Can A Small Business Enterprise Become A High Performance Organisation: A South-African Case Study

It is generally accepted that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have room for improvement from a high-performance perspective. However, research concerning the use of High-Performance Organisation (HPO) frameworks for South African SMEs is wanting. The purpose of this study is to explore the applicability of the scientifically validated de Waal HPO Framework for assessing SMEs in the South African context and thereby transforming such companies into HPOs. The study is exploratory by nature and therefore adopts a qualitative approach in the form of a case study. Case data was collected using in-depth personal interviews, which then was thematically analysed. The study showed that applying the HPO Framework is a valuable technique for evaluating the performance of an SME in the South African context. The framework yielded clear recommendations on the areas where the case company could use the HPO framework in order to get the company’s performance to a higher level.