This study is a comparative investigation of organizational leadership internationally in Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. The thesis developed is largely based on the "PM" (Performance/Maintenance) model of leadership developed by Misumi over the last three or four decades in Japan.The Misumi model sets a precedent interesting for its Eastern juxtaposition with Hofstede and for the tension it recognizes between behaviours general to all situations of organizational leadership and those which are context-specific. In addition to the focus on this theory in particular, the study examines the relationship of national and personal values to perceptions and interpretation of organizational leadership behaviour. The underlying purpose is to increase understanding of cross-cultural variables in the field of organizational leadership.For its premise, the research undertaken makes the suggestion that leadership behaviours are influenced by national cultural variables and therefore national similarities or differences are, at least to some extent, culturally determined. It is the scope of this cultural imperative which becomes the focus for the thesis. Hypotheses developed, and the data gathered to test them, centre on the perceptions of consistency between organizational leadership in Australia, Singapore and Malaysia.

Improving Māori achievement is one of the most important aims of the New Zealand educational system. The benefits of raising the achievement of Māori students have a wide range of positive outcomes for the whole country. In the last ten years many schools have been engaged in initiatives designed to improve the success of Māori learners; but does this work continue when the support and funding is no longer there? This research is designed to identify factors that can sustain these initiatives. Organisational culture creates the conditions in schools so they can continually develop and evolve. But in 21st century society this can happen in complex ways, so schools and their leaders need to understand how to manage that complexity. Leadership is a crucial part of this process, but it is not traditional styles of leadership that are required but new types such as adaptive and authentic leadership. These styles of leadership rely on building relational trust through clear communication and actions which engage and empower others. The recommendations form a framework for school leaders to create a successful organisational culture which could be applied to improving the performance of Māori, but it could also be applied to other school change initiatives.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One school of thought on leadership propounds the idea that the individual leader is the source of leadership through personal dominance and intellectual influence. However, organisations are operating in an ever-changing environment and leaders face increasingly complex challenges. Drath proposes that there should be a rethinking of leadership and suggests that broader social meaning-making processes of accomplishing leadership tasks are required, and that good leaders are the end product of good processes of leadership. This research is an assessment of the leadership criteria used by an Executive Placement Company in the selection of senior leaders in organisations, and whether Drath’s theory on organisational leadership, or something approaching this, is present in practice. Following from that, Drath’s theory is evaluated as an alternative means of approaching current leadership issues. The study will attempt to give a better understanding of the criteria that could be applied in placing leaders in organisations, in order to meet the complex challenges faced by leaders in organisations. A qualitative research method with limited triangulation was used. This involved a case study of an Executive Placement Company in Johannesburg. Data collection was in the form of semistructured interviews and the completion of a questionnaire by the five senior employees of the Executive Placement Company involved in the placement of senior leaders. The questionnaire contained open and closed ended questions. A quantitative method was applied as questionnaires were completed by five employees, as well as a qualitative method, which involved conducting semi-structured interviews with five employees. However, as a limited number of questionnaires were used, the research is predominantly qualitative research. The criteria used by the Executive Placement Company, as well as changes in organisational leadership criteria and organisational leadership factors, were identified. Key criteria include the culture, management style and dynamics of the organisations in which the leaders are to be placed. The personal attributes of the leader, such as experience, technical skills and, in particular, behavioural competencies are also important. It is suggested that there have been changes in the criteria used for placement, with organisations appearing to prefer more empowering, participating, engaged, connected and relationship focused leaders. There also seems to be a move away from an autocratic style of leadership towards one that is more holistic and integrated. Various elements of Drath’s theory are present in practice and it is thus suggested that this theory provides an alternative perspective with which to approach leadership issues. The value of the present research is that it gives an indication of actual leadership processes and the criteria that are and should be applied in the placement of leaders in organisations. This research also indicates that difficulties exist in leadership processes due to the application of affirmative action policies in the placement of leaders in organisations. Further research is required in regard to the effect of affirmative action policies in the placement of leaders in organisations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ‘n Belangrike en invloedryke skool van denke oor leierskap voer aan dat die individuele leier, deur persoonlike dominansie en intellektuele invloed, die bron van leierskap is. Organisasies bevind hulself egter in omgewings wat voortdurend aan die verander is en hierdeur staar leiers toenemend komplekse uitdagings in die gesig. Gevolglik voer Drath aan dat leierskap herdink moet word en stel voor dat breër sosiale betekenisprosesse, wat ten doel het om leierskapstake te vorm, benodig word en dat goeie leiers dus die eindprodukte van goeie leierskapsprosesse is. Hierdie navorsing behels eerstens ’n assessering van leierskapskriteria, soos aangewend deur die Executive Placement Company in die seleksie van seniorleiers in organisasies en daarmee saam die vraag of Drath se teorie oor organisatoriese leierskap (of iets soortgelyk aan sy teorie) in praktyk voorkom. Tweedens, ondersoek dit die vraag of Drath se teorie ’n alternatiewe manier bied om huidige leierskapskwessies te benader. Dié studie het ten doel om ’n beter verstandhouding daar te stel van die kriteria wat gebruik kan word om leiers in organisasies te plaas ten einde die komplekse uitdagings, wat deur leiers in organisasies ervaar word, die hoof te bied. ’n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode met beperkte triangulering is gebruik. Dit sluit in ’n gevallestudie op ’n Executive Placement Company in Johannesburg. Dataversameling het die vorm aangeneem van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en die voltooiing van ’n vraelys deur vyf senior werknemers van die Executive Placement Company, betrokke by die plasing van senior leiers. Die vraelys bevat beide oop- en geslote vrae. Kwantitatiewe- (in die vorm van vraelyste voltooi) en kwalitatiewe metodes (in die vorm van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gevoer) is gebruik. Aangesien slegs ’n beperkte getal vraelyste gebruik kon word, is die navorsing hoofsaaklik kwalitatief van aard. Kriteria deur die Executive Placement Company gebruik, sowel as veranderinge in organisatoriese leierskapskriteria en –leierskapsfaktore, is geïdentifiseer. Sleutelkriteria sluit in die kultuur, bestuurstyl en dinamika van die organisasie waar leiers geplaas word. Die persoonlike eienskappe van die leier, soos ervaring, tegniese vaardighede en veral gedragsbevoegdhede, is ook as belangrik geag. Daar word voorgestel dat daar veranderinge aangebring word ten opsige van die kriteria gebruik vir plasing; organisasies toon ’n voorkeur vir leiers wat meer gefokus is op bemagtiging, deelneming, betrokkenheid, verbondenheid en verhoudings. Dit wil verder voorkom of daar wegbeweeg word van ’n outokratiese styl van leierskap na een wat meer holisties en geïntegreerd is. Verskeie elemente van Drath se teorie is teenwoordig en daarom word daar voorgestel dat hierdie teorie ’n alternatiewe perspektief bied om leierskapskwessies te benader. Die waarde van die navorsing lê daarin dat dit ’n indikasie gee van die werklike leierskapprosesse wat gebruik word. Die navorsing dui verder daarop dat daar probleme bestaan in leierskapsprosesse, teweeggebring deur die toepassing van regstellende aksie beleid in die plasing van leiers in organisasies. Toekomstige navorsing word benodig om die invloed van regstellende aksie op leierskaps prosesse in organisasies te bepaal.

In today’s rapidly changing world of work, where dramatic, unpredictable and complex change is redefining the way in which organisations are to be managed, a realisation has emerged that the intra- and interpersonal communication techniques of people are fundamental in organisational success. This study argues that Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) consists of the necessary techniques to impact on an organisation, while its communication model and leadership behaviour adds to achieving organisational success. Previous research in NLP has been done mostly in disciplines such as psychology and linguistics, but a call is made to apply NLP in an organisational context. Little empirical evidence exists with regards to the benefits of NLP techniques while even fewer evidence is available in a South African context. In this study NLP’s relationship with Emotional Intelligence, the development of leadership, the corporate world and several communication theories are explored so as to understand the value it can contribute in a time where the concept of organisational success is being re-defined. An integrated framework of organisational success, incorporating NLP, Emotional Intelligence and intrapersonal communication, is introduced that serves as an additional guideline to measure the elements of organisational success in organisations, leaders or communication models. This framework also leads to the conclusion that organisations, leaders and communication models making use of NLP are better off than those not making use of it. The benefits of NLP include motivating employees, managing conflict and self-motivation, managing emotional states, communicating effectively, building trust, increasing productivity, improving customer care, strategic planning, setting goals as well as aligning visions and better flexibility. This study establishes that intelligent leadership, the application of NLP techniques to the intra- and interpersonal communication behaviour and management approaches of leaders, can be correlated with organisational success. This is done by means of a case study on the Solidarity Movement, a large non-profit organisation in South-Africa, where five strategic leaders are analysed who are believed to be using and have implemented NLP in the organisation. The result is that evidence is found to support the notion that NLP improves the intra- and interpersonal behaviour of leaders and in turn contributes to organisational success by applying NLP in their communication and leadership behaviour. NLP is often presented as a magic toolkit for the self-improvement of individuals and have since recently relied more on presuppositions than either qualitative or quantitative research. This study adds to the credibility of NLP as an increasingly important instrument for communication management as a discipline. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Communication Management / Unrestricted

In this study, Interpretivist epistemology and abductive research strategy were used to examine transcripts of sixteen two-hour focused interviews. The research sample was a group of technical experts who assumed managerial responsibilities within their organisations (transitional managers). The subjectively perceived experiences of the transition were examined as well as the respondents' intersubjective interpretations of the transition from the organisational perspective. The aim was to explore the perceived characteristics of the transitional experience. The main findings of this study could be summarised as follows: firstly, it was found that there were three main types of transitional managers: the unwilling, the pragmatic and the eager managers. Secondly, the key motivations to take the manager role for all three categories were higher remuneration, technical peer respect and the respondent's new role as an organisational decision-maker. The third finding of this study was that there were two types of transitions, the complete transition which the majority of the eager managers went through and the technical transition which was experienced by the unwilling and the pragmatic managers. Related to that finding was the link between the type of organisation, its culture and the leadership skills required in that organisation. The fourth finding was that, irrespective of the amount of time in the manager role (six months to eleven years) or the type of transition (complete or technical), all respondents in this study continued to identify themselves as technical experts with the respondents who underwent a complete transition also seeing themselves as managers. Related to this finding was the respondents' continued identification as technical experts being largely due to their need to identify with their peers (other technical experts). The fifth major finding of this study related to a lack of career planning by the respondents and little or no succession and management development planning by the respondents' organisations. In a contribution to the theory of leadership studies, this study examined leadership as a social process, building on the existing leadership concepts and theories and putting them in a social context of subjective efforts by the researcher to interpret the respondents' transitional experiences through typification of the leadership characteristics into seven themes. The need to apply an individual contextualisation was seen as essential to understanding the transitional managers' response to their own transition. In doing so, the study has contributed towards narrowing the existing empirical literature gap on the transition processes. The contributions of this study need to be seen in the context that explorative research such as the one carried out here is not considered generalisable, as its aim was to explore and describe particular phenomena. Nevertheless, insights from this study were eight

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa experience one of the highest failure rates in the world with 75% to 80% of SMEs failing in their first ten years. This data suggests that few small organisations in South Africa are sustainable entities and this in turn impacts on employment and the GDP of South Africa. In order to be sustainable, organisations should be learning ones (Garvin, 1993; Marquardt in Hattingh & Smit, 2004, p2). Senge’s (1990) ground-breaking model of a learning organisation identifies the disciplines companies should practice in order to contribute to their sustainability. This model, previously researched in large global companies, is used as the basis of researching a small company in a local, South African context. This study explores whether by being a learning organisation, a small company is able to sustain itself. Senge’s concept of a learning organisation includes five disciplines. These disciplines have adult and workplace learning theories embedded in them. The study attempted to identify whether the small company drew on these learning theories in day-to-day operations and practise, and if this contributed to its development as a learning organisation. In addition to learning theories, literature reviewed included factors that impact on small business sustainability in the South African context. The study reveals an interesting blend of a business management concept (“the learning organisation”) with adult education principles that give insight into developing a small company as a learning organisation. A qualitative, ethnographic case study approach was used for this study, using an interactive model to accommodate the dynamic nature of the workplace with its variety of events and activities. Data collection took place during two intensive research periods in 2008 and 2012, in a single Johannesburg-based company. A multi-method approach was used and included observations, document analysis, questionnaires, transect walks, auto-photography, focus groups and interviews. The study revealed that a small company can ensure its sustainability by being a learning organisation, even though the company did not hold the same understanding of a learning organisation that Senge (1990) did. By practising various adult and workplace learning theories, especially the theory of communities of practice, a small company can develop the disciplines of a learning organisation. Furthermore, organisations may practise the disciplines of a learning organisation organically, without specific intent, and this may assist in their sustainability.

Text in English / Global and South African business challenges necessitate an increased focus on the need for effective leadership. The leaders of South African public listed organisations need to investigate new business solutions to enhance and sustain organisational effectiveness. Public listed South African organisations on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) were selected as the organisation type for this study. This study was motivated by the need for public listed South African organisations to explore organisational leadership as a means to assist in differentiating their organisations from competitors, thereby enhancing organisational competitiveness. The primary research objective of this study was to investigate and establish an organisational leadership brand concept model for public listed South African organisations. The discussion of the literature covered the global and South African business context, the concepts of the nature of organisational leadership, brand and organisational leadership brand, and emminated in an exploratory conceptualisation of organisational leadership brand for public listed South African organisations. The pragmatic paradigm was used as the foundation of this study. The study adopted an exploratory, sequential mixed methods research approach, combining a qualitative emphasis and supportive quantitative research approach to conduct the exploratory research. The qualitative findings proposed the concepts: the nature of organisational leadership and organisational leadership brand, including stakeholders and these concepts served as the basis for designing the quantitative survey questionnaire. The quantitative results indicated reliable questionnaire items, and based on the exploratory statistical analysis of the multivariate linear regression equation, described the organisational leadership brand (OLB) concept exploratory model with the best fit. An integration of the qualitative findings and quantitative results provided the empirical support to achieve the primary research objective. The OLB concept model integrates the concepts of organisational leadership and organisational leadership brand. The study contributed across the methodological, theoretical and practical domains as follows: the nature of organisational leadership for South African public listed organisations was conceptualised; the elements comprising the concept of OLB for public listed South African organisations was described; the OLB concept model for public listed South African organisations describes the development of organisational leadership brand equity through four levels of organisational leadership brand equity development; and the OLB concept model for public listed South African organisations may assist by providing guidance for the senior leadership of organisations in establishing organisational leadership brand equity. Furthermore, the study’s research approach provides support for the use of a mixed methods research approach in the study of organisational leadership within the pragmatic context of business organisations / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Consulting Psychology)

Global and South African business challenges necessitate an increased focus on the need for effective leadership. The leaders of South African public listed organisations need to investigate new business solutions to enhance and sustain organisational effectiveness. Public listed South African organisations on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) were selected as the organisation type for this study. This study was motivated by the need for public listed South African organisations to explore organisational leadership as a means to assist in differentiating their organisations from competitors, thereby enhancing organisational competitiveness. The primary research objective of this study was to investigate and establish an organisational leadership brand concept model for public listed South African organisations. The discussion of the literature covered the global and South African business context, the concepts of the nature of organisational leadership, brand and organisational leadership brand, and emminated in an exploratory conceptualisation of organisational leadership brand for public listed South African organisations. The pragmatic paradigm was used as the foundation of this study. The study adopted an exploratory, sequential mixed methods research approach, combining a qualitative emphasis and supportive quantitative research approach to conduct the exploratory research. The qualitative findings proposed the concepts: the nature of organisational leadership and organisational leadership brand, including stakeholders and these concepts served as the basis for designing the quantitative survey questionnaire. The quantitative results indicated reliable questionnaire items, and based on the exploratory statistical analysis of the multivariate linear regression equation, described the organisational leadership brand (OLB) concept exploratory model with the best fit. An integration of the qualitative findings and quantitative results provided the empirical support to achieve the primary research objective. The OLB concept model integrates the concepts of organisational leadership and organisational leadership brand. The study contributed across the methodological, theoretical and practical domains as follows: the nature of organisational leadership for South African public listed organisations was conceptualised; the elements comprising the concept of OLB for public listed South African organisations was described; the OLB concept model for public listed South African organisations describes the development of organisational leadership brand equity through four levels of organisational leadership brand equity development; and the OLB concept model for public listed South African organisations may assist by providing guidance for the senior leadership of organisations in establishing organisational leadership brand equity. Furthermore, the study’s research approach provides support for the use of a mixed methods research approach in the study of organisational leadership within the pragmatic context of business organisations / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Consulting Psychology)

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the 20th century, many employees in the South African mining industry were involved in occupational accidents which either resulted in personal injury or had fatal consequences. Despite the introduction of numerous industrial safety programmes to prevent fatal incidents and minor injuries, the South African mining industry death toll remains consistently high, at approximately 200 employees per annum. The trend of employee injury and death continues unabated into the new millennium. This safety performance has been met with growing dissatisfaction in the ranks of government, worker unions, employees and business stakeholders. This dissatisfaction is directed at chief executives who are being blamed for the occupational accidents on their mines. There is now growing focus on the leadership of mining companies and how it contributes to shaping an organisational culture for improved safety performance. The researcher examines whether leadership is a key component in creating a safety conscious organisational culture, and uses literature studies and the Anglo American mining company as a practical case study to support the investigation. Anglo American, listed on the Johannesburg and London stock exchanges is the largest mining company in South Africa and also one in which many fatal injuries have occurred; providing an abundance of safety information. The researcher reviews previous literature studies and explains the journey Anglo American undertook to improve its safety performance since listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1999. The concepts of organisational culture, safety culture, leadership and organisational performance, are discussed from a theoretical and practical perspective using literature studies. These are then examined with the ultimate view of understanding their practical impact on organisational safety as espoused in the literature. The literature provides a broad framework on which to assess Anglo American's safety journey from 1999 to the end of 2007. This journey details the safety programmes and efforts employed by Anglo American to eliminate fatalities and injuries and also highlights the impact of the organisation's leadership on the safety performance of the company. It is concluded that the contribution of leadership is pivotal to establishing a safety-conscious organisational culture and that specific behaviours from executives, senior managers, middle managers, supervisors and workers are needed to develop an organisations safety culture for improved safety performance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die 20ste eeu was baie werkers in die Suid-Afrikaanse mynbedryf betrokke in beroepsverwante ongelukke wat tot persoonlike beserings of lewensverlies gelei het. Ten spyte van die instelling van veelvuldige beroeps-veiligheidsprogramme om noodlottige insidente en ander minder ernstige beserings te voorkom, bly die dodetal in die Suid-Afrikaanse mynbedryf konstant hoog, teen ongeveer 200 werkers per jaar. Hierdie tendens van dood en beserings onder werkers gaan ongetem voort tot in die nuwe millennium. Hierdie veiligheidsrekord word met toenemende ontevredenheid deur die regering, werkers-vakbonde, werkers en bedryfsinsethouers beskou. Hierdie ontevredenheid word gemik op uitvoerende bestuur, wie blameer word vir beroepsverwante ongelukke in hul myne. Daar word dus toenemend gefokus op die leierskap van mynmaatskappye en hoe dit bydra tot die skepping van 'n organisasiekultuur van verbeterde veiligheidsuitslae. Die navorser ondersoek die vraag of leierskap 'n kern komponent is in die daarstelling van 'n veiligheids-bewuste organisasiekultuur, en maak gebruik van literatuurstudies sowel as Anglo American mynmaatskappy as 'n praktiese gevallestudie om sy ondersoek te ondersteun. Anglo American is die grootste mynmaatskappy in Suid-Afrika en ook die een waar baie noodlottige ongelukke voorgekom het, en dus 'n groot bron van veiligheidsinligting kan voorsien. Die navorser hersien teoretiese literatuurstudies en verduidelik dan die optrede van Anglo American om sy veiligheidsrekords te verbeter sedert sy noteering op die Londonse Effektebeurs in 1999. Die konsep van organisasiekultuur, veiligheidskultuur, leierskap en organisasieprestasie, word bespreek vanuit 'n teoretiese en praktiese perspektief met behulp van literatuurstudies en hierdie word bestudeer met die uiteindelike doel om die praktiese impak daarvan in industrie te verstaan soos uiteengesit in die literatuur. Die literatuur voorsien 'n breë raamwerk waarteen Anglo American se veiligheidstog gemeet kan word vanaf 1999 tot einde 2007. Hierdie tog verskaf detail van hoe Anglo American veiligheidsprogramme gebruik het om noodlottigge ongelukke en beserings uit te skakel en beklemtoon ook die impak van die organisasie se leierskap op die veiligheidsrekord van die maatskappy. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat die bydrae van leierskap kern is tot die daarstelling van 'n veiligheidsbewuste kultuur en dat spesifieke optredes van hoofbestuurders, seniorbestuurders, middelvlakbestuurders, opsieners en werkers nodig is om 'n veiligheidskultuur te bewerkstellig om veiligheid in maatskappye te verbeter.