Hybrid entrepreneurship a viable route for development of more resilient enterprises: a case of Ndola.

Abstract

The study investigated the practice of hybrid entrepreneurs in Ndola. Noting high enterprise failures in the country, it was important to identify a cadre of entrepreneurs that were prepositioned to develop stronger and more resilient enterprises. Previous studies had presented benefits of hybrid entrepreneurship and indicated that enterprises run in that form survived for longer periods than other. Therefore hybrid entrepreneurs could be considered for this purpose. The objectives of the study were to determine the level of involvement in hybrid entrepreneurship among people in fulltime employment in Ndola; to examine why hybrid entrepreneurship should be considered as a viable way of developing more resilient enterprise in Ndola; and to suggest what could be done to promote hybrid entrepreneurship in Ndola as a way of entering into entrepreneurship. A typical case sample of 418 individuals in fulltime employment in Ndola was included in the study and the methodology utilized was descriptive survey. The findings showed that majority of respondents owned private enterprises besides holding on to their formal jobs. A further majority of those not owning any enterprises intended to setup enterprises within the next two years. This indicated that the concept of hybrid entrepreneurship was popular in Ndola. The study revealed that most of the enterprises owned by respondents showed characteristics of pushed entrepreneurship. It was also found that the benefits of hybrid entrepreneurship available to respondents to some extent failed to fully address some challenges faced by entrepreneurs. The funds raised seemed inadequate to finance both initial capital and operations. Despite this challenge, it was found that enterprises owned by the respondents survived longer than the general small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia and thus could be seen as vi more resilient. Some benefits that accrued to the enterprises associated with the jobs such as access to pay-backed loans, access to employers’ business networks; and work experience could partly be attributed to the prolonged existence of the enterprises. It was concluded that, with the right business environment and support from Government, hybrid entrepreneurship could lead to formation of stronger and more resilient enterprises in Ndola.