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:
- 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:
Talent management: a case study of Namibia’s Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) in securing talent for aviation safety, 2008 to 2014
- Authors: Simataa, George
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/7131 , vital:21220
- Description: This study is about talent management, focusing on a case study of the initiatives undertaken by the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) of Namibia over the period 2008 to 2014 in securing talent for aviation safety. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regularly assesses the extent to which member states comply with their safety oversight responsibilities. According to a 1996 report by the ICAO, under the auspices of its Universal Safety Oversight and Security Audit Programme (USOSAP), Namibia’s safety oversight was found to be weak, as indicative of the State’s inability to guarantee the safety of aircraft operations within the national airspace (ICAO, 1996). One of the significant audit findings was the critical shortage of qualified professionals at the Directorate Civil Aviation (DCA) to effectively perform the State’s regulatory and oversight function as contained in the Chicago Convention of 1944. The shortage of qualified professionals resulted in Namibia being unable to respond to its obligations and responsibilities under the Chicago Convention and Namibia’s subsequent blacklisting by the ICAO Audit Result Review Board (ARRB). Consequently, a corrective action plan was undertaken. This study examines one aspect of this plan, namely the initiatives that were undertaken to secure the talent required for aviation safety posts. The aim of the research is, from the perspective of talent management, to analyse the corrective action plan of the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA), as a process of securing talent for strategic positions in aviation safety in Namibia. This initiative was analysed from the perspective of the fourth stream of talent management, which emphasises securing talent for strategic positions (Collings and Mellahi, 2009; Huselid & Becker, 2011). Taking into account the fact that Namibia was a racially and culturally divided society until about 25 years ago, the study also deals with issues of diversity management as they impacted upon the talent management of the civil aviation industry nationally. Furthermore, the study is located against the background of the Bantu Education System that was provided by the apartheid South African government to Namibians before independence in 1990. The research design of this study involved conducting a case study that followed a deductive approach. Data were collected using multiple methods and sources such as documentation, interviews and archival records. Content analysis was used in the analysis of collected data. The findings of the study showed the talent management strategies that were adopted in managing strategic positions, the challenges encountered and the impact of the programme. The findings were initially discussed from the perspective of stream four of talent management, with its focus on strategic positions in organisations. Some of the findings of the study were in line with this approach to talent management, but certain challenges that were encountered in carrying out the talent management programme could not be addressed from this perspective, thereby exposing the limits of this approach to talent management in an emerging economy like Namibia. Consequently, a proposed model of sustainable talent management for the DCA was developed. From the perspective of this model of sustainable talent management, recommendations were made for practice and further research.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Simataa, George
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/7131 , vital:21220
- Description: This study is about talent management, focusing on a case study of the initiatives undertaken by the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) of Namibia over the period 2008 to 2014 in securing talent for aviation safety. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regularly assesses the extent to which member states comply with their safety oversight responsibilities. According to a 1996 report by the ICAO, under the auspices of its Universal Safety Oversight and Security Audit Programme (USOSAP), Namibia’s safety oversight was found to be weak, as indicative of the State’s inability to guarantee the safety of aircraft operations within the national airspace (ICAO, 1996). One of the significant audit findings was the critical shortage of qualified professionals at the Directorate Civil Aviation (DCA) to effectively perform the State’s regulatory and oversight function as contained in the Chicago Convention of 1944. The shortage of qualified professionals resulted in Namibia being unable to respond to its obligations and responsibilities under the Chicago Convention and Namibia’s subsequent blacklisting by the ICAO Audit Result Review Board (ARRB). Consequently, a corrective action plan was undertaken. This study examines one aspect of this plan, namely the initiatives that were undertaken to secure the talent required for aviation safety posts. The aim of the research is, from the perspective of talent management, to analyse the corrective action plan of the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA), as a process of securing talent for strategic positions in aviation safety in Namibia. This initiative was analysed from the perspective of the fourth stream of talent management, which emphasises securing talent for strategic positions (Collings and Mellahi, 2009; Huselid & Becker, 2011). Taking into account the fact that Namibia was a racially and culturally divided society until about 25 years ago, the study also deals with issues of diversity management as they impacted upon the talent management of the civil aviation industry nationally. Furthermore, the study is located against the background of the Bantu Education System that was provided by the apartheid South African government to Namibians before independence in 1990. The research design of this study involved conducting a case study that followed a deductive approach. Data were collected using multiple methods and sources such as documentation, interviews and archival records. Content analysis was used in the analysis of collected data. The findings of the study showed the talent management strategies that were adopted in managing strategic positions, the challenges encountered and the impact of the programme. The findings were initially discussed from the perspective of stream four of talent management, with its focus on strategic positions in organisations. Some of the findings of the study were in line with this approach to talent management, but certain challenges that were encountered in carrying out the talent management programme could not be addressed from this perspective, thereby exposing the limits of this approach to talent management in an emerging economy like Namibia. Consequently, a proposed model of sustainable talent management for the DCA was developed. From the perspective of this model of sustainable talent management, recommendations were made for practice and further research.
- Full Text:
The development of a personal philosophy and practice of servant leadership : a grounded theory study
- Authors: Taylor, Simon Michael
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Hilton College (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa) , Servant leadership , Grounded theory , Community and school -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Student volunteers in social service -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Educational leadership -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1199 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012986
- Description: The purpose of this study is to develop a substantive grounded theory explaining the development of a philosophy and the practice of leadership amongst young adults who had attended Hilton College and whom were exposed to their servant leadership development programme. The grounded theory method in this study was developed using conventions identified by Strauss and Corbin (1990) and relying upon a collection of incidents noted during interviews with former students, teachers, housemasters, headmaster and Hiltonian Society board members. In total thirty-six interviews were conducted over a period of four years in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Kenya. Using the grounded theory methodology, an understanding of the theoretical model emerged through the development of a personal philosophy and the practice of servant leadership. Related to the central phenomenon of individual leadership philosophy and practice, the causal condition of opportunity to lead, influenced how the individual philosophy and practice emerged. Strategies used by the participants to nurture their philosophy and practice of leadership were the leadership development programme, community service, feedback and reflection. The data identified the intervening conditions and conditions relating to the context of the leadership philosophy and practice. The consequences of developing a leadership philosophy and practice were related to leadership behaviour; self-esteem; growth; follower relations; empowering of others; and relationship to institutions. The theoretical model illustrated the holistic nature of an individual’s leadership philosophy and practice. In this instance, the nature of the data revealed that the individual's leadership philosophy and practice that developed amongst the participants was predominately servant leadership. The different approaches to leadership development were scrutinised with the intention of locating the grounded theory that developed in this study, within the available literature. The literature did provide some useful insights, in particular the social field theory of Bourdieu (1998), which offered a more encompassing explanation and showed much promise in providing an understanding of leadership development. Wheatley's (1999) interpretation of field theory further explained the influence of servant leadership in leadership development. Finally, the researcher developed a set of propositions and recommendations for practice and future research and discussed the value of this research.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Taylor, Simon Michael
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Hilton College (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa) , Servant leadership , Grounded theory , Community and school -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Student volunteers in social service -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Educational leadership -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1199 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012986
- Description: The purpose of this study is to develop a substantive grounded theory explaining the development of a philosophy and the practice of leadership amongst young adults who had attended Hilton College and whom were exposed to their servant leadership development programme. The grounded theory method in this study was developed using conventions identified by Strauss and Corbin (1990) and relying upon a collection of incidents noted during interviews with former students, teachers, housemasters, headmaster and Hiltonian Society board members. In total thirty-six interviews were conducted over a period of four years in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Kenya. Using the grounded theory methodology, an understanding of the theoretical model emerged through the development of a personal philosophy and the practice of servant leadership. Related to the central phenomenon of individual leadership philosophy and practice, the causal condition of opportunity to lead, influenced how the individual philosophy and practice emerged. Strategies used by the participants to nurture their philosophy and practice of leadership were the leadership development programme, community service, feedback and reflection. The data identified the intervening conditions and conditions relating to the context of the leadership philosophy and practice. The consequences of developing a leadership philosophy and practice were related to leadership behaviour; self-esteem; growth; follower relations; empowering of others; and relationship to institutions. The theoretical model illustrated the holistic nature of an individual’s leadership philosophy and practice. In this instance, the nature of the data revealed that the individual's leadership philosophy and practice that developed amongst the participants was predominately servant leadership. The different approaches to leadership development were scrutinised with the intention of locating the grounded theory that developed in this study, within the available literature. The literature did provide some useful insights, in particular the social field theory of Bourdieu (1998), which offered a more encompassing explanation and showed much promise in providing an understanding of leadership development. Wheatley's (1999) interpretation of field theory further explained the influence of servant leadership in leadership development. Finally, the researcher developed a set of propositions and recommendations for practice and future research and discussed the value of this research.
- Full Text:
Conveniencing the family in agri-based processing enterprise : a grounded theory study of strategic leaders' cultural assumptions and strategising activities
- Authors: Kanyangale, Macdonald Isaac
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Small business -- Malawi -- Management Agriculture -- Malawi -- Business management Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Malawi Grounded theory -- Study and teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1181 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002798
- Description: As leaders of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), strategic leaders are responsible for strategising, the approach to which is influenced by their cultural paradigm. The effects of this strategising are manifested in the day-to-day activities of these leaders. This study aims to build an understanding of the shared cultural assumptions of strategic leaders in agri-based processing SMEs and how these assumptions affect the strategising activities that are adopted when addressing critical incidents related to the internal integration and external adaptation of the SME. Using Strauss and Corbin‟s (1990) grounded theory method, this study develops a theory titled Conveniencing the Family in Business, which is induced from critical incidents. A sample of critical incidents was gathered from 44 qualitative interviews conducted with strategic leaders of various agri-based processing SMEs operating in Malawi. This study found that strategic leaders display persistent and stable pragmatic business survival mind sets, but dynamic cultural assumptions about relationships with organisation members. The cultural influence of these assumptions is manifested in two distinctive and alternative processes making up the theory of conveniencing the family in business. These are the humanising and commodifying of relationships with organisation members, and they are evident in hostile and friendly business environments, respectively. Humanising of relationships with all members of the organisation builds and capitalises on inclusive, organisation-wide social capital that secures the future of the business. On the other hand, commodifying of relationships with non-family organisation members weakens collective support, which becomes mainly dependent on family and friendship ties. Thus, commodifying of relationships serves to perpetuate the close integration of business activity and family requirements to ultimately convenience the family in business, and represents the desired modus operandi of strategic leaders. As strategic leaders of SMEs have not yet conceptualised this, providing them with the conceptual theory developed here may be helpful towards a consistent re-orientation of the internal organisational support in a way that does not exclude but rather harnesses the wider solidarity of organisation members. The process explained by this theory is iterative, dynamic and distinguishes patterns of relationships amongst organisation members, which either enhances or compromises their collective support for the leaders and the enterprise. This by implication affects the performance of the enterprise. The results of this study are discussed from the perspective of social exchange and social capital theory, thereby contributing to the understanding of the strategising activities of strategic leaders, as well as the processes of building or destroying social capital in this type of enterprise.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kanyangale, Macdonald Isaac
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Small business -- Malawi -- Management Agriculture -- Malawi -- Business management Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Malawi Grounded theory -- Study and teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1181 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002798
- Description: As leaders of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), strategic leaders are responsible for strategising, the approach to which is influenced by their cultural paradigm. The effects of this strategising are manifested in the day-to-day activities of these leaders. This study aims to build an understanding of the shared cultural assumptions of strategic leaders in agri-based processing SMEs and how these assumptions affect the strategising activities that are adopted when addressing critical incidents related to the internal integration and external adaptation of the SME. Using Strauss and Corbin‟s (1990) grounded theory method, this study develops a theory titled Conveniencing the Family in Business, which is induced from critical incidents. A sample of critical incidents was gathered from 44 qualitative interviews conducted with strategic leaders of various agri-based processing SMEs operating in Malawi. This study found that strategic leaders display persistent and stable pragmatic business survival mind sets, but dynamic cultural assumptions about relationships with organisation members. The cultural influence of these assumptions is manifested in two distinctive and alternative processes making up the theory of conveniencing the family in business. These are the humanising and commodifying of relationships with organisation members, and they are evident in hostile and friendly business environments, respectively. Humanising of relationships with all members of the organisation builds and capitalises on inclusive, organisation-wide social capital that secures the future of the business. On the other hand, commodifying of relationships with non-family organisation members weakens collective support, which becomes mainly dependent on family and friendship ties. Thus, commodifying of relationships serves to perpetuate the close integration of business activity and family requirements to ultimately convenience the family in business, and represents the desired modus operandi of strategic leaders. As strategic leaders of SMEs have not yet conceptualised this, providing them with the conceptual theory developed here may be helpful towards a consistent re-orientation of the internal organisational support in a way that does not exclude but rather harnesses the wider solidarity of organisation members. The process explained by this theory is iterative, dynamic and distinguishes patterns of relationships amongst organisation members, which either enhances or compromises their collective support for the leaders and the enterprise. This by implication affects the performance of the enterprise. The results of this study are discussed from the perspective of social exchange and social capital theory, thereby contributing to the understanding of the strategising activities of strategic leaders, as well as the processes of building or destroying social capital in this type of enterprise.
- Full Text:
Isomorphism, institutional entrepreneurship and total quality management (TQM) : a case study in the implementation of quality management standards and excellence models in South African developmental local government
- Authors: Naidoo, Pravine
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Political entrepreneurship -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Total quality management Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Management Municipal services -- Customer services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Political leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Organizational effectiveness
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1193 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007141
- Description: Within the new constitutional order, South African local government has been afforded specific status and is protected as a distinctive sphere of government in terms of the Constitution Act 108 of 1996. Municipalities are no longer a mere function of national or provincial governments. In addition to this entrenched status, the Constitution and other developmental local government legislation vests local government with specific functions and responsibilities as part of the process of building a new democracy and promoting socio-economic development and upliftment. Consequently, local government managers are under constant pressure to improve the performance and quality of service delivery. They are expected to satisfy a number of stakeholders, achieve increases in efficiency, as well as attain developmental service delivery goals as contained in their Integrated Development Plan (IDP). Quality management standards and excellence models in support of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy are relatively new public management approaches that changes traditional organisational decision-making practices to deliver services to its customers in more effective and efficient ways. In essence, quality management standards and excellence models are performance management methodological practices, techniques and tools designed to meet and exceed public requirements. It accomplishes this through determining what constitutes excellence in customer service, and then empowering employees to a never-ending search for quality improvement in the delivery of services, in terms of the continuous improvement and continuous process improvement philosophies, of which total quality management (TQM) is premised on. Consequently, quality management standards and excellence models (such as the ISO 9001: 2008 QMS, ISO 14001: 2004 EMS, EFQM and SAEF Excellence Models) as methodological practices, techniques or tools in support of the critical factors (CFs) of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy, namely: (1) customer-based approach, (2) senior management commitment and leadership, (3) quality planning, (4) management based on facts, (5) continuous improvement, (6) involvement of all members of the organisation, (7) education and training, (8) teamwork, (9) communication systems, (10) learning, (11) process management, (12) co-operation with suppliers, and (13) organisational awareness and concern for the social and environmental context, can provide a framework by which to achieve the goals of effective and efficient service delivery in developmental local government, as they foster a culture of performance and accountability. Local government managers could use these quality and excellence methodological practices, techniques and tools, as a starting point to improve efficiencies in their municipalities, as the programmes afford them an opportunity to systematically evaluate the municipality and determine what leads to organisational success and deliverables. Institutional theory suggests that organisations are both influenced by and can influence the society in which they operate. Institutional theorists believe that the motivation for a change in internal practices might not only be performance related, but may primarily be to enhance or maintain the legitimacy of the respective institution. Institutional theory also focuses on the social contract that exists between the institution and society. This social contract is believed to represent the expectations of society. From an institutional point of view, it has been suggested that institutions may change and adopt the norms of society to appear legitimate to that society. This infers that when societal norms and values change, institutions will be expected to change. These societal pressures combined with legislative changes, require institutional entrepreneurs to respond to these isomorphic pressures, and will work to preserve the institution's legitimacy by incorporating, or at least appearing to incorporate, new practices, norms and values. The aim of this research study was to analyse within an institutional theory framework, the implementation of quality management standards and excellence models in support of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy and developmental local government within two South African municipalities. The research investigation has been undertaken within the social constructionist paradigm and using the case study method. Interviews and documents were the data sources and thematic analysis was used as a tool to analyse the data by applying a theory-driven coding procedure. The findings from the two research sites, namely Makana Municipality in Grahamstown and Drakenstein Municipality in Paarl reveal that the implementation of quality management standards and excellence models in support of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy in both municipalities was not a smooth process and there were many challenges such as political instability, lack of commitment on the part of the senior leadership and management, staff and skills shortages, resistance by staff to implementation and resource constraints. Institutional theory has proved to be useful in understanding why the Makana and Drakenstein Municipalities implemented quality management standards and excellence models. Because of coercive, mimetic and normative isomorphic pressures affecting the Makana and Drakenstein municipalities, change was imperative if these institutions were to remain relevant and legitimate in order to address its service delivery mandate of effectiveness and efficiency. Institutional theory provided a theoretical lens to understand and appreciate the pressures that affected the municipalities because of its new developmental mandate as encapsulated in new municipal legislation. It also assisted in understanding how institutional entrepreneurs responded to these pressures to conform. The implementation of quality management standards and excellence models in the Makana and Drakenstein municipalities was adversely affected by volatility amongst the political leadership of both municipalities. The successful implementation of these standards and models would require collective action from the political, bureaucratic and procedural entrepreneurs in order to enhance effective, efficient and accountable service delivery. However, in both the Makana and Drakenstein municipalities, institutional entrepreneurs, namely councillors and officials were not working together as a collective to implement quality management standards and excellence models. Evidence has shown that the absence of stable political leadership and noncooperation and collaboration amongst institutional entrepreneurs contributed significantly to the non-institutionalisation of quality management standards and excellence models in these Municipalities. This implies that legitimacy has not been achieved, due to institutional entrepreneurs not collaborating and collectively working with each other to implement the quality management standards and excellence models. Thus, this research study suggests that the strategic and collective role of the political and administrative leadership as institutional entrepreneurs is critical if the municipality is to achieve its aims and objectives, namely effective, efficient, and accountable service delivery in developmental local government. Recommendations in respect of future research and to practitioners have also been offered.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Naidoo, Pravine
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Political entrepreneurship -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Total quality management Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Management Municipal services -- Customer services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Political leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Organizational effectiveness
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1193 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007141
- Description: Within the new constitutional order, South African local government has been afforded specific status and is protected as a distinctive sphere of government in terms of the Constitution Act 108 of 1996. Municipalities are no longer a mere function of national or provincial governments. In addition to this entrenched status, the Constitution and other developmental local government legislation vests local government with specific functions and responsibilities as part of the process of building a new democracy and promoting socio-economic development and upliftment. Consequently, local government managers are under constant pressure to improve the performance and quality of service delivery. They are expected to satisfy a number of stakeholders, achieve increases in efficiency, as well as attain developmental service delivery goals as contained in their Integrated Development Plan (IDP). Quality management standards and excellence models in support of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy are relatively new public management approaches that changes traditional organisational decision-making practices to deliver services to its customers in more effective and efficient ways. In essence, quality management standards and excellence models are performance management methodological practices, techniques and tools designed to meet and exceed public requirements. It accomplishes this through determining what constitutes excellence in customer service, and then empowering employees to a never-ending search for quality improvement in the delivery of services, in terms of the continuous improvement and continuous process improvement philosophies, of which total quality management (TQM) is premised on. Consequently, quality management standards and excellence models (such as the ISO 9001: 2008 QMS, ISO 14001: 2004 EMS, EFQM and SAEF Excellence Models) as methodological practices, techniques or tools in support of the critical factors (CFs) of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy, namely: (1) customer-based approach, (2) senior management commitment and leadership, (3) quality planning, (4) management based on facts, (5) continuous improvement, (6) involvement of all members of the organisation, (7) education and training, (8) teamwork, (9) communication systems, (10) learning, (11) process management, (12) co-operation with suppliers, and (13) organisational awareness and concern for the social and environmental context, can provide a framework by which to achieve the goals of effective and efficient service delivery in developmental local government, as they foster a culture of performance and accountability. Local government managers could use these quality and excellence methodological practices, techniques and tools, as a starting point to improve efficiencies in their municipalities, as the programmes afford them an opportunity to systematically evaluate the municipality and determine what leads to organisational success and deliverables. Institutional theory suggests that organisations are both influenced by and can influence the society in which they operate. Institutional theorists believe that the motivation for a change in internal practices might not only be performance related, but may primarily be to enhance or maintain the legitimacy of the respective institution. Institutional theory also focuses on the social contract that exists between the institution and society. This social contract is believed to represent the expectations of society. From an institutional point of view, it has been suggested that institutions may change and adopt the norms of society to appear legitimate to that society. This infers that when societal norms and values change, institutions will be expected to change. These societal pressures combined with legislative changes, require institutional entrepreneurs to respond to these isomorphic pressures, and will work to preserve the institution's legitimacy by incorporating, or at least appearing to incorporate, new practices, norms and values. The aim of this research study was to analyse within an institutional theory framework, the implementation of quality management standards and excellence models in support of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy and developmental local government within two South African municipalities. The research investigation has been undertaken within the social constructionist paradigm and using the case study method. Interviews and documents were the data sources and thematic analysis was used as a tool to analyse the data by applying a theory-driven coding procedure. The findings from the two research sites, namely Makana Municipality in Grahamstown and Drakenstein Municipality in Paarl reveal that the implementation of quality management standards and excellence models in support of the total quality management (TQM) philosophy in both municipalities was not a smooth process and there were many challenges such as political instability, lack of commitment on the part of the senior leadership and management, staff and skills shortages, resistance by staff to implementation and resource constraints. Institutional theory has proved to be useful in understanding why the Makana and Drakenstein Municipalities implemented quality management standards and excellence models. Because of coercive, mimetic and normative isomorphic pressures affecting the Makana and Drakenstein municipalities, change was imperative if these institutions were to remain relevant and legitimate in order to address its service delivery mandate of effectiveness and efficiency. Institutional theory provided a theoretical lens to understand and appreciate the pressures that affected the municipalities because of its new developmental mandate as encapsulated in new municipal legislation. It also assisted in understanding how institutional entrepreneurs responded to these pressures to conform. The implementation of quality management standards and excellence models in the Makana and Drakenstein municipalities was adversely affected by volatility amongst the political leadership of both municipalities. The successful implementation of these standards and models would require collective action from the political, bureaucratic and procedural entrepreneurs in order to enhance effective, efficient and accountable service delivery. However, in both the Makana and Drakenstein municipalities, institutional entrepreneurs, namely councillors and officials were not working together as a collective to implement quality management standards and excellence models. Evidence has shown that the absence of stable political leadership and noncooperation and collaboration amongst institutional entrepreneurs contributed significantly to the non-institutionalisation of quality management standards and excellence models in these Municipalities. This implies that legitimacy has not been achieved, due to institutional entrepreneurs not collaborating and collectively working with each other to implement the quality management standards and excellence models. Thus, this research study suggests that the strategic and collective role of the political and administrative leadership as institutional entrepreneurs is critical if the municipality is to achieve its aims and objectives, namely effective, efficient, and accountable service delivery in developmental local government. Recommendations in respect of future research and to practitioners have also been offered.
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