A case study of the role of leadership behaviour in the formation of organizational culture
- Authors: Moore, Aminah
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Leadership -- Botswana -- Maun , Corporate culture -- Botswana -- Maun , Strategic planning -- Botswana -- Maun , Critical incident technique , Organizational behavior -- Botswana -- Maun , Tourism -- Management , Belmond Safaris (Botswana)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62061 , vital:28103
- Description: This case study research on the effect of leadership on organizational culture, is based on a small luxury tourism organization – Belmond Safaris – based in Maun, Botswana. The study set out to determine critical incidents that occurred during the tenure of the current general manager with the intention of uncovering her leadership behaviour and how it has shaped the culture of the organization. The literature review identified quantitative and qualitative approaches to researching organizational culture, but settles on Schein’s theory of organizational culture (Schein, 1992; 2010) as the approach adopted in this study. Furthermore, it reviews the various roles of strategic leaders and how these affect the culture of the organization. The study follows a qualitative methodology and applies the Critical Incident Technique to explore how, as a leader, the behaviour of the general manager shaped the organization’s culture. Data triangulation is achieved through the use of multiple sources – interviews, analysis of company documents and the examination of minutes of management meetings. Following the fieldwork, the evidence within the findings of the study required a theoretical reorientation and a shift from strategic leadership to a new focus on relational leadership, highlighting the prominence of social exchanges between the general manager and employees, as opposed to economic exchanges. The study concludes by acknowledging the limitations and delimitations of the study, which include time constraints as well as the deliberate exclusion of certain participants (e.g. camp managers) from the study. In its conclusion the study also presents recommendations for future studies. The researcher recommends a broader study within the tourism industry, as well as a larger and more inclusive sample size, in order to obtain better insights into the study of culture and leadership within organizations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Moore, Aminah
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Leadership -- Botswana -- Maun , Corporate culture -- Botswana -- Maun , Strategic planning -- Botswana -- Maun , Critical incident technique , Organizational behavior -- Botswana -- Maun , Tourism -- Management , Belmond Safaris (Botswana)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62061 , vital:28103
- Description: This case study research on the effect of leadership on organizational culture, is based on a small luxury tourism organization – Belmond Safaris – based in Maun, Botswana. The study set out to determine critical incidents that occurred during the tenure of the current general manager with the intention of uncovering her leadership behaviour and how it has shaped the culture of the organization. The literature review identified quantitative and qualitative approaches to researching organizational culture, but settles on Schein’s theory of organizational culture (Schein, 1992; 2010) as the approach adopted in this study. Furthermore, it reviews the various roles of strategic leaders and how these affect the culture of the organization. The study follows a qualitative methodology and applies the Critical Incident Technique to explore how, as a leader, the behaviour of the general manager shaped the organization’s culture. Data triangulation is achieved through the use of multiple sources – interviews, analysis of company documents and the examination of minutes of management meetings. Following the fieldwork, the evidence within the findings of the study required a theoretical reorientation and a shift from strategic leadership to a new focus on relational leadership, highlighting the prominence of social exchanges between the general manager and employees, as opposed to economic exchanges. The study concludes by acknowledging the limitations and delimitations of the study, which include time constraints as well as the deliberate exclusion of certain participants (e.g. camp managers) from the study. In its conclusion the study also presents recommendations for future studies. The researcher recommends a broader study within the tourism industry, as well as a larger and more inclusive sample size, in order to obtain better insights into the study of culture and leadership within organizations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A review of the re-structuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital through the change management approach
- Authors: Nodikida, Mzulungile
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational change -- Case studies , Organizational change -- Management , Reengineering (Management) -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Leadership -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/58339 , vital:27236
- Description: The research used a change management approach to analyze the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from a tertiary to a central hospital. The study was underpinned by two objectives. Firstly, to analyze the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from a tertiary to a "central" hospital using the Core Elements Framework of change management developed by Antwi and Kale (2014). Secondly, to use the knowledge gained through literature review combined with the experiences of the managers at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital to inform future healthcare reforms in general and particularly in the restructuring of hospitals. The Core Elements Framework by Antwi and Kale (2014) identifies six fundamental change elements from both emergent and planned change management approaches. The six elements are regarded by theorists from the two different schools of thought i.e. emergent change and planned change as key for successful change. The Core Elements Framework by Antwi and Kale, (2014) demonstrates the strength of not viewing the two approaches to change management as mutually exclusive but as complementing each other when the other is falling short. The study identified the following: ■ The change was prompted by clearly identifiable external factors more than internal factors. ■ There was notable lack of organizational harmony which may have negatively impacted the change process. ■ The Private Public Partnership (PPP) funding model which was aimed at delivering the central hospital collapsed, after a study discovered that it benefited the private sector more than the public sector. ■ There was no proper consultation of major stakeholders for preparation of the change. ■ Resources in all material forms were not made available for the change to take off, this means that there was no organizational capacity to execute the change. The study draws the conclusion that lack of organizational capacity, organizational harmony and a proper consultation process for stakeholders are the main reasons why the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital is not yielding the desired results. The study recommends that organizations should implement a multidimensional approach for any change initiative to be successful and that organizations must ensure the availability of the necessary resources when embarking on change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Nodikida, Mzulungile
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational change -- Case studies , Organizational change -- Management , Reengineering (Management) -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Leadership -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/58339 , vital:27236
- Description: The research used a change management approach to analyze the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from a tertiary to a central hospital. The study was underpinned by two objectives. Firstly, to analyze the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital from a tertiary to a "central" hospital using the Core Elements Framework of change management developed by Antwi and Kale (2014). Secondly, to use the knowledge gained through literature review combined with the experiences of the managers at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital to inform future healthcare reforms in general and particularly in the restructuring of hospitals. The Core Elements Framework by Antwi and Kale (2014) identifies six fundamental change elements from both emergent and planned change management approaches. The six elements are regarded by theorists from the two different schools of thought i.e. emergent change and planned change as key for successful change. The Core Elements Framework by Antwi and Kale, (2014) demonstrates the strength of not viewing the two approaches to change management as mutually exclusive but as complementing each other when the other is falling short. The study identified the following: ■ The change was prompted by clearly identifiable external factors more than internal factors. ■ There was notable lack of organizational harmony which may have negatively impacted the change process. ■ The Private Public Partnership (PPP) funding model which was aimed at delivering the central hospital collapsed, after a study discovered that it benefited the private sector more than the public sector. ■ There was no proper consultation of major stakeholders for preparation of the change. ■ Resources in all material forms were not made available for the change to take off, this means that there was no organizational capacity to execute the change. The study draws the conclusion that lack of organizational capacity, organizational harmony and a proper consultation process for stakeholders are the main reasons why the restructuring of the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital is not yielding the desired results. The study recommends that organizations should implement a multidimensional approach for any change initiative to be successful and that organizations must ensure the availability of the necessary resources when embarking on change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A survey of organizational culture and organizational performance in a manufacturing company
- Authors: Dom, Veliswa Virginia
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Factories -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Analysis of variance , Shift systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Competing Values Framework (CVF)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61861 , vital:28069
- Description: The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance in a manufacturing company. This company supplies metal products to the motor vehicle manufacturing industry, where the quality and quantity of parts produced is of paramount importance, since the buyers of these products are quality conscious. The organization has three production shifts that rotate each week. Anecdotal observations are that irrespective of the time that a shift operates over the course of the month, the different shifts tend to perform at different levels in terms of quality and quantity of output. This study therefore sought to investigate if these differences between shifts are statistically significant, and if so, whether these shifts also have differences in organizational culture. Components of organizational culture include values, norms, beliefs, attitudes, principles and expectations that give the organization a unique personality and differentiate it from other organizations. While the literature indicates that qualitative or quantitative approaches can be used in organizational culture research, this research adopted the quantitative approach, making use of the Competing Values Framework (CVF). The CVF is a four-category organizational culture typology established by Cameron and Quinn (2006). The framework is based on two dimensions: stability or flexibility of the organization, and external or internal focus. In this research, the CVF was used as a measurement tool to evaluate organizational culture. In order to determine differences in organizational culture between shifts, a survey was undertaken (N=138) which measured employee perceptions pertaining to the existing organizational culture of each of the three production shifts at the company. Secondly, differences in performance between the shifts were examined by using the performance data for a three-month period for each shift in terms of quantity and quality. This data was obtained from the management of the production process at the company. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA to analyse the differences between the shifts. The findings indicated that the dominant existing organizational culture at the company under investigation is a clan culture. Furthermore, there is a statistically significant difference between the cultures of all the three shifts at the manufacturing company. The results also indicated that there is a statistically significant difference in the quantity and quality of production between the three shifts. In conclusion, the research indicated there are differences in culture and in performance, but given the nature of the data, it was not possible to statistically analyse the relationship between shift culture and performance. However, it is conceivable that cultural differences between shifts may be contributing to performance differences. With regards to further research, it is recommended that this research be extended to other branches of the manufacturing company in other regions, in order to determine whether there are any significant differences in culture and performance between these branches and their shifts. Research could also be extended to other South African organizations to create a sufficiently large sample of shift and/or business units, so as to be able to do statistical analysis of the relationship between culture and performance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Dom, Veliswa Virginia
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Factories -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Analysis of variance , Shift systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Competing Values Framework (CVF)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61861 , vital:28069
- Description: The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance in a manufacturing company. This company supplies metal products to the motor vehicle manufacturing industry, where the quality and quantity of parts produced is of paramount importance, since the buyers of these products are quality conscious. The organization has three production shifts that rotate each week. Anecdotal observations are that irrespective of the time that a shift operates over the course of the month, the different shifts tend to perform at different levels in terms of quality and quantity of output. This study therefore sought to investigate if these differences between shifts are statistically significant, and if so, whether these shifts also have differences in organizational culture. Components of organizational culture include values, norms, beliefs, attitudes, principles and expectations that give the organization a unique personality and differentiate it from other organizations. While the literature indicates that qualitative or quantitative approaches can be used in organizational culture research, this research adopted the quantitative approach, making use of the Competing Values Framework (CVF). The CVF is a four-category organizational culture typology established by Cameron and Quinn (2006). The framework is based on two dimensions: stability or flexibility of the organization, and external or internal focus. In this research, the CVF was used as a measurement tool to evaluate organizational culture. In order to determine differences in organizational culture between shifts, a survey was undertaken (N=138) which measured employee perceptions pertaining to the existing organizational culture of each of the three production shifts at the company. Secondly, differences in performance between the shifts were examined by using the performance data for a three-month period for each shift in terms of quantity and quality. This data was obtained from the management of the production process at the company. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA to analyse the differences between the shifts. The findings indicated that the dominant existing organizational culture at the company under investigation is a clan culture. Furthermore, there is a statistically significant difference between the cultures of all the three shifts at the manufacturing company. The results also indicated that there is a statistically significant difference in the quantity and quality of production between the three shifts. In conclusion, the research indicated there are differences in culture and in performance, but given the nature of the data, it was not possible to statistically analyse the relationship between shift culture and performance. However, it is conceivable that cultural differences between shifts may be contributing to performance differences. With regards to further research, it is recommended that this research be extended to other branches of the manufacturing company in other regions, in order to determine whether there are any significant differences in culture and performance between these branches and their shifts. Research could also be extended to other South African organizations to create a sufficiently large sample of shift and/or business units, so as to be able to do statistical analysis of the relationship between culture and performance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An analysis of stakeholder engagement in the integrated development planning process: a case of Blue Crane Route Local Municipality
- Authors: Marambana, Nonkululeko
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Stakeholder management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- Public relations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public administration -- Citizen participation , Government publicity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Blue Crane Route Local Municipality , Integrated Development Plan (IDP)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63659 , vital:28466
- Description: Stakeholder engagement in local government is a legislated function that should be implemented by appointed and elected government officials. The 2015/16 financial year report of the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA), revealed challenges pertaining to stakeholder engagement processes by the Blue Crane Route Municipality (BCRM), in that stakeholder inputs were not incorporated in the municipal Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of the 2016/17 financial year. The concern is that there is a gap regarding stakeholders’ engagement processes within BCRM and that affects the quality of IDP which serves as the municipal strategic document. The aim and objectives of this study are to understand stakeholder engagement processes on the IDP formulation by the BCRM in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The research questions are: How does BCRM conduct stakeholder engagement processes during IDP formulation? What institutional arrangements are in place for stakeholder engagement? And recommendation on how stakeholder engagement processes can be improved within the BCRM? The research questions were answered through a qualitative study, where data was collected through face-to-face interviews, focus groups and a document review. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the municipal manager and the managers responsible for IDP as well as the officer responsible for public participation. Focus group sessions were conducted with the community leaders and the departmental leadership. Documents that were reviewed included IDP and process plans, minutes from community consultation meetings, public participation policies, and intergovernmental relations terms of reference. The responses received showed gaps in the following: institutional arrangements related to the integration of stakeholder engagement in municipal key performance indicators and procedures; communication between the municipality and stakeholders; community education related to the impact on community stakeholder engagement, and management processes related to the stakeholder database, capacity development, records management, collaboration and cooperation. Further research on how the municipality communicates and imparts knowledge to its stakeholders is recommended as it could contribute significantly to the body of knowledge.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Marambana, Nonkululeko
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Stakeholder management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- Public relations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public administration -- Citizen participation , Government publicity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Blue Crane Route Local Municipality , Integrated Development Plan (IDP)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63659 , vital:28466
- Description: Stakeholder engagement in local government is a legislated function that should be implemented by appointed and elected government officials. The 2015/16 financial year report of the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA), revealed challenges pertaining to stakeholder engagement processes by the Blue Crane Route Municipality (BCRM), in that stakeholder inputs were not incorporated in the municipal Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of the 2016/17 financial year. The concern is that there is a gap regarding stakeholders’ engagement processes within BCRM and that affects the quality of IDP which serves as the municipal strategic document. The aim and objectives of this study are to understand stakeholder engagement processes on the IDP formulation by the BCRM in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The research questions are: How does BCRM conduct stakeholder engagement processes during IDP formulation? What institutional arrangements are in place for stakeholder engagement? And recommendation on how stakeholder engagement processes can be improved within the BCRM? The research questions were answered through a qualitative study, where data was collected through face-to-face interviews, focus groups and a document review. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the municipal manager and the managers responsible for IDP as well as the officer responsible for public participation. Focus group sessions were conducted with the community leaders and the departmental leadership. Documents that were reviewed included IDP and process plans, minutes from community consultation meetings, public participation policies, and intergovernmental relations terms of reference. The responses received showed gaps in the following: institutional arrangements related to the integration of stakeholder engagement in municipal key performance indicators and procedures; communication between the municipality and stakeholders; community education related to the impact on community stakeholder engagement, and management processes related to the stakeholder database, capacity development, records management, collaboration and cooperation. Further research on how the municipality communicates and imparts knowledge to its stakeholders is recommended as it could contribute significantly to the body of knowledge.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An assessment of own revenue management for financial sustainability of the Eastern Cape municipalities
- Authors: Majikijela, Vuyolwethu
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Revenue management , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Finance , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Cost effectiveness , Municipal services -- Finance
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61445 , vital:28027
- Description: The purpose of the research is to assess the financial viability of municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Municipalities that are not financially viable and sustainable will always struggle to deliver basic services to communities. Without sound financial management systems, municipalities will be forced to discontinue their operations. Municipalities, particularly small and rural ones, are not self-sufficient thus cost benefit theory emphasises that municipality must adopt cost recovery revenue management. The application of cost recovery revenue management requires that municipalities take into account internal and external revenue management challenges that will be factored on user charges. Cost recovery also requires governance to lead the process through capacitation, transparency and communication with all stakeholders. This research highlights that municipalities in the province have not matured to a level wherein they are able to adopt cost recovery revenue management because of prevalent external revenue management challenges caused by high unemployment rate in the province and the slow economic growth. Municipalities in the province are thus financially unsustainable. This research therefore proposes that a phase in approach to cost recovery should be adopted in line with the changes in unemployment and economic growth. Increased transparency and consultation with intergovernmental relations should also be promoted to enable financial sustainability of municipalities in the province.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Majikijela, Vuyolwethu
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Revenue management , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Finance , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Cost effectiveness , Municipal services -- Finance
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61445 , vital:28027
- Description: The purpose of the research is to assess the financial viability of municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Municipalities that are not financially viable and sustainable will always struggle to deliver basic services to communities. Without sound financial management systems, municipalities will be forced to discontinue their operations. Municipalities, particularly small and rural ones, are not self-sufficient thus cost benefit theory emphasises that municipality must adopt cost recovery revenue management. The application of cost recovery revenue management requires that municipalities take into account internal and external revenue management challenges that will be factored on user charges. Cost recovery also requires governance to lead the process through capacitation, transparency and communication with all stakeholders. This research highlights that municipalities in the province have not matured to a level wherein they are able to adopt cost recovery revenue management because of prevalent external revenue management challenges caused by high unemployment rate in the province and the slow economic growth. Municipalities in the province are thus financially unsustainable. This research therefore proposes that a phase in approach to cost recovery should be adopted in line with the changes in unemployment and economic growth. Increased transparency and consultation with intergovernmental relations should also be promoted to enable financial sustainability of municipalities in the province.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An exploratory study of barriers and enablers of strategy execution in the Eastern Cape Department of Education in South Africa
- Authors: Vena, Nomava Vinolia
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Strategic planning South Africa Eastern Cape , Business planning South Africa Eastern Cape , Public administration South Africa Eastern Cape , Corporate governance South Africa Eastern Cape , Government accountability South Africa Eastern Cape , South Africa. Department of Education
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63649 , vital:28465
- Description: Effective strategy execution is very important for the achievement of an organisation’s goals. Because it is a difficult task to translate a strategy into action, itis imperative for leadership to prioritize its strategic plan to ensure its success. The purpose of this study is to identify barriers and enablers of strategy execution in Basic Education in the Eastern Cape; its focus is on strategic goal number six: “Efficient administration ensured through good corporate governance and management”. The effectiveness of the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) is measured by its service delivery, how strategy is executed in providing quality education. These are guided by the norms and standards like the National Education Policy Act: Norms and Standards for educators, as set by the National Department of Basic Education and the Treasury Acts. The motivation for the study was the Department’s poor performance as reported by the Auditor General (AG) in his 2015 audit report, that there has been a lack of good governance and accountability in the ECDoE. The study is qualitative: a sample of twenty-five (25) ECDoE senior managers were interviewed as the custodians of the execution of the strategic plan. Purposive sampling method selected the twenty-five from a total of forty-five (45) senior managers, some of whom were in Head Office and some in the twenty-three (23) districts. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews and responses were captured on Excel Spreadsheet, and analysed with the Thematic Analysis. Major findings relating to barriers were on Human Resource Management, Poor Leadership, Resourcing (Tools of Trade), Improper Budgeting Systems, Poor Communication, and Organisational Structure. Some variables were interchangeably identified both as barriers and enablers, such as budgeting and resourcing. There were many recommendations, but for this study one, the Finance Section, will suffice: and that is that the Finance Section should analyse each directorate’s spending for each year before the new budget is allocated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Vena, Nomava Vinolia
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Strategic planning South Africa Eastern Cape , Business planning South Africa Eastern Cape , Public administration South Africa Eastern Cape , Corporate governance South Africa Eastern Cape , Government accountability South Africa Eastern Cape , South Africa. Department of Education
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63649 , vital:28465
- Description: Effective strategy execution is very important for the achievement of an organisation’s goals. Because it is a difficult task to translate a strategy into action, itis imperative for leadership to prioritize its strategic plan to ensure its success. The purpose of this study is to identify barriers and enablers of strategy execution in Basic Education in the Eastern Cape; its focus is on strategic goal number six: “Efficient administration ensured through good corporate governance and management”. The effectiveness of the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) is measured by its service delivery, how strategy is executed in providing quality education. These are guided by the norms and standards like the National Education Policy Act: Norms and Standards for educators, as set by the National Department of Basic Education and the Treasury Acts. The motivation for the study was the Department’s poor performance as reported by the Auditor General (AG) in his 2015 audit report, that there has been a lack of good governance and accountability in the ECDoE. The study is qualitative: a sample of twenty-five (25) ECDoE senior managers were interviewed as the custodians of the execution of the strategic plan. Purposive sampling method selected the twenty-five from a total of forty-five (45) senior managers, some of whom were in Head Office and some in the twenty-three (23) districts. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews and responses were captured on Excel Spreadsheet, and analysed with the Thematic Analysis. Major findings relating to barriers were on Human Resource Management, Poor Leadership, Resourcing (Tools of Trade), Improper Budgeting Systems, Poor Communication, and Organisational Structure. Some variables were interchangeably identified both as barriers and enablers, such as budgeting and resourcing. There were many recommendations, but for this study one, the Finance Section, will suffice: and that is that the Finance Section should analyse each directorate’s spending for each year before the new budget is allocated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An investigation of the leadership practices and organizational culture at a private Christian school
- Authors: Babu, Bithun
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Church schools -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Leadership , Corporate culture
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62155 , vital:28133
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate the leadership practices and organizational culture at a private Christian school in the Eastern Cape. A preliminary review of leadership literature suggested that traces of servant leadership may be apparent at the organization. Thus servant leadership will form a key focus area for exploration in this study. An analysis of this nature can make one aware of the influence leadership has in shaping the organizational culture of an institution. This in turn can be used to inform the future thinking around leadership efforts with respect to culture formation within an organization. The issue was addressed by consulting various articles to view the issue from different perspectives. The school served as a vehicle to explore the tenets of leadership and organizational culture. The study will take the form of a descriptive quantitative study. It was concluded that leadership plays a significant role in establishing the culture at an organization. However, leadership is not the only factor that shapes the organizational culture of an institution. The beliefs and values of the organization also has a role in shaping the overall culture and identity of an organization.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Babu, Bithun
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Church schools -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Leadership , Corporate culture
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62155 , vital:28133
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate the leadership practices and organizational culture at a private Christian school in the Eastern Cape. A preliminary review of leadership literature suggested that traces of servant leadership may be apparent at the organization. Thus servant leadership will form a key focus area for exploration in this study. An analysis of this nature can make one aware of the influence leadership has in shaping the organizational culture of an institution. This in turn can be used to inform the future thinking around leadership efforts with respect to culture formation within an organization. The issue was addressed by consulting various articles to view the issue from different perspectives. The school served as a vehicle to explore the tenets of leadership and organizational culture. The study will take the form of a descriptive quantitative study. It was concluded that leadership plays a significant role in establishing the culture at an organization. However, leadership is not the only factor that shapes the organizational culture of an institution. The beliefs and values of the organization also has a role in shaping the overall culture and identity of an organization.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Barriers and drivers to the implementation of renewable energy technologies in South Africa’s aquaculture industry
- Authors: Van Wyk, Nicholas Kelly
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Renewable energy sources South Africa , Aquaculture Environmental aspects South Africa , Sustainable aquaculture Economic aspects South Africa , Renewable energy sources Economic aspects South Africa , Renewable energy sources Environmental aspects South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61969 , vital:28090
- Description: South Africa is plagued by socio-economic issues of poverty, inequality and high rates of unemployment. The government of South Africa has as such launched an ambitious plan known as operation PHAKISA which will complement the National Development Plan in addressing the countries aforementioned shortcomings. In the operations first phase, the focus is on growing South Africa’s ocean economy. Within the ocean economy, the growth of aquaculture has been identified as an industry with the potential to create jobs and aid in economic growth of South Africa. Aquaculture, the farming of any aquatic organisms, has been the fastest growing food production sector for the past 50 years. While natural capture fisheries have stagnated in production capacity, aquaculture has grown exponentially in order to feed a global population which is fast approaching nine billion people. However, South Africa’s aquaculture production lags significantly behind other third world countries. The sustainability of aquaculture has frequently been called into question due to the possibility of various detrimental environmental effects it may cause. To further complicate the matter, Climate Change is today an overarching threat to life as we know it, and must be taken into account if we plan to keep growing our populations and economies. As such, if South Africa wants to grow its aquaculture sector, it must be done so in a sustainable manner. This research thus sought to investigate one aspect which may increase the sustainability of aquaculture in South Africa, that being the implementation of renewable energy in the sector. Renewable energy has been identified by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as key to mitigating the effects of climate change. In order to aid Renewable Energy (RE) implementation in South Africa’s aquaculture sector, this research aimed to identify the barriers and the drivers to implementing renewable energy within aquaculture. To do this, a literature review was conducted to identify possible barriers and drivers to renewable energy implementation. These were then drafted into an online questionnaire and sent via Email to all the aquaculture organisations in South Africa that could be contacted (n = 195). Respondents were asked to rank the proposed barriers and drivers to renewable energy according to their perceived importance on a Likert Scale. A total of 18 responses could be analysed with descriptive statistics. Further, three structured interviews were conducted with members of South African aquaculture organisations who had implemented some form of Renewable Energy Technology (RET). These interviews provided in-depth insights into the importance of the various proposed barriers and drivers. The results revealed the most important barriers to RE implementation were: High Initial investments, Utility monopoly of production, Lack of RE experts on a governmental level, Lack of incentives/subsidies from government, Lack of legal framework for Independent Power Producers and Power Purchase Agreements, and Diseconomy of scale respectively. The most important drivers to RE implementation were ranked as: Long term cost benefits, Reduction in cost of RETs, Innovation / advancement of RETS, Incentives or subsidies to implement renewable energy, Adequate legal framework and legislation for Power Purchase Agreement and Preference for environmentally-friendly electricity generation. Importantly, it was found that barriers and drivers are dependent on the type of RE being implemented. A Photo Voltaic (Solar Power) system will not necessarily experience the same barriers or drivers that a Wave Energy Converter system would. In order to drive investment in RE and remove the barriers that may be preventing its implementation in aquaculture, policy will have to be adapted. Particularly in terms of legislation around Power Purchase Agreements. Further, by providing subsidies for RE implementation, it is possible to sustainably grow South Africa’s aquaculture industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Van Wyk, Nicholas Kelly
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Renewable energy sources South Africa , Aquaculture Environmental aspects South Africa , Sustainable aquaculture Economic aspects South Africa , Renewable energy sources Economic aspects South Africa , Renewable energy sources Environmental aspects South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61969 , vital:28090
- Description: South Africa is plagued by socio-economic issues of poverty, inequality and high rates of unemployment. The government of South Africa has as such launched an ambitious plan known as operation PHAKISA which will complement the National Development Plan in addressing the countries aforementioned shortcomings. In the operations first phase, the focus is on growing South Africa’s ocean economy. Within the ocean economy, the growth of aquaculture has been identified as an industry with the potential to create jobs and aid in economic growth of South Africa. Aquaculture, the farming of any aquatic organisms, has been the fastest growing food production sector for the past 50 years. While natural capture fisheries have stagnated in production capacity, aquaculture has grown exponentially in order to feed a global population which is fast approaching nine billion people. However, South Africa’s aquaculture production lags significantly behind other third world countries. The sustainability of aquaculture has frequently been called into question due to the possibility of various detrimental environmental effects it may cause. To further complicate the matter, Climate Change is today an overarching threat to life as we know it, and must be taken into account if we plan to keep growing our populations and economies. As such, if South Africa wants to grow its aquaculture sector, it must be done so in a sustainable manner. This research thus sought to investigate one aspect which may increase the sustainability of aquaculture in South Africa, that being the implementation of renewable energy in the sector. Renewable energy has been identified by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as key to mitigating the effects of climate change. In order to aid Renewable Energy (RE) implementation in South Africa’s aquaculture sector, this research aimed to identify the barriers and the drivers to implementing renewable energy within aquaculture. To do this, a literature review was conducted to identify possible barriers and drivers to renewable energy implementation. These were then drafted into an online questionnaire and sent via Email to all the aquaculture organisations in South Africa that could be contacted (n = 195). Respondents were asked to rank the proposed barriers and drivers to renewable energy according to their perceived importance on a Likert Scale. A total of 18 responses could be analysed with descriptive statistics. Further, three structured interviews were conducted with members of South African aquaculture organisations who had implemented some form of Renewable Energy Technology (RET). These interviews provided in-depth insights into the importance of the various proposed barriers and drivers. The results revealed the most important barriers to RE implementation were: High Initial investments, Utility monopoly of production, Lack of RE experts on a governmental level, Lack of incentives/subsidies from government, Lack of legal framework for Independent Power Producers and Power Purchase Agreements, and Diseconomy of scale respectively. The most important drivers to RE implementation were ranked as: Long term cost benefits, Reduction in cost of RETs, Innovation / advancement of RETS, Incentives or subsidies to implement renewable energy, Adequate legal framework and legislation for Power Purchase Agreement and Preference for environmentally-friendly electricity generation. Importantly, it was found that barriers and drivers are dependent on the type of RE being implemented. A Photo Voltaic (Solar Power) system will not necessarily experience the same barriers or drivers that a Wave Energy Converter system would. In order to drive investment in RE and remove the barriers that may be preventing its implementation in aquaculture, policy will have to be adapted. Particularly in terms of legislation around Power Purchase Agreements. Further, by providing subsidies for RE implementation, it is possible to sustainably grow South Africa’s aquaculture industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Historical analysis of leadership styles of headmasters at Kingswood College from 1993 to 2017
- Authors: Howden, Ryan Bradley
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Case studies , Kingswood College -- History , Educational change -- South Africa -- Makhanda , School principals-- South Africa -- Makhanda , Transformational leadership -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Private schools -- Business management , Full Range Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62133 , vital:28131
- Description: A significant interest in school educational leadership has developed over the past two decades, whereby effective leadership is required in a continually changing educational environment. This study is a historical analysis of leadership styles of headmasters at Kingswood College in Grahamstown (Eastern Cape, South Africa) from 1993 to 2017. The aim is to identify leadership style(s) of headmasters using the Full Range Leadership (FRL) model as a guiding framework; to describe and interpret these style(s) in relation to the headmaster’s tenure; and to compare the headmasters’ leadership styles, noting key similarities and differences. The research method consists of interviews and a historical archival analysis. The researcher’s expectation is that headmasters will elicit a transformational leadership approach. Key findings were somewhat consistent with this hypothesis, as headmasters exhibit a general trend towards transformational leadership; although each headmaster identifies with a unique facet of transformational leadership, together with relevant supporting leadership style(s) that emerged from the data. Upon comparing headmasters, their primary leadership styles were as follows: Wilkinson identified with transactional, transformational and servant leadership; Hawke showed evidence of a transformational servant leader; Arguile elicited transformational and principle-based leadership; and Trafford depicted transformational and participative leadership. The researcher found that multiple factors in an ever-changing educational environment promoted the need for transformational leadership. The relationship between business management and educational leadership emerges as a key reflection, thus further research is required in this regard.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Howden, Ryan Bradley
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Case studies , Kingswood College -- History , Educational change -- South Africa -- Makhanda , School principals-- South Africa -- Makhanda , Transformational leadership -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Private schools -- Business management , Full Range Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62133 , vital:28131
- Description: A significant interest in school educational leadership has developed over the past two decades, whereby effective leadership is required in a continually changing educational environment. This study is a historical analysis of leadership styles of headmasters at Kingswood College in Grahamstown (Eastern Cape, South Africa) from 1993 to 2017. The aim is to identify leadership style(s) of headmasters using the Full Range Leadership (FRL) model as a guiding framework; to describe and interpret these style(s) in relation to the headmaster’s tenure; and to compare the headmasters’ leadership styles, noting key similarities and differences. The research method consists of interviews and a historical archival analysis. The researcher’s expectation is that headmasters will elicit a transformational leadership approach. Key findings were somewhat consistent with this hypothesis, as headmasters exhibit a general trend towards transformational leadership; although each headmaster identifies with a unique facet of transformational leadership, together with relevant supporting leadership style(s) that emerged from the data. Upon comparing headmasters, their primary leadership styles were as follows: Wilkinson identified with transactional, transformational and servant leadership; Hawke showed evidence of a transformational servant leader; Arguile elicited transformational and principle-based leadership; and Trafford depicted transformational and participative leadership. The researcher found that multiple factors in an ever-changing educational environment promoted the need for transformational leadership. The relationship between business management and educational leadership emerges as a key reflection, thus further research is required in this regard.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
How the roles of CEO's differ in response to different circumstances and in the context of succession: Anglo American-a case study
- Authors: Ball, Leslie
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational change , Strategic planning , Executive succession , Anglo American Corporation of South Africa, ltd.
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60799 , vital:27832
- Description: A review of the literature revealed that firms are inherently influenced by leadership in the upper echelons of the organization. The seminal paper of Hambrick and Mason (1984) has sparked much interest in the realm of organizational leadership. Studies involving organizational leadership have concentrated on leadership styles, the manner in which leadership takes place, leadership succession and organizational performance in an attempt to understand the dynamics of the senior leadership of organizations. Research has also explored how changes in the top management of firms has impacted its performance. This research has primarily been concerned with how a firm is impacted, once succession takes place, and has focused on financial performance, change in strategy and stockholder reaction (Shen & Cannella, 2002; Barron, Chulkov & Waddell, 2011; Friedman & Singh, 1989). Although their predisposition will largely influence the manner in which the incoming CEO acts, the literature has largely neglected the role the incoming CEO must fulfil, and how he/she steers the company, once appointed. In response, the following aim was developed to address this gap: To describe how the roles of two CEO's of the same company differed, during different time periods. The CEO assumes various strategic leadership roles, which they carry out in the context of their new environment once succession has taken place. From the literature, six strategic leadership roles were identified, which formed the foundation of this study. These were strategy formulation, strategy implementation, developing organizational culture, emphasizing ethical practices, managing the firm's resource portfolio and establishing balanced controls. The study set out to comparatively analyze two CEO's of the same firm during different periods. Both CEO's were investigated from the perspective of strategic leadership roles, allowing a comparison of their behaviour. The study analyses and describes these roles, and how they differed between the CEO's, in reaction to differing situational factors and in the context of succession. The study employed a deductive qualitative case study research design. This allowed the researcher to examine the complex phenomenon which have previously been studied at a more superficial level using quantitative methods (Baxter & Jack, 2008; Parrino, 1997; Jooste & Fourie, 2009). A qualitative methodological approach allowed the researcher to examine the topic through a lens which takes into account human variables and processes (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Data was sampled using purposive and convenience sampling while applying the critical incident technique. Data was collected through information sources such as news articles, press releases, annual reports, online interviews, news websites and other documents. Thematical analysis was used during the analysis phase of the study and allowed for patterns and links to be drawn between the collected data. The succession from one CEO to the next served as the comparative element of the study, which allowed for a contrasting of how both CEO's carried out their strategic leadership roles by adapting to their environment, and how they guided the strategic trajectory of the company. The study also took into account what both CEO's were confronted with at the start of their tenure and how this influenced how they carried out their leadership roles. It was found that Cynthia Carroll exercised her roles in a manner which addressed ethical and stakeholder engagement issues within the business. This was translated directly into how she guided the trajectory of the company. Upon appointment, Mark Cutifani exercised his roles in a manner which addressed the organizational performance and financial well-being of the company. This translated directly into how he shaped Anglo's trajectory in an attempt to better its financial performance. Given how they exercised their strategic roles in the company, each CEO influenced Anglo American's direction in a different way, which in turn, influenced the performance of the organization. It was shown that Cynthia Carroll improved the stakeholder engagement, communication and safety within the company, demonstrating behaviour that emphasized the importance of the ethics of the company. When the business had been carrying out its ethical practices effectively, but underperforming financially, Cutifani demonstrated the roles which would be geared toward resurrecting the organizational performance of the organization. Recommendations are made for further research including applying the same research method to investigate how these roles are carried out in companies which operate in a broad spectrum of industries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Ball, Leslie
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational change , Strategic planning , Executive succession , Anglo American Corporation of South Africa, ltd.
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60799 , vital:27832
- Description: A review of the literature revealed that firms are inherently influenced by leadership in the upper echelons of the organization. The seminal paper of Hambrick and Mason (1984) has sparked much interest in the realm of organizational leadership. Studies involving organizational leadership have concentrated on leadership styles, the manner in which leadership takes place, leadership succession and organizational performance in an attempt to understand the dynamics of the senior leadership of organizations. Research has also explored how changes in the top management of firms has impacted its performance. This research has primarily been concerned with how a firm is impacted, once succession takes place, and has focused on financial performance, change in strategy and stockholder reaction (Shen & Cannella, 2002; Barron, Chulkov & Waddell, 2011; Friedman & Singh, 1989). Although their predisposition will largely influence the manner in which the incoming CEO acts, the literature has largely neglected the role the incoming CEO must fulfil, and how he/she steers the company, once appointed. In response, the following aim was developed to address this gap: To describe how the roles of two CEO's of the same company differed, during different time periods. The CEO assumes various strategic leadership roles, which they carry out in the context of their new environment once succession has taken place. From the literature, six strategic leadership roles were identified, which formed the foundation of this study. These were strategy formulation, strategy implementation, developing organizational culture, emphasizing ethical practices, managing the firm's resource portfolio and establishing balanced controls. The study set out to comparatively analyze two CEO's of the same firm during different periods. Both CEO's were investigated from the perspective of strategic leadership roles, allowing a comparison of their behaviour. The study analyses and describes these roles, and how they differed between the CEO's, in reaction to differing situational factors and in the context of succession. The study employed a deductive qualitative case study research design. This allowed the researcher to examine the complex phenomenon which have previously been studied at a more superficial level using quantitative methods (Baxter & Jack, 2008; Parrino, 1997; Jooste & Fourie, 2009). A qualitative methodological approach allowed the researcher to examine the topic through a lens which takes into account human variables and processes (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Data was sampled using purposive and convenience sampling while applying the critical incident technique. Data was collected through information sources such as news articles, press releases, annual reports, online interviews, news websites and other documents. Thematical analysis was used during the analysis phase of the study and allowed for patterns and links to be drawn between the collected data. The succession from one CEO to the next served as the comparative element of the study, which allowed for a contrasting of how both CEO's carried out their strategic leadership roles by adapting to their environment, and how they guided the strategic trajectory of the company. The study also took into account what both CEO's were confronted with at the start of their tenure and how this influenced how they carried out their leadership roles. It was found that Cynthia Carroll exercised her roles in a manner which addressed ethical and stakeholder engagement issues within the business. This was translated directly into how she guided the trajectory of the company. Upon appointment, Mark Cutifani exercised his roles in a manner which addressed the organizational performance and financial well-being of the company. This translated directly into how he shaped Anglo's trajectory in an attempt to better its financial performance. Given how they exercised their strategic roles in the company, each CEO influenced Anglo American's direction in a different way, which in turn, influenced the performance of the organization. It was shown that Cynthia Carroll improved the stakeholder engagement, communication and safety within the company, demonstrating behaviour that emphasized the importance of the ethics of the company. When the business had been carrying out its ethical practices effectively, but underperforming financially, Cutifani demonstrated the roles which would be geared toward resurrecting the organizational performance of the organization. Recommendations are made for further research including applying the same research method to investigate how these roles are carried out in companies which operate in a broad spectrum of industries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Schooling and institution quality linked to earnings in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Cuthbert, Carol E
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Wages -- Effect of education on -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education, Higher -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Equality -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62166 , vital:28134
- Description: Return to investment for tertiary education is not equal for all. Human Capital Theory imposes a linear pathway between education and earnings, that fails to recognise other sources of capital, ignores social returns and does not explain why socio-economic variables influence employability and earnings. Those returns, rather than simply incrementally delivering returns for additional years of education, are however heterogeneous across students, with field of study, gender and population group influencing earnings; and schooling type and university attended filtering whether one finds a job. This study utilises data from Rhodes University and the University of Fort Hare, illustrating the extreme positions within the South African education landscape, employing a Heckman selection to predict the returns on education. The regression is found to be partially successful in predicting a graduate’s ability to find a job, in the first instance, and thereafter their returns. It is crucial to analyse the heterogeneity of socio-economic parameters to understand aspects of the economy, and develop education policies to take advantage of this understanding, especially against the backdrop of the student protests being experienced in the country and the funding models proposed. Access to tertiary education, through policy inducement, such as the recent increase of the grant limit from R122 000 to R350 000, requires disaggregated returns to education to be investigated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Cuthbert, Carol E
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Wages -- Effect of education on -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education, Higher -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Equality -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62166 , vital:28134
- Description: Return to investment for tertiary education is not equal for all. Human Capital Theory imposes a linear pathway between education and earnings, that fails to recognise other sources of capital, ignores social returns and does not explain why socio-economic variables influence employability and earnings. Those returns, rather than simply incrementally delivering returns for additional years of education, are however heterogeneous across students, with field of study, gender and population group influencing earnings; and schooling type and university attended filtering whether one finds a job. This study utilises data from Rhodes University and the University of Fort Hare, illustrating the extreme positions within the South African education landscape, employing a Heckman selection to predict the returns on education. The regression is found to be partially successful in predicting a graduate’s ability to find a job, in the first instance, and thereafter their returns. It is crucial to analyse the heterogeneity of socio-economic parameters to understand aspects of the economy, and develop education policies to take advantage of this understanding, especially against the backdrop of the student protests being experienced in the country and the funding models proposed. Access to tertiary education, through policy inducement, such as the recent increase of the grant limit from R122 000 to R350 000, requires disaggregated returns to education to be investigated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Servant leadership: antecedent to Quality of Worklife of customer service frontline employees
- Authors: Bedser, Mark Bernard
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Call center agents Servant leadership Customer Service -- Quality control Employee morale Job satisfaction Quality of work life
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62144 , vital:28132
- Description: Contact Centre agents operate in closely monitored and highly controlled environments and their work consists of solving service requests or assisting customers with information on products or services. Consequently their work involves a great deal of emotional labour and stress. It is not surprising then, that the working environment of the Contact Centre is reported to have a negative impact on the levels of Quality of Worklife of Contact Centre agents, and that in the Contact Centre context, it is likely that low levels of Quality of Worklife exist. It is argued that it is important for organisations to be particularly aware of the Quality of Worklife perceptions of their employees should they want to address Quality of Worklife levels and benefit from the positive consequences of higher levels of the construct. Numerous variables are reported to play either an antecedent, moderating, mediating, or consequential role in relation to the Quality of Worklife construct. A systems model of Quality of Worklife is developed, which illustrates the inter-relationships of these variables and how they affect and are affected by the Quality of Worklife construct. It is argued that leadership is an important antecedent to Quality of Worklife, and this is the antecedent of interest in this study. It is proposed that it is not just any leadership that will contribute to an improved Quality of Worklife, particularly within a challenging context such as the Contact Centre environment. Rather, it is suggested that certain qualities of leaders will have a greater influence on Quality of Worklife. For example, leaders who focus on relationships and are caring - characteristics associated with servant leaders - are deemed more suitable for the Contact Centre context. The research also proposes that there are close associations between Servant Leadership and Trust, which in turn has the potential to affect Quality of Worklife positively. It is argued, therefore, that Trust mediates the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife in the customer service frontline context. While there is a broad base of literature available on servant leadership that focuses on the senior or executive level of leadership, Van Dierendonck and Nuijten (2011) have argued that it is also relevant at the middle level of management and have validated an eight dimensional measure of servant leadership that is suitable for this management level. The Van Laar, Edwards and Easton (2007) Quality of Worklife model is also argued to be an appropriate model and measure of the Quality of Worklife construct, due to the robustness of the instrument design and the appropriateness of its underlying theory to the context of this research. Research has shown that leadership can have a significant relationship with Quality of Worklife. Moreover, a review of the literature on servant leadership reveals that trust, satisfaction, general well-being, and commitment to their jobs increases when employees are exposed to leadership behaviours associated with servant leadership. There is however, no evidence in the literature of any investigation of the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife, or of research investigating the partial mediating effects of Trust between these two constructs. Research was conducted to test this relationship. A survey questionnaire was administered amongst a sample of 555 Contact Centre agents, who were employed in eight different organisations. Confirmatory factor analysis procedures were conducted in STATA (V15.0), to test and validate the factor structure of Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife models. The research also produced a Servant Leadership, Trust and Quality of Worklife structural equation model that supported the hypotheses of the relationships between the constructs. Mediation analysis confirmed Trust’s role as a mediator between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife. The structural equation model confirmed that synergies between Servant Leadership, Trust and Quality of Worklife exist, and that Trust partially mediates the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife. It is therefore argued that an increase in Servant Leadership behaviour by the manager or supervisor of frontline staff has a positive association with increases of Trust, as well as positive associations with Quality of Worklife experienced by employees in the frontline context. Moreover, it is also posited that the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife is partially mediated by Trust of the supervisor. The implications of these results are discussed, and recommendations made for management practice and further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Bedser, Mark Bernard
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Call center agents Servant leadership Customer Service -- Quality control Employee morale Job satisfaction Quality of work life
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62144 , vital:28132
- Description: Contact Centre agents operate in closely monitored and highly controlled environments and their work consists of solving service requests or assisting customers with information on products or services. Consequently their work involves a great deal of emotional labour and stress. It is not surprising then, that the working environment of the Contact Centre is reported to have a negative impact on the levels of Quality of Worklife of Contact Centre agents, and that in the Contact Centre context, it is likely that low levels of Quality of Worklife exist. It is argued that it is important for organisations to be particularly aware of the Quality of Worklife perceptions of their employees should they want to address Quality of Worklife levels and benefit from the positive consequences of higher levels of the construct. Numerous variables are reported to play either an antecedent, moderating, mediating, or consequential role in relation to the Quality of Worklife construct. A systems model of Quality of Worklife is developed, which illustrates the inter-relationships of these variables and how they affect and are affected by the Quality of Worklife construct. It is argued that leadership is an important antecedent to Quality of Worklife, and this is the antecedent of interest in this study. It is proposed that it is not just any leadership that will contribute to an improved Quality of Worklife, particularly within a challenging context such as the Contact Centre environment. Rather, it is suggested that certain qualities of leaders will have a greater influence on Quality of Worklife. For example, leaders who focus on relationships and are caring - characteristics associated with servant leaders - are deemed more suitable for the Contact Centre context. The research also proposes that there are close associations between Servant Leadership and Trust, which in turn has the potential to affect Quality of Worklife positively. It is argued, therefore, that Trust mediates the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife in the customer service frontline context. While there is a broad base of literature available on servant leadership that focuses on the senior or executive level of leadership, Van Dierendonck and Nuijten (2011) have argued that it is also relevant at the middle level of management and have validated an eight dimensional measure of servant leadership that is suitable for this management level. The Van Laar, Edwards and Easton (2007) Quality of Worklife model is also argued to be an appropriate model and measure of the Quality of Worklife construct, due to the robustness of the instrument design and the appropriateness of its underlying theory to the context of this research. Research has shown that leadership can have a significant relationship with Quality of Worklife. Moreover, a review of the literature on servant leadership reveals that trust, satisfaction, general well-being, and commitment to their jobs increases when employees are exposed to leadership behaviours associated with servant leadership. There is however, no evidence in the literature of any investigation of the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife, or of research investigating the partial mediating effects of Trust between these two constructs. Research was conducted to test this relationship. A survey questionnaire was administered amongst a sample of 555 Contact Centre agents, who were employed in eight different organisations. Confirmatory factor analysis procedures were conducted in STATA (V15.0), to test and validate the factor structure of Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife models. The research also produced a Servant Leadership, Trust and Quality of Worklife structural equation model that supported the hypotheses of the relationships between the constructs. Mediation analysis confirmed Trust’s role as a mediator between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife. The structural equation model confirmed that synergies between Servant Leadership, Trust and Quality of Worklife exist, and that Trust partially mediates the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife. It is therefore argued that an increase in Servant Leadership behaviour by the manager or supervisor of frontline staff has a positive association with increases of Trust, as well as positive associations with Quality of Worklife experienced by employees in the frontline context. Moreover, it is also posited that the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife is partially mediated by Trust of the supervisor. The implications of these results are discussed, and recommendations made for management practice and further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Strategy implementation at the Rand Water Board
- Authors: Leaver, Brian Jeffrey
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62118 , vital:28129
- Description: Expected release date-April 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Leaver, Brian Jeffrey
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62118 , vital:28129
- Description: Expected release date-April 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
The impact of leadership on job satisfaction at a specific bank in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Wyngaard, Shaun Peter
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Leadership , Bank employees Job satisfaction , Labor turnover , Transformational leadership , Bank management South Africa Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62050 , vital:28099
- Description: This study aimed at investigating the relationship between leadership and employee job satisfaction in the banking sector of South Africa. The study drew from the fact that there is a growing emphasis in organisations to reduce employee turnover by keeping their employees satisfied. The ultimate performance, effectiveness and competitiveness of an organisation are directly related to an organisation’s ability to keep its employees optimally productive and satisfied. Numerous research studies have been conducted on transformational, transactional and passive-avoidant leadership to determine the significance of their respective relationship with the job satisfaction of employees in different scenarios. Results show that the transformational leadership style has a significant relationship with job satisfaction; while the transactional leadership style or the passive-avoidant style are applied according to changing circumstances. The study adopted a quantitative approach, using online questionnaires as an instrument for collecting primary data. The target population of the study was 380 bank employees, and the target sample was 218; 121 questionnaires were completed and used as the actual final sample. Questionnaires were completed from managers and employees of the selected bank, with the two population groups being investigated using different scales. SPSS was used in analysing the collected data. The findings of this research showed that the leadership styles under investigation have a direct impact on the job satisfaction of employees. Transformational leadership was found to have a significant positive relationship with job satisfaction, while the relationship between transactional leadership and job satisfaction was positive but moderate. A significant negative relationship was found between passive-avoidant leadership and job satisfaction. It is thus the responsibility of the financial institution under investigation to highlight the significant links and benefits of this leadership style to its management to ensure increased job satisfaction and lower turnover of employees in the institution. Literature explored in this study supported the close link between the different leadership styles and job satisfaction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Wyngaard, Shaun Peter
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Leadership , Bank employees Job satisfaction , Labor turnover , Transformational leadership , Bank management South Africa Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62050 , vital:28099
- Description: This study aimed at investigating the relationship between leadership and employee job satisfaction in the banking sector of South Africa. The study drew from the fact that there is a growing emphasis in organisations to reduce employee turnover by keeping their employees satisfied. The ultimate performance, effectiveness and competitiveness of an organisation are directly related to an organisation’s ability to keep its employees optimally productive and satisfied. Numerous research studies have been conducted on transformational, transactional and passive-avoidant leadership to determine the significance of their respective relationship with the job satisfaction of employees in different scenarios. Results show that the transformational leadership style has a significant relationship with job satisfaction; while the transactional leadership style or the passive-avoidant style are applied according to changing circumstances. The study adopted a quantitative approach, using online questionnaires as an instrument for collecting primary data. The target population of the study was 380 bank employees, and the target sample was 218; 121 questionnaires were completed and used as the actual final sample. Questionnaires were completed from managers and employees of the selected bank, with the two population groups being investigated using different scales. SPSS was used in analysing the collected data. The findings of this research showed that the leadership styles under investigation have a direct impact on the job satisfaction of employees. Transformational leadership was found to have a significant positive relationship with job satisfaction, while the relationship between transactional leadership and job satisfaction was positive but moderate. A significant negative relationship was found between passive-avoidant leadership and job satisfaction. It is thus the responsibility of the financial institution under investigation to highlight the significant links and benefits of this leadership style to its management to ensure increased job satisfaction and lower turnover of employees in the institution. Literature explored in this study supported the close link between the different leadership styles and job satisfaction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
The relationship between authentic leadership and employee performance
- Authors: Petzer, Liane
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Authentic leadership , Positive psychology , Employee motivation -- South Africa , Employees -- Attitudes , Job satisfaction -- South Africa , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa , Financial services industry -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59467 , vital:27613
- Description: The impact of a leader on his or her followers has been a topic of much research and therefore organizations, including the financial services sector in South Africa, are placing more and more emphasis on what this leadership construct looks like. Research suggests that Authentic Leadership might be a new kind of leadership approach that the world is looking for. This study aims to establish the possible relationship between an authentic leader and the impact the leader’s behaviour has on the performance of his or her employee. The study further attempts to establish if satisfaction can play a mediating role in the relationship between authentic leadership and the performance of an employee. The research used two established research instruments, namely the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ), as well as a section of Freese and Schalk’s (2008) psychological contract questionnaire relating to satisfaction specifically. Respondents were also requested to indicate their most recent performance rating. The study was conducted within the financial sector based in the Eastern and Southern Cape with a total population of 1077 employees across all business units, job grades, race, age, education and gender. The study established a significant positive relationship between authentic leadership and employee performance. A further significant positive relationship was established between authentic leadership and satisfaction. However, no relationship could be established between satisfaction and performance, thereby indicating that satisfaction was not a mediator of the relationship between authentic leadership and employee performance. In conclusion, recommendations for management practice and for further research are made.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Petzer, Liane
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Authentic leadership , Positive psychology , Employee motivation -- South Africa , Employees -- Attitudes , Job satisfaction -- South Africa , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa , Financial services industry -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59467 , vital:27613
- Description: The impact of a leader on his or her followers has been a topic of much research and therefore organizations, including the financial services sector in South Africa, are placing more and more emphasis on what this leadership construct looks like. Research suggests that Authentic Leadership might be a new kind of leadership approach that the world is looking for. This study aims to establish the possible relationship between an authentic leader and the impact the leader’s behaviour has on the performance of his or her employee. The study further attempts to establish if satisfaction can play a mediating role in the relationship between authentic leadership and the performance of an employee. The research used two established research instruments, namely the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ), as well as a section of Freese and Schalk’s (2008) psychological contract questionnaire relating to satisfaction specifically. Respondents were also requested to indicate their most recent performance rating. The study was conducted within the financial sector based in the Eastern and Southern Cape with a total population of 1077 employees across all business units, job grades, race, age, education and gender. The study established a significant positive relationship between authentic leadership and employee performance. A further significant positive relationship was established between authentic leadership and satisfaction. However, no relationship could be established between satisfaction and performance, thereby indicating that satisfaction was not a mediator of the relationship between authentic leadership and employee performance. In conclusion, recommendations for management practice and for further research are made.
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- Date Issued: 2018
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