Die invloed van finansiele bestuur op entrepreneuriese gedrag in die kernbesigheid van akademiese instellings
Brooks, Mathys Johannes (2007-12)
Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Instellings vir hoër onderwys is unieke organisasies deurdat hul grootste groep kliënte verdeel is in twee heterogene groepe met uiteenlopende behoeftes naamlik die staat en die algemene publiek. Hierdie twee primêre kliënte is onderskeidelik verantwoordelik vir die sogenaamde
eerste- en tweede-geldstrome van hoër onderwysinstellings. Weens reële afname van die staat se spandering aan hoër onderwysinstellings en die swak kompeterende salarisse van werknemers in universiteite met die privaatsektor, het daar toenemend druk ontstaan om alternatiewe inkomstebronne te ondersoek (sogenaamde derde-geldstroominkomste). Wêreldwyd fokus universiteite op derde-geldstroomaktiwiteite ten einde hul finansiële posisie te versterk. Hierdie
situasie het aanleiding gegee tot die vraagstuk oor waar akademici se voorkeur is om hul entrepreneuriese energie te fokus, wat motiveer akademici om hul tyd op sekere aktiwiteite te spandeer en meer spesifiek watter rol speel die finansiële ingesteldheid van die instelling ten einde hierdie gedrag te bestuur?
Hierdie studie toon aan dat akademiese instellings wat deur winsgewende verwante finansiële besigheidbeginsels bestuur word wel hoër entrepreneuriese gedrag in die hoofstroomaktiwiteite van die instelling kan toon. Kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings is gebruik om die hipotese te toets, met spesifieke fokus op die Fakulteite Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe van elke instelling. Drie van die vyf instellings wat ondersoek is het hierdie verband getoon, terwyl een instelling met duidelike redes nie hierdie verband bevestig
nie. Die uitkoms van die studie toon ook rede tot omsigtigheid aangesien dit ook daarop dui dat hoër finansiële ingesteldheid nie noodwendig entrepreneurskap in die hoofstroomaktiwiteite bevorder nie, wat die vermoede versterk dat hierdie 'n baie komplekser vraagstuk is as slegs 'n twee-veranderlike probleem.
Die doel van die verslag is om hoër onderwysinstellings wat slaag om die stagnering van inkomstestrome uit hul kernbesigheidsakriwiteite die hoof te bied deur finansiële modelle te ontwikkel wat akademici sal aanspoor om hul entrepreneuriese energie op laasgenoemde aktiwiteite te fokus. Die finansiële besigheidsbeginsels waarbinne die konteks van hoër onderwysinstellings van toepassing is en as indikators vir die ondersoek gebruik is, behels onder
andere insentiefgebaseerde begrotingsmodelle, deursigtigheid, billikheid, delegering van verantwoordelikheid en goeie bestuursinligtingstelsels.
Hierdie studie ontken nie dat ander indikatore ook 'n bepalende rol speel in die gedrag van akademici nie. Akademiese puriste is egter baie pessimisties oor die aanwending van meer suiwer finansiële besigheidsbeginsels in akademiese instellings meestal weens vrese in eie belang.
Die studie bevestig egter dat die topbestuur van hoër onderwysinstellings wel finansiële bestuursbeginsels kan aanwend om entrepreneurskap aan te moedig in kernbesigheidaktiwiteite en sodoende finansiële volhoubaarheid te verseker op die langtermyn.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Higher education institutions are unique organisations in that their largest group of clients are divided into two heterogeneous groups with differing needs, namely government and the general public. These two primary clients are respectively responsible for the so-called first and
second income streams of higher education institutions. As a result of the decline of government's spending, in real terms, on higher education institutions and the poor competitive salaries of employees in universities relative to the private sector, there is mounting pressure to investigate alternative income sources (the so-called third income stream). Globally, universities focus on third income stream activities in order to improve their financial health. This situation has given rise to the question relating to the preference of academics of where to focus their
entrepreneurial energy, what motivates academics to spend time on certain activities and more specifically, what role the financial attitude of the institution plays to manage this behaviour.
This study reveals that academic institutions that are managed on profit related financial business principles, can show higher entrepreneurial behaviour in the main stream activities of the institution. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used to test the hypothesis with a specific focus on the faculties of Economics and Management Sciences of
each institution. Three of the five institutions that were investigated revealed this relationship, while one has obvious reasons for not confirming the relationship. However the study also gives a warning in that financial attitude does not imply entrepreneurial activity in mainstream
activities automatically. This enforces the suspicion that the quest of this research is far more complex than just a two variable problem.
The objective of this report is to challenge higher education institutions to overcome the stagnation of income streams of their core business activities through the development of financial models that will motivate academics to focus their entrepreneurial energy on the latter activities. The financial business principles that are relevant within the context of higher
education institutions and were used as indicators for this investigation include, amongst others, incentive based budget models, transparency, fairness, delegating of responsibility and sound management information systems.
This study does not deny that other indicators also play a significant role in the behaviour of academics. Academic purists are, however, very pessimistic about the application of pure financial principles in academic institutions, most often, to protect their own interests. The study however, confirms that the top management of higher academic institutions can in fact apply financial management principles to motivate entrepreneurship in core business activities and thus ensure long-term financial sustainability.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/4907