scholarly journals The perception of employees regarding ethical misdemeanours in small Tshwane businesses

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Colin Cant ◽  
Jan Wiid ◽  
Claudette van Niekerk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
Large Corporations ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Ethical Responsibilities

With the world wide focus on large corporations and the ethical conduct of specifically the top managers it has become clear that ethics are part and parcel of all businesses. This however does not mean that only large corporations will be screened – it also applies to smaller businesses. The small business sector plays a vital role in the economic development and job creation in the Republic of South Africa. It is important to consider the perception employees have towards their ethical responsibilities in the business sector in order to ensure the successful development of the small business sector of South Africa. The main purpose of the study is therefore to determine the perception employees have towards their ethical responsibilities as well as the types of ethical misconduct employees of small businesses have experienced in the business environment. The research followed a quantitative approach where a survey questionnaire was used as the data collection method. The results indicated that employees of small businesses have a positive view regarding their responsibilities as an employee to acting ethically. Respondents also indicated the most encountered misconduct is observing unethical behaviour and wanting to tell someone regarding unethical misconduct observed. The study also found that employees mostly turn to family members for advice on ethical misdemeanours. The study also found that employees mostly turn to family members for advice on ethical misdemeanours

scholarly journals Small Business Attitudes Towards Ethical Issues: Survival Or Ethically Correct?

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Colin Cant
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Moral Dilemma ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Ethical Behaviour ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Small Business Development

Small businesses play a vital role in most economies worldwide. These businesses are in many instances the creators of jobs and in many instances barely surviving. In Africa, in general, and South Africa in particular, there are huge pressures on small business development and to assist in alleviating poverty and help with social mobility. Many small business entrepreneurs are forced into business in order to survive which in turn may lead to them being less ethically inclined and more focussed on survival. This in itself can lead to a moral dilemma for them. It is therefore important to consider the attitude employees have towards ethical issues in the business sector, and to what extent they would compromise on these issues in order to survive. The main purpose of the study is therefore to determine the attitude employees of small businesses in South Africa have towards the ethical environment in which they operate. The research followed a quantitative approach where a survey questionnaire was used as the data collection method. The results indicate that employees of small businesses have a negative attitude towards the ethical responsibilities of the organisation in which they operate. Alternatively, respondents do understand what is meant by ethics and what it entails. Their attitude regarding their perception of what an organisation should commit to in order to be ethical shows that respondents understands what constitutes ethical behaviour.

scholarly journals SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESULTS OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ACTIVITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF CRIMEA

2020 ◽  
pp. 100-110
Author(s):  
G.V. Olkhovaya
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Innovation Activity ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
Social Efficiency ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Rate Of Development ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact

In modern conditions, the level and rate of development of regions and the state as a whole are directly related to the dynamics of small and medium-sized businesses. The article provides an assessment of the socio-economic changes that occurred in the small business sector of the Republic of Crimea in 2015-2018. The system of indicators that reflect various aspects of its functioning and the impact on the region’s economy is analyzed. Indicators of entrepreneurial activity, social efficiency of small businesses, economic efficiency of functioning, investment and innovation activity are considered.

Parallel between the Economic Destabilization and the Creation of Safe Working Conditions in the Subjects of Small Business Entities in the Republic of Uzbekistan

2021 ◽  
pp. 29-34
Author(s):  
K.A. Atabaev ◽  
◽  
L.I. Petrosova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Management System ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
The Republic

Small business plays a significant role in the economy of the state and in providing employment for the population. This is confirmed by the statistical indicators of the share of small business in the gross domestic product of the Republic of Uzbekistan over the past 5 years — in 2020 it reached 48 %, while the share of employment in the small business sector was 68 %. Considering that the small business sector during the pandemic often escaped the attention of the state control over working conditions, it can be concluded that a significant part of the small business employees works in potentially unsafe conditions. The main economic and social problems in the sphere of small and medium-sized businesses, directly or indirectly affecting occupational safety are considered in the article. Analysis of the statistical data revealed the dependence between the economic destabilization, and an increase in incidents: their growth in 2020 amounted to almost 50 % in relation to 2019. It is concluded that forcing small businesses to work in accordance with the international codes and the current Occupational safety and health management system in the event of a crisis is inappropriate. Proposals were formulated on transforming the work of such enterprises, considering their capabilities, in three stages: mass audit of Occupational safety and health management system of small enterprises considering their structural and target differences; systematization of occupational safety management processes in the small businesses; introduction of Occupational safety and health management system as the main anti-crisis measure for the small businesses.

scholarly journals MANAGEMENT AND CHANGE IN TURBULENT TIMES: HOW DO RUSSIAN SMALL BUSINESS MANAGERS PERCEIVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT?

2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jari Jumpponen ◽  
Markku Ikävalko ◽  
Timo Pihkala
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
Business Managers ◽  
North West ◽  
Constant Change ◽  
Turbulent Times

This paper focuses on the management of small businesses in Russia. Despite the growing importance of the Russian small business sector, there are surprisingly few empirical studies focusing on this topic. As the business environment in Russia is repeatedly noted to be in constant change, the purpose of the paper is to explore Russian owner‐managers perceptions of the development of their business environment from 2000 to 2004. The paper reports the results of a survey conducted among 164 business managers in North‐West Russia. The results indicate that Russian owner‐managers tend to monitor changes in the business environment and adapt their management accordingly, if not beforehand. However, the results are not unambiguous, as the study found wide variations in the extent to which gap the managers monitored and adapted to perceived changes in the business environment.

scholarly journals Credit provision by banks: a case study analysis of small businesses in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 65-74
Author(s):  
Raphael N. Ngcobo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Bank Loans ◽  
Bank Loan ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Business Owner ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
Business Plans

Small business sector is considered as an important economic driver by many countries. In South Africa, small business sector has been acknowledged as the driving force to boost the economic growth and an important source of job creation. This article aims at identifying factors that are a challenge in obtaining bank finance by small businesses in South Africa.Primary data for this study involved a survey questionnaire directed to owners of small businesses operating in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan area, Gauteng, South Africa. Factors that were deemed to influence bank loan decision were examined. The research findings revealed that factors such as age of business, business plans availability, educational background of business owner, experience of business owner and availability of a collateral have an influence on the bank loan decisions. This research also found that the accessibility of loan funding from banks was a constraint on business operations and growth. The findings of this study indicate that the mentioned factors are a challenge for small businesses in accessing bank loans to fund their operations.The findings of this study will be of great value to small business owners and policy makers in finding solutions to address the identified barriers.

scholarly journals Moral Behaviour And Ethical Misconduct In Nigerian Small Businesses

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1087
Author(s):  
Johannes A. Wiid ◽  
Michael C. Cant ◽  
Claudette Van Niekerk
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Ethical Behaviour ◽  
Ethical Misconduct ◽  
Moral Behaviour

The small business sector plays a vital role in the economic development, upliftment and job creation of any third world country, and even more so in Africa. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have underperformed over the past years and therefore have not contributed their expected roles in the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. This can and may lead to unethical behaviour and questionable practices which speak of moral decay something that Africa, in general, and Nigeria, specifically, has been accused of. The performance and ethical behaviour of Nigerian SMEs have been of great concern to numerous individuals, parties and organisations (Onugu, 2005:8). Since managers decisions impact organisational goals and behaviours, this research aims to determine whether a sense of moral behaviour will have an influence on the concern for ethical misconduct in the Nigerian business environment by examining the relationship between Moral Behaviour and the Concern for Ethical Dilemmas/Misconduct. The research followed a quantitative approach. Results indicated that there is a fine line between what is perceived as being morally wrong or unethical and that, in many instances, the focus is rather on future existence of the business and not really on the ethical issues involved. The study confirms that there is a medium to strong relationship correlation between sense of ethical concerns and immoral behaviour in the Nigerian small business environment. The hypothesis (H0: Entrepreneurs who have an acute sense of moral behaviour are concerned about ethical misconduct/dilemmas in the business environment) is therefore accepted.

scholarly journals SMALL ENTERPRISE IN UKRAINE: ASSESSMENT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC PREREQUISITES AND OBSTACLES FOR DEVELOPMENT

2021 ◽  
pp. 188-203
Author(s):  
G. Yurchik ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Development ◽  
The State ◽  
Small Enterprise ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
The Eu

The article substantiates an important factor in the socio-economic development of the state is the development of the business sector in general and small businesses in particular. This highlights the need to study the socio-economic preconditions and the state of formation and realization of the potential of small business in Ukraine. The article analyzes the quantitative indicators of small businesses (including those compared to the EU). According to the results of generalizing various surveys and monitoring, the main barriers to doing business in Ukraine are the low purchasing power of citizens, restrictive measures in connection with the pandemic, fiscal pressure, as well as pressure from government agencies, and corruption. It is established that according to the SME policy index, Ukraine, despite some improvement in the environment for the business sector, still has less favorable conditions for business activity compared to the Eastern Partnership countries. Based on the analysis of Ukraine’s rating positions according to a number of indices, it has been established that our state demonstrates the most unfavorable conditions for the development of small businesses according to the index of perception of corruption and economic freedom. Among the trends that indicate the improvement of conditions for the formation and realization of the potential of small business in Ukraine is the increase of Ukraine’s rating position on the indices of ease of doing business and ease of paying taxes. It is proved that the conditions of small business lending in Ukraine, although showing some improvement, still remain unfavorable and hinder the development of small businesses. An important tool for the formation and realization of the potential of small business is its grant support, the most important partner in providing which for Ukraine in the EU. It is proved that Ukraine has a well-developed infrastructure to support small businesses, but the formality of its operation is quite common. According to the criterion of compliance with the principle of predictability in regulatory activities, most government agencies show a fairly low level of predictability, which is a deterrent to business development, as it increases the uncertainty of the business environment. It is proved that despite the presence of a number of problems and deterrents for small business development, Ukraine has a significant number of strengths and opportunities for the formation, development, and realization of small business potential.

U.S. taxation: The description and impact on small businesses

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 166-185
Author(s):  
Sergei A. FILIN ◽  
Lyubov' A. CHAIKOVSKAYA ◽  
Ainura N. AITYMBETOVA ◽  
El'mira E. ZHUSSIPOVA ◽  
Gul'mira K. ISAEVA
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Financial Aid ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
International Market ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
Seasonal Fluctuations ◽  
The People ◽  
Tax Regimes ◽  
The Usa

Subject. The article discusses the development of small businesses in the USA though supporting measures. Objectives. We suggest how small businesses should be supported and developed by analyzing the relevant practices in the USA. We also identify and analyze factors and conditions that contribute to the development of small businesses through supportive measures taken in the USA. Methods. We use the methods of analysis, synthesis and logic research through the creative data approach. Results. In this article we analyze the specifics of tax treatment of business and small business, first of all, in Foreign Trade Zones and in the USA as a whole. We reveal special tax regimes in the USA, referring to the business environment of SME in Russia just for the sake of comparison. Having analyzed relevant positive practices in the USA, we suggest how small businesses should be supported and developed in Russia, which is the novelty of this study. Conclusions and Relevance. We conclude that the he apparatus the USA uses to bring its small business sector to the international market and expand its operations, helps businessmen increase their profit and sales, get more free from seasonal fluctuations and turbulence in the domestic market and receive real financial aid. Supporting the small business, the State should prioritize ensuring sufficient jobs for the people, including the creation of additional ones.

scholarly journals Small business owners’ perceptions of business ethics and employee theft in the small business sector of South Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 237-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Colin Cant ◽  
Johannes Arnoldus Wiid ◽  
Yu-ting Hung
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Business Ethics ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Ethical Behaviour ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
Employee Theft

Cant and Ligthelm (2003:1) estimate that 70-80% of SMEs fail. One of the challenges that have been identified as contributing to the high failure rate of SMEs in South Africa is employee theft, which constitutes as a ‘crime’. The research study investigates small business owners’ perception of business ethics and employee theft in the small business sector of South Africa. The objective of this paper is to determine the ethical behaviour of business owners, explore the ethical dilemmas that small businesses are facing, establish the concern and impact of theft in the workplace, and the influence of loyalty on the matter. A questionnaire was constructed and random sampling was used to gather the responses of 38 small business owners. The research identified a strong positive linear relationship between the concern for ethical dilemmas/misconduct and employee theft in the workplace. The challenge now is to further the decrease of employee theft in small businesses in South Africa to ensure their success, as they play a vital role in the South African economy

scholarly journals Tax Regimes in the USA: The Review and the Effect on Small Businesses

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-260
Author(s):  
Sergei A. FILIN ◽  
Lyubov' A. CHAIKOVSKAYA ◽  
Ainura N. AITYMBETOVA ◽  
El'mira E. ZHUSSIPOVA ◽  
Gul'mira K. ISAEVA
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Financial Aid ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
International Market ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Sector ◽  
Seasonal Fluctuations ◽  
The People ◽  
Tax Regimes ◽  
The Usa

Subject. The article discusses the development of small businesses in the USA though supporting measures. Objectives. We suggest how small businesses should be supported and developed by analyzing the relevant practices in the USA. We also identify and analyze factors and conditions that contribute to the development of small businesses through supportive measures taken in the USA. Methods. We use the methods of analysis, synthesis and logic research through the creative data approach. Results. In this article we analyze the specifics of tax treatment of business and small business, first of all, in Foreign Trade Zones and in the USA as a whole. We reveal special tax regimes in the USA, referring to the business environment of SME in Russia just for the sake of comparison. Having analyzed relevant positive practices in the USA, we suggest how small businesses should be supported and developed in Russia, which is the novelty of this study. Conclusions and Relevance. We conclude that the apparatus the USA uses to bring its small business sector to the international market and expand its operations, helps businessmen increase their profit and sales, get more free from seasonal fluctuations and turbulence in the domestic market and receive real financial aid. Supporting the small business, the State should prioritize ensuring sufficient jobs for the people, including the creation of additional ones.

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