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    Leadership challenges in the South African local government system
    (Innovare Academics Sciences Pvt. Ltd, 2020-07-16) Mbandlwa, Zamokuhle; Dorasamy, Nirmala; Fagbadebo, Omololu M.
    Local governments in South Africa have experienced leadership challenges in the democratic South Africa. Poor leadership ethics have badly contributed in the leadership challenges in the South African local government system. The objective of the study was to identify the factors that contribute in the poor leadership ethics in local government and the consequences of bad behavior by local government leadership and employees. Mixed research methodology was applied in the study. Primary data was collected through selfadministered questionnaires that were personally administered by the researchers to 10 portfolio managers, 333 Employees and interviewed 9 executive managers.The study found that the poor systems to fight against corruption and unethical activities compromise public service delivery and paint all public sector officials as corrupt people. The idea of getting into government institutions for the purposes of self-benefit is dominant amongst many people who are in government institutions.
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    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, Zamokuhle
    There 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.
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    Building ethical leadership through training and development approach at a higher education institution in South Africa
    (LLC CPC Business Perspectives, 2020-04-06) Bhana, Anrusha; Suknunan, Sachin
    The research has shown that many leaders lack ethical practice, but training and development geared towards ethical leadership can serve to bridge this gap in theory and practice. This paper focuses primarily on the key aspect of training and development to promote more ethical leadership within a higher education institution setting. The data were drawn from a mixed-method study adopting both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Simple random sampling constituted a sample of 312 academic and administrative staff members at the institution. The purposeful sampling for the qualitative component was a realized sample of 3 executive management leadership and 9 line management leadership participants, indicating a total response rate of 67%. The results for executive management leadership reflect poor leadership style from the employees’ perspective in relation to respect and fairness, transparency, behavior, and other ethical leadership-related items (of M = 2.74, SD = 0.033). In addition, there was a clear need for leadership to attend ongoing training courses (M = 4.20, SD = 0.904). From the qualitative perspective, more than 50% of the leadership respondents indicated no appropriate university leadership programmes or ethical leadership programs. Therefore, the investment in training and development can promote more ethical leadership style, which in turn can have a positive impact on employees (M = 4.43, SD = 0.740). In light of this, the results provide a strong inclination towards more training and development programs to ensure that leaders develop ethical considerations in their role as leaders.
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    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, Mandusha
    With 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.
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    Imperatives for good Governance: a case study of the implementation Batho Pele Principles at Durban Home Affairs Regional Level
    (Kamla-Raj Entreprises, 2014) Dorasamy, Nirmala; Ngidi, Telesphorus Lindelani
    Good governance, the rule of law and systems of accountability are essential elements in guaranteeing that resources are equitably shared. These resources are to be used efficiently, effectively and economically. Prior 1994, quality service was only reserved for whites. Given this legacy, the transformation of the South African Government had to be initiated. The endeavours by the African National Congress (ANC) to deal with the ills of the past gave birth to the White Paper on the Transformation of Public Service Delivery (1997). This initiative is underpinned by these principles: consultation, service standards, access, courtesy, information, openness and transparency, redress and value for money. This paper seeks to investigate the importance of good governance. The paper adopted an interpretive qualitative, quantitative methodology. The data suggests that while initiatives are in place to ensure good governance, challenges still exist. Recommendations focus on enhanced procedures relating to Batho Pele to improve good governance.
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    Exploring whistle blowing intentions in South Africa: A quantitative analysis
    (Academic Journals, 2012-02-22) Dorasamy, Nirmala; Pillay, Soma; Vedran, Vranic
    The purpose of this paper was to examine the influence of individual and situational level factors on internal whistle-blowing intentions, within a South African context. This is the first quantitative study of whistle-blowing in South Africa. Quantitative survey data, encompassing 250 senior, middle and lower-level management/administration personnel was analysed. Majority of surveyed participants indicated positive intentions toward whistle-blowing. Majority also believes that general sense of morality and professional ethics are the most influential motivations for whistle-blowing. Improved internal organizational systems and external legal systems were surprisingly found to discourage whistle-blowing in our sample. A theoretical basis for future research is extrapolated, with the main findings highlighting the importance of positive organizational values/culture and the perpetuation of business ethics awareness.
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    Enhancing an ethical culture through purpose-directed leadership for improved public service delivery: A case for South Africa
    (Academic Journals, 2010-01) Dorasamy, Nirmala
    The fundamental purpose of government departments is to provide services to satisfy public needs. Public leaders have to take on organisational roles to decide how to best achieve the organisation’s purpose of meeting human needs and enhancing human life. An ethical culture underpinning purpose-driven leadership is viewed as an effective approach that will promote the broader interests of society in respect of public service delivery. This article focuses on the possible contribution of a purpose-directed leadership approach within the South African public service toward enhancing ethical behaviour which can ultimately translate into improved public service delivery. Attention is devoted to the capacity of such an approach in creating a milieu of commitment toward service excellence, this article argues that unethical behaviour in the public service has impacted on the quality of service delivery in many government departments in South Africa. A review of reports by the Public Service Commission and the media suggest that quality public service delivery has been affected by the lack of an ethical culture within purpose directed leadership. Through a detailed review of literature and documents relating to poor public service delivery in South Africa, it has become imperative to explore the effect of ethical and purpose-directed leadership on public service delivery. This article further argues that through ethical and purpose driven leadership, the mission statement of the public service is not only communicated to all concerned, but it is also clarified and understood and becomes the driving force in delivering what is to be achieved, without compromising the quality of public services. Performance in support of the purpose can be the building blocks upon which an ethical culture is developed throughout all government departments. Public leaders must therefore use the organisational purpose as a frame of reference for the execution of all functions within the organisation so that public satisfaction can be best achieved, without compromising ethical behaviour. The public service needs to accord greater importance and focus to leadership based on purpose-driven activities to address some of the ethical issues affecting quality service delivery. Some of the ethical issues include conflict of interest, mismatch post appointments and lack of commitment to quality service delivery. By adhering to the purpose, the principles of public service delivery beyond personal aspirations and ambitions are prioritised. The study is contextualized through a general overview of the role of leadership, within an ethical and purpose-directed framework, in promoting quality services in the public sector.
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    From self interest to public interest: Promoting higher levels of business ethics
    (Academic Journals, 2010-01) Dorasamy, Nirmala
    While there has been widescale acknowledgement of the importance of business ethics, it is evident that many businesses still conduct themselves unethically. This paper adapts Lawrence Kohlberg’s study on moral development to provide insight into the different levels of impact that self interest and public interest may have on promoting higher levels of business ethics. By drawing on Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, an attempt is made to show the importance of public interest in promoting higher levels of business ethics. Attention is devoted to the capacity of businesses driven by public interest over self interest in curbing unethical conduct. While some may argue that businesses are notably motivated by self interest, there is also evidence that businesses also act for moral purposes primarily out of concern for the public. It is suggested that at stage 2 of the preconventional level of cognitive moral development which can be associated with self interest, business ethics is promoted at a lower level. However, at stage 4 of the conventional level which can be associated with public interest, business ethics is promoted at a higher level.