Faculty of Management Sciences
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/13
Browse
19 results
Search Results
Item Distributed leadership at a South African university of technology : a multi-stakeholder model(2019-11) Haniff, Naseem; Daya, PreeyaLeadership has been an area of interest for millennia, but never more so than within a 21st century VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world. Globalisation, massification, rapid socio-economic changes in tandem with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are all challenges faced by higher education institutions internationally. South African higher education has not escaped these leadership challenges, but in addition faces its own unique issues, post-apartheid. The country’s democratic dispensation required that institutional governance and leadership be shared and participative, which aligns well to a distributed leadership stance. However, more than two decades later, events such as # FeesMustFall national campaigns, the strident student discourse and the rising clamour for transformation, questions if real change has actually taken place. This study examined the issue of university transformation by assessing multi-stakeholder participation in leadership and governance at a South African University of Technology. Taking cognisance of the multiplicity of issues facing higher education institutions it was important to utilise robust research methods, hence, the paradigm choice of a systems thinking worldview and complexity sciences. This study used multi-method research employing the Viable System Model (VSM) with the rich picture technique of the Soft System Methodology (SSM). Data was collected through qualitative interviews, respondent observation and archival data and examined using thematic analysis. Using the VSM as a diagnostic tool, enabled weaknesses and strengths of the institution to be identified, which informed the building of an institution specific model of distributed leadership. The findings of this study demonstrated institutional viability, albeit, in a hierarchical, bureaucratic manner. It nevertheless highlighted weaknesses of ‘soft’ or people-centred issues. Other identified concerns was that the university was more inward focused, on the ‘here and now’, often ignoring the ‘outside and then’ that is, the external environment and could imply that the institution is not well placed to handle national and global stressors. The model of distributed leadership addresses this deficit. This study established the appropriateness and applicability of using a systems thinking approach namely the VSM as a diagnostic tool to assess institutional shortcomings. In this way, it enabled appropriate recommendations and suggestions to improve the institutions viability to address the complexities facing 21st century higher educational institutionsItem Corruption and the challenge of accountability in the post-colonial African states : a discourse(Adonis and Abbey Publishers, 2019-04-15) Fagbadebo, Omololu; Mtshali, KhondloScholars and commentators have described the African state in different forms and versions based on their assessments, rightly or wrongly, of the development‟s strides. Reports by international and local developmental agencies often present gloomy descriptions of a continent suffering from the resource curse. The scorecards of most of the African leaders seem to confirm the assertions of failures in the midst of abundant resources. The corruption pandemic in Africa has rendered the societies as the exporter of potential human resources needed for developments and innovation to the countries of the West. While the continent‟s deplorable social and economic situations worsened, the leadership cadres exploit their power to widen the inequality gaps through unethical conduct. This paper interrogates the leadership-accountability nexus in some countries in Africa with a view to understanding the nature of the pervasiveness of governance crisis. The paper argues that African leaders are more of political predators than freedom fighters against the legacies of colonialism. Rather than explore the state‟s power to promote the public interest, African leaders are more concerned with their personal welfare, exploiting the vulnerability of the citizens. Cases of leadership corruption and malfeasances are swept away thereby engendering the unprecedented culture of leadership deficiency with impunity. This paper submits that the crisis of governance in Africa could be dealt with only if the citizens are liberated from the grip of leadership insensitivity and the rhetoric of colonialism.Item The examination of the importance of education in government leadership : the case of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)(Romanian Cultural Foundation, 2019-09-02) Mbandlwa, ZamokuhleThere is a strong need to examine the importance of education in african leaders and the role played by education in decisions made by leaders in Africa. Public sector institutions globally, are the hope for the citizens or communities for their needs.The aim of this paper is to show the relationship between poor public service delivery in Africa and lack of education especially economic governance education from african leaders. Africa as the continent is rich in mineral resources but lack of effective leaders who are willing to transform Africa by ensuring that the African economy is developed for Africans. Education status of the African leaders is not a prerequisite for candidates to stand for election in any political leadership position and subsequently into some government positions. Education lays a foundation for individuals to understand policies and it is important for political leaders to have a background of what does it take to hold a senior position in government structure. This paper concludes that political leaders in Africa must have a specific educational background. Candidates must contest political position only if they have specific education qualification and this will minimize political killings and reduce the number of contestants. Findings of this paper are based on the quantitative approached used to analyse the education level of African leaders. The results and conclusions made in this paper show that there is a gap between the demands of the people and the capacity to deliver by african leaders. Public sector institutions in Africa must be led by people who have tertiary qualifications and clear understanding of government administration and economy.Item Factors affecting family owned businesses in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal(2018-09) Mlobeli, Siphamandla; Mapudzi, H.Family owned businesses play a vital role in the entire South African economy. The main objective of the study was to investigate the factors affecting family owned businesses in Durban, KwaZulu Natal (KZN), as well as to establish the leadership styles of management present in family owned businesses. The study also aimed to establish the effect of succession planning on these businesses and propose strategies for the sustainability of family owned businesses. The study was exploratory and qualitative research methods were used to conduct the research. Scheduled individual in-depth interviews with family owned business managers/business owners were conducted by the researcher. The respondents consisted of five businesses that were selected by the researcher around Durban; the respondents were chosen by means of non-probability sampling methods. The findings of the study revealed that there is a lack of communication between family owned businesses and the government; hence, the government has no support towards family owned businesses. The majority of the respondents indicated strategic planning and succession plans as major factors affecting the survival of family owned businesses. Other factors that the respondents highlighted include poor financial management, lack of technology, globalisation, family feuds, lack of education within the family owned businesses, lack of business experience, skill shortages and poor leadership. Based on these findings, the researcher recommended that family owned businesses need to critically evaluate all the internal and external factors before and during the progress of the business. The researcher further indicated that a clear succession plan is required, while family owned business managers need to lead by example.Item The impact of leadership and management capacity on municipal service delivery in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality(2018-04) Mhlaba, Joseph Qhinaphi; Wallis, MalcolmThis thesis is about an investigation of the impact of leadership and on service delivery in Bushbuckridge local municipality in Mpumalanga province. This study looked at the internal and external factors that affect service delivery in Bushbuckridge Local municipality (BLM). Bushbuckridge local municipality has had some service delivery challenges over the years which affected its ability to deliver services. In 2013, BLM was placed under administration in terms of section 139 (5) (a) of the constitution of the republic of South Africa due to the collapse of service delivery. Local government is one of the arms of government located closest to the citizens and constitutionally tasked with the responsibility of delivering basic services to the citizens. Failure to deliver these services has a direct impact on the day to day lives of citizens. Poor service delivery or the lack of it thereof has often triggered service delivery protests. This study is therefore an effort to look at how municipal officials, councillors and ward committee members’ leadership and management capacity contribute to poor service delivery in Bushbuckridge local municipality. To explore the challenges affecting service in BLM the following research questions were used: • Do ward councillors; proportional councillors; and municipal officials; have the appropriate skills to execute their work effectively? • Do the municipal officials have an understanding of the underlying factors affecting service delivery in Bushbuckridge local municipality? • What organizational/institutional factors affect service delivery in Bushbuckridge local municipality? • How do environmental factors affect the delivery of services in Bushbuckridge local municipality? vii • How effective are the ward committees as a platform for public participation in the affairs of local government? • How does the leadership capacity of ward committees impact on their contribution to service delivery? • What is the link between leadership, management capacity and service delivery? This study was conducted using mixed research methods where qualitative and quantitative data was collected. Data was collected using a face to face method by the researcher using a paper based data collection tool. A total of 67 Participants from the Bushbuckridge local municipality were enrolled into the study. The qualitative data was analysed used Stata, while the qualitative data was analysed using Atlas.ti. The quantitative results have been presented in the form of graphs, pie charts and tables while qualitative results have been presented according to themes where similar responses have been grouped together. The findings are discussed in chapter six to establish the relationship with the research questions of this study. A number of conclusions based on findings are drawn in chapter seven which is the final chapter of this thesis.Item The application of ethical leadership styles on employee engagement at Durban University of Technology (DUT) : a case study approach(2018-11) Bhana, Anrusha; Bayat, Mohamed Saheed; Maharaj, MandushaWith the epochal changes at different levels of higher education institutions, it has become essential to take employees into account as an imperative part of higher education institutions transformation strategy. The study has investigated the application of ethical leadership style and its impact on employee engagement at Durban University of Technology (DUT) - a case study approach. The existing body of research knowledge on ethical leadership style revealed a great focus on the business sector in comparison to higher educational sector. The research objectives addressed the two gaps in higher education leadership research by exploring evidence of ethical leadership style of executive management leadership and line management leadership and its impact on employee engagement at the institution. The research design adopted mixed methodology approach employing random sampling technique for data collection of employees and purposive sampling technique for semi- structured interviews of line management leadership and executive management leadership. The piloting of the research instrument was statistically tested to ensure validity and reliability prior to commencement of the main study. Moreover, the study involved a cross sectional design and a sample size of 312 respondents for probability sampling and 12 participants for non-probability sampling. The case study approach was based on academic and administrative staff of Durban and PMB campuses at the institution. Method triangulation of data findings ensured a pragmatic and deeper understanding of the phenomena being investigated. The descriptive statistics revealed that more than ninety percent of the respondents agreed that ethical leadership style would have a positive impact on employee engagement at the institution. Clearly, showing support for the need of ethical leadership at the institution. In addition, more than eighty percent of respondents agreed that leadership styles impact employee well-being. Hence, different leadership styles have a direct or indirect influence on employee engagement. Thus, it is essential to find ways to improve employee work and personal engagement at the institution. Moreover, the linear regression analysis findings revealed a predictive relationship between line management leadership and employee engagement at the institution. Notably, the study discussion focused on the employee engagement conceptual model and aligning it to theory that presented a relationship between executive management leadership and line management leadership to employee engagement at the institution. The conceptual model was developed to expedite relevance to the research. Therefore, the study has revealed greater support for the practical implications of ethical leadership practices at the institution. In order for the organization to achieve greater levels of innovation, intrapreneurship, design thinking and financial management, it is imperative to have a fully engaged workforce. The application of ethical leadership style will advocate a value system that will inherently support departmental goals and objectives of the overall institution. Recommendations were made to support the need for proactive measures to promote ethical leadership, interventions to develop ethical leadership policies and techniques to improve employee engagement. In addition, the last recommendation included a proposed model that was taken from the conceptual model that can be further developed and utilized at the institution. Moreover, the study will contribute to the existing body of knowledge on employee disengagement concept of occupational stress, burnout and turnover, fulfilling duties beyond job description, multitasking between duties and job contentment. It will contribute to the importance of ethical leadership in relation to employee engagement at the institution. Lastly, the research information and findings will also contribute towards the ongoing development of ethical leadership research and development of academia leadership in Higher education institutions in South Africa.Item The influence of leadership styles on organizational team culture in a South Africa mining organization(2018) Govender, Dheren; Lekhanya, Lawrence MpeleThe purpose of this study was to assess the impact of leadership styles on organizational team culture in a South African based mining organization. Senior management of the company has noted different shop floor team cultures which seem to be affecting productivity negatively. This project will give emphasis on the context of leaders of an organization and the amount of influence or non-influence leadership has on shop floor team culture. This study used a quantitative method research design. The research was conducted at the site logistics department of mining company X based in the Northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).The aim of this study is to determine the current shop floor team culture using the Organizational Cultural Assessment Instrument (OCAI) developed by Cameron and Quinn (2011) and the current leadership styles governing these teams using the, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) developed by Avolio and Bass (2004). These measuring instruments have demonstrated proven reliability and validity in previous studies. The analysis of data was done using the Statistics Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 24.0, with the results presented by figures and tables. The study seeks to improve team practices and productivity. The target population of the study was made up of the 4 teams that make up the site logistics department and their immediate team leader/ supervisor. The sample size of the study was 114 employees in total i.e., 110 shop floor team members and the 4 team leaders. The findings of the study revealed that the leadership styles of the team leader‟s does have an influence on organizational/team culture within the department. The study further revealed the miss alignment of the overall leadership style of all the team leaders to the to the perceived organizational direction of the senior management with regards to the leadership strategy.Item Explore the perceptions of servant leadership dimensions and its influence on team effectiveness among armed forces hospital managers Khamis Mushayt Saudi Arabia(2017) Chetty, Krishnavellie; Bayat, Mohamed SaheedThe results of this study reveal the perceptions of servant leadership dimensions and its influence on Team effectiveness among managers Armed Forces Hospital Khamis Mushayt Saudi Arabia. Data collected was from a population of 250 managers within the Armed Forces Hospital Saudi Arabia. 200 respondents participated in the study. The researcher identified that for the purpose of this study utilising the Servant Leadership Questionnaires (SLQ) by Barbuto and Wheeler( 2006), and the Team Effectiveness Questionnaire (TEQ) by Larson and LaFasto (2004), and a demographic survey will be the most suitable instrument to collect the data for this study purpose. The instruments were tested before the study had commenced by a qualified statistician. Full-time managers both units based and administrative managers participated, rating the servant leadership style of their leaders in addition to providing their organisational teamwork. Evidence supported the reliability and validity of both servant leadership and team effectiveness models and the associated instruments. The results of this study found a statistically significant correlation between the servant leadership style of the leadership and the staff’s affective and normative team effectiveness. There was a significant statistical correlation that existed between the leader’s servant leadership style of leadership and the staff’s continuance teamwork to the organisation. Statistical data and implications for the findings were included in chapters five and six. There are some specific strengths and weaknesses within the ambit of servant leadership and team effectiveness. Servant leadership shows that more must be done by the managers to develop the emotional maturity of the managers that they engage and work with and the trust relationship among the managers was also additional findings when the data was analysed. Perhaps they can attend a training course, workshops and even enroll for degree courses in psychology and embark on team building exercises to build on their trust relationship issues. People need to be understood, and managers need to shepherd the people they work with using great care and compassion. The other issue of attention is that managers must become less selfish by esteeming the colleagues better than themselves and by being self- sacrificing regarding their needs. Putting one first is a sure way to promote servant leadership in any institution. This research presented information and findings that may be used in future studies relating to leadership behaviour, as outlined in servant leadership theories and concepts and its effect on subordinate behaviour, in organisations with the aims to improve team effectiveness in healthcare in Saudi Arabia Military Hospitals using effective leadership styles.Item Follow me, I’m right behind you : leading from a complexity viewpoint(University of Reading, UK., 2008-11) Mason, Roger BruceThis paper is based on the premise that businesses and their environments are complex adaptive systems (CAS), and are therefore too complex to be ‘managed’ by a single leader. The literature suggests that CASs are self-organising systems and that effective direction and guidance emerges from such self-organisation. Thus, the traditional view of a leader as a decision-maker, instructing and controlling the organisation is inappropriate in a complex/turbulent environment. A qualitative, case study method was used to investigate the leadership activities in four companies, two each in a turbulent industry (computers) and in a stable industry (packaging). Depth interviews were conducted with 31 respondents. Interview transcripts were analysed using NVIVO, and then compared with field notes and documentary analyses. The objective was to identify if a self-organising leadership approach was prevalent in the more successful company in the turbulent industry, and if bureaucratic management was more prevalent in the more successful company in the stable industry. In other words, is self-organising leadership more effective in a turbulent environment? The study has value as it is based on theories not common in the management literature. It is also of value to educators, as many management courses are still based on the assumption of the manager as all-knowing planner and controller. Furthermore, it will be of interest to practitioners who are under pressure from environmental changes, and from societies that are demanding more from their organisations. The findings showed that both the more successful companies, and the less successful computer company, operate via considerable self-organisation principles. Company activities and performance emerge from the interactions amongst the managers, staff and customers, with little direct instructional management from the CEOs. The less successful packaging company managed via the traditional bureaucratic model. These findings and their implications are discussed, and recommendations for further research are made.Item Complexity theory and leadership for turbulent environments(Kamla-Raj, 2013) Mason, Roger BruceBusinesses and their environments are complex adaptive systems, and are therefore too complex to be ‘managed’ by a single leader. Thus, the traditional view of a leader as a decision-maker, instructing and controlling the organisation is inappropriate in complex/turbulent environments. A qualitative, case method, using depth interviews, investigated leadership activities in four companies, in a country with a turbulent environment, to identify if self-organising leadership is more effective in turbulent environments than traditional bureaucratic management. The findings showed that self-organising leadership appears superior in turbulent environments. These findings and their implications are discussed, and recommendations for further research are made.