Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

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    The internal factors that influence incremental technological innovation in a South African organisation
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Gobind, Dhiyaksha; Magida, Ayanda
    In today’s fast-changing digital world, technological innovation is necessary for organisations to ensure long-term sustainability and market success. In large, complex organisations, numerous factors influence the success or failure of innovation. These factors can be categorised as technological, organisational, and environmental. This study explored the internal factors that influence incremental technological innovation in an organisation. Organisation X forms part of a federated business model and, as a result, has a shared technology platform. The study applied qualitative research methods with an interpretive paradigm that helped to evaluate the human experience and the understanding they attach to it. A purposive sampling method was applied using the researcher’s professional network to interview 12 participants at various management levels in the organisation. While there was a predetermined interview guide, the instrument format offered flexibility to explore the topics. The primary data collection method was in the form of online interviews on a cloud-based collaboration software. The data was analysed using the thematic analysis approach, and the results highlighted an interplay of the themes as they were interdependent. After applying the factors explored by the study within the technological, organisational, and environmental contexts, the research findings revealed significant areas that required focus and optimisation. The results indicated that organisational culture, processes, and leadership styles significantly influence technological innovation. The research provides practical recommendations to solve for the gaps and inefficiencies revealed by the study. These valuable recommendations include setting up Centres of Excellence, defining Proof of Concept strategies and reconfiguring project teams working on the latest technology innovations
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    Leadership during Digital Transformation in the South African Banking Sector
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mahadeo, Zane Jonathan; Mazonde, Nomusa
    This paper investigated the pivotal role of leadership in the context of digital transformation within the South African (SA) banking sector. The study delved into the various leadership styles, competencies, and practices adopted by banking leaders to propel digital transformation initiatives. As part of this research, qualitative research methods, were applied which included in-depth interviews with senior leaders in the SA banking sector. Through their perceptions and experiences the research sought to uncover critical leadership practices, including the identification of the most suitable leadership styles, the cultivation of a digital culture, and the implementation of effective change management strategies. Moreover, the paper aims to identify the current challenges faced by leaders in navigating the digital transformation landscape. This research will contribute to the existing body of knowledge on leadership during digital transformation in the SA banking sector. It will also enable organisation to harness the full potential of digital advancements and implement competitive strategies to succeed in the ever-evolving banking industry
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    Exploring the mindsets and behaviours necessary for cultivating data-driven decision making within an organisation
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Jacobs, Jef Andreas; Ngubane, Samukelo; Wotela, Kambidima
    The advancement of data storage and processing technologies and the exponential growth in data generated by online activity and smart devices has stimulated a desire by organisations to be more data-driven in their decision making. Adopting a data-driven approach to decision making is associated with improved organisation performance and innovation. However, most organisations are struggling to realise these benefits because crafting clear data use strategies and cultivating a culture of data-driven decision making appears to be more challenging than investing in relevant technologies or implementing organisational processes. Given this situation, the purpose of this study is to investigate the mindsets and associated behaviours of leaders and their teams who are successfully leveraging data to improve market competitiveness or impact. Using a qualitative research strategy and semi-structured interview processes with six experienced professionals, this research paper identifies six mindsets and associated behaviours that senior decision makers should adopt to help overcome the common people related challenges that hinder effective data-driven decision making in organisations. Prime examples include senior leaders as data advocates who communicate and reflect of data-driven decisions and leaders who encourage quick experimentation with an openness to failure. Based on these findings the study recommends that senior decision makers, working in organisations that have invested in data related technologies and skills, acknowledge that their attitudes and behaviours have a direct impact on how successful any data strategy and investment will be. These influential leaders or managers need to understand and believe in the data- driven decision making process and they need to ensure the implementation of key activities that ensure informed actions are eventually taken on the back of data collected. Research in this field mostly predominantly discusses issues related to numerical techniques, technological innovations and studies around impact. This study contributesto the current body of knowledge by investigating leadership and managerial aspects of data use or Big Data in organisational decision making
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    Transformational leadership and employee engagement at CHAL hospitals in Lesotho
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Doti, Mmello; Wotela, Kambidima; Malatji, Hlologelo
    Purpose: This study aimed at improving services at CHAL health facilities and to add to the studies that were conducted previously on the impact of transformational leadership on employee engagement. The impact was investigated through attempting to find relationships between key aspects of transformational leadership, employee engagement and productivity. The aim was to continuously explore ways to enhance profitability and efficient ways of delivering meaningful services for CHAL Health facilities. Research Design, methodology & approach: The study was done from data collected from the employees of two CHAL Hospital. A quantitative study was conducted using the following measures: Cronbach Alpha coefficient for reliability and Correlation Matrix to measure the correlations between variables under transformational leadership and employee engagement domains. Findings and recommendations: The main finding of the study was that transformational leadership has positive relationship with employee engagement. It was also established that employee engagement is a perfect strategy to enhance organisational performance, competitiveness and efficiency. Future recommendation was to acquire leadership skills for all levels of management and establish a goal oriented organisational culture for improving employee engagement
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    Internal audit mechanism enabling Lesotho revenue authority leadership to achieve corporate goals
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Mothebe, Lekata; Wotela, Kmbidima; Gobind, Jenika
    Purpose: The main purpose of the study is to examine how internal audit contributes to the achievement of corporate goals or objectives. The extent to which internal audit is independent is likely to determine the objectivity and quality of the audit reports this function issues. The research further investigates the relationship between internal audit and the leadership of the organisation. Methodology: The researcher used qualitative methodology to conduct this explanatory research. Semi-structured questions were developed, and interviews held with purposively selected participants to understand their views regarding the internal audit. Qualitative methodology does not require too many participants to make findings and conclusions, and therefore a sample of 15 people was selected for the interviews. However, only 12 participated. Findings: Internal audit is a tool or mechanism that leadership uses to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of processes across all departments. The work of the internal audit function becomes more valuable when it is engaged as strategic partner of the organisation. Presence of reliable risk management processes, strong control environment and good governance is a result of effective leadership.
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    Leadership in a strategy implementation project office in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Lepan, Quincy; Munkuli, Bongani
    The Project Management Office plays a critical role in organizations in South Africa. It needs to ensure it has articulated all projects that entail an organization. The current paper’s essence is to examine Project Management Office leadership in South Africa with specific Project Management Office (PMO) and Project Management Office (PMO) leaders’ success. It also attempts to understand the impact that Project Management Office (PMO) maturity has on the success of projects. Finally, it considers the measurements used in understanding the success of a project. It uses a qualitative design approach with 27 respondents, and the responses undergo thematic analysis to understand the implications of the current study. The paper shows a strong correlation between Project Management Office maturity in South Africa with effective leadership with strong technical skills and high emotional intelligence (emotional quotient EQ) and interpersonal relationship skills. It also indicates a need to improve communication skills and flexibility in project management which is majorly lacking in failed projects despite the improvement depicted over the years. The paper shows that the success of the Project Management Offices is down to the leadership of the PMO and leads to a resultant increase in maturity and project performance
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    The Role of Leadership in the Implementation of Strategic Projects in a Commercial Bank in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Mutshinya, Phathutshedzo; Wotela, Kambidima; Matshabaphala , Johnny
    This research highlighted the role of leadership in the delivery of strategic projects in a commercial bank setting. The research followed a quantitative research strategy whereby a sample of a commercial bank was approached to gather their insights and perceptions of the leadership role in the implementation of strategic projects. The views of commercial bank employees were analyzed to identify gaps that existed in the leadership behaviours and traits currently adopted in the banks. Findings from this research confirmed that there are indeed gaps in the leadership role that leave room for improvement for a more successful outcome of the strategic project implementation. The study highlighted that leaders in a commercial bank should lean towards agility to guide and support towards a more successfully implementation of strategic projects
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    Leadership Development Impact Evaluation Approaches
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Mbatha, Vuyile Cynthia; Matshabaphala, Manamela
    This mixed methods multiple case study research investigated the approaches used in the impact evaluation of leadership development initiatives within the context of financial services corporate organisations operating in the African continent and headquartered in South Africa. Organisations around the world are continuously investing incremental amounts of money into learning and development, more specifically directed towards leadership development initiatives (Boyett & Boyett, 1998; Clark & Clark, 1994; McCauley, Moxley, & Van Velsor, 1998) and yet to date, research and literature on leadership has been predominately focused on theories and approaches to leadership (Bass & Stogdill, 1990; Boyett & Boyett, 1998; Brungardt, 1996; Gardner, 1990; Jackson, 1992; Northouse, 1997; Yukl & van Fleet, 1992) with limited research focused on demonstrating the holist impact of leadership development investments (Avolio, 2007). Although research has been done on evaluation practices in relation to training and development, few researchers have addressed the matter of impact evaluation specifically for leadership development, through case study research using the mixed methods lenses. This research study was aimed at investigating the approaches used to measure the impact of leadership development initiatives, through engaging with stakeholders that have a vested interest in leadership development. The qualitative results revealed that the current leadership development evaluation approaches are a case of a self-fulfilling prophecy, enabled by the unilateral design of the current evaluation approaches and matrices for evaluation are not agreed upfront with relevant key stakeholders. Furthermore, the current approaches do not measure leadership impact holistically. This is problematic as business stakeholdersare not able to obtain a sense of the true and holistic impact of leadership development initiatives, in relation to their context and matrices that are important for them as business stakeholders are not included. The quantitative findings highlight the importance of having a leadership development evaluation approach that is 1) credible; 2) simple; 3) enables the evaluation to be done across all three levels of the triple bottom line; and an approach that is 4) theoretically sound. The results provided insights into the core elements that should be included in evaluating leadership development impact holistically and through this theory emerged which informs the theoretical contribution in this research study. In this, a proposed holistic leadership development impact evaluation approach is presented as an evaluation framework with underlying principles used to explain what informs the framework and how the framework may be applied in the evaluation of leadership development initiatives within the context of corporate leadership in South Africa
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    The impact of leadership on productivity at Harmony Kalgold operation
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Montshonyane, Ramosiako; Matshabaphala, Manamela
    Background: The significance of good leadership styles in respect of productivity cannot be overemphasised in the modern world of global change. The change in leadership and their diverse styles has affected the rate of production at Harmony Kalgold Operation. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of leadership styles on productivity in the case of Harmony Kalgold Operation in Mahikeng-Kraaipan, South Africa. Setting: The research study was undertaken in South Africa and particularly focused on the Northwest Province. Only a quantitative research method was employed with a sample size of 50 members selected from the organisation of study. Methods: The positivist and quantitative approach through a questionnaire survey was employed to collect data for the research study. A quantitative research methodology was adopted through a random sample of 50 employees. Results: Within the company, there are four main types of productivity. Democratic leadership is directly correlated with productivity. Authoritarian leadership style has a strong negative correlation with productivity. Charismatic leadership style has a positive correlation with productivity. Similarly, transformational leadership style was found to relate more with productivity and the leadership style should be developed by modern leaders. Transactional leadership style had a little negative relationship with productivity and entails a carrot and stick method to accomplish organisational goals. Conclusions: There are at least five most common leadership styles which influence Harmony Kalgold operation 's productivity. These are autocratic, democratic, laissez- faire, transactional, and transformational leadership. There are at most four measures of productivity at Harmony Kalgold. These are capital, physical, labour, and total productivity. Indeed, leadership styles influence productivity in diverse ways. Each situation requires each own leadership style to improve productivity. However, the situational theory of leadership suggests that no single leadership style is best.
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    Leadership and gender in a financial institution in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Bhana, Meera; Matshabaphala, Manamela
    For many years, the comprehension of leadership has been a crucial aspect in organisations and continues to be a pressing concern for businesses. Despite the efforts made by organisations to develop leaders, leadership has often been characterised by the failure to achieve desired outcomes. As such, there is a requirement to understand leadership from a gender perspective. This study is aimed at investigating the experiences of women in leadership. The focus is on comprehending the concept of leadership and how women have progressed in financial institutions in South Africa. A qualitative research design was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of women in leadership and their experiences as women in a male-dominated corporate environment. The data collection method involved semi-structured interviews with eight female participants and four male participants, in order to gather their perspectives. The findings indicated that the participants did face challenges in obtaining leadership roles and found it difficult to break the glass ceiling. However, there was a consensus that the older generation believed that women are only capable of being housewives and prioritising family responsibilities due to historical legacies and social norms. In contrast, the younger generation found it easier to assume leadership roles with the support of their organisation and male colleagues. The study revealed three main themes that emerged, namely, Leadership, Gender, and Diversity. These themes were further broken down into sub-themes. Although some of the participants exhibited a positive outlook based on the progress made by women in recent years, many still believe that the older generation needs to shift iv their mindset and embrace change. As more women are being recognised in leadership roles, it is recommended that women should also assert themselves, be empowered and encouraged to face challenges and confidently assume leadership positions.