Modelling the relationships between the business environment, entrepreneurial orientation and employment growth amongst small, medium and micro-enterprises in South Africa

Show simple item record

dc.contributor.author Dele-Ijagbulu, Oluwafemi
dc.contributor.author Moos, Menisha
dc.contributor.author Eresia-Eke, Chukuakadibia E.
dc.date.accessioned 2021-09-29T06:30:58Z
dc.date.available 2021-09-29T06:30:58Z
dc.date.issued 2021-07
dc.description.abstract PURPOSE : This study seeks to model the nexus between environmental dynamism, environmental hostility, five sub-dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) (innovativeness, pro-activeness, risk-taking, competitive aggressiveness and autonomy) and employment growth. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : Based on a positivist research philosophy, this study adopts a quantitative methodological approach, which entails an online survey. Data is obtained through probability sampling of 1031 small, medium and micro enterprise businesses (SMMEs) and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). FINDINGS/RESULTS : The findings reveal only four dimensions namely proactive-innovation, risk-taking, competitive aggressiveness, and autonomy as statistically visible, which is contrary to five as postulated in theory. In addition, it was found that the relationships between environmental hostility, environmental dynamism and the dimensions of EO were statistically significant. Conversely, the relationships between the dimensions of EO and employment growth were statistically insignificant except within the category of medium-sized businesses (MSBs) in which proactive-innovation and competitive aggressiveness indicated a statistically significant negative association with employment growth. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : A dynamic and hostile environment is essential to increased entrepreneurial intensity among SMMEs, but the size of the firm can be a determinant in their capacity for employment generation. ORIGINALITY/0VALUE : The association between EO and employment growth has attracted less attention in research despite its theoretical and practical significance. Furthermore, studies on the antecedents of EO such as its relationship with environmental dynamism and hostility are limited. Following a multidimensional approach to EO, this empirical study illustrates its relationship with employment growth incorporating the component of the business environment. Regarding the plausibility of these associations, it distinguishes MSBs from the other categories of businesses within the SMME cohort. en_ZA
dc.description.department Business Management en_ZA
dc.description.librarian hj2021 en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorship The Department of Business Management, University of Pretoria en_ZA
dc.description.uri http://www.sajbm.org en_ZA
dc.identifier.citation Dele-Ijagbulu, O.J., Moos, M., & Eresia-Eke, C. (2021). Modelling the relationships between the business environment, entrepreneurial orientation and employment growth amongst small, medium and micro-enterprises in South Africa. South African Journal of Business Management, 52(1), a2404. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v52i1.2404. en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn 2078-5585 (print)
dc.identifier.issn 2078-5976 (online)
dc.identifier.other 10.4102/sajbm.v52i1.2404
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/81981
dc.language.iso en en_ZA
dc.publisher AOSIS en_ZA
dc.rights © 2021 Oluwafemi J. Dele-Ijagbulu, Menisha Moos, Chukuakadibia Eresia-Eke. This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0. en_ZA
dc.subject Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) en_ZA
dc.subject Environmental dynamism en_ZA
dc.subject Environmental hostility (EH) en_ZA
dc.subject Employment growth en_ZA
dc.subject Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) en_ZA
dc.subject Medium-sized businesses (MSBs) en_ZA
dc.title Modelling the relationships between the business environment, entrepreneurial orientation and employment growth amongst small, medium and micro-enterprises in South Africa en_ZA
dc.type Article en_ZA


Files in this item

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record