Nelson, Hantie (2015-12)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mentorship is a relatively new way of developing business owners to acquaint themselves with the various disciplines of business to be able to run a successful business. The Tourism Mentorship Programme (TMP), an initiative by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) and the South African Tourism Services Association (SATSA) was piloted in 2003 and entailed a six months’ mentoring programme between established and leading tourism businesses and their Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) counterparts. The programme sought to accelerate the transformation process within the Tourism industry by creating personal and professional relationships between businesses, resulting in skills transfer and the general upliftment of the standard of business practiced by SMME’s. The marked success of the TMP prompted a second launch in 2004. The programme has been implemented annually since then and for the period 2010 to 2014 in partnership with the Tourism Enterprise Partnership (TEP). The study focuses on the achievements, successes and challenges in implementing the Tourism Mentorship Programme (TMP) in the Western Cape. In the light of the literature, it can be concluded that although the different writers are in agreement on the benefits of mentorship for SMME’s, there is a lack of research on the effects of mentoring on SMME’s. Policies and programmes have shown National and Provincial governments’ commitment to stimulate and grow the economy, create jobs and develop SMME’s. However, the literature also indicated that there is a need for tourism development initiatives in South Africa and that mentorship could be a valuable tool to achieve this as training alone does not always lead to the required results. Furthermore the research provided insight into the development of a mentorship programme for SMME’s with specific reference to the implementation of the TMP in the Western Cape. A programme evaluation study with both implementation (process) and outcome evaluation was used to conduct the research. The data sources included semi-structured interviews, survey questionnaires for the mentors and mentees that were part of the TMP as well as a review of DEDAT internal documentation. The aim was to understand the overall implementation of the TMP in order to determine whether the programme has contributed to the transformation, growth and sustainability of the tourism businesses that benefited from the programme. The findings of the study provided insight into the challenges of managing a mentorship programme for tourism SMME’s. The major problem with the partnership between DEDAT and TEP was the timing of the programme. A mentorship programme for tourism SMME’s should not run in the high tourism season as this could negatively impact on the success of the programme. It was also found that a tender process for matching of mentors and mentees is not the most effective method. The findings further showed that the major benefit of a mentorship programme is not job creation as this was not the intended benefit when the programme was initiated. However, with all the other benefits associated with mentorship, job creation could follow should the SMME be able to grow the business. It was recommended that the Tourism Mentorship Programme continues to be implemented annually. However a number of recommendations are provided to improve the implementation of the programme and to contribute towards the growth of tourism SMME’s in South Africa and specifically in the Western Cape.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mentorskap is ŉ relatiewe nuwe manier om die eienaars van besighede te help ontwikkel sodat hulle hulleself vertroud kan maak met die verskillende dissiplines van besigheid om ŉ suksesvolle besigheid te kan bedryf. Die Tourism Mentorship Programme (Toerisme Mentorskap Program – TMP), ŉ inisiatief van die Departement van Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling en Toerisme (DEDAT), Wes-Kaap, en die Suid– Afrikaanse Toerismedienste-Assosiasie (SATSA) is in 2003 geloods en het ŉ mentorprogram van ses maande behels tussen gevestigde en leidende toerismebesighede en hulle eweknieë in klein en medium ondernemings (algemeen afgekort as SMME’s). Die program het beoog om die transformasieproses binne die Toerismebedryf te versnel deur die daarstelling van persoonlike en professionele verhoudings tussen besighede wat die oordrag van vaardighede en die algemene verhoging van die standaard van besighede wat deur SMME’s bedryf word, sou bewerkstellig. Die uitgesproke sukses van die TMP het aanleiding gegee tot ŉ tweede loodsing in 2004. Sedertdien is die program jaarliks in werking en vir die tydperk 2010 tot 2014 was dit in vennootskap met die Tourism Enterprise Partnership (TEP). Die studie fokus op prestasies, suksesse en uitdagings in die implementering van die TMP in die Wes-Kaap. In die lig van die literatuur kan die gevolgtrekking gemaak word dat alhoewel die verskillende skrywers dit eens is oor die voordele van mentorskap vir SMME’s, daar ŉ gebrek aan navorsing is op die effekte van mentorskap op SMME’s. Beleide en programme het getoon dat die Nasionale en Provinsiale regerings hulle daartoe verbind het om die ekonomie te stimuleer en laat groei, werk te skep en SMME’s te help ontwikkel. Die literatuur het egter ook aangetoon dat daar ŉ behoefte is aan inisiatiewe vir toerisme-ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika en dat mentorskap ŉ waardevolle instrument kan wees om dit te bereik aangesien opleiding alleen nie altyd tot die gewenste resultate lei nie. Verder het die navorsing insigte aan die lig gebring in die ontwikkeling van ŉ mentorskapprogram vir SMME’s, met spesifieke verwysing na die implementering van die TMP in die Wes-Kaap. ŉ Programevaluering wat sowel die implementering (proses) as die resultate geëvalueer het, is gebruik om die navorsing te doen. Die databronne het semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en oorsigvraelyste vir mentors en mentees wat deel was van die TMP, ingesluit sowel as ŉ beoordeling van DEDAT se interne dokumentasie. Die doel was om ŉ begrip te kry van die implementering van die TMP in die geheel en om vas te stel of die program bygedra het tot die transformasie, groei en volhoubaarheid van die toerismebesighede wat voordeel getrek het uit die program. Die bevindinge van die studie het insig verskaf in die uitdagings wat die bestuur van ŉ mentorskapprogram vir toerisme-SMME’s stel. Die grootste probleem met die vennootskap tussen DEDAT en TEP was die tyd waarop die program geïmplementeer is. ŉ Mentorskapprogram vir toerisme-SMME’s behoort nie in die hoogseisoen te loop nie, aangesien dit ŉ negatiewe impak kan hê op die sukses van die program. Daar is ook gevind dat ŉ tenderproses vir die passing van mentors en mentees nie die mees effektiewe metode is nie. Die bevindings toon verder aan dat die grootste voordeel van ŉ mentorprogram nie werkskepping is nie, aangesien dit nie die beoogde voordeel was toe die program geïnisieer is nie. Nogtans, saam met al die ander voordele verbonde aan mentorskap, kan werkskepping wel volg as die SMME daarin slaag om die besigheid uit te brei. Daar is aanbeveel dat die Toerisme Mentorskapprogram steeds elke jaar geïmplementeer word. Daar word egter ŉ aantal aanbevelings gedoen om die implementering van die program te verbeter en by te dra tot die groei van toerisme-SMME’s in Suid-Afrika en in besonder in die Wes-Kaap.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98127
Masters Degrees (School of Public Leadership)507