaklik is vir entrepreneurskap ten einde voorspoedig te wees en vooruit te gaan in en Wêreld wat toenemend mededingend raak. Ontwikkeling van entrepreneurskap, leierskap en kreatiwiteit raak al hoe meer die strategiese doelwitte van skole en ander organisasies. Daar is en behoefte daaraan om jong mense en volwassenes effektief op te lei. Hierdie situasie skep werklik uitdagings. Aan die kant van die opvoeders vereis dit unieke verandering deur nuwighede in te voer en unieke benaderings te ontwikkel, ten einde hierdie vermoëns te ontwikkel. Entrepreneurs is leiers. Om en leier te wees, is en vereiste vir entrepreneurskap. en Entrepreneur moet en leier wees ten om die finansiers, verskaffers, kliënte, konsultante, beroepslui en kontrakteurs aan te trek, hulle te behou en die meeste uit hulle te haal. Hy moet 'n leier wees om die beste uit homself te kry. Sommige entrepreneurs lei op so 'n manier dat hulle leierskap maklik waarneembaar en verstaanbaar is. Ander se leierskap is weer minder sigbaar of verstaanbaar, maar hulle is almal leiers. Daar word algemeen aanvaar dat leiers gebore word met leierskaptalent. Sommige beginsels van leierskap is reeds by geboorte aanwesig (Shefsky, 1994: 168), maar hierdie beginsels is geneig om die bestaan van leierskap te bepaal, maar nie die bestaan van leierskap talent nie. Mense kan opgelei word on leiers te wees. Leierskap kan ook in die skool aangeleer word. Ondernemende leiers ontwikkel deur perspektief te behou sodat hulle drome werklikheid word, deur te wete te kom hoekom hulle moet lei, deur doelwitte te stel en gefokus te bly. Soos enige vorm van entrepreneurskap tree hulle eties korrek op om finansieel suksesvol te wees. Kreatiwiteit en entrepreneurskap skep 'n uitdaging en is stimulerend. Intuïsie is die bydraende faktor tot kreatiwiteit. Sodra die voornemende leier skep, haal hy sy idee uitmekaar uit. Hy analiseer hoe lank dit sal duur voor sy idee ontwikkel, wat die risiko is en waaroor die mark geleenthede gaan. Hy maak 'n waardebepaling van moontlike suksesse of mislukkings. Hy is ingestelop kreatiwiteit, is ondersoekend en weetgierig. Hy doen alles in sy vemoë om 'n belangrike rol te speel om die wêreld 'n beter plek te maak. Klem is gelê op die eienskappe, vaardighede, rolle en funksies van die voornemende leier en watter rol leierskap en kreatiwiteit in entrepreneurskap speel.
Description
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
Keywords
Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Creative ability, Dissertations -- Education
Citation