Exploring value-addition initiatives among small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector in emerging economies

Orientation: Value addition has become increasingly important as a springboard to the growth of manufacturing enterprises in emerging economies. Despite the importance attached to value addition, small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Zimbabwe’s leather sector have minimally participated in value-add...

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Main Authors: Fainos Chokera, Emmanuel Mutambara
Other Authors: Department of Information and Marketing Sciences, Faculty of Business Science, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe
Format: research article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5537
https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v23i1.1000
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author Fainos Chokera
Emmanuel Mutambara
author2 Department of Information and Marketing Sciences, Faculty of Business Science, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe
author_facet Department of Information and Marketing Sciences, Faculty of Business Science, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe
Fainos Chokera
Emmanuel Mutambara
author_sort Fainos Chokera
collection DSpace
description Orientation: Value addition has become increasingly important as a springboard to the growth of manufacturing enterprises in emerging economies. Despite the importance attached to value addition, small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Zimbabwe’s leather sector have minimally participated in value-added leather products. Research purpose: This study aimed at understanding the value addition initiatives among the SMEs in the leather sector, challenges as well as ascertaining how internal and external factors impact value addition. Motivation for the study: Small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector participate minimally in value addition while large corporations largely depend on it as a springboard to growth. Research design, approach and method: This study adopted a qualitative approach to collect data using interviews with 15 purposively selected owners or managers drawn from the three leather clusters (hides and skins, leather products and finished leather products) in Zimbabwe’s two major cities Harare and Bulawayo. Content analysis was applied to analyse interview data and the emergent themes are reported as findings. Main findings: Transportation, preservation and storage of raw hides and skins emerged as the major value-addition initiatives among the majority of SMEs while a handful of them produce value-added leather products. Value-addition challenges included limited value-addition knowledge, high cost of leather machinery and a lack of government support while both internal and external factors are stifling value-addition initiatives. Practical/managerial implications: Increased participation in value addition will create multiple jobs for the SMEs in the leather sector in Zimbabwe and allow them to address the socio-economic dimensions. Contribution/value-add: The originality of the research topic, research objectives, methodology employed as well as the research findings have the potential to fill the lacuna already identified in value-addition literature.
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spelling ir-11408-55372023-04-21T07:41:28Z Exploring value-addition initiatives among small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector in emerging economies Fainos Chokera Emmanuel Mutambara Department of Information and Marketing Sciences, Faculty of Business Science, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe Graduate School of Business and Leadership, Faculty of Law and Management, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa Value addition Value-addition initiatives Leather sector SMEs Emerging economies Orientation: Value addition has become increasingly important as a springboard to the growth of manufacturing enterprises in emerging economies. Despite the importance attached to value addition, small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Zimbabwe’s leather sector have minimally participated in value-added leather products. Research purpose: This study aimed at understanding the value addition initiatives among the SMEs in the leather sector, challenges as well as ascertaining how internal and external factors impact value addition. Motivation for the study: Small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector participate minimally in value addition while large corporations largely depend on it as a springboard to growth. Research design, approach and method: This study adopted a qualitative approach to collect data using interviews with 15 purposively selected owners or managers drawn from the three leather clusters (hides and skins, leather products and finished leather products) in Zimbabwe’s two major cities Harare and Bulawayo. Content analysis was applied to analyse interview data and the emergent themes are reported as findings. Main findings: Transportation, preservation and storage of raw hides and skins emerged as the major value-addition initiatives among the majority of SMEs while a handful of them produce value-added leather products. Value-addition challenges included limited value-addition knowledge, high cost of leather machinery and a lack of government support while both internal and external factors are stifling value-addition initiatives. Practical/managerial implications: Increased participation in value addition will create multiple jobs for the SMEs in the leather sector in Zimbabwe and allow them to address the socio-economic dimensions. Contribution/value-add: The originality of the research topic, research objectives, methodology employed as well as the research findings have the potential to fill the lacuna already identified in value-addition literature. 23 1 1 12 2023-04-21T07:41:28Z 2023-04-21T07:41:28Z 2023-01-23 research article https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5537 https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v23i1.1000 en Acta Commercii 1684-1999 open AOSIS
spellingShingle Value addition
Value-addition initiatives
Leather sector
SMEs
Emerging economies
Fainos Chokera
Emmanuel Mutambara
Exploring value-addition initiatives among small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector in emerging economies
title Exploring value-addition initiatives among small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector in emerging economies
title_full Exploring value-addition initiatives among small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector in emerging economies
title_fullStr Exploring value-addition initiatives among small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector in emerging economies
title_full_unstemmed Exploring value-addition initiatives among small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector in emerging economies
title_short Exploring value-addition initiatives among small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector in emerging economies
title_sort exploring value-addition initiatives among small-to-medium enterprises in the leather sector in emerging economies
topic Value addition
Value-addition initiatives
Leather sector
SMEs
Emerging economies
url https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5537
https://doi.org/10.4102/ac.v23i1.1000
work_keys_str_mv AT fainoschokera exploringvalueadditioninitiativesamongsmalltomediumenterprisesintheleathersectorinemergingeconomies
AT emmanuelmutambara exploringvalueadditioninitiativesamongsmalltomediumenterprisesintheleathersectorinemergingeconomies