Factors influencing parents’ decisions when choosing a private school
- Authors: Arendse, David
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: School choice -- South Africa -- Case studies , Competition -- South Africa , Private schools -- South Africa , Consumer behavior , VRIO framework (Valuable, Rare, Imitable and Organized) , St. Stithians College
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92628 , vital:30738
- Description: Purpose: Consumers make decisions based on multiple factors that influence their decision-making process. These decisions can be influenced by deep personal reflection to the simple impulsive purchase done to fulfil a need or want. This research study explored the relationship between the resource-based view and the factors considered by parents when selecting a school for their child/children. The Valuable, Rare, Imitable and Organized (VRIO) framework as developed by Barney, J. (1991) outlines the framework through which an organisations resources can be assessed in terms of their potential competitive advantage. The research study was interested in understanding how an educational institution can identify and then leverage its resources to create a competitive advantage. Methodology: Each family that has one or more child enrolled at St Stithians College, which is a private school in Gauteng, South Africa, was invited to participate in the study. This represented a potential population size of 1 700 families, however a sample of 334 was used. The educational institution caters to both boys and girls from Grade R to 12 (Matric). Each family was requested to participate in the study as they had already chosen to have at least one child enrolled. A self-administered close-ended questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection and the questionnaire was broken into two sections. Section A focused on building a profile of the respondent while section B assessed the level of influence the factors had on a parent’s decision. Section B’s questions were structured as Likert-Scale questions requiring a response between 1 and 5, with 5 being the highest influence, and 1 being the lowest. The responses to the questions were then grouped into the factors they spoke to and the average results per factor were assessed via an ANOVA table to test the null hypothesis that parents do not consider factors when choosing a school for their children. Findings: As a paper, this study set out to discover what the competitive advantage was of a private education institution in South Africa. It did so by identifying what the key factors were when parents selected the school of their choice and then analysed these findings against the resources of the given institution. The ANOVA table analysis of the responses identified that parents do consider factors and that the factor that they were most influenced by was convenience factor, represented by location of the institution and the distance to it. While there are multiple private education suppliers in South Africa, no other provider has the location that St Stithians College has, and as such, its location is its competitive advantage. Significant: This research study will expand the existing but limited competitive advantage body of knowledge in the South African education sector. South African educational institutions will be able to develop similar studies which will then assist in identifying their own competitive advantages. This can better enable education providers to entice consumers to their education services.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The influence of leadership styles on employee commitment in the retail industry
- Authors: Mqomboti, Sakhile
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Retail trade -- Management -- South Africa , Retail trade -- Employees -- South Africa , Employee loyalty -- South Africa , Leadership -- Case studies -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/93811 , vital:30947
- Description: Purpose – Companies operating in the South African retail industry have been experiencing a high staff turnover, reported to be standing at 36% (Kelly, 2016). The Edcon Retail Group and Taste Holdings have already indicated their strategic focus on staff turnover reduction in order to achieve their business objectives (Crotty, 2017; Laing, 2017). This research study explained the relationship between the three leadership styles of the Full Range Leadership Theory (FRLT) model developed by Bass and Avolio and three types of commitments from the three component model of Meyer and Allen. The research study was interested in the leadership style that contributes the most to commitment. The effective leadership style may be developed to improve the level of employee commitment in the South African Retail industry. Methodology – The research study used the total population of 300 subordinate employees from four stores of a retail company in the Rustenburg region in the North-West Province of South Africa. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5X) instrument was adopted for leadership questionnaire data collection, the three-component model of commitment was adopted for data collection of the commitment questionnaire. Pearson Correlations quantitative data analysis was adopted to explain the relationship of the independent and dependent variables. Multiple Regression quantitative data analysis was adopted to test the strength of the leadership styles on commitment. Findings – The statistical analysis results of Pearson Correlations found weak but significant positive relationship between Transactional leadership style and both Normative and Continuance commitment. A weak but significant positive relationship was found between Transformational leadership style and Normative commitment. A weak but significant positive relationship was found between Passive/Avoidant leadership and continuance commitment. Transformational leadership style showed more strength in contribution to commitment, followed by the Transactional leadership style. Significant – This research study will expand the existing but limited leadership style and commitment body of knowledge in the South African retail industry. The South African retail companies will be able to develop the preferred leadership style by its employees and develop this leadership style in their managers to improve the commitment of their employees.
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- Date Issued: 2019
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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- Date Issued: 2018