Issue #1 (Volume 14 2016)

Since the 2007 and 2008 economic downturn in the United States and most other countries of the world, it has become difficult for small business and entrepreneurial start-ups to obtain funds for expansion and seed capital even if they are brave enough to attempt to grow their businesses or startups in the depressed widespread economic conditions.
Different sources of possible funding are reviewed along with short and long term costs and benefits of each are discussed. Good decision making and wise choices are discussed and encouraged from a long term business success perspective

The objective of this paper is to identify constraints hindering collaboration among stakeholders for agricultural innovation system in the North West Province of South Africa. A total sample size of 205 respondents is selected for the study. The study first identifies the characteristics of stakeholders involved in the agricultural innovation system in the North West Province. Data are collected through a structured questionnaire on personal characteristics and constraints hindering collaboration in agricultural innovation system among stakeholders. The data are subjected to analysis using the Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS). Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, percentages and one way ANOVA are used for analysis. The results revealed that gender has an influence on the adoption of agricultural innovation in the North West Province; farming decisions are dominated by men rather than women, extension agents (65%), researchers (68%), farmers (51%), input dealers (73%) and marketers (70%). One way analysis of variance results shows no difference in constraint among AIS stakeholders in North West Province. The F value for constraint shows that there is no significant difference among stakeholders in the North West Province

This paper reports the results of a study that investigated South African tertiary education students’ adoption patterns of tablet PCs as an e-learning medium. Utilizing structural equation modelling techniques, the study tested the hypothesized effects of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, two constituent variables of the technology acceptance model (TAM), to predict the adoption of tablet PCs among college students. Self-completion questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 344 students from a South African college. From the study, two important findings were made. First, the association of innovation awareness and adoption was established. Second, the relationship among perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and the adoption of new technology in situations involving discontinuous innovations is clarified. In addition, the study makes two contributions. It is the first to utilize structural equation modelling to study the adoption of tablet PCs within the context of e-learning in South Africa. More importantly, the study develops a technology usage model for discontinuous e-learning innovations

The paper presents specific examples of leadership training practices and educational activities that have been successfully implemented in an undergraduate program at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The purpose of this study is to illustrate a model of experiential learning that facilitates leadership development in an undergraduate program. The integration of cadets’ learning in a classroom, during students’ engagement in service learning, community engagements, internships, and extra-curricular activities allows cadets to develop necessary leadership skills required for graduation and employment in the future. A structured experiential learning environment allows students to discover their own styles of self-leadership and explore new leadership approaches. Concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation are exercised in the learning communities that include faculty, coaches, students (peer groups) and the community they serve

The efficient sales policy of the machine building innovatively active enterprises is connected with its rational process financing. Optimal determination of innovative production distribution expenses is top-priority element to increase economic subject’s activity profitability and to increase its competitive positions at the market. Thus, planning of costs for innovatively active machine building enterprises sales has to be based on economic and rationally adaptive mathematic tools to industrial enterprises activity specific.
Practical implementation of the mentioned task is possible owing to economic and mathematic model to plan costs for innovatively active enterprises production, which preconditions urgency of the given research. Besides the tools investigation is also urgent and it allows to foresee future expenses amounts for sales, demand for production and profit of the innovatively active industrial enterprise, behavior in future depending on market situation.
The article deals with scientific and methodic approach to optimize distribution expenses of the innovatively active industrial enterprises in Ukraine. Economic and mathematic modeling methods allowed to formalize models to plan distribution expenses of innovatively active enterprise, demand and profits, that is prerequisite to form prognostications by proper directions.
Practical implementation of the suggested scientific and methodic approach on the example of machine building enterprise in Ukraine results in confirmation of models correspondence and establishment of inefficiency to distinguish expenses. It gives evidence about necessity to optimize expenses of enterprise and to introduce active managerial decisions concerning its activity profitability growth

Orientation: job characteristics and physical work environment of call centres have an impact on the wellbeing of call centre agents.
Research purpose: the aim of this study is to determine whether there are differences in male and female call centre agents’ perception of their job characteristics, physical work environment and wellbeing. The study also aims to investigate whether there is a significant relationship between the wellbeing problems encountered by call centre agents and the job characteristics and physical work environment factors.
Motivation for the study: wellbeing in call centres is a concern and therefore necessitates a study in understanding the factors of the work environment that negatively impact the wellbeing of call centre agents.
Research design, approach and method: a quantitative research approach was employed to gather the data for the study, utilizing a structured questionnaire. The sample (n = 275) consisted of call centre agents from four companies situated in the Cape Metropole.
Main findings: call centre agents had the same perceptions of their job characterises. Differences in perception were found with the physical work environment and wellbeing. Significant relationships between job characteristics, physical work environment and wellbeing were found.
Contribution/value-add: the study contributes to the literature and knowledge of the workplace environment and wellbeing of call centre agents

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in all economies around the world, they are responsible for creating of jobs, alleviating of poverty, contributing to innovation and to the gross domestic product of a country. However, many of these businesses face challenges and often fail within a short period of time. The success of small businesses is not only having products and a market to sell them to but also effective marketing of these products to the targeted market. A vast array of studies have investigated SME marketing tool usage however few have looked to SMEs in emerging economies and specifically to the traditional marketing tools such firms employ. Therefore the focus of this study was to describe the usage of traditional marketing tools employed by SMEs from a South African perspective. This study followed a quantitative research methodology whereby a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to SME owners within the Gauteng province of South Africa. Results obtained from this research indicate that SME owners mostly make use of print media while broadcast media is used selectively. Results obtained within this study will be of value universally to SME owners as it can be seen that all SMEs irrespective of geographic location face similar challenges

Various studies have been conducted on the use of social media but there is a gap in the literature with regard to social media use in South Africa as well as the difference in social media usage between Generation Y and older students. Thus the main purpose of this article is to determine how open distance learning (ODL) students use social media and if age makes a difference in social media usage. An online self-administered questionnaire was sent to a sample of first year ODL students via email that consisted of a Likert scale that surveyed how they used social media. The results indicate that students mostly use social media for entertainment purposes. A slight difference in the use of social media by Generation Y students and older students are found. Generation Y use social media mainly for entertainment purposes whereas older students indicate that they use it more for information seeking purposes. By taking these results into consideration, organizations can develop more tailored marketing messages to the consumers in the different age groups. If they want to reach Generation Y with a marketing message it should be more entertaining. Whereas marketing message aimed at older students should be in the form of more informative messages

This paper focuses on evaluating strategic management of the labor market through legislated active labor market measures introduced in the Slovak Republic to support youth employment. Based on the presented statistical data and managerial and legal analysis of the labor market in the Slovak Republic, with particular emphasis on the economic status of young people, two key parts of the adopted strategic document should provide better economic security for young adults. From the point of view of employers the initiatives are an attractive means for incorporating young adults into the economy, especially because this allows for increased active management of personnel costs that are directly related to compensatory incentives from the side of state agencies for employment of young people. This strategic management creates possibilities for employers to gain access to lower labor costs and to realize significant cost savings. Supporting data are presented graphically and at the same time the cost savings for employers are calculated. Overall, these two analyses demonstrate the practical effect of the new strategic measures on corporate management of personnel costs

To operate knowledge management system has become an accepted method and a part of everyday life in the biggest companies. The full circle exploitation of advantages and possibilities of this system does not show a hopeful picture. It is especially true when we examine relationships and constructions with other key processes in the operation of a company. Innovation belongs to above mentioned processes. Though every outsider and professional way of thinking sees clearly that knowledge is needed to innovate and knowledge is a basis of knowledge management, but the close connection of the two important processes has not been realized on behalf of success. Defectiveness is especially true in cases of the newest innovation methods. The paper shows the connection of frugal innovation and knowledge management, its theoretical and practical possibilities

The issue the authors are investigating is how work will evolve in the future. The question discussed here is as follows: What will work be like in the future, and what impact will changes have on HR departments?
To answer this question, the authors have established the following research questions: 1. What will be the context for work in the future, and how will HR departments be affected? 2. How can organizations develop ideas and innovate, and how will HR departments be affected in the future?
Method: Conceptual generalization. Findings: In the future, work will be largely compartmentalized and performed using specialist skills. Those organizations that survive will be extremely adaptable. Many organizations will be managed in accordance with a logic whereby their component parts are distributed across the global economy according to the following principles: extreme focus on costs, quality and expertise, and a high level of focus on innovation

This article discusses the development of the type of knowledge held to be crucial for creativity and innovation, and which is referred to here as hidden knowledge.
The research question investigated is: How can organizations develop hidden knowledge?
The first purpose of the article is to bring forth a type of knowledge which can give some foundation for knowledge management and innovation. The second objective is to give some foundation for the HR-department, in order to bring knowledge management theory to practical use. The authors develop five propositions concerning a mini theory for the development of hidden knowledge. A descriptive framework of “knowledging” is also developed at the individual, team and organizational levels, for tacit, implicit, explicit and hidden knowledge, which can be used of the HR-department to increase innovation in the organization

Some problems cannot be solved optimally and compromises become necessary. In some cases obtaining an optimal solution may require combining algorithms and iterations. This often occurs when the problem is complex and a single procedure does not reach optimality. This paper shows a conglomerate of algorithms iterated in tasks to form an optimal consortium using cluster analysis. Hierarchical methods and distance measures lead the process. Few companies are desirable in optimal consortium formation. However, this study shows that optimization cannot be predetermined based on a specific fixed number of companies. The experiential exercise forms an optimal consortium of four companies from six shortlisted competitors