People matters : attracting knowledge workers to technology start-ups (TSUs) in South Africa

Abstract

Companies within the high-technology industry are largely dependent on a specialised knowledge base to make advances in technological innovations and maintain a competitive advantage. Technology start-ups (TSUs) have limited resources and face various organisational challenges which place them at a disadvantage in the recruitment of skilled knowledge workers. This research investigates the factors which attract highly skilled knowledge workers to technology start-ups (TSUs) in South Africa, despite their numerous challenges. This study used a mixed method design involving 129 knowledge workers. Exploratory interviews were conducted in the first phase to investigate which factors attracted knowledge workers to TSUs. An Adaptive Choice-Based Conjoint (ACBC) experiment in the second phase tested the relative importance of the attributes that were identified during the interviews and in the literature. The findings revealed that intellectual challenge and financial package were the most important individual attributes while non-financial job attributes were most important overall. Different preferences existed between genders although not between job types. The entrepreneurial aspirations of the knowledge worker were also found to be a significant factor in their attraction to a TSU. Recommendations are made to TSUs for recruiting talent based on the findings.Copyright