A model to operationalise entrepreneurial mentoring : a study of emerging small and medium enterprises in Kwazulu-Natal

Abstract

The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) operational landscape has transformed universally, exacerbated by the 2020 pandemic, thus necessitating innovative research for post-pandemic SME sustainability. Entrepreneurs encounter persistent obstacles in their ventures. South Africa’s volatile business climate makes entrepreneurial resilience mandatory. A paucity exists in pragmatic academic research concerning operationalising mentoring in entrepreneurship. A review of extant literature suggested limited information pertinent to a phase-based entrepreneurial mentoring model. The purpose of this study was to develop a contemporary post-pandemic model to operationalise entrepreneurial mentoring, by combining the mentoring process with the entrepreneurship life cycle. Consequently, the stimulants and inhibitors of entrepreneurship were addressed. A qualitative grounded theory case study approach was applied, using a sample of 30 emerging retail entrepreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal, selected through purposive sampling from business forums. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain insight into participants’ entrepreneurial experiences, mentoring expectations and competency needs. Congruent with the grounded theory methodology, qualitative data were examined on an iterative basis, subject to open, axial and advanced coding. Eight key themes emerged from the data analysis. The codes and themes were blended during theoretical integration and high-level conceptualisation, culminating in the proposed model. The findings implied a crucial need for mentoring as a tool to inculcate appropriate entrepreneurial competencies during distinct stages of the life cycle. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that contemporary mentoring practices should address business and personal entrepreneurial factors. The proposed model, termed the Emerging Entrepreneur Mentoring Model, combined facets of the mentoring process and the entrepreneurship life cycle phases, factoring a range of competency factors for mentoring focus. The unique nature of the model was the integration of a principal process-based mentoring component with which entrepreneurial development was aligned. The study makes several contributions to literature. It offers a methodological contribution through a qualitative grounded theory case study approach. It presents a multi-faceted contemporary entrepreneurial mentoring model. The study offers pragmatic opportunities for entrepreneurs in a post-pandemic setting. Additional research can enhance the model by adopting a quantitative or mixed methodology approach, and by proposing competency factors for established entrepreneurs in the maturity or decline phases of the life cycle.

Isimo sokusebenza kwamaBhizinisi Amancane Namaphakathi (ama-SME) kuye kwashintsha emhlabeni kabanzi, kwabhebhethekiswa ubhubhane lwango-2020, ngakho kwaveza isidingo socwaningo olunobuchule lokugcina ama-SME esebenza ngemuva kwalolu bhubhane. Abasunguli bamabhizinisi babhekana nezingqinamba eziphikelelayo emisebenzini yabo. Isimo sezebhizinisi esingazinzile eNingizimu Afrika senza kudingeke ukuthi abasunguli bamabhizinisi babe qatha. Kunocwaningo oluncane kakhulu lokuthola izixazululo mayelana nokuqeqeshwa kwabasunguli bamabhizinisi kwezokusebenza. Ukubuyekezwa kwezincwadi ezikhona kwabonisa ukuthi kunolwazi olulinganiselwe oluhambisana nenkambiso yokuqeqesha abasunguli bamabhizinisi ngokwezigaba zabo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakuwuvela nenkambiso yesikhashana yangemuva kobhubhane ukuze kuqhakanjiswe ukuqeqeshwa kwabasunguli bamabhizinisi, ngokuhlanganisa inqubo yokuqeqesha kanye nobude besikhathi sokusebenza kwebhizinisi. Ngenxa yalokho, kwasingathwa izinto ezigqugquzela ukusungulwa kwamabhizinisi kanye nezingqinamba. Kwasetshenziswa ucwaningo lwesimo lokuhlola amanani, kusetshenziswa isampula losomabhizinisi abangama-30 abasafufusa KwaZulu-Natali, abakhethwe ngezinjongo zokuba yizibonelo ezithangamini zebhizinisi. Kwaqhutshwa izingxoxo ezihleliwe ukuze kutholwe imininingwane yolwazi lwezebhizinisi lwababambiqhaza, lokho abakulindele ngokuqeqeshwa kanye nezidingo zabo zamakhono. Kanye nesu lombono elinesisekelo, kwahlolwa ulwazi lwezibalo ngendlela ephindelelayo, ngaphansi kwamakhodi avulelekile, azinzile kanye nathuthukisiwe. Kwavela imikhakha eyisishiyagalombili eyinhloko uma kuhlaziywa lolu lwazi. Le mikhakha nezihloko kwahlanganiswa uma kubunjaniswa imibono kusetshenziswa nobuchule obusezingeni eliphezulu, kwaholela esiboniselweni esihlongozwayo. Okwatholakala kwabonisa ukuthi kunesidingo esisemqoka sokuqeqesha njengethuluzi lokugcizelela amakhono afanele okusungula ibhizinisi ezigabeni ezikhethekile zomjikelezo webhizinisi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, okwatholakala kwabonisa ukuthi imikhuba yesimanje yokuqeqesha kufanele icabangele izici zokusebenza kwebhizinisi ezithinta ibhizinisi uqobo kanye nabantu. Isiboniselo esahlongozwa, esabizwa ngokuthi Isiboniselo Sokuqeqesha Abasunguli Bamabhizinisi Abasafufusa, sahlanganisa izingxenye zenqubo yokuqeqesha kanye nezigaba zomjikelezo webhizinisi, kwafakwa nezici ezihlukene zamakhono ukuqeqesha okuzogxila kuzo. Okuyingqayizivele ngalesi siboniselo ukufakwa kwesigaba esiyinhloko esisekelwe enqubweni yokuqeqesha esavunyelaniswa nokuthuthukiswa kwamakhono okusungula ibhizinisi. Lolu cwaningo lunemithelela eminingana emkhakheni wezincwadi. Lunomthelela wenqubo ezolandelwa ngesisekelo socwaningo lwamanani ezibonelo. Luletha isiboniselo samanje sokuqeqeshwa kwamabhizinisi esinezigaba eziningi. Lolu cwaningo lunikeza amathuba ezixazululo kubasunguli bamabhizinisi ngemuva kobhubhane. Ucwaningo oluthe xaxa lungathuthukisa lesi siboniselo ngokusebenzisa inqubo ehlaziya izibalo noma exubile, nangokuhlongoza izici zokuhlola amakhono zosomabhizinisi asebezinzile ezigabeni zokuvuthwa noma zokuwohloka komjikelezo webhizinisi.

Ubume bokusebenza kwamaShishini amaNcinci naPhakathi (SME) lutshintshile jikelele, busenziwa mandundu ngubhubhane wama-2020, ngoko ke kwenze kwafuneka uphando olutsha lozinzo lwe-SME lwasemva kobhubhane. Oosomashishini bahlangabezana nemiqobo ethe gqolo kumashishini abo. Imeko-bume yoshishino eguquguqukayo eMzantsi Afrika yenza ukuqinisa ezoshishino kube sisinyanzeliso. Kukho ukunqongophala okukhoyo kuphando lwezifundo ngokwepragmatika malunga nokubonelela ngemizekelo ukucebisa kushishino. Uphononongo loncwadi olukhoyo lucebise ngolwazi olunqongopheleyo ngokuphathelele kwimodeli yokucebisa esekwe kwisigaba soshishino. Injongo yolu phononongo ibikukuphuhlisa imodeli yyexesha esikulo lasemva kobhubhane ukwenza lusebenze uthantamiso kwezoshishino, ngokudibanisa inkqubo yokucebisa/ yokuthantamisa kunye nomjikelo wobomi boshishino. Ngenxa yoko, izinto ezikhuthazayo kunye nezithinteli kushishino zaye zaqwalaselwa. Kuye kwasetyenziswa ithiyori ezinzileyo esemgangathweni yophononongo lwesiganeko (case study), kusetyenziswa isampulu yoosomashishini abasakhasayo abangama-30 KwaZulu-Natal, abakhethwe ngokwenjongo yesampulu evela kwiiforam zoshishino. Udliwano-ndlebe olulungelelanisiweyo lwenziwa ukuzuza ukuqonda/ ingqiqo kumava abathathi-nxaxheba boshishino, izinto ezilindelweyo zokucebisa kunye neemfuno zobuchule. Ngokungqinelana nendlela yenkqubo yethiyori esisiseko, iidatha ezisemgangathweni zavavanywa ngokokuphindaphindiweyo, ngokuxhomekeka ekuvuleni, ukusebenzisa i-axial nogqwetho lombhalo olukwinqanaba eliphezulu. Imixholo esibhozo engundoqo yavela kuhlalutyo lwedatha. Iikhowudi kunye nemixholo zahlanganiswa ngexesha lokudityaniswa kwethiyori kunye nengqikelelo ekwinqanaba eliphezulu, eziphelele kwimodeli ecetyiweyo. Iziphumo zabonisa imfuneko ebalulekileyo yokuthantamisa njengesixhobo sokubethelela ubuchule obufanelekileyo kushishino ngamaxesha ahlukeneyo omjikelo wobomi. Ngaphezu koko, iziphumo zibonise ukuba iinkqubo zale mihla zokucebisa kufuneka zijongane nemiba yoshishino kunye nemiba yoshishino yobuqu. Imodeli ecetyiweyo, ebizwa ngokuba yiModeli yokuCebisa uSomashishini osaKhulayo, imiba edityanisiweyo yenkqubo yokucebisa kunye nezigaba zomjikelo wobomi zoshishino, ukufaka uluhlu lwemiba yobuchule yokugxila ekucebiseni. Ubume obukhethekileyo bale modeli yaba kukudityaniswa kwenxalenye yenkqubo yokucebisa engundoqo apho uphuhliso loshishino lwangqanyaniswa. Uphononongo lunegalelo (iminikelo) oluninzi kuncwadi. Lunika igalelo kwindlela yokusebenza ngokusebenzisa indlela yophando lwethiyori esekelweyo esemgangathweni. Ibonisa imodeli eneenkalo ezininzi zokucebisa kushishino lwale mihla (contemporary). Uphononongo lubonelela ngamathuba koosomashishini kwimeko yasemva kobhubhane. Uphando olongezelelweyo lunokuphucula imodeli ngokwamkela indlela yobuninzi okanye indlela yokusebenza exubileyo, kunye nangokucebisa imiba yobuchule koosomashishini abasele bekumanqanaba okuvuthwa okanye okuhla komjikelo wobomi.