3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Exploring ethical leadership of school principals and teachers at two secondary schools in Johannesburg East District: a case study(2020) Nyabeni, NomsaThis purpose of this study was to explore the conceptualisation and experiences of ethical leadership among school principals and teachers in two secondary schools located in Johannesburg East District in the province of Gauteng. This study was underpinned by the interpretive paradigm and guided by a qualitative methodology within a case study design. The two schools were purposively sampled because of convenience, with two principals and six teachers serving as research participants. This study utilised Shapiro and Stefkovich’s (2011) Multiple Ethical Paradigm and Khoza’s (2012) Attuned Leadership–African Humanism as theoretical frameworks. All trustworthiness considerations and ethical issues were observed before the data was generated through semi-structured interviews and documents reviews. The findings pointed to school principals and teachers having a good understanding of ethical leadership. However, the findings revealed that most ethical leadership challenges experienced by teachers emerged from parents, the school management team and learners in the researched schools, whilst the principals’ challenges originated from teachers and school board members. There were various recommendations suggested that could be applied by the Provincial Department of Education, the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa and schools internally to reduce unethical conduct in the researched schools. Some of the recommendations were that school principals and teachers’ unethical behaviours can be reduced through professional development and reinforcement of educational legislation that underpin professional ethical behaviour. The findings also suggested that there was a consensus between teachers and school principals regarding ethical leadership as an effective approach in promoting a positive school culture and conduct in the researched schools. This study recommends the Department of Education and the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa should provide workshops and training on ethical leadership, this will assist in reducing the unethical conduct of school principals and teachers within schools.Item Exploring servant leadership at three schools in Johannesburg East District: perspectives of teachers and school principals(2020) Tshuma, TraceThe purpose of this study was to explore the conceptualisations, practices and experiences of servant leadership among the research participants, based at the three researched schools and what we can draw from the servant leadership theory to improve leadership, management and teaching. The concept of educational servant leadership, as service to others offers a unique perspective, which draws attention to the principles of ethics and caring. It also offers a shift in the way that leadership views the members of the organisation. Furthermore, this study also investigated the necessity of the implementation of servant leadership and also views on the promotion of servant leadership. This study also navigated the participants’ perspectives on challenges that were faced in the implementation of servant leadership in the researched schools and possible solutions. This study used the qualitative research approach which was located in the interpretivism paradigm. Furthermore a case study design was used and it allowed for an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon being studied. Three schools in the Johannesburg District were conveniently sampled on the basis of them being close to my work place. This study was underpinned by the theoretical frame work by Greenleaf (1970) and Sipe and Frick (2015)’s model of the seven pillars of servant leadership. A research gap, was identified in that the concept of servant leadership is not well researched in the education sector, whilst, most studies were carried out in the west but not in the African context. Secondly most studies involved leaders assessing their own leadership. The analysis of the generated data and presented data led to the findings that the servant leadership behaviours of the principals, according to the teachers’ perspectives were lacking. On the other hand the general view of the principals was that they conceptualised their roles as very significant in supporting the servant leadership tenets in the schools. A significant conclusion, gleaned in this research, was that skilled communication was indeed the golden thread that kept the organisation and the people together and a lack of communication led to most of the challenges, like lack of feedback and poor conflict resolution. Recommendations, informed by the conclusions, were also presented to suggest how each theoretical conclusion can be translated into workable practice in order to support and promote servant leadership in school organisations. Finally, the implications of the study were profferedItem Exploring servant leadership practices in two schools at Ekurhuleni South District: a case study(2020) Malinga, Serah NtombikaiseThe aim of this study was to explore the principals’, head of departments’ and teachers’ conceptualisations, experiences and enactment of servant leadership in schools. The study also aimed to find out the obstacles encountered (if any) in the implementation of servant leadership theory in schools as envisaged by the Batho Pele policy. The research participants’ suggestions on what should be done to enhance the implementation of servant leadership in schools were further explored in this study. The reviewed literature recognise servant leadership theory as having the ability to improve service delivery and work ethics in schools through humanity and humbleness that makes leaders sacrifice their authority with an aim of serving their subordinates and the community at large. The literature on servant leadership phenomenon was reviewed in international, continental and national contexts to gain understanding of how it is practiced in different parts of the world. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and document reviews were instruments used for data generation. Semi-structured interviews were the main instrument of data collection. Findings showed that principals, HODs and teachers understood the concept of servant leadership which fastened by Batho Pele policy. Servant leadership is the theory of the study that promotes empathy, building community, listening, and so on. Findings from this study were that principals play a major role in instilling the Batho Pele principles through the word of mouth and the pasting of the principles on the wall however, one principal did not display an in depth understanding of the principles in detailed but there was an overall understanding of the meaning of ‘putting people first’ which is instilled to subordinates. The study found that both, principals, HODs and teachers apply various instruments as a source of implementing Batho Pele principles in their schools. Lack of parental involvement, passive staff members and lack of Batho Pele workshops from The Department of Education were the challenges of servant leadership encountered in the researched schools. This study found that principals, HODs and teachers viewed workshops on Batho Pele principles, implementation of all policies by the SMT and teachers as well as showing of trust to subordinates as the significant enhancers of servant leadership.Item Exploring the role of values-based leadership in promoting ethical conduct in schools: a case study of two schools in Gauteng(2020) Rafout, Khensani EstherFor many years literature reiterated the great impact values-based leadership has to curb ethical conduct, positive organisational culture and ill-behaved learners in schools. This study focuses on the role that value-based leadership plays in the ethical conduct of primary school management. Hence, the study seeks to understand and explain the relationship between value-based leadership and ethical conduct of educators and leadership as well as learner behaviour in schools. The central claim is to adopt the value-based leadership approach so that schools experience less cases of unethical conduct among teaching and management staff which in turn hope to reduce learner’s ill behaviour. A qualitative research approach and case study design was utilised to investigate the phenomenon. Data was generated through interviews and document reviews. Thematic analysis was applied to provide a rich and dense description of the results. The results indicated that schools with values were more effective in teaching and learning and had fewer cases of unethical behaviour and ill-disciplined learners. These findings corroborated with the assumptions of the study which states that without common beliefs and values an organisation ceases to exist. In summary I articulate that principals need to establish and maintain shared values and be more diverse in their perceptions of values because the value-based leadership (VBL) approach because it provides ways of overcoming deficiencies in leadership and aims to recognise everyone's values in the school.Item An African conception of servant leadership: a consensus-based approach(2019) Zondi, Nombuyiselo Caroline‘Servant leadership’ is a burgeoning research area and a novel approach to leadership, which links the issue of leadership with questions of morality and virtues. Robert Greenleaf, the originator of the theory, describes servant leadership as a theory that ‘begins with a natural feeling that one wants to serve, to first serve, and then lead as a servant’. Scholarship on servant leadership has increased in recent years, with a growing trend for it to be practised in private and non-profit organisations. However, there is still a lack of research on the topic. Some studies have found servant leadership to be a relevant and effective leadership style, and have therefore suggested that educational leadership programmes adopt the principles and apply the practices associated with it. Part of what is intriguing about servant leadership theory is the application of this unique leadership approach in organisations. But to contextualise and apply this approach correctly, we need to understand its Western character and origin. My objective in this project is to understand what servant leadership would mean in an African context, and to evaluate its plausibility in South African school organisations. In other words, my aim is to translate the concept of servant leadership to fit the South African paradigm.Item Leadership and change management in the implementation of the outcomes approach(2018) Subramoney, SavithreeThe Heads of Departments (HoDs) in the South African public sector as well as in some other countries in the world are not appointed on a permanent capacity but rather on a five-year contract. Literature reveals that leadership turnover has its advantages as well as disadvantages. Frequent change of HoDs is further exacerbated by the rapid changes taking place in the environment, which means that change management has to be implemented fast and efficiently, and any delay or disruption can have an adverse effect on the change process. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect that the high turnover rate of HoDs in the South African public sector has on maintaining the momentum at which government programmes are being undertaken, and the factors leading to the dearth of leadership in the implementation of the Outcomes Approach. A qualitative approach was used for this research with some elements from the quantitative approach included in the analysis. The findings showed that in some cases the change of HoD influenced the department in a positive manner while in other cases it had negative results. Change management was conducted, to varying extents, in only some of the lead coordinating departments, as there was more reliance on the Outcomes Approach emanating from the National Development Plan. Responses that were obtained from the questionnaires indicated that leadership stability is important, some of the Outcome Facilitators felt that it could be disruptive, while others felt that there should be more fluidity in government. Most of the well-known change management models were developed before the onset of rapid change and the frequent change of HoDs; therefore, the Triple I Change Management Model was developed for this study. The Triple I Change Management Model is designed for the rapidly changing environment in which there is a frequent change of HoDs.Item The role of leadership in knowledge management at Limpopo provincial treasury(2018) Mabundza, Nkhensani ThelmanOrganisations are now operating in the knowledge era; therefore knowledge resources have gained more value when compared to other resources. The main objective of Knowledge Management is to create systems that can facilitate the conversion of these resources into practices that could be operationalized. Leadership is a knowledge management enabler; hence it is necessary for effective Knowledge Management implementation. The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons for leadership deficits in relation to Knowledge Management in the Limpopo Provincial Treasury (LPT). The study took the form of a qualitative research approach. Primary data was obtained through interviews and focus group interviews. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 Senior Management Services (SMS) members and focus group discussions were held with 16 Middle Management Service (MMS) members. The study found that there are leadership deficits in Knowledge Management at the Limpopo Provincial Treasury. Knowledge Management practices are in place but there is no formal structure therefore participants did not prioritise Knowledge Management programmes. Knowledge Management is not part of the organisational structure and institutional arrangements of the LPT. The study further found that there is no common leadership style at the Limpopo Provincial Treasury. The findings of this study will have negative impact in achieving the objectives of the LPT KM strategy and also affect the implementation of the Provincial KM Strategy. The study recommended the establishment of a Knowledge Management structure and that training and a leadership seminar be provided for all SMS members and furthermore, that Knowledge Management should become a Key Performance Areas for all SMS members.Item Entrepreneurship and the interrelationships between trust-in-leader-member exchange, work engagement and innovative work behaviour(2018) Roos, JohanThis study focused on corporate entrepreneurship involving the interesting but complex dynamics of the workplace, characterized by various relationship levels between managers and subordinates. It examined leader activities and characteristics, engagement and trust relationships between employees and their managers. The study further intended to measure the impact that these factors have on each other as well as on the activities of individual intrapreneurs, where it attempted to measure the level of innovativeness in the workplace. The interrelationships between trust-in-leader (TIL), leader-member exchange (LMX), work engagement and innovative work behaviour (IWB) were investigated from a corporate entrepreneurial perspective. In the process two types of mediation were investigated. Firstly, to what extent did trust-in-leader (TIL) mediate the effect of leader-member exchange (LMX) on innovative work behaviour, leader-member exchange (LMX) on work engagement, and work engagement on innovative work behaviour (IWB)? Secondly, it also investigated to what extent work engagement mediated the relationship between LMX, as the predictive, and IWB as the criterion variable. The research instrument consisted of 37 questions related to four constructs, each with its own relevant factors. The trust-in-leader scale is uni-dimensional, and consisted of one factor only as described in the literature. The leader-member exchange multi-dimensional scale also included four factors: Affect, professional respect, loyalty, and contribution. The scale measuring work engagement consisted of three factors, namely vigour, dedication, and absorption. The innovative work iii behaviour scale included four factors: Idea generation, idea exploration, idea championing, and idea implementation. Five demographic questions were included in the instrument: Gender, race, tenure, education and age. A total of 245 responses were collected, of which 48 were found to be incomplete. The study targeted seven corporate companies in Johannesburg, South Africa. Two of the companies provided 67 and 60 complete responses respectively, and a third company provided 31 complete responses. The remaining 39 complete responses came from the other four participating companies. The research data was firstly subjected to an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), to determine how the data responded to factor loading and compared to the factors retrieved from literature. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was used to analyze the research data in testing the hypotheses. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) results were assessed to determine (1) how innovative work behaviour (IWB) was influenced by leader-member exchange (LMX), (2) how leader-member exchange (LMX) influenced work engagement, (3) how work engagement influenced innovative work behaviour (IWB), (4) the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) and trust-in-leader (TIL), and (5) to what extent work engagement mediated the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) and innovative work behaviour (IWB). The analysis also determined (6) the extent that trust-in-leader (TIL) mediated the proposed relationships between leader-member exchange (LMX), work engagement, and innovative work behaviour (IWB) respectively. The study intends to shed some light on the complex relationships encountered in the work environment that directly influence intrapreneurial behaviour in employees.Item The role of leadership in hospitality industry in the Moses Kotane local municipality(2017) Mohono, Sebonta Francinah DesboThe research focuses on the function of leadership in the hospitality industry in Moses Kotane Local Municipality, how over years they allowed the industry to be at its lowest point. Worldwide the hospitality industry sustains an ongoing need for managers at all levels, the need is even greater for managers who can cultivate the long –term mind-set, capabilities and skills of a greater leader. Not every manager has the skills to become a hospitality leader, but managers who can grow into that mantle are instrumental in driving long term business success. It is the author’s intention to further understand from the perspective of the industry leaders in Moses Kotane, labour, tourism consumers and community as to how they in their own words explain the tourism and hospitality experience informed by the leader’s best practices and how this impact in their environment explained in their own words.Item Gender roles and leadership styles: an empirical evaluation of senior executive teams of public universities in Gauteng Province, South Africa(2018) Alahdal, KamalThe objective of this dissertation was to investigate the influence of gender roles on leadership styles, with regards to senior management staff at universities in Gauteng province. Women represent 51.1% of the South African population (Statistics South Africa, 2015), but their position in the workplace is still marginalised. Representation of women in senior management positions in South African universities are relatively low. Women are still marginalised in terms of progression to senior management positions, due to a number of factors including glass ceiling, and the leadership style adopted (Kayi, 2013). The Council of Higher Education (2013) reports that a total of 2664 senior management staff were employed across 23 public universities in South Africa, of which 1510 (56%) were men and 1154 (44%) were women. The study investigated the barriers that inhibit the progression of women to senior management positions and how leadership styles contribute to the gender gap within senior management. Theories such as the role congruity, think manager – think male paradigm and the social role theory provide theoretical grounding for the study. With regards to the research methodology, qualitative research techniques was utilised. Fourteen participants were chosen to participate in the study. The snowball sampling technique was utilised for this study. Data was analysed using thematic analysis, which includes familiarization, developing a thematic framework, indexing and mapping and interpretation. This study is limited to senior management staff, at universities within the Gauteng province; therefore, the findings of the study may not be generalizable to other universities in South Africa. The findings demonstrate that while all the respondents identify as being transformational leaders, it is necessary to develop and understand when to enforce transformational and transactional behaviours. Therefore, the environment in which one operates in and the circumstances encountered by leader’s influences leadership behaviours. The findings illustrate that woman in senior management positions are perceived to be underrepresented but only in certain roles and positions. There is a good representation of female leaders but it is the top management positions where males still dominate. Although the female leaders have experienced some barriers in their career progression, there is a general belief that gender stereotyping is becoming less of an issue. The respondents mentioned training, coaching and mentorship, workshops for men as well as monitoring legislations/equality targets as recommendations to addressing the gender imbalance within senior management teams.