GOVERNANCE OF SMALL BUSINESS: THE ROLE OF NETWORKING

Download This Article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The study aimed at determining the extent to which business people within eThekwini municipality share information through networking. The study was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal, within eThekwini Municipality. The targeted population represented a variety of business people of different age and race groups. The study had a sample size of 206 respondents. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire and was self-administered. The research was quantitative in nature. The study revealed that most small business owners are not members of bodies representing businesses like theirs. Secondly, while small businesses in eThekwini have confidence in the future of eThekwini economy, they feel so individually, and not as members of network groups. Thirdly, most of the respondents except those that are members of bodies representing businesses like theirs, do not talk to competitors. Fourthly, small business owners with low self-confidence are less likely to network. They tend to keep information to themselves.

Keywords: Networking, Drivers of Networking and Small Business

How to cite this paper: Zondi, W. (2016). Governance of small business: The role of networking [Special issue]. Risk governance & control: financial markets & institutions, 6(3-2), 20-27. https://doi.org/10.22495/rcgv6i3c2art3