The influence of school principals as potential entrepreneurial leaders on the emergence of entrepreneurial activities for school funding

Abstract

The South African Department of Basic Education introduced school funding regulations to ensure that all learners will have access to quality education. However, the dynamic, complex, turbulent and competitive macroenvironmental conditions, which have resulted in decreased public finances being available, will have a negative impact on the already burdened school funding system. This study explored the role of school principals as entrepreneurial leaders who influence the emergence of entrepreneurial activities for the purpose of school funding. This article explores school principals’ entrepreneurial leadership characteristics and entrepreneurial activities and the outcomes thereof. The qualitative findings of 9 interviews conducted with school principals show that these individuals possess the necessary entrepreneurial know-how and, in their leadership roles, they have the personal, and managerial skills required to identify and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities. The study found that the entrepreneurial activities introduced by the school principals comprised internal resource mobilisation through learner-led and management-led projects, and external mobilisation through partnerships with the private sector and former learners. Overall, the entrepreneurial activities contributed positively to the schools’ finances and improved learners’ entrepreneurial skills. The article concludes by making certain recommendations for various stakeholders.

Keywords: entrepreneurial activities; entrepreneurial leadership; entrepreneurship education; funding; leadership; learners’ entrepreneurial skills; resources; school principals