- Title
- A study of innovation by entrepreneurs in small and medium sized businesses in Botswana and its influence on business performance
- Creator
- Moroka, Obakeng
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2013
- Description
- Professional Doctorate - Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
- Description
- The aim of this dissertation is to investigate how entrepreneurs in small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) use innovation to succeed in Botswana. Literature places innovation at the Centre of entrepreneurship, and shows that innovativeness is one of the critical success factors for SMEs. The topic has not been researched in Botswana for that reason; there are no ready theories to test in this research. To overcome that weakness, the study commenced with a qualitative inquiry based on structured interviews of a few selected SMEs. The interviews were meant to inquire on how entrepreneurs in Botswana view innovation and business success. The results of the interviews were used to shape research questions for the study.A quantitative design was used in the second phase of the study; it was based on a self-completion questionnaire which was designed to test various aspects of innovation in SMEs. The results were analyzed with the aid of the SPSS tool. The findings of the study demonstrate that the majority of original business ideas for SMEs in Botswana were not based on innovation, Rather, they were an imitation of existing business models. The findings also showed limited evidence of innovation activities, taking into account process, marketing and organizational forms of innovation. The majority of SMEs report that they lack internal capacity for innovation. To overcome that weakness the SMEs seem to rely on third parties, with whom they have ties, to bring in innovative products and processes from outside their organizations. A positive relationship between innovation and business performance was shown in the study, that finding shows is that it is possible for SMEs in Botswana to improve their business performance by increasing their level of innovation.
- Subject
- entrepreneurship; innovation; small businesses; medium businesses; SMEs; Botswana
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1039619
- Identifier
- uon:13678
- Rights
- Copyright 2013 Obakeng Moroka
- Language
- eng
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