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There is disagreement in the literature about the relative roles of selection (competition) and adaptation in explaining industrial change. For some, the possibilities for adaptation by individual firms are highly limited, and instead the key drivers of industry-level change are the extinction of some firms and the birth of others. Others stress that survival is all about the ways in which a firm can choose to adapt to changes in the external environment and to changes in competition. This dissertation takes the view there is a false dichotomy between adaptation and selection, that they are not opposites and that adaptation is an essential an unavoidable part of any relevant evolutionary process. Even if selection generates larger industry-level outcomes, adaptability is still important. It is then an empirical matter of the relative strengths of adaptability and selection in particular circumstances. The work makes a clear distinction between an adaptation, a change to an individual (firm) that enables the individual to be better fitted to its environment, and adaptability, the potential to adjust to changes in the selection environment. In looking for causal explanations, the approach adopted here acknowledges that causes relate to potentialities or dispositions and not to effects or events. Using this approach, the adopted methodology maintains that business routines, even when defined as capacities or dispositions rather than behaviours, can still be measured and used to generate an adaptability instrument. It is then possible to look at the relationship between the adaptability instrument and survival. The research looks particularly at the adaptability and survival of small and medium size firms, as they constitute the majority of enterprises in the UK and are empirically under-represented in previous research. This thesis looks at the evolution of populations of such firms through the mix of firm-level adaptation and selection in the population. The methodology concentrated on the four constituent areas of any firm: sales and marketing, production, administration and human resources, and corporate strategy. It examined not the quantities of operation in routines as in many previous studies but the levels of adaptability firms perceive they actually achieve or believe they would experience in the face of both continuous and discontinuous internal and external change. The adaptability instrument is the composite measure of the potential to adapt routines across the four constituent areas, capturing a picture of the interactions between the strategies, structures and procedures within the firm. The methodology also involved a relatively large sample of observations of a representative set of small and medium-sized enterprises, addressing the lack of previous empirical work on datasets of a whole population of firms taken from multiple industries and sectors. It was also possible to re-sample respondents in the depths of a recession 18 months later in order to look at the relationship between previously calculated adaptability and the subsequent degree of survival. The results challenge the exclusive role of selection only in explaining industry attributes and suggest that adaptability is important for firm survival. Even if selection generates larger industry-level outcomes, adaptability is still important. The research demonstrates that both competitive selection and developmental adaptability combine to explain industrial change and that any differences in adaptability between firms are of significance. In a sharp recession, however, only the firms with more potential to adapt their output in response to falling demand, and so better protect their cash flow against any contracting credit availability, have an advantage relative to their rivals that can confer relatively greater longevity and survivability. Other factors contribute to survival more strongly in recession than in more stable times and, while adaptability still matters, the slightly lower adaptability of older cohorts of firms masks the positive value of adaptability. At the individual firm level during sharp recession, indirect competition through customers choosing not to spend, or spend scarce resources elsewhere, rapidly de-selects those with weak cash flow management, poor cash reserves or poor credit worthiness. The criteria adopted for degrees of failure were heavily dependent on the context of use but reflected common parlance among the survey respondents. The findings of this research point to the merits of a theoretical framework different from much textbook economics, strategy-choice theory and organisational ecology. The findings support an evolutionary approach that in turn corresponds with recent developments in the theoretical framework known as Generalised Darwinism.

Para que as organizações possam lidar com os desafios da sustentabilidade, sua vinculação à estratégia mostra-se como um argumento comum, assim como se reconhece a demanda pelo desenvolvimento de competências organizacionais e humanas. Todavia, o conhecimento acerca da abordagem das competências como um lastro sustentador do alinhamento entre sustentabilidade e estratégia demanda robustez teórica e empírica. Diante da oportunidade de avanços no conhecimento, delineou-se o seguinte objetivo nesta pesquisa: analisar as inter-relações entre estratégia, competências organizacionais e humanas relacionadas à gestão da sustentabilidade nas organizações. A pesquisa, classificada como exploratória-descritiva, qualitativa, com análises temáticas de dados por meio do uso de software ATLAS t.i., consistiu de duas etapas. Na Etapa Teórica, fundamentou-se a ideia de que a adequada gestão da sustentabilidade está conectada a estratégia organizacional; discutiu-se a gestão estratégica da sustentabilidade e a pertinência da abordagem da gestão por competências, além de explorarem-se as competências organizacionais e humanas para tanto. Nesta etapa, desenvolveu-se ainda a proposta de um framework inicial representativo das inter-relações entre estratégia, competências organizacionais e humanas para a gestão da sustentabilidade. A Etapa Empírica, por sua vez, foi dividida em duas. Na Etapa Empírica I, a qual envolveu entrevistas junto a nove especialistas, os dados angariados acerca do referido framework evidenciaram a concordância geral dos entrevistados sobre a sua viabilidade teórica e empírica. Ademais, foram apreendidas algumas lições em forma de desafios para seu aprimoramento. A Etapa Empírica II consistiu na realização de dois estudos de caso instrumentais em organizações reconhecidas pela gestão da sustentabilidade e pela gestão por competências. As análises referentes aos casos permitiram inferir que há um contexto favorável para a concepção e operacionalização das ideias contidas no framework inicial. Todavia, pontos descobertos em termos conceituais e prováveis implicações operacionais foram observados. A partir da consolidação das Etapas Empíricas I e II, o framework foi revisitado, ajustado em uma proposta final e novas recomendações foram feitas para sua operacionalização. As evidências possibilitaram concluir que as inter-relações entre estratégia, competências organizacionais e humanas são não somente desejáveis, mas talvez fundamentais. A originalidade da pesquisa reside na inserção da abordagem das competências para a gestão estratégica da sustentabilidade, sob uma perspectiva holística. Além disso, a pesquisa apresenta avanços em relação à identificação das competências humanas para a sustentabilidade, com indicações para sua definição operacional e suas entregas, além de seu desenvolvimento e acompanhamento nas organizações. Quanto às implicações teóricas, são propiciadas novas perguntas e novos caminhos a serem aplicados em pesquisas concernentes à gestão da sustentabilidade, assim como novas perspectivas para a formação de futuros gestores. Quanto às implicações gerenciais, são disponibilizados às organizações subsídios para o desenvolvimento de padrões de monitoramento e acompanhamento das práticas de sustentabilidade, a partir das competências, o que deve proporcionar uma posição mais objetiva e distanciada de discursos vazios das em relação ao fenômeno. Reconhece-se que ainda são necessárias contribuições e avanços no conhecimento sobre o tema, portanto, são recomendadas investigações teóricas e empíricas para que se dê continuidade nas proposições elaboradas e nos insights emergentes da pesquisa. / For organisations to address the challenges of sustainability, their relation to the strategy shows up as a common argument, as the demand for organisational and human competences development related to it. However, the knowledge concerning the competences approach as a sustaining link for the alignment between sustainability and strategy still demands theoretical and empirical efforts. Given the opportunity for knowledge advancements, the following general objective was defined for this research: to analyse the interrelationships amongst strategy, organisational and human competencies related to sustainability management in organisations. The research is classified as exploratory-descriptive, qualitative, and a thematic data analyses were aided by the ATLAS t.i. software. In the Theoretical Stage, it was founded the idea that an adequate sustainability management is connected to the organisational strategy; besides that, the strategic management of sustainability and the relevance of the competence-based approach were discussed, as well as the appropriated organisational and human competences were explored. In this stage, the proposal of an initial framework representing the interrelationships amongst strategy, organisational and human competences for sustainability management was developed. The Empirical Stage, in its turn, was divided in two phases. In Empirical Stage I, which involved interviews with nine experts, the data gathered about the framework evidenced the general agreement of the interviewees on its theoretical and empirical viability. Moreover, some challenges and lessons learned were gathered. The Empirical Stage II accomplished two instrumental case studies in organisations recognised by their sustainability and competence management. The analyses referring the case studies made it possible to infer that there is a favourable context for the conception and operationalisation of the initial ideas about the framework. However, conceptual breakthroughs and possible operational implications were also observed. Based on the consolidation of Empirical Steps I and II, the framework was revisited, adjusted in a final proposal and new recommendations were made for its operationalization. The evidences allowed concluding that the interrelationships amongst strategy, organisational and human competences are not only desirable but perhaps fundamental. The originality of this research resides in the insertion of the competences approach for sustainability strategic management, from a holistic perspective. In addition, the research advances in relation to the identification of human competences for sustainability, with indications for their operational definition and their deliveries, as well as their development and monitoring in organizations. About the theoretical implications, this research prompts new questions and new ways to be applied in studies concerning sustainability management, as well as new perspectives for future managers\' education. Regarding the managerial implications, organisations are provided with subsidies for the development of standards for monitoring and following up on sustainability practices based on competences, which should provide organizations a more objective and distanced position from empty discourses regarding the phenomenon. It is acknowledged, however, it is still needed contributions and advances in knowledge on the subject. Theoretical and empirical investigations are recommended to give continuity to the elaborated propositions and emerging insights from this research.

Para que as organizações possam lidar com os desafios da sustentabilidade, sua vinculação à estratégia mostra-se como um argumento comum, assim como se reconhece a demanda pelo desenvolvimento de competências organizacionais e humanas. Todavia, o conhecimento acerca da abordagem das competências como um lastro sustentador do alinhamento entre sustentabilidade e estratégia demanda robustez teórica e empírica. Diante da oportunidade de avanços no conhecimento, delineou-se o seguinte objetivo nesta pesquisa: analisar as inter-relações entre estratégia, competências organizacionais e humanas relacionadas à gestão da sustentabilidade nas organizações. A pesquisa, classificada como exploratória-descritiva, qualitativa, com análises temáticas de dados por meio do uso de software ATLAS t.i., consistiu de duas etapas. Na Etapa Teórica, fundamentou-se a ideia de que a adequada gestão da sustentabilidade está conectada a estratégia organizacional; discutiu-se a gestão estratégica da sustentabilidade e a pertinência da abordagem da gestão por competências, além de explorarem-se as competências organizacionais e humanas para tanto. Nesta etapa, desenvolveu-se ainda a proposta de um framework inicial representativo das inter-relações entre estratégia, competências organizacionais e humanas para a gestão da sustentabilidade. A Etapa Empírica, por sua vez, foi dividida em duas. Na Etapa Empírica I, a qual envolveu entrevistas junto a nove especialistas, os dados angariados acerca do referido framework evidenciaram a concordância geral dos entrevistados sobre a sua viabilidade teórica e empírica. Ademais, foram apreendidas algumas lições em forma de desafios para seu aprimoramento. A Etapa Empírica II consistiu na realização de dois estudos de caso instrumentais em organizações reconhecidas pela gestão da sustentabilidade e pela gestão por competências. As análises referentes aos casos permitiram inferir que há um contexto favorável para a concepção e operacionalização das ideias contidas no framework inicial. Todavia, pontos descobertos em termos conceituais e prováveis implicações operacionais foram observados. A partir da consolidação das Etapas Empíricas I e II, o framework foi revisitado, ajustado em uma proposta final e novas recomendações foram feitas para sua operacionalização. As evidências possibilitaram concluir que as inter-relações entre estratégia, competências organizacionais e humanas são não somente desejáveis, mas talvez fundamentais. A originalidade da pesquisa reside na inserção da abordagem das competências para a gestão estratégica da sustentabilidade, sob uma perspectiva holística. Além disso, a pesquisa apresenta avanços em relação à identificação das competências humanas para a sustentabilidade, com indicações para sua definição operacional e suas entregas, além de seu desenvolvimento e acompanhamento nas organizações. Quanto às implicações teóricas, são propiciadas novas perguntas e novos caminhos a serem aplicados em pesquisas concernentes à gestão da sustentabilidade, assim como novas perspectivas para a formação de futuros gestores. Quanto às implicações gerenciais, são disponibilizados às organizações subsídios para o desenvolvimento de padrões de monitoramento e acompanhamento das práticas de sustentabilidade, a partir das competências, o que deve proporcionar uma posição mais objetiva e distanciada de discursos vazios das em relação ao fenômeno. Reconhece-se que ainda são necessárias contribuições e avanços no conhecimento sobre o tema, portanto, são recomendadas investigações teóricas e empíricas para que se dê continuidade nas proposições elaboradas e nos insights emergentes da pesquisa. / For organisations to address the challenges of sustainability, their relation to the strategy shows up as a common argument, as the demand for organisational and human competences development related to it. However, the knowledge concerning the competences approach as a sustaining link for the alignment between sustainability and strategy still demands theoretical and empirical efforts. Given the opportunity for knowledge advancements, the following general objective was defined for this research: to analyse the interrelationships amongst strategy, organisational and human competencies related to sustainability management in organisations. The research is classified as exploratory-descriptive, qualitative, and a thematic data analyses were aided by the ATLAS t.i. software. In the Theoretical Stage, it was founded the idea that an adequate sustainability management is connected to the organisational strategy; besides that, the strategic management of sustainability and the relevance of the competence-based approach were discussed, as well as the appropriated organisational and human competences were explored. In this stage, the proposal of an initial framework representing the interrelationships amongst strategy, organisational and human competences for sustainability management was developed. The Empirical Stage, in its turn, was divided in two phases. In Empirical Stage I, which involved interviews with nine experts, the data gathered about the framework evidenced the general agreement of the interviewees on its theoretical and empirical viability. Moreover, some challenges and lessons learned were gathered. The Empirical Stage II accomplished two instrumental case studies in organisations recognised by their sustainability and competence management. The analyses referring the case studies made it possible to infer that there is a favourable context for the conception and operationalisation of the initial ideas about the framework. However, conceptual breakthroughs and possible operational implications were also observed. Based on the consolidation of Empirical Steps I and II, the framework was revisited, adjusted in a final proposal and new recommendations were made for its operationalization. The evidences allowed concluding that the interrelationships amongst strategy, organisational and human competences are not only desirable but perhaps fundamental. The originality of this research resides in the insertion of the competences approach for sustainability strategic management, from a holistic perspective. In addition, the research advances in relation to the identification of human competences for sustainability, with indications for their operational definition and their deliveries, as well as their development and monitoring in organizations. About the theoretical implications, this research prompts new questions and new ways to be applied in studies concerning sustainability management, as well as new perspectives for future managers\' education. Regarding the managerial implications, organisations are provided with subsidies for the development of standards for monitoring and following up on sustainability practices based on competences, which should provide organizations a more objective and distanced position from empty discourses regarding the phenomenon. It is acknowledged, however, it is still needed contributions and advances in knowledge on the subject. Theoretical and empirical investigations are recommended to give continuity to the elaborated propositions and emerging insights from this research.

A responsabilidade das instituições de ensino superior da rede privada ultrapassa os limites de suas fronteiras e de seus objetivos operacionais. São organizações que geram impactos em dimensões econômicas, sociais e ambientais. Os ambientes de trabalho nas instituições de ensino superior representam muito bem a possibilidade de alavancar a energia necessária ao desenvolvimento sustentável na medida em que associe as pessoas como elementos estratégicos. O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é o de inserir a gestão da qualidade de vida nas organizações no contexto estratégico, destacando assim, o componente humano da sustentabilidade organizacional nas instituições de ensino superior da rede privada. Contribui para uma gestão estratégica que valoriza o resultado por intermédio das pessoas. Pode orientar o desenvolvimento de programas e projetos de qualidade de vida nas organizações de ensino superior da rede privada e fortalecer essas instituições como agentes integrados ao desenvolvimento sustentável global. Trata-se de uma pesquisa empírica, original, de caráter explicativo e de natureza quantitativa, apoiada por pesquisa de campo, estruturada na forma de questionários e disponibilizada em ambiente virtual, portanto, constituída por meio de dados secundários. A população estudada integrou a totalidade das IES (instituições de ensino superior) da rede privada brasileira e o plano amostral baseou-se em seleção intencional, que ocorreu durante o período de 01/06/2010 a 10/09/2010, resultando em uma amostra de 170 questionários válidos. Os resultados obtidos pela pesquisa apontam para confirmação das hipóteses de que a estratégia e a sustentabilidade organizacional nas instituições de ensino superior estão diretamente ligadas à qualidade de vida das pessoas envolvidas nos processos de gestão dessas instituições, além do que, a capacidade de atender aos interesses dos stakeholders e perpetuar a instituição é consequência da efetiva gestão da qualidade de vida nas organizações e de sua inserção como estratégia de sustentabilidade organizacional. / The responsibility of higher education institutions in the private network beyond the limits of its borders and its operational objectives. They are organizations that, like any other, generate impacts on economic, social and environmental dimensions. Working environments in higher education institutions represent very well the possibility to leverage the energy needed for sustainable development in which be possible to involving people as strategic elements. The main objective of this research is to embed the management of quality of life in organizations in the strategic context, thereby highlighting the human component of organizational sustainability in higher education institutions in the private network. It contributes to a strategic management that value the results through people. It can guide the development of programs and projects for quality of life in higher education organizations from the private network and strengthen these institutions as agents integrated into the global sustainable development. This is an empirical research, original character and quantitative explanatory, supported by field research, structured in the form of questionnaires and provided in a virtual environment, therefore, formed by means of secondary data. The study population includes all of the IES (higher education institutions) while the sample was defined by intentional selection that occurred during the period 01/06/2010 to 10/09/2010, resulting in a sample of 170 valid questionnaires. The obtained by the survey indicate confirmation of the hypotheses that the strategy and organizational sustainability in higher education institutions are directly linked to the quality of life of people directly and indirectly involved in the management processes of these institutions. It is also expected to define the ability to serve the interests of stakeholders and to perpetuate the institution is the result of effective management of quality of life in organizations and its insertion as a strategy for organizational sustainability.

Supply chain management is one of the newest and most fashionable managerial concepts to be sponsored by those organisations responsible for setting the change agenda in the construction sector. Its success elsewhere, its promise of productivity improvement and 'best practice' pedigree form the basis of arguments for its adoption in the construction sector. There are a number of assumptions that underpin this argument that are largely ignored by the promoters of such change and the construction management research community. Most notably, the transferability and utility of supply chain management in the context of organisations competing in the construction sector. However, it is argued in this thesis that these arguments fail to engage with the recursive relationship between context and practice. Managerial practice does not exist in a vacuum. The research therefore sets out to test the theory of supply chain management in the construction sector. In doing so, the research approach is informed by and draws on contextual approaches that are highly sensitive to the recursive relationship between context and practice. A multiple case study research strategy was chosen that sought to provide explanations for how practitioners make sense of supply chain management in the context of their organisations and forms the basis of theory testing. These explanations also provided a wealth of empirical evidence to test the assumptions that underpin calls for change in the construction sector. It is concluded that supply chain management does not make sense in the construction sector and that calls for its adoption lacked intellectual rigour and were indeed acontextual.

A responsabilidade das instituições de ensino superior da rede privada ultrapassa os limites de suas fronteiras e de seus objetivos operacionais. São organizações que geram impactos em dimensões econômicas, sociais e ambientais. Os ambientes de trabalho nas instituições de ensino superior representam muito bem a possibilidade de alavancar a energia necessária ao desenvolvimento sustentável na medida em que associe as pessoas como elementos estratégicos. O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é o de inserir a gestão da qualidade de vida nas organizações no contexto estratégico, destacando assim, o componente humano da sustentabilidade organizacional nas instituições de ensino superior da rede privada. Contribui para uma gestão estratégica que valoriza o resultado por intermédio das pessoas. Pode orientar o desenvolvimento de programas e projetos de qualidade de vida nas organizações de ensino superior da rede privada e fortalecer essas instituições como agentes integrados ao desenvolvimento sustentável global. Trata-se de uma pesquisa empírica, original, de caráter explicativo e de natureza quantitativa, apoiada por pesquisa de campo, estruturada na forma de questionários e disponibilizada em ambiente virtual, portanto, constituída por meio de dados secundários. A população estudada integrou a totalidade das IES (instituições de ensino superior) da rede privada brasileira e o plano amostral baseou-se em seleção intencional, que ocorreu durante o período de 01/06/2010 a 10/09/2010, resultando em uma amostra de 170 questionários válidos. Os resultados obtidos pela pesquisa apontam para confirmação das hipóteses de que a estratégia e a sustentabilidade organizacional nas instituições de ensino superior estão diretamente ligadas à qualidade de vida das pessoas envolvidas nos processos de gestão dessas instituições, além do que, a capacidade de atender aos interesses dos stakeholders e perpetuar a instituição é consequência da efetiva gestão da qualidade de vida nas organizações e de sua inserção como estratégia de sustentabilidade organizacional. / The responsibility of higher education institutions in the private network beyond the limits of its borders and its operational objectives. They are organizations that, like any other, generate impacts on economic, social and environmental dimensions. Working environments in higher education institutions represent very well the possibility to leverage the energy needed for sustainable development in which be possible to involving people as strategic elements. The main objective of this research is to embed the management of quality of life in organizations in the strategic context, thereby highlighting the human component of organizational sustainability in higher education institutions in the private network. It contributes to a strategic management that value the results through people. It can guide the development of programs and projects for quality of life in higher education organizations from the private network and strengthen these institutions as agents integrated into the global sustainable development. This is an empirical research, original character and quantitative explanatory, supported by field research, structured in the form of questionnaires and provided in a virtual environment, therefore, formed by means of secondary data. The study population includes all of the IES (higher education institutions) while the sample was defined by intentional selection that occurred during the period 01/06/2010 to 10/09/2010, resulting in a sample of 170 valid questionnaires. The obtained by the survey indicate confirmation of the hypotheses that the strategy and organizational sustainability in higher education institutions are directly linked to the quality of life of people directly and indirectly involved in the management processes of these institutions. It is also expected to define the ability to serve the interests of stakeholders and to perpetuate the institution is the result of effective management of quality of life in organizations and its insertion as a strategy for organizational sustainability.

Gender parity. Gender equality. Diversity and intersectionality. Are they understood to be one and the same thing? Whilst there is much public data and opinion on economic benefits to having gender parity within organisations and how it can help support women’s empowerment and inclusion in male dominated professional sectors, public perception on the topic may paint a different picture. In this thesis, the social media platform Twitter is used to collect data to conduct a content analysis in order to understand public sentiments in response to one company’s perceived success in their organisational gender parity initiative. That company is American tech organisation, Duolingo. In 2018, Duolingo posted via Twitter that they had achieved a 50:50 male:female ratio in their recruitment of new engineering hires. The response on Twitter reveals that whilst many Twitter users agreed with Duolingo that this was a success, many did not. The Tweets are classified and analysed according to sentiment and coded according to the core topic in their communication – gender parity, gender equality, and diversity and intersectionality - to gain an in-depth understanding into how the public understands and reacts to these concepts. By analysing 275 Tweets through textual and visual analysis, this thesis supports an investigation via case study as to whether or not gender parity is publicly perceived and understood as a positive organisational strategy towards gender equality. Or whether it is seen to be exacerbating gender inequalities and perpetuating gender and intersectional stereotyping, biases and norms.

The demand for organic sustainable products has been growing exponentially in the past years, pressuring the industry to showcase the sustainable origin and conditions of their products to their consumers. Companies use certifications and eco-labels to show the sustainability behind their products, but the standards behind these certifications can be hard to understand as certification companies are struggling to communicate them to the end consumers. Emerging technologies such as QR codes, IoT and blockchain provide new options for increasing traceability and transparency in the certification industry, but these technologies are not widely adopted. This thesis investigates the current practices in certification companies by performing semi-structured interviews with different actors in the certification industry, to understand what are the motivations and barriers that companies see in the adoption of new technologies for transparency and traceability. Once motivations and barriers have been identified, the authors frame them into a motivational model and propose organisational strategies for these companies in order to overcome the barriers and produce change towards technology adoption, traceability and transparency improvement, and sustainability advocacy.Industry practitioners can use these technologies to increase the trust in their brands and to ensure the sustainability of their supply chains. Further, new emerging technologies can be seen as a tool to assess the companies’ strategic and tactical decisions to comply with their CSR policy, decisions that can eventually lead to an organisational change providing companies with a more sustainable perspective of their operations.

M.Tech (Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / In terms of the Public Service Act, 1994, as amended by Act 30 of 2007, all government departments operate under a recruitment system whereby applicants and employees are selected for positions based on their qualifications for the job. Equity and fairness are underlying democratic values and principles of the system. Therefore, the system guards against pre-determined successors until such time as all qualified candidates are provided an equal opportunity to apply for, and be considered, for the job (RSA 1994). However, organisations need to ensure that the appropriate people are in place with the required values, skills and competencies that are necessary to bring about change and accomplish goals to drive organisational strategy forward. It is also necessary to ensure that a suitable leadership team is chosen to help preserve and build upon an organisation’s existing vision, mission and values. Ensuring that leaders have the appropriate skills, abilities and competencies is crucial to assist an organisation to implement its strategic direction and overall goals and objectives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of organisational strategy, recruitment strategy and organisational culture on effective succession planning in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). In this study, focus was on trait behavioural, situational and chaos leadership and management theories; and their relationship to succession planning. The study made use of a quantitative research technique. Quantitative primary research was conducted by employing a self-administered questionnaire in the gathering of primary data for the study. The target population comprised employees (from entry level to executive levels) of DIRCO based in Gauteng Province as well as 127 South African Embassies and Consulates in foreign countries. Descriptive analysis was used in the analysis of the sample composition and participants’ perception of succession planning at DIRCO. Furthermore, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to assess model fit and to test the hypotheses. The results of the study confirmed that the recruitment strategy of DIRCO does not create opportunities for identification of internal talent. In order to address these deficiencies, it is recommended that DIRCO identify, mentor and promote diverse pools of internal candidates through succession planning. A proper succession plan will provide an organisation with a surplus of talent and will assist officials to realise their potential. DIRCO prefers to recruit external candidates rather than developing training programmes that will prepare the internal workforce for future leadership positions. The results indicate that lack of organisational and recruitment strategies have substantial influence on organisational processes.