https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/19909 2026-11-02T10:36:30Z 2026-11-02T10:36:30Z Botha, A.D. https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/33188 2026-10-25T23:57:28Z 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

Creating a climate and culture for sustainable organisational change Botha, A.D. Rapid changes in the business landscape, increased . competition and higher customer expectations mean that businesses today have to find ways to establish and keep a competitive advantage. One way businesses can remain competitive is by becoming learning organisations. Organisations need to use their human resources optimally. But organisations do not only need to change into learning organisations but its people need to apply their learning in more creative ways to stay ahead of the competition. An important ingredient of the success of organisational learning is teamwork. Teams allow for innovative problem solving and for the development of synergy either to apply collective knowledge and skills to problems or to develop new or innovative ideas. In the study Standard Bank is identified as an example of an organisation that is attempting to change into a learning organisation. Standard Bank has recently launched a program called "Ordinary-To-Innovative (021)" and "Winning Ways", a process where teams of people work together to find innovative solutions to problems and share ideas. The research attempts to show the relationship between the leadership skills of team leaders and the willingness of team members to change. The change that is referred to is the willingness of team members to become more innovative, to interact in the teams, to learn through this interaction with the purpose of creating value for the organisation. In terms of the effect of either transformational or transactional leadership on willingness to change and creating a climate and culture for innovative change, the research results show that transformational change shows higher frequency, and in a sense better correlations but transactio_nal leadership is quite strong as well. The literature suggests that if an organisation like Standard Bank wants to make the paradigm shift to being more creative and innovative they should train their leaders in transformational leadership skills. These transformational team leaders will assist Standard Bank in creating a climate and culture for sustainable organisational change.

2005-07-01T00:00:00Z Magama, Grace https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/33112 2026-10-07T06:39:28Z 2025-09-01T00:00:00Z

Emergent strategy-making in private higher education institutions by managers: a micro-foundational perspective Magama, Grace EMERGENT STRATEGY-MAKING IN PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS BY MANAGERS: A MICRO-FOUNDATIONAL PERSPECTIVE The current study aimed to explore how strategy emerges in South African Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI) through the everyday micro-foundational practices of managers operating at various organisational levels. Existing strategy literature has largely prioritised deliberate, top-down processes, often overlooking how strategy is enacted informally, iteratively and contextually within complex institutional environments. This research departed from a linear, plan-based ontology and instead adopted a practice-process perspective grounded in Strategy-as-Practice (S-as-P), micro-foundational theory, and Bourdieu’s theory of practice. From this viewpoint, strategy is regarded not as a fixed outcome but as a dynamic phenomenon shaped by situated cognition, social interaction, power and individual routines. The study employed a qualitative, intrinsic single-case design, purposively sampling managers at operational, middle and executive levels within a South African PHEI. A constructivist-interpretivist paradigm guided the research, enabling a rich interpretation of how managers enacted strategy through daily micro-foundational-practices. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, written narratives and document analysis. The data were thematically analysed to produce a grounded model of emergent strategising informed by real-world managerial practices. Key findings revealed that strategy emerged through socially embedded micro-doings, such as strategic adaptation and flexibility, institutional purpose and vision, communication and collaboration in decision-making, and the influence of leadership and power dynamics. Central to these findings was the role of “phronesis” (practical wisdom) and “metis” (practical intelligence), which enabled managers to navigate flux, uncertainty, the institution and operating environment. Significantly, the study advanced a multi-level understanding of strategic agency, highlighting that managers at various hierarchical levels contributed meaningfully to emergent strategising, despite differing levels of formal iii authority. This contribution adds a contextual and empirical extension to S-as-P by recognising that strategising is not merely concentrated at the top but is distributed through layers of practice across the organisation. The main theoretical contribution of the study lies in its integration of micro-foundations with a practice-based view of strategy within a context from the Global South. The findings challenge essentialist views of strategy as formal design and instead position strategy-making as a pluralistic, emergent process shaped by practice, power and place. The final conceptual framework connects micro-practices to organisational outcomes, offering an alternative perspective on how strategy is enacted under real-world institutional conditions. The study concludes that strategising is not merely the result of deliberate planning but also arises from responsive, embodied and socially constructed actions. These insights enhance our understanding of the lived dynamics of strategy work and provide a valuable foundation for future research and leadership development in higher education contexts experiencing change. The findings may inform the design of more adaptive, inclusive and practice-oriented strategic processes within PHEIs and similar organisations; UKWENZIWA KWAMASU EZIKHUNGWENI EZIZIMELE ZEMFUNDO EPHAKEME OKWENZIWA NGABAPHATHI: NGOKWEZIMO ZANGALESO SIKHATHI EZENZAKALAYO Inhloso yocwaningo lwamanje ukuphenya mayelana nokuthi amasu avela kanjani ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme ezimele eNingizimu Afrika (HPEIs) kusetshenziswa imisebenzi yansuku eyenziwa abaphathi abasemazingeni ehlukene esikhungweni. Incwadi yamasu esetshenziswayo ibeka eqhulwini izinqubo ezihleliwe ukusuka phezulu, ezivame ukuthi zikushaye indiva okwamasu angahleliwe, okuphindaphindiwe, futhi ngokuhambisana nokwenzeka endaweni yesikhungo eziyinkimbinkimbi. Lolu cwaningo luyasuka ohlelweni olulandelwayo/oluqondile okuwucwaningo ngokukhona, kunalokho lusebenzisa umbono wenqubo yalokho kwangaleso sikhathi okusekelwe yi-Strategy-as-Practice (S-as-P), ithiyori yezenzo zabantu/yokwenzakalayo, kanye nethiyori yenqubo ka-Bourdieu. Ngokwalo mbono, isu aliwona umphumela ongaguquki kodwa liyaguquka ngokwezimo ezikhona, ukuxhumana kwabantu, nangezinqubo zansuku zonke zomuntu ngamunye, izimo zenhlangano nezingaphandle kanye nobudlelwano bamandla. Ucwaningo lusebenzise ikhwalithethivu, olusezingeni eliphezulu olugxile ohlangothini olulodwa esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme eNingizimu Afrika, ukuhlola ukuthi abaphathi balisebenzisa kanjani isu ngokwezinto/izinqubo zansuku zonke. Ngemposamibuzo eyenziwe kubaphathi abehlukene kuwo wonke amazinga kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemiqulu, kusungulwe indlela ekhombisa ukuthi isu lakhiwa ukuziphatha kwabaphathi kwansuku zonke. Iziphumo ezisemqoka ukuthi isu livela ngokwenzeka nsuku zonke, izenzo zomphakathi, ngokuhambisana nezimo. Okubalulekile kulokhu okutholakele yindima ye-“phronesis” (ukusebenzisa ubuhlakani) kanye ne-“metis” (ukusebenzisa amaqhinga), okwenze abaphathi bakwazi ukubhekana nokungabikho kozinzo, ukungaqiniseki, kanye nokungezwani esikhungweni. Ucwaningo luhlonze izizinda ezine ezixhumene ezibe nomthelela ekuveleni kwamasu: indlela abantu abahlobana ngayo, indlela ababecabanga/abenza ngayo, izinqubo abazisebenzisayo, kanye nesikhundla sabo v enhlanganweni. Abaphathi badale isu ngezenzo ezincane, eziguquguqukayo, nezingekho emthethweni/ezingahleliwe. Ngokuphawulekayo, ucwaningo luveza ukuthi amasu awagcini ngokuvela kubaphathi abaphezulu, kodwa kuwo wonke amazinga okuphatha. Lokhu kuvumelana nethiyori yeS-as-P ngokubonisa abaphathi kunoma yiliphi izinga banesandla ekwakhiweni kwamasu, kungakhathaliseki igunya labo elisemthethweni. Lolu cwaningo luhlanganisa izenzo zomuntu ngamunye nezinqubo zansuku zonke ukuze kuqondwe isu ngokweGlobal South. Kubonisa ukuthi isu akulona nje uhlelo oluqala phezulu lwehlele ezansi, kodwa wuhlelo oluguquguqukayo olubunjwa ukwenza, amandla, nendawo. Uhlaka lokugcina luxhumanisa lezi zenzo zansuku zonke nemiphumela yesikhungo, lunikeza umbono omusha wokuthi isu lenzeka kanjani ngempela ngokwezimo zezikhungo Ucwaningo luphetha ngelokuthi isu akuyona nje into ehlelwayo ngaphakathi kodwa liphinde livele ngezenzo zesikhathi sangempela nezenhlalo, njall. Le miphumela isiza ukuthuthukisa indlela abaholi bemfundo ephakeme abaphatha ngayo izinguquko, ikhuthaze ukuhlela okuhambisana nezimo nokubandakanya wonke umuntu.

2025-09-01T00:00:00Z Fourie, Antonie https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32981 2026-08-23T11:03:58Z 2025-08-01T00:00:00Z

Business model innovation dynamic capability in the South African fintech industry Fourie, Antonie The fintech industry has seen significant growth since the 2008 financial crisis, and financial technology innovation is viewed as an important contributor to financial inclusion, especially in developing countries. Yet, business model innovation in the fintech industry remains a nascent area of academic research, both globally and in South Africa. Little has been published on the properties of the organisational capabilities that underpin business model innovation, and limited research has been conducted in the South African fintech sector. The objective of this study was to uncover the multi-level causal mechanisms that allow a business model innovation dynamic capability to emerge. A qualitative case study research design, utilising a critical realist, grounded theory method was employed in this study. Business model innovation and the organisational capabilities that underpin this phenomenon were investigated in five fintech firms situated in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Dynamic Capability and Complex Adaptive Systems theoretical perspectives were employed to explicate a Dynamic Capability-Complex Adaptive Systems (DC-CAS) explanatory framework as the basis of fintech business model innovation. This study identified nine causal mechanisms including a Problem Framing Mechanism, Resource Deployment Mechanism, Strategic Prioritisation Mechanism, Market Fit Mechanism, Resource Protection Mechanism, Measured Risk-Taking Mechanism, Leveraging Equity Mechanism, Regulatory Alignment Mechanism and Value Proposition Alignment Mechanism. The DC-CAS explained how these causal mechanisms interacted to enable business model innovation. A further output of the study is a managerial framework to provide practical guidance on the development and application of business model innovation dynamic capabilities. This study also makes policy recommendations to facilitate the development of the fintech sector in South Africa. In conclusion, this study contributes to our understanding of the emergence of business model innovation dynamic capability by explicating the complex organisational and environmental context within which it is situated.

2025-08-01T00:00:00Z Van den Heever, Marina https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32974 2026-08-21T10:32:25Z 2006-11-01T00:00:00Z

Accelerated leadership development in South Africa Van den Heever, Marina South African leaders who can deal with the complexities of the global and local economic challenges are scarce. Thus individuals with high potential are targeted for appropriate exposure to accelerate or "fast-track" their development. The present study aims to contribute to the knowledge base of accelerated leadership development in South Africa by investigating the reasons, programme design, content, training methods and programme effectiveness, as well as guidelines for programme development. The research method used is qualitative, comprising personal and group interviews, supplemented with document studies. The research was conducted at Vodacom, Gold Fields and Anglo Platinum. The study indicated factors that detract from the effectiveness of accelerated leadership development programmes, e.g. resistance at middle management level and the negative impact of outside appointments. Guidelines for effective programme design were determined and included commitment from top management, selection of candidates, management of expectations, and effective retention strategies.

2006-11-01T00:00:00Z