Retrenchment in the insurance industry: the small business development dividend

Abstract

The focus of this study was to investigate the employment difficulties faced by individuals who had been retrenched from the insurance industry during the years 2000 to 2013 in order to develop an understanding of the continuity in the specialist type of work after their retrenchment. The study also aimed to investigate the actual and perceived barriers that need to be addressed in the South African small business environment and the specific soft skills and business skills of small business owners and non-small business owners. The research design of this exploratory study entailed a positivist research philosophy using a deductive research approach. This quantitative research was conducted by means of a survey questionnaire. A questionnaire was designed and used to determine the level of importance and the level of own skills for small business owners and non-small business owners respectively in terms of predetermined soft and business management skills. The answers provided on these questions were then analysed to determine whether there was a gap between the level of importance assigned to these skills and their own skill ratings. This research determined the barriers faced by small businesses in South Africa as well as the level of agreement regarding the predetermined actual and perceived barriers pertaining to the small business environment. Notable findings of this study include that there was a distinct lack of continuity in the specialist type of work by the small business owner respondents in the insurance industry. There was a marked difference between the level of importance and own skill ratings assigned to the predetermined soft skills and business management skills with non-small business owner respondents mostly rating themselves as better skilled than small business owners did. However, the fact that these non-small business owner respondents did not start their own small businesses points towards higher risk aversion. This study also found that small businesses in South Africa are facing pronounced barriers within the small business environment.

Tsepamo ya boithuto bona e ne e le ho batlisisa mathata a ho hloka mosebetsi a tobaneng le batho ba ileng ba hulwa mosebetsing indastering ya inshorense nakong ya dilemo tsa 2000 ho isa 2013 e le ho theha kutlwisiso ya tswelopele ya mofuta wa mosebetsi ona o ikgethileng kamora ho hulwa hwa bona mosebetsing. Boithuto bo boetse bo ne bo reretswe ho batlisisa dithibelo tsa nnete le tse nahanwang tse hlokang ho tojwa ke tikoloho ya kgwebo tse nyane ya Afrika Borwa le bokgoni ba tsebo tsa botho tse qollehileng le tsa kgwebo tsa beng ba dikgwebo tse nyane le beng ba dikgwebo tse seng nyane. Moralo wa patlisiso wa boithuto bona ba kutullo bo ne bo kenyelletsa filosofi ya dipatlisiso tse se nang leeme le katamelo ya dipatlisiso e etsang diteko ho fumana na thiori e itseng ke nnete kapa tjhe maemong a itseng. Patlisiso ena ya boleng e entswe ka lethathamo la dipotso. Lethathamo la dipotso le ile la ralwa mme la sebediswa ho fumana boemo ba bohlokwa le boemo ba bokgoni ba hao bakeng sa beng ba dikgwebo tse nyane le beng ba dikgwebo tse seng nyane ho latela bokgoni bo fumanweng esale pele ba ditsebo tsa botho le tsa tsamaiso ya kgwebo. Dikarabo tse fanweng ho dipotso tsena di ile tsa manollwa ho fumana na ho na le sekgeo pakeng tsa boemo ba bohlokwa bo filweng ditsebo tsena le ditekanyetso tsa bona tsa ditsebo. Dipatlisiso tsena di fumane dithibelo tse tobileng dikgwebo tse nyane Afrika Borwa hammoho le boemo ba tumellano mabapi le dithibelo tse fumanweng esale pele tsa nnete le tse nahanwang tse amang tikoloho ya dikgwebo tse nyane. Diphumano tsa bohlokwa tsa boithuto bona di kenyeletsa hore ho na tlhokeho e kgolo ya tswelletsopele mofuteng wa mosebetsi o ikgethileng ke baarabi bao e leng beng ba dikgwebo tse nyane indastering ya inshorense. Ho bile le phapang e kgolo pakeng tsa boemo ba bohlokwa le ditekanyetso tsa ditsebo tsa bona tse fuweng bokgoni ba bona ba ditsebo tsa botho le ditsebo tsa tsamaiso ya kgwebo moo baarabi bao e seng beng ba dikgwebo tse nyane boholo ba neng ba ikala jwalo ka ba nang le ditsebo ho feta kamoo beng ba dikgwebo tse nyane ba ikadileng ka teng. Leha ho le jwalo, taba ya hore baarabi bana bao e seng beng ba dikgwebo tse nyane ha baa qala dikgwebo tseo e leng tsa bona e supa boemo bo phahameng ba tshabo ya kotsi. Phuputso ena e boetse e fumane hore dikgwebo tse nyane Afrika Borwa di tobane le dithibelo tse kgolo kahare ho tikoloho ya dikgwebo tse nyane.

Zwo sedzwaho kha ngudo heyi ho vha u ṱoḓulusa vhukonḓi ha mushumo ho livhanaho na vhathu vhe vha fhungudziwa u bva kha nḓowetshumo ya ndindakhombo nga tshifhinga tsha miṅwaha 2000 u swika 2013 u itela u bveledza kupfesesele kwa u bvela phanḓa kha lushaka lwa vhomakone lwa mushumo nga murahu ha u fhungudzwa mushumoni havho. Ngudo yo dovha ya livhiswa kha u ṱoḓisisa zwithivheli zwa vhukuma na zwine zwa khou humbulelwa zwine zwa tea u ambiwa nga hazwo kha vhupo ha mabindu maṱuku Afrika Tshipembe na zwikili zwa vhuṋe zwo tiwaho na zwikili zwa vhubindudzi zwa vhaṋe vha mabindu maṱuku na vhathu vha si vha mabindu maṱuku. Nyolo ya ṱhoḓisiso ya ngudo iyi ya ṱhoḓisiso i katela fiḽosofi ya ṱhoḓisiso ine ya khwaṱhisedza nga u sedza hu tshi shumiswa kuitele kwa ṱhoḓisiso kwa u ṋea zwiitisi. Ṱhoḓisiso iyi ya khwanthethivi yo itwa nga nḓila ya mbudzisambekanywa dza ṱhoḓisiso. Mbudzisambekanywa dzo itwa na u shumiswa u ta ḽeveḽe ya ndeme na ḽeveḽe ya zwikili zwa vhuṋe ha zwikili zwa vhaṋe vha mabindu maṱuku na vhathu vha si na mabindu maṱuku nga u tevhekana zwi tshi ya nga zwikili zwa vhuṋe na zwa ndangulo ya bindu zwo tiwaho u thoma. Phindulo dzo ṋetshedzwaho kha mbudziso hedzi dzo ḓo saukanywa nga murahu u ta arali hu na tshikhala vhukati ha ḽeveḽe ya ndeme yo ṋetshedzwaho zwikili izwi na phimo dza zwikili zwavho. Ṱhoḓisiso heyi yo khwaṱhisedza zwithithisi zwo livhanaho na mabindu maṱuku Afrika Tshipembe na ḽeveḽe ya thendelano zwi tshi ḓa kha u ta zwithivheli zwa vhukuma na zwine zwa khou lavhelelwa zwi tshi ḓa kha vhupo ha mabindu maṱuku. Mawanwa a ndeme a ngudo iyi a katela zwa uri ho vha hu na ṱhahelelo yo fhambanaho ya u bvela phanḓa kha lushaka lwa mushumo wa makone nga vhadzheneli vha vhaṋe vha mabindu maṱuku kha nḓowetshumo ya ndindakhombo. Ho vha na phambano khulwane vhukati ha ḽeveḽe ya ndeme na phimo ya zwikili zwa vhuṋe zwo ṋetshedzwaho zwikili zwa vhuṋe zwo tiwaho na zwikili zwa ndangulo ya bindu na vhadzheneli vha vhathu vhane vha si vhe vhoramabindu vhaṱuku vhunzhi havho vho ḓipima sa vha re na zwikili zwa khwine kha vhaṋe vha mabindu maṱuku. Naho zwo ralo, ngoho ya uri avho vhadzheneli vhane vha sa vhe na mabindu maṱuku a vho ngo thoma mabindu maṱuku avho zwo livhisa kha khohakhombo khulwane ya vengo. Ṱhoḓisiso heyi yo dovha ya wanulusa uri mabindu maṱuku Afrika Tshipembe a khou livhana na zwithivheli zwihulwane nga maanḓa kha vhupo ha vhubindudzi vhuṱuku

Ukugxila kwalolu cwaningo bekungukuphenya ngobunzima bokuqashwa obubhekene nabantu ababedilizwe embonini yomshwalense phakathi konyaka ka-2000 kuya ku-2013 ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukuqonda kokuqhubekayo kohlobo lomsebenzi oyingcweti ngemuva kokudilizwa kwabo. Lolu cwaningo futhi luhlose ukuphenya izithiyo zangempela nezibonwayo ezidinga ukubhekelwa esimweni samabhizinisi amancane aseNingizimu Afrika kanye namakhono athile athambile namakhono ebhizinisi osomabhizinisi abancane nabaninimabhizinisi abangebona abancane. Ukwakheka kocwaningo kwalesi sifundo esichazayo kubandakanye isimo esiyisisekelo solwazi, iqiniso nokuba khona (ifilosofi) kokucwaninga okuhle kusetshenziswa indlela yocwaningo yokuthuthukisa umbono ngokuya komqondo osukhona. Lolu cwaningo lokuqoqa nokuhlaziya imininingwane yezinombolo lwenziwe ngohlu lwemibuzo yocwaningo. Uhlu lwemibuzo lwenziwa futhi lwasetshenziswa ukuthola izinga lokubaluleka kanye nezinga lamakhono abo abaninimabhizinisi abancane nabaninimabhizinisi abangebona abancane ngokulandelana ngokwamakhono anqunywe kusengaphambili namakhono okuphatha amabhizinisi. Izimpendulo ezinikezwe kule mibuzo zabuye zahlaziywa ukuthola ukuthi ngabe likhona yini igebe phakathi kwezinga lokubaluleka elinikezwe kulawa makhono kanye nezilinganiso zabo zamakhono. Lolu cwaningo lunqume izithiyo ezibhekene nosomabhizinisi abancane eNingizimu Afrika kanye nezinga lesivumelwano maqondana nezithiyo zangempela ezinqunywe kusengaphambili nezibonwayo ezimayelana nendawo yamabhizinisi amancane. Okutholakele okuphawulekayo kwalolu cwaningo kufaka phakathi ukuthi kube nokuntuleka okuhlukile kokuqhubekayo kohlobo lomsebenzi wobungcweti ngabaphenduli bamabhizinisi amancane embonini yomshuwalense. Kube nomehluko omkhulu phakathi kwezinga lokubaluleka nezilinganiso zamakhono abo ezinikezwe kumakhono athambile anqunyiwe ngaphambili namakhono okuphatha amabhizinisi nabaphenduli baninimabhizinisi abangebona abancane ikakhulu abazikala njengabanekhono elingcono kunalokho okwenziwa ngosomabhizinisi abancane. Kodwa-ke, iqiniso lokuthi laba baphenduli abangabaninimabhizinisi abancane abangaqalanga amabhizinisi abo amancane likhomba ekuvikeleni ubungozi obuphakeme. Lolu cwaningo luphinde lwathola ukuthi amabhizinisi amancane eNingizimu Afrika abhekene nezithiyo ezibekiwe ngaphakathi kwendawo yamabhizinisi amancane