Browsing by Author "Mwila, Natasha Katuta"
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Item Metadata only Augmenting Talent Management for Sustainable Development in Africa(Emerald, 2018-02-12) Mwila, Natasha Katuta; Turay, Mabel Ironn-SkyPurpose With the steady overall development of the continent, the African business landscape over the last decade has witnessed increased growth through numerous avenues. Growth has been through the emergence of formalised small and medium enterprises, the growth of business and transition from one scale to another as well as inward foreign direct investment. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how this business growth can be sustained, particularly in the area of talent management, within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the findings of a narrative inquiry conducted in 2016 on an expert panel of talent managers in businesses based in South Africa. Findings The focus of the inquiry was the challenges in talent currently faced by South African businesses and what possible solutions, that address the question of sustainable development, may lie in talent management practices. The study finds that there may be scope for the augmentation of current practice in psychometric testing which may address a plethora of problems currently defining the talent context in African business. Originality/value The growth of African businesses has presented interesting challenges in managing the African business particularly in the area of human resources and talent management. A persistent notion is the question of sustaining this growth on the continent. As enterprise grows, the need for talent is ever more pressing. This paper seeks to present pathways to sustainability in this regards.Item Metadata only Being the “Other” in Entrepreneurship: A Study of the Contributions of the Often Doubly Discriminated Female Immigrants Across the Globe(Thunderbird International Business Review, 2013-08-19) Mwila, Natasha KatutaFemale immigrant entrepreneurship has tremendous impacts in qualitative and quantitative terms on both the host and sending countries, largely in a positive way. The contributions explored through the case studies in this book are job development and creation; keeping local suppliers in business; and financial payments to the host in rent, taxes, and interest on loans. These contributions keep the economy active and growing. The decision to consider looking at female immigrant entrepreneurship research as an ongoing project is a commendable one given that the current studies deserve to be furthered and new contexts considered in order to provide a firm foundation for relevant policy direction.Item Metadata only Crowdsourcing in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises(IGI Global, 2012) Mwila, Natasha KatutaIn as much as caution must be taken to avoid hyper inflating the advantages of open innovation and crowdsourcing, the relevance of the concepts cannot and must not be dismissed. The purpose of this chapter is to elucidate on the major challenges faced by SMEs in crowdsourcing and the hindrance this presents in open innovation. For this reason, solutions and recommendations are provided to these challenges.Item Open Access Deconstructing the myth: African women entrepreneurs’ access to resources(Palgrave Macmillan, 2021-12-16) Woldesenbet, K.; Mwila, Natasha Katuta; Ogunmokun, Olapeju ComfortWomen entrepreneurship in Africa has seen an impressive leap amidst coping with multifaceted challenges at individual, meso and macro levels. Whilst various motives can drive women entrepreneurship in an African context, less is known about the extent to which women entrepreneurs are able to access and use enterprising resources. To address this gap, this chapter conducted the systematic literature review of published articles from the period 1990-2020 in prominent data bases such as ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Google Scholar and ProQuest. The review found that, overall, studies on the women’s access to, and use of, resources have been a very recent phenomenon, have received an extremely limited attention by scholars, theoretically fragmented, methodologically quantitative and were not able to develop cumulative knowledge on this area. The bias towards cause-effect and gender differences’ explanations in view of mainstreaming women entrepreneurship ‘inadvertently’ led to not only to narrow understanding and theoretical underdevelopment of the field but also to “focus on assumed, innate sex differences that perpetuate the gender gaps.Item Metadata only Eliciting a profile of handicraft entrepreneurs in Maboneng(Emerald, 2018) Mwila, Natasha Katuta; Wemba, Mtendere CarolinePurpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and articulate the profile of handicraft entrepreneurs operating in the Maboneng precinct of Johannesburg, South Africa. Design/methodology/approach This study is qualitative in nature – implementing a phenomenology through which cases of four handicraft entrepreneurs are developed. Findings Handicraft entrepreneurs in Maboneng possess a spiritually motivated profile that does not allow them to be neatly characterised in the profiles of the literature. Originality/value This study contributes to addressing the dearth of knowledge in the literature on the profile of entrepreneurs in Africa. It provides insights on the spiritual motivation of artisanal entrepreneurs in particular who represent a part of the largest proportion of African small-scale entrepreneurial activity.Item Open Access Fiery phoenix PLC – entrepreneurial survival in Zambia(Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, 2020-09-17) Mwila, Natasha KatutaPurpose – The aim of this study is to demonstrate the complexity of ethical decision making in start-up enterprises in emerging markets. The study draws on 2 well known decision making models to illustrate how their application in this context may lead to conflicting outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – The study data was collected through reflective entries provided by the business proprietor. These were followed up by three in-depth interviews. The data was supported by analysis of company documents provided by the case. Findings – The study demonstrates the crucible moments in entrepreneurial start ups that give rise to ethical questions and the need for decision making. It demonstrates the complexity of ethical decision making in emerging contexts. Research limitations/implications – The study business elected to maintain anonymity for commercial protection. This limits the scope of information that may be divulged. Practical implications – The study and the accompanying teaching note provide context for how to apply decision making frameworks to real business dilemmas. Originality/value – This study contributes to scholarly work on teaching business ethics to undergraduate students.Item Metadata only Focus on Organizational Memory as an Enabler and Constrainer of Innovation in Knowledge Management(Journal of Knowledge Management, 2013) Mwila, Natasha KatutaKnowledge Management and Innovation have a co-dependent relationship which when understood can lead to the enhancement of organisational sustainability, effectiveness and competitive advantage. Organisational memory is the critical premise on which both knowledge management and innovation rely. However, this premise can both be enabling and constraining in making advances in knowledge management and in its innovation thereof. The purpose of this article is to explore the extent to which organisational memory enables and constrains innovation in knowledge management. This article uses a real life case study to illustrate the manner in which organisational memory can both be constructive and destructive in making advances in innovating knowledge management. The interplay between innovation and knowledge management is covered but the focus resides in exploring the impact of organisational memory on this interplay.Item Metadata only Globalizing versus Localizing CSR Strategy: The Case of Konkola Copper Mines in Zambia (A Subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Plc)(The Case Centre, 2021-12-02) Mwila, Natasha KatutaThis case study of Konkola Copper Mines in Zambia (a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Plc) highlights the complexity of parent-child multinational-subsidiary relationships from a business strategy perspective. This study focusses on the challenges faced by multinational organizations in managing their subsidiary interests. The Vedanta parent-subsidiary model is a growth strategy that facilitates expansion into new markets as well as presenting the potential to increase profitability. Nation states largely welcome this enterprise activity because it presents economic development opportunities for a host nation and its citizens. This strategic growth model is not without risk. The laws that separate the identities of parents from subsidiaries appear to encourage shifting of responsibility. This issue emerges in the case study. The specific context for this case is a multinational-subsidiary relationship at play in the developing country of Zambia. The multinational, Vedanta Resources Plc, is in the extractive mining industry sector. The case brings to the fore key environmental questions about the positive and especially negative impacts this industry has had on the country and the responsibilities organizations in the sector have towards their host countries. There are questions of whether multinational parents should be responsible for the actions of their subsidiary children and to what the extent their involvement ought to be. The case culminates in the need to decide on what is the best strategic approach to positioning corporate social responsibility; should it be globalized and lie squarely in the remit of the multinational parent or should it be localized and the responsibility of being responsible placed in the hands of the subsidiary? Teaching and learning This item is suitable for postgraduate courses. Learning objectives Debate the desirability and suitability of various modes of entry into foreign markets. Assess the rationale for wholly owned international choices and cooperative international choices. Analyze the complexity of multinational and subsidiary relationships. Evaluate the role of corporate social responsibility in multinational strategy and Synthesize ethical debates in multinational corporate social responsibility.Item Metadata only Improving Return to Work Coordinator Training(Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research, 2012) Cooney, Richard; Mwila, Natasha KatutaItem Metadata only Influences of political leadership on cultural development(HSRC Press, 2018) Mwila, Natasha KatutaPolitical leadership has created opportunities and challenges for cultural identity, values and ethics across several spheres of human existence. This chapter looks at cultural presentations in politics, the economy, business, and education. Zambia is used as a lens to provide insight on this issue. Zambia has been undergoing a metamorphosis of its culture, largely influenced by the changes in political leadership. It is unsurprising that our culture has been moulded by our political situation given that our political leaders are socially identified as leaders in not only public life; but also in social life where culture is most visibly apparent.The evolution of the country’s cultural journey is traced from pre-independence- looking at the cultural systems that dominated the colonial era specifically paying attention to divisive notions of exclusionary in-group versus out-group. The cultural movement during the first republic under founder-president- Kenneth David Kaunda with reference to the one party system, his ideology of socialism and the ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ motto is then investigated. The turn to multi-partisan politics under the late Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba brought in yet another cultural wave which is explored from the perspective of economic identities. The ‘New Deal’ government which followed on under the late Levy Patrick Mwanawasa spoke to a zero tolerance of corruption and also caused a shift in the cultural fabric of the Zambian people particularly with regard to business affairs and the relationship between civilians and those in governance.The impact of the work of his successor Rupiah Bwezani Banda on cultural retardation is examined. We then turn to the influence of arguably one of Zambia’s most charismatic and populist leaders, the late Michael Chilufya Sata by examining his reforms in language for education and demonstrate both their unifying and divisive outcomes for cultural development.Item Open Access Kazuri Beads - A Case Study on Motivating Talent and Knowledge Transfer in an Artisan Business(Emerald Publishing, 2021-07-31) Mwila, Natasha KatutaThis study takes us into the founding years of Kazuri Beads, an artisanal business Nairobi, Kenya. The business is founded on the talent and compassion of Lady Susan Wood who embarks on the challenge of sharing her talents with others and creating a viable business out of the endeavour. The case takes us through episodes of organisational change requiring attention in the areas of keeping staff motivated and enabling knowledge transfer for the continuity of the business.Item Open Access Left Behind: A reflection on lags in the development of entrepreneurial education in South Africa(Palgrave Macmillan, 2021-12-16) Mwila, Natasha KatutaEntrepreneurship has gained prominence in the development agendas of emerging nations all over the world for the potential it yields in bringing about economic growth and development. When it is sustained, entrepreneurship can yield the altruistic fruits of emancipating masses from generational poverty; a phenomenon that continues to grip the African continent. The question as to how to create sustainable enterprises has been partially answered in studies of the impacts of entrepreneurial education on entrepreneurs and their enterprises (Arogundade, 2011; Lourenço, Jones & Jayawarna, 2013). This question has also been partly resolved in the recognition of what role the youth can play in the creation and sustenance of enterprises (Maisiba & George, 2013; Fadeyi et al. 2015). This study draws on these two bodies of knowledge. This work seeks to make a contribution by reflecting on the progress made in embedding entrepreneurial education in the South African education system. This paper focusses on the secondary level of education; as some progress has been made at the tertiary level. Acknowledging the relevance of entrepreneurial education at primary level, that scope is covered in a separate paper. An argument is made that sustainable entrepreneurship rarely occurs serendipitously and has to be deliberately crafted from ideation through to implementation. Introducing entrepreneurial learning opportunities early on in the educational lives of young people may be the answer to creating sustainable enterprises. With apparent consensus on the value of entrepreneurship, the youth and education, it would be expected that the educational curriculum would evolve to reflect this. This study primarily seeks to identify lags in this expected evolution, make recommendations towards improvement in the system and celebrate progress made so far in the area.Item Metadata only Managing ‘Selves’ and ‘Others’- The Identity-Social Network Nexus Challenge for Social Network Theory Application in Africa(Africa Academy od Management, 2016) Mwila, Natasha KatutaManagement interventions in the African context largely rely on groups as a channel for resource dissemination. How Africa’s people identify themselves is intertwined with group formation in the workplace. In the African reality, identity and social networks inform one another. This unique phenomenon presents both challenges and opportunities for the scholarly and practitioner communities because these two concepts have largely been studied on the basis of mutual exclusivity. I present and analyse this nexus in the African context. I focus on the underlying assumptions of social network theory as it has been understood and applied in Western management perspectives. I conclude this paper with an analysis of African identity approaches to social networks and challenges for social network theory development. This paper is based on the results of extensive field work conducted in Zambia in the social networks of small and medium scale farmers.Item Metadata only The Search for ‘Real’ Farmers- Questions of Social Identity in Farmer-Based Organizations(Academy of Mangement, 2014) Mwila, Natasha KatutaThis paper studies the social identity of farmers in the small and medium scale agricultural networks of Zambia. It particularly explores the impact of the social identity of ‘real’ farmers on individual and collective perceptions of and attitudes towards farming, on trust behaviours displayed in engaging with farmer-based organizations and on knowledge flows. The focus on farmer identity emerges as a result of research data collected that indicate that farmer identity is a core determinant of knowledge flows. The study is qualitative in nature, employing grounded approaches to arrive at an understanding of how farmer identities are shaped. Agriculture is the main economic activity of developing nations and yet is among the sectors that suffers a dearth of adequate attention in management studies. This attention ought to be focused on the management of knowledge, knowledge being the driving force behind the successful management of agricultural businesses. The transfer of knowledge in the agricultural business sector largely occurs among government organizations, non-governmental organizations, private sector enterprises, farmers and farmer-based organizations. At the heart of the transfer of knowledge is the farmer to whom knowledge must be transferred and from whom a feedback loop ought to be established.Item Metadata only The Social Constructionist View in Entrepreneurship Research: A Thematic-Content Analysis.(Global Business and Technology Association, 2016) Musara, Mazanai; Mwila, Natasha KatutaEntrepreneurship is considered as a social construct through a thematic content analysis of twenty-five (n=25) articles that were selected on the basis of ‘markers of qualitative goodness’. There are variations in the literature relating to the social constructionist view of entrepreneurship. The majority of the reviewed literature leading the selected articles were found lacking in terms of research rigor, sincerity and meaningful coherence. This paper therefore recommends the consideration of these elements in research studies and entrepreneurship education. The value of this study lies in its exploratory utility in guiding future research in the fields of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education.Item Open Access We Flipped the Classroom, Now We Flip the Case Study: Lessons from Teaching Undergraduate Strategic Management(Inderscience, 2022-01) Mwila, Natasha KatutaThis paper describes how to flip a case study, shares lessons from practice of flipping case studies and makes a pedagogical case for flipping. The key principles of flipped instructional strategy were adopted and applied to case studies with the view to have a flipped case study characterised by being developed in partnership with students and enterprises; engaging the student and enabling their active learning; presenting probable solutions to the enterprises featured; usable for teaching, building on existing knowledge and potentially creating new knowledge. The interventions implemented in this case reveal that case studies have the potential for enabling more than knowledge transfer, they can be used as tool for decolonising learning. Inspired by the success of the flipped classroom instructional strategy, this paper is an account of the exploration of the potential of this methodology in the creation and teaching of case studies in strategic management.Item Open Access What happened to my ‘A’ group? Reflections on waning student engagement during the COVID-19 Pandemic(De Montfort University, 2021) Mwila, Natasha Katuta