The effectiveness of networking and collaboration in creative hubs: a case of Hub@Goethe
- Authors: De Beer, Magdalena Gertruda
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Cultural industries South Africa , Cultural industries Economic aspects South Africa , Economic development projects South Africa , Social entrepreneurship South Africa , Creative ability Economic aspects South Africa , Social capital (Sociology) South Africa , Social networks South Africa , Hub@Goethe
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/284504 , vital:56069
- Description: This research took the form of a case study investigating the effectiveness of a single hub in South Africa, namely Hub@Goethe in Johannesburg. The context of the creative economy and creative industries provided insight into the experiences of creative cultural labourers in the new economic model. The context emphasised the research problem which considered the difficulties experienced by creative and cultural entrepreneurs and their career paths who, through labour precarity, remain isolated from the market, without access to physical spaces, network connections and business knowledge to realise their business ideas. The literature reviewed revealed how co-working office spaces, creative spaces and hubs provide creative entrepreneurs with the spatial infrastructure, amenities, and network access to mitigate challenges in the creative cultural sectors. These spaces offer a multitude of different amenities which is specific to their community’s needs. Guided by the theory of social capital and structural holes reviewed in the literature, the effectiveness was assessed by the hub’s ability to provide network access benefits or resource endowments. The research looked at whether the hub could provide creative cultural entrepreneurs with resource benefits such as a) access to social interactions, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, b) access to business or professional skills-based education programmes and mentorship, c) access to market and d) generation both social and economic benefit. The research adopted a qualitative approach, seeking insights into the creative entrepreneurs’ experiences at the hub utilising one-to-one interviews. The thematic analysis confirmed that the hub was effective overall in providing entrepreneurs with access to benefits or resource endowments embedded in the network, confirming that hubs may be an effective tool in mitigating difficulties experienced by creative entrepreneurs in the creative industries. The research also showed areas of improvement where the hub could increase its experienced effectiveness, especially in reference to routes to market. The research findings inferred the importance of physical space, proximity and accessibility has on collaborative practices amongst creative entrepreneurs within the hub space. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
A micro-ethnography: exploring relations between Somali and South African traders in Clarehill, Cape Town
- Authors: Solomon, Kelly Michelle
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Immigrants South Africa , Immigrants Social conditions , Xenophobia South Africa , Social capital (Sociology) South Africa , Somalis Migrations , Identity (Philosophical concept) , South Africa Race relations
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61277 , vital:27999 , https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/61277
- Description: Xenophobia has become a dominant narrative in contemporary South Africa. In this thesis, I hone in on a micro, informal economic market that functions cohesively and convivially with both South African and Somali transmigrant traders in it. Religion is one of the key ways through which migrants are able to access social networks and social capital. Islam, the dominant practised religion in the market, thus forms a foundation for strong, emotionally supportive, caring relationships between Somali transmigrants and South Africans The relationships between South African traders and Somali transmigrants are mutually constitutive, as they lean on one another for stability during a time that is unstable for both groups. The closeness of their relationships is evident through the way in which they tease and joke with one another, and the many ways in which they offer intangible support to each other. This thesis illustrates that despite the dominant xenophobic narrative, a close social kinship is formed in the Roelof Street market between South Africans and Somali transmigrants.
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- Date Issued: 2018