The purpose of this research was to study the lived experience of being a strategic leader, described as the black box of leadership, and to extend the limited research in this field. The researcher utilised the qualitative ethnographic methodology of direct observation, observing 138 discrete critical incidents that made up the lived experience of the five strategic leaders in the sample. The researcher further utilised observation tools from the field of Neuro Linguistic Programming, personal experiences, metaphors, allegories, analogies as well as deep personal introspection to make sense of the lived experience of the five CEOs. The primary research objective was to answer the question: What do CEOs do and how do they do it? A further related objective was to explore how they think about what they do. The research answered these questions by prising open the 'black box' of the lived experience of the strategic leader. The result of the research is the pure leadership spider web model. The pure leadership spider web model breaks down the lived experience of the strategic leader, the content of the black box, into eight dimensions: the pillars that make up the personal leadership philosophy; emotional states of mind brought to bear in meetings; kinaesthetic patterns used during meetings; meeting dynamics; emotional states brought to bear on day-to-day shop-floor engagement; emotional states brought to bear on leadership engagement sessions with other like business leaders; frames of mind governing the day-to-day experiences; and The Magic Language Box. / Business Management and Entr / DBL

This research was set out to investigate the role of knowledge management as a coping strategy for PHE institutions in Botswana, especially given that they operate in a highly regulated environment. One of the major drivers of volatility in the educational sector is intensely volatile regulatory environment in which the institutions operate. Further, a large portion of the stakeholder community of these institutions hold a strong believe that these institutions offer poor quality education to maximise profit. The primary objective of this study is therefore to determine the role of knowledge management (KM) enablers in facilitating KM practices in selected PHE institutions in Botswana that operate in this highly regulated environment and to develop a model for effective KM in these institutions. The study adopted a survey research design and collected quantitative data through a structured self-administered questionnaire and document reviews. The subjects comprised all five degree-awarding PHE institutions, which were strictly regulated by the Tertiary Education Council (TEC). The population surveyed came to 670 and sample size was 350. Data was analysed through various statistical measures such as Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in the form of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), multiple regression analysis, and Chi-square test. The results of the study revealed that KM enablers were playing an insignificant role in facilitating KM practices in selected PHE institutions in Botswana. Results of the study can be generalised to similar institutions elsewhere operating in similar environments. In order to enhance KM practices in PHE institutions, it is recommended that the institutions adopt a systematic approach to KM, establish an organisational culture and structure that promote KM practices, and enhance the quality of their human capital including leadership. It should be noted that the state of KM in organisations operating in an uncertain environment can be enhanced if the leadership carefully controls the family-owned setting and organisational culture as these factors can detract from the organisation’s effective practising of KM. However, strategic leadership, organisational structure, and the role played by stakeholders played positive deterministic factors in ensuring an enhanced KM drive. / Business Management / D.Admin. (Business Management)

The purpose of this research was to study the lived experience of being a strategic leader, described as the black box of leadership, and to extend the limited research in this field. The researcher utilised the qualitative ethnographic methodology of direct observation, observing 138 discrete critical incidents that made up the lived experience of the five strategic leaders in the sample. The researcher further utilised observation tools from the field of Neuro Linguistic Programming, personal experiences, metaphors, allegories, analogies as well as deep personal introspection to make sense of the lived experience of the five CEOs. The primary research objective was to answer the question: What do CEOs do and how do they do it? A further related objective was to explore how they think about what they do. The research answered these questions by prising open the 'black box' of the lived experience of the strategic leader. The result of the research is the pure leadership spider web model. The pure leadership spider web model breaks down the lived experience of the strategic leader, the content of the black box, into eight dimensions: the pillars that make up the personal leadership philosophy; emotional states of mind brought to bear in meetings; kinaesthetic patterns used during meetings; meeting dynamics; emotional states brought to bear on day-to-day shop-floor engagement; emotional states brought to bear on leadership engagement sessions with other like business leaders; frames of mind governing the day-to-day experiences; and The Magic Language Box. / Business Management and Entr / DBL

L’exercice du leadership stratégique de directions des soins infirmiers (DIRSI), dans une visée de qualité des soins infirmiers dans des établissements de santé, demeure peu documenté malgré l’impact important des soins infirmiers sur la performance des organisations. Ce type de leadership réfère à la capacité de la directrice des soins infirmiers (DSI) et de son équipe, positionnées aux échelons supérieurs dans l’organisation, de travailler stratégiquement avec d’autres directions pour dispenser des soins de qualité, efficaces et efficients aux personnes et à leurs proches. But de l’étude : Décrire l’exercice du leadership stratégique de DIRSI dans une visée de qualité des soins infirmiers, dans des établissements de santé du Québec, en utilisant un cadre de référence basé sur des éléments tirés de deux modèles soit : An Integrative Model of Strategic Leadership (Boal et Hooijberg, 2000) et Fitting Strategic Leadership Into the Strategic Framework (Hambrick, 1989). Méthodologie : Une recherche qualitative descriptive a été réalisée auprès de cadres infirmiers supérieurs et intermédiaires des DIRSI du Québec. L’échantillon était composé de trente-cinq (N=35) participantes issues de 18 DIRSI des 34 établissements de santé et des services sociaux, soit une participation de 53 % des DIRSI du Québec. Trois groupes de discussion et 31 entrevues semi-structurées ont été réalisés. Résultats : Il appert que pour exercer un leadership stratégique, les DIRSI devraient : 1) s’approprier le positionnement stratégique pour influencer la qualité des soins infirmiers, 2) développer et communiquer une vision claire de la qualité des soins, 3) faire des choix stratégiques, systématiques et mesurés, axés sur la qualité des soins infirmiers pour guider la contribution, 4) recadrer les rôles pour augmenter l’influence à l’égard de la qualité des soins infirmiers, 5) être partie prenante des processus décisionnels stratégiques, 6) développer la capacité politique pour influencer la qualité des soins infirmiers et 7) établir des alliances stratégiques et collaboratives axées sur la qualité des soins infirmiers. De plus, la crédibilité clinique et l’équipe formée aux cycles supérieurs et en nombre suffisant favorisent l’exercice du leadership stratégique de la DIRSI. La culture organisationnelle et la taille de l’établissement contraignent l’exercice du leadership stratégique de la DIRSI. Enfin, l’efficacité du leadership stratégique exercé par les DIRSI dépend de la capacité de celles-ci de trouver un juste équilibre dans la réalisation de la gouvernance des soins infirmiers (hiérarchique et transversale) en vue d’une contribution optimale à la qualité des soins infirmiers. Conclusion : Les résultats indiquent que l’exercice du leadership stratégique des DIRSI génère des zones d’influence qui permettent d’améliorer la contribution de celles-ci à la qualité des soins et même à la qualité globale des organisations. Les DIRSI pourront se référer à ces résultats pour continuer à développer des stratégies visant à améliorer la qualité des soins infirmiers dans des organisations en constante évolution et dont la complexité grandit / In spite of the significant impact of nursing on the performance of health care organizations, the practice of chief nursing offices’ strategic leadership oriented towards high quality of nursing care remains poorly documented. This type of leadership refers to the ability of the chief nursing officer and her team, positioned in the health care organization’s higher levels, to work strategically with other executives so as to provide effective and efficient health care to patients and their relatives. Aim of the study: To describe the strategic leadership practice of chief nursing offices regarding the quality of nursing care in the health care organizations of Quebec. This is done using a frame of reference based on elements from two models: An Integrative Model of Strategic Leadership (Boal et Hooijberg, 2000) and Fitting Strategic Leadership Into the Strategic Framework (Hambrick, 1989). Method: A qualitative descriptive research was conducted among senior and middle managers of Quebec’s chief nursing offices. The sample consisted of thirty-five (N=35) participants from 18 chief nursing offices out of the 34 health care organizations, corresponding to a participation of 53% of Quebec’s chief nursing offices. Three focus groups as well as 31 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Findings: It appears that in order to practice strategic leadership, chief nursing offices should: 1) take ownership of their strategic positioning to influence the quality of nursing care, 2) develop and communicate a clear vision of quality nursing care, 3) make strategic, systematic and measured, choices focused on the quality of nursing care to guide the contribution, 4) reframe the roles to increase the influence regarding the quality of nursing care, 5) be involved in strategic decision-making process, 6) develop political capacity to influence the quality of nursing care and 7) establish strategic and collaborative alliances focussed on the quality of nursing care. Moreover, the clinical credibility and a team comprising an adequate number of educated (graduate-level) people, promotes the strategic leadership practice of chief nursing offices. The culture and size of the organization are the organizational components that constrain the practice of chief nursing offices’ strategic leadership. Finally, the efficiency of the strategic leadership practiced by the chief nursing offices depends on their ability to strike the right balance between hierarchical and transversal governance for an optimal contribution to the quality of nursing care. Conclusion: Results indicate that the practice of strategic leadership generates influential areas, allowing not only the improvement of the chief nursing offices’ contribution to the quality of nursing care, but also to the overall quality of the organizations. Chief nursing offices can refer to these results in order to continue the development of strategies aimed at improving the quality of nursing care in constantly evolving organizations of increasing complexity. / El ejercicio del liderazgo estratégico por parte de las direcciones de enfermería, centrado en la calidad de los cuidados de enfermería ha sido poco documentado, no obstante el impacto que este genera en la eficiencia global de los establecimientos de salud. Este tipo de liderazgo se refiere a la capacidad de la directora de enfermería y de su equipo, ubicados en los altos mandos de la organización, de trabajar estratégicamente con otras direcciones para garantizar una prestación de cuidados de enfermería, de calidad, eficientes y eficaces a la persona y a su entorno. Objetivo: Describir el ejercicio del liderazgo estratégico de las direcciones de enfermería, centrado en la calidad de los cuidados de enfermería, en los establecimientos de salud de Quebec, utilizando algunos elementos de dos modelos: An Integrative Model of Strategic Leadership (Boal et Hooijberg, 2000) y Fitting Strategic Leadership Into the Strategic Framework (Hambrick, 1989). Método: Estudio cualitativo de tipo descriptivo realizado con enfermeras administrativas de nivel superior e intermedio, de las direcciones de enfermería del Quebec. La muestra ha sido constituida por treinta y cinco (N=35) participantes provenientes de 18 de los 34 establecimientos de salud lo que representa el 53 % de las direcciones de enfermería del Quebec. Tres grupos de discusión y 31 entrevistas semi-estructuradas fueron realizados. Resultados: Se constata que para ejercer liderazgo estratégico, las direcciones de enfermería deberían : 1) apoderarse el posicionamiento estratégico para influenciar la calidad del cuidado de enfermería, 2) desarrollar y comunicar una visión clara de la calidad del cuidado de enfermería, 3) tomar opciones estratégicas, sistemáticas y medibles, centradas en la calidad del cuidado de enfermería, 4) alinear los roles para aumentar la influencia en la calidad del cuidado de enfermería, 5) desarrollar la capacidad política para influenciar la calidad del cuidado de enfermería, 6) ser parte integrante de los procesos decisionales estratégicos y 7) establecer alianzas estratégicas y colaborativas enfocadas en la calidad del cuidado de enfermería. Además, se constata que la credibilidad clínica y el equipo formado con estudios universitarios de nivel superior y en número suficiente favorecen el ejercicio de liderazgo estratégico de las direcciones de enfermería. Por otra parte, la cultura organizacional y el tamaño del establecimiento obstaculizan el ejercicio de liderazgo estratégico de las direcciones de enfermería. Finalmente, la eficacia de liderazgo estratégico de las direcciones de enfermería depende de su capacidad para ejercer una gobernanza de enfermería equilibrada (jerárquica y transversal) contribuyendo de manera óptima a la calidad de los cuidados de enfermería. Conclusión: los resultados indican que el ejercicio de liderazgo estratégico por parte de las direcciones de enfermería genera zonas de influencia permitiéndoles mejorar su contribución a la calidad de los cuidados de enfermería e incluso la gestión de la calidad total de las organizaciones de salud. Las direcciones de enfermería podrán referirse a estos resultados para continuar desarrollando estrategias enfocadas en la mejora continua de la calidad de los cuidados de enfermería en organizaciones que están en constantes cambios cada día más complejos.

Business today is conducted within societies facing complex global challenges and unprecedented demands for effective, ethical, and excellent business leadership that proactively manages its societal impacts. Integrating economic success with service of the common good requires a sound, shared understanding of “positive” executive business leadership to guide executive selection, education and development, and practice. This thesis formulates and theoretically grounds a general theory of positive executive business leadership. Integrative Executive Leadership (“IEL”) addresses the individual, pairs/groups/teams, organizational, and societal levels of business. Within these contexts, IEL exercises positive integrative agency through multi-stakeholder professional stewardship, integrated performance management, and living codes of ethics. This requires the practice of five mutually-reinforcing positive behavioural repertoires: contemplative self-leadership, functional-relational facilitative leadership, full range managerial-leadership, visionary strategic leadership, and transforming-developmental leadership. These are reinforced by five positive philosophies or styles of leadership: authentic, moral, spiritual, servant, and wise leadership. Consequently, IEL is predicated upon essential competencies, attainments, and positive dispositions. Especially, IEL requires the cultivation of positive psychological states, traits, and virtues, eudaimonic character, postautonomous levels of ego development, psychological complexity, integrative consciousness and flow. In addition to promoting intrinsic morality, these farther reaches of human nature contribute to effective and excellent leadership performance. Integrative Executive Leaders do well by doing good. IEL was developed through multiparadigm theory-building, adopting a pragmatic epistemology, and employing a transdisciplinary, positive scholarship approach to integrate the findings from a broad range of qualitative and quantitative research from the humanities and the social sciences. IEL theory articulates important theoretical relationships derived from: leading insights from management and organization theory; salient research findings from the social sciences and the humanities; insights from positive psychology, positive organizational behaviour, positive organizational scholarship, constructive developmental psychology, transpersonal psychology, and integrated empirical ethics; interpretive analyses of the biographies of great world leaders; and, a rich case study of an extraordinary executive business leader. Accordingly, IEL is advanced as an emergent theory with both theoretical grounding and empirical reference. The path forward requires further transdisciplinary, multiparadigm, multi-method research to further develop and refine IEL and establish it as a grounded theory of positive executive business leadership.

Business today is conducted within societies facing complex global challenges and unprecedented demands for effective, ethical, and excellent business leadership that proactively manages its societal impacts. Integrating economic success with service of the common good requires a sound, shared understanding of “positive” executive business leadership to guide executive selection, education and development, and practice. This thesis formulates and theoretically grounds a general theory of positive executive business leadership. Integrative Executive Leadership (“IEL”) addresses the individual, pairs/groups/teams, organizational, and societal levels of business. Within these contexts, IEL exercises positive integrative agency through multi-stakeholder professional stewardship, integrated performance management, and living codes of ethics. This requires the practice of five mutually-reinforcing positive behavioural repertoires: contemplative self-leadership, functional-relational facilitative leadership, full range managerial-leadership, visionary strategic leadership, and transforming-developmental leadership. These are reinforced by five positive philosophies or styles of leadership: authentic, moral, spiritual, servant, and wise leadership. Consequently, IEL is predicated upon essential competencies, attainments, and positive dispositions. Especially, IEL requires the cultivation of positive psychological states, traits, and virtues, eudaimonic character, postautonomous levels of ego development, psychological complexity, integrative consciousness and flow. In addition to promoting intrinsic morality, these farther reaches of human nature contribute to effective and excellent leadership performance. Integrative Executive Leaders do well by doing good. IEL was developed through multiparadigm theory-building, adopting a pragmatic epistemology, and employing a transdisciplinary, positive scholarship approach to integrate the findings from a broad range of qualitative and quantitative research from the humanities and the social sciences. IEL theory articulates important theoretical relationships derived from: leading insights from management and organization theory; salient research findings from the social sciences and the humanities; insights from positive psychology, positive organizational behaviour, positive organizational scholarship, constructive developmental psychology, transpersonal psychology, and integrated empirical ethics; interpretive analyses of the biographies of great world leaders; and, a rich case study of an extraordinary executive business leader. Accordingly, IEL is advanced as an emergent theory with both theoretical grounding and empirical reference. The path forward requires further transdisciplinary, multiparadigm, multi-method research to further develop and refine IEL and establish it as a grounded theory of positive executive business leadership.

Abstracts in English, Zulu and Swazi / This study aimed to investigate and find strategies that might improve School A's Grade 12 results through the principal's visionary leadership. The theoretical framework that informed this study was the school principal as a visionary leader, which plays a critical role in ensuring the quality of teaching and learning is improved by providing necessary resources for teachers and learners and creating a sound culture of teaching-learning. Upper Echelon Theory's effectiveness is based on strategic choices by visionary leadership and school performance principles that served as the theoretical framework. A qualitative research approach was used for this study, as it allowed the researcher to conduct in-depth interviews with ten school principals in Ehlanzeni District, Mpumalanga, and examined relevant documents to collect data. The research indicates that most schools acknowledge the importance of visionary leadership and proved that there were many execution gaps in implementing the intervention strategies that needed to be addressed, such as lack of effective visionary leadership, lack of unity, support to teachers, monitoring of teaching and learning and recruiting quality teachers in Grade 12. The study recommends that school principals need to implement more effective leadership, strategic planning and implementation of policy, communication, parental involvement accountability, effective monitoring and placement of quality teachers to teach Grade 12 learners. / Izindlela ezsetshenziswa ngothisha-nhloko abanobuholi obubhekela phambili ekwenzeni ncono izinga lokuphumelela ebangeni leshumi nambili kuzikole ezinemiphumela emihle. Lolucwaningo lugcile ekufunisiseni izindlela ezingenza ncono izinga lokuphumelela ngamalengiso ebangeni leshumi nambili ngokuholwa ngothisha-nhloko ababonela phambili izinto.Lolucwaningo lusekelwe ngolwazi olutholakele kwabanye ababonise ukuthi ubukhona bukathisha-nhloko obukela izinto phambili budlala inzima enkulu ekucinisekiseni ngezinga eliphezulu lokufundisa nokufunda ngoku nikeza izinsiza zokufunda nokufundisa kubothisha nakubafundi kanye nokwakha isiko lokufunda nokufundisa .I- ‘Upper Echelon Theory’, ukuphumelela kwayo kusekeleke kuzindlela nakuncubo-mgomo yabaholi abanombono. Lolucwaningo olukhethekile lokuthola ulwazi ngokukhulumisana nalabo abathinteka-ngco ivumela ukuthi uhlolo lwenziwe ngendlela yamanje yobuchwepheshe ngokukhulumisana nabothisha-nhloko abalishumi kusiyingi sase- Ehlanzeni, e-Mpumalanga, nokuthola eminye lanemininngwane ezincwadini zesikolo . Lolucwaningo luthole ukuthi abahlanganyeli abaningi bavumelana ngokuthi othishanhloko abanemibono babalulekile ekucinisekiseni ukuthi izindlela ezintsha zokuphumelelisa imiphumela; ukuncenga othisha abasezingeni eliphezulu kudinga ukwakhiwa .Lolucwaningo lusekela umbono wokuthi izikolo zidinga othisha –nhloko abazocinisekisa ukusethenziswa kwezindlela ezintsha kanye neku heha othisha abasezingeni eliphezulu ukuze bafundise abafundi bebanga leshumi-nakubili ukuze kukhushulwe imiphumela yebanga leshumi nakubili. / Tindlela letisentjentiswa ngubothishela-nhloko labanemibono kwenta ncono lizinga lekuphumelela ebangeni lelishumi-nakubili etkolweni letinemiphumela lemihle. Lelicwaningo ligxile ekufunisiseni tindlela letingenta ncono lizinga lekuphumelela ngemalengiso elibangeni lelishumi nakubili Lelicwaningo lelikhetsekile lokutfola lwati ngekucocisananalabo labatsintseka-nco kuloko lokukhulunyiswana ngako, ivumela nekutsi lokucocisana kungentiwa ngetindlela tamanje tebuchwepheshe ngekukhulumisana nabothishela-nhloko labalishumiesiyingini sase-Ehlanzeni, eMpumalanga, nekutfola leminye mininngwane etincwadzini tesikolwa letigciniwe. Lelicwaningo litfole kutsi labahlanganyeli kulelicwaningo bayavumelana ngekutsi bothishela-nhloko lababukela tintfo phambili babaluleke kakhulu ngobe ngibo labacinisekisa kutsi kusetshentiswa kwetindlela letisha nekuheha bothishela labasezingeni lelisetulu kuyayikhuphula miphumela yetikolwa. ngekuholwa ngubothishela-nhloko lababonela tintfo phambili. Lolucwaningo lutfole kutsi kuliciniso kutsi bothishela-nhloko lababonela tintfo phambili bayakwati kutsi kuheha bothishela labasezingeni lelisetulu nekusebentisa tindlela letihlukahlukene ekufundziseni kuyayi phakamisa imphumelelo yebafundzi nemiphumela yesikolo. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)