Examining the incorporation of the market orientation approach within the City of Johannesburg’s integrated development planning
Date
2022
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Abstract
Municipalities in South Africa (SA) are characterised by poor service delivery. This also includes the bigger municipalities, such as the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), which have and continue to struggle to provide adequate services. Providing sufficient services is important in a country because those services contribute to the improvement of the lives of citizens. Secondly, service delivery is one of municipality’s main responsibilities as legislated by “the supreme law of the land, the SA Constitution” (Adonis & Van der Walt, 2017, p.42).
The Integrated development planning (IDP Planning) is legislated and compulsory for municipalities to use. It is meant to help municipalities improve service delivery; however, even after many years of implementation the services have not improved (Adonis & Van der Walt, 2017; Asha & Makalela, 2000; Mukwevho & Mtupiri, 2014).
As such, the study sought to understand the extent to which a market orientation approach is used by the CoJ IDP Planning. Using the interpretivist research paradigm and the qualitative research methodology, the CoJ was selected to investigate the phenomenon further. Data was collected through a theoretical review analysis and document analysis, with a review period from 2013 to 2026. Data was analysed and interpreted through a Thematic analysis (TA). The findings confirmed the initial proposition and suggested that even though the CoJ is very good with their IDP Planning and Integrated development plan (IDP), this did not translate into improved service delivery. The study also found that the CoJ’s IDP Planning did not fully adopt a market orientation approach as two elements of market orientation, viz. Intelligence generation was incomplete, whilst Intelligence dissemination was absent, which could explain why even with the very best IDP Planning and IDP, the CoJ was still unable to provide adequate services.
The study recommended that for the CoJ’s IDP Planning to be efficient in improving service delivery, it must be modified in order to adopt a market orientation approach. This could be attained by including the following omitted elements of market orientation, namely: The dissemination of intelligence throughout the municipality and improving the intelligence generation element of market orientation as follows: Involving all municipal units (i.e. departments, directorates and municipal entities) in the IDP Planning. Furthermore, by ensuring that data used for their IDP Planning is collected through both formal and informal data collection channels and at all times instead of being treated as an event.
Description
A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Governance and Management to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022
Keywords
Integrated development planning, Market orientation, Municipal services and municipal service delivery