Wasswa Balunywa’s research while affiliated with Makerere University Business School and other places

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify gaps in the structure of organizations that hinder collaboration of organizations involved in the creation of graduate employment opportunities in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from staff and leaders of 14 organizations that were purposely selected to represent government, private, and civil society organizations. These organizations were selected based on their mandates, which touch on the employability of university graduates in the country in very direct ways. This was a cross-sectional survey design—based on a self-administered questionnaire, key informant interviews, and documentary analysis. Findings Organizations were found to have “Tell”/directive decision-making, high power distance between employees, and jobs were not coded in a way that gives employees freedoms to interact and build collaborative relationships. Finally, rules and regulations were very restrictive, disorienting employee's abilities to collaborate. Research limitations/implication This research concentrated on the gaps that exist in the structure of organizations from which the results point to inadequate relational, interactional, inclusive, and democratic space among different stakeholders. It would be useful for future research to examine the extent to which the structure of organizations not only impacts collaboration but also measures the level to which it affects organizational performance. Practical implications The knowledge economy of the twenty-first century demands for collaborative engagements with different stakeholders if they are to survive the competitive business environment. Collaborative engagement helps in the sharing of knowledge, expertise, and resources, development of more coherent services, facilitation of innovation and evaluation, avoiding duplication of work, and minimizing conflicts and competition while creating synergy among partners. Originality/value Unlike previous studies, which have examined employability of graduates from a supply side perspective, this study investigates organizations from both the supply and demand perspectives and identifies synergy that is as a result of bringing organizations to work together.

This paper examines the relationship between positive deviance and entrepreneurial networking among SMEs. Using a mixed method approach combined self-administered questionnaires and interview guide covering 228 SMEs in Uganda, the cross-sectional nature of this study revealed key nuances about SMEs. The research findings confirmed a significant positive relationship between positive deviance and entrepreneurial networking among SMEs in Uganda. The findings also revealed that: SME owner/ managers should create enabling environment for people with divergent views to interact with each other to innovate new practices, such as accessing resources from the networks; managers should initiate new policies for error management to allow employees room to learn from mistakes; managers should acquire new skills of leadership skills to manage and utilize the knowledge and skills of positive deviants. This research therefore contributes to existing scholarship by providing nuances in the study of positive deviance and entrepreneurial networking among SMEs in Uganda through employing a complexity approach that transcends previous academic focus on social network theory.