Emergent good practice approaches to business support : implications for local government

• Main Author: Ackron, Johan
• Other Authors: Schwella, Erwin
• Format: Others
• Language: en_ZA
• Published: Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch 2011
• Subjects: Local government; Business planning; Support services (Management); Theses > Public management and planning; Dissertations > Public management and planning
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/16250

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Policy makers and development practitioners particularly in developing countries face daunting challenges in formulating strategies to achieve sustained growth and improved standards of living through productive engagement of the population in the economy rather than through welfare transfers. Business activities are self-sustaining and therefore have the potential to contribute greatly through the economic system to the creation of sustainable employment and prosperity. Yet many developing countries are faced with inadequate levels of business activity and business growth. Historical approaches to stimulating and supporting business development have proved largely cost ineffective and unequal to the challenge. The hypothesis that fundamental paradigm shifts in the approach to business support are taking place internationally is tested in this thesis. Key features of an evolving entrepreneurial approach to business support are identified and described representing the defining elements of the new business development support paradigm. Institutional implications of the approach in the context of institutional development theory and current approaches to the stimulation of local economic development at local community level are also discussed, as are key implications of the new paradigm for local government. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Beleidmakers en praktisyns in ontwikkelende lande staar uitdagings in die gesig wat betref die handhawing van volgehoue ontwikkeling en die verbetering van lewensstandaarde by wyse van werkgeleentheidskepping en produktiewe betrokkenheid van die bevolking by die ekonomie eerder as deur sosiale welvaarts oordragte. Sake bedrywe en 'n dinamiese sakesektor het die potensiaal om aansienlik by te dra tot volhoubare ontwikkeling. Maar die meeste ontwikkelende lande ondervind ontoereikende vlakke van sake aktiwiteit en van groei in die omvang van die sakesektor. Benaderings tot die stimulering van uitbreiding van die sakesektor as grondslag vir volgehoue werkskepping is in die verlede grootliks koste ondoeltreffend en die resultate was ontoereikend. Die hipotese dat daar 'n fundamentele aanpassing van die paradigma onderliggend aan benaderings tot stimulering van die sakesektor as deel van algehele ontwikkelingsstrategie plaasvind word in die tesis getoets. Kern eienskappe van 'n nuwe benadering word geidentifiseer en omskryf. Institusionele implikasies van die benadering in die samehang van ontwikkelingsteorie en huidige benaderings tot plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling op plaaslike gemeenskapsvlak word ook bespreek, asook kern implikasies van die nuwe paradigma vir plaaslike regering.