The purpose of this study is to contribute to the current field of virtual leadership and virtual teams. This study aims to examine the effects on leadership, the relation between the leader and the team member, and the collaboration as a consequence of a rapid virtual transition. This qualitative research was conducted with an inductive approach through a    case study. Primary data was collected through three semi-structured interviews with team leaders from different departments and nine semi-structured interviews with their respective team members. The primary data was analyzed in a thematic way and had support from a theoretical model conducted from secondary sources. This study signifies the importance of establishing relationships, trust and effective communication within teams in virtual environments and recognizes how these aspects are essential for leaders when guiding a team through a rapid virtual transition. Being a leader under the investigated condition suggests individualized leadership as beneficial to maintain stability and trust through the reorganization process. Managerial attitudes are confirmed as influential on team performance through a transition and the transformational leadership theory is argued to be successful when managing a change process based on the studied case.

Rapid change is a defining characteristic of our modern society. This has huge impact on society, governments, and businesses. Businesses are forced to fundamentally transform themselves to survive in a challenging economy. Transformation implies change in the way business is conducted, in the way people perform their contribution to the organisation, and in the way the organisation perceives and manages its vital assets – which increasingly are built around the key assets of intellectual capital and knowledge. The latest management tool and realisation of how to respond to the challenges of the economy in the new millennium, is the idea of "knowledge management" (KM). In this study we have focused on synthesising the many confusing points of view about the subject area, such as: <ul><li> a. different focus points or perspectives; </li><li> b. different definitions and positioning of the subject; as well as</li><li> c. a bewildering number of definitions of what knowledge is and what KM entails.</li></ul> There exists a too blurred distinction in popular-magazine-like sources about this area between subjects and concepts such as: knowledge versus information versus data; the difference between information management and knowledge management; tools available to tackle the issues in this field of study and practice; and the role technology plays versus the huge hype from some journalists and within the vendor community. Today there appears to be a lack of a coherent set of frameworks to abstract, comprehend, and explain this subject area; let alone to build successful systems and technologies with which to apply KM. The study is comprised of two major parts:<ul><li> 1. In the first part the study investigates the concepts, elements, drivers, and challenges related to KM. A set of models for comprehending these issues and notions is contributed as we considered intellectual capital, organizational learning, communities of practice, and best practices. </li><li> 2. The second part focuses on the technology perspective of KM. Although KM is primarily concerned with non-technical issues this study concentrates on the technical issues and challenges. A new technology framework for KM is proposed to position and relate the different KM technologies as well as the two key applications of KM, namely knowledge portals and knowledge discovery (including text mining). </li></ul> It is concluded that KM and related concepts and notions need to be understood firmly as well as effectively positioned and employed to support the modern business organisation in its quest to survive and grow. The main thesis is that KM technology is a necessary but insufficient prerequisite and a key enabler for successful KM in a rapidly changing business environment. / Thesis (PhD (Computer Science))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Computer Science / unrestricted

Text in English with keywords and abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / Over the past few years, the world in general has been influenced by several rapid changes and disruptions including climate change, globalisation, economic developments, the fourth industrial revolution, technological advancements, social changes, political changes and most recently the Covid-19 pandemic. The above changes have also influenced South Africa Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in South Africa. In particular, over the past two to three years, South African HEIs have been increasingly faced with the drive for transformation in higher education (including the decolonisation of the curriculum), reduced government subsidies, increased competition, rising costs, increased enrolments, declining resources the announcement of free higher education, increased politicisation of higher education and the increased need to use information technology in teaching and research. As a result, the aforementioned rapid changes and disruption require that leaders in South African HEIs possess the capabilities that will enable them to successfully lead their organisations during such times. While leadership has been researched within South African HEIs none was found that focussed on identifying and describing the capabilities needed to lead successfully in South African HEIs during rapid change and disruption. The aim of this research was to determine a leadership capabilities model required to lead successfully during rapid change and disruption within South African HEIs. This research successfully identified and described the capabilities and competencies needed to lead South African HEIs successfully during rapid change and disruption in general as well as for each leadership level. Finally, this research formulated a theory and model that explains the relationship between rapid change and disruption, the possession and application of the capabilities required to lead successfully in South African HEIs during rapid change and disruption and actually dealing successfully with the rapid change and disruption. / Oor die afgelope paar jare was die wêreld deur verskillende vinnige veranderinge en ontwrigtings beïnvloed insluitended limaatverandering, globaliseering, ekonomiese ontwikkelinge asook die vierde industriële rewolusie, tegnolosiese vooruitgange, sosiale veranderinge, politiese veranderinge, en mees onlangs, die Covid-19 pandemie. Die bogenoemde veranderinge het ook die Suid-Afrikaanse Hoër Onderwys beïnvloed. In die besonder, oor die afgelope twee tot drie jaar, is Suid-Afrikaanse Hoër Onderwys Instansies toenemend gekonfronteer deur ‘n strewe na transformasie (insluitended dekolonisering van die kirrikulum), vermindende staatsubsidies, toenemende kompetisie, toenemende kostes, toenemende inskrywings, vermindende hulpbronne, die aankondiging van gratis hoër onderwys, toenemende politisering van hoër onderwys en die toenemende behoefte om inligtingstegnologie te gebruik in onderwys en navorsing. As ‘n gevolg van bogenoemde vinnige veranderinge en ontwrigtings, word dit van leiers in die Suid-Afrikaanse Hoër Onderwys vereis om vermöens te besit wat hulle in staat stel om hulle organisasies suksesvol te kan lei gedurende sulke tye. Alhoewel navorsing oor leierskap binne Suid-Afrikaanse Hoër Onderwys Instansies voorheen gedoen is, kon geen navorsing gevind word wat alleenlik fokus op die identifisering en beskrywing van die eienskappe wat nodig is om Suid-Afrikaanse Hoër Onderwys Instansies suksesvol te kan lei gedurende tye van vinnige veranderinge en ontwrigting. Die mikpunt van hierdie navorsing was om vas te stel watter leierskap eienskappe nodig is om Suid-Afrikaanse Hoër Onderwys Instansies suksesvol te kan lei, gedurende tye van vinnige veranderinge en ontwrigtings. Hierdie navorsing het daarin geslaag om die eienskappe en vaardighede wat leiers benodig om Suid-Afrikaanse Hoër Onderwys Instansies suksesvol te lei gedurende tye van vinnige veranderinge en ontwrigtings te bepaal, asook wat vir elke leierskapvlak benodig word. Hierdie navorsing het ook ‘n teorie en model geformuleer wat die verhouding tussen vinnige veranderinge en ontwrigtings, die besit en toepassing van die eienskappe om Suid Afrikaanse Hoër Onderwys Instansies suksesvol te kan lei gedurende tye van vinnige veranderinge en ontwrigtings en uiteindelik suksevolle leierskap gedurende vinnige veranderinge en ontwrigtings, te beskryf. / Eminyakeni embalwa edlule umhlaba jikelele ubhekane nezinguquko nokuphazamiseka okuningi okuhlanganisa ukuquka kwesimo sezulu, ukuxhumana kwamazwe omhlaba, ukuthuthuka kwezomnotho, uguquko kwezezimboni kwesine (fourth industrial revolution), ukuthuthuka kwezobuchwepheshe, izinguquko kwezenhlalo, izinguquko kwezombusazwe nokwakamuva nje, ubhubhane i-Covid-19. Lezi zinguquko ezingenhla zibe nomthelela naseziKhungweni zeMfundo ePhakeme zaseNingizimu Afrika (HEIs). Ikakhulukazi, eminyakeni emibili kuya kwemithathu edlule, iziKhungo zeMfundo ePhakeme zaseNingizimu Afrika zibhekana ngokwengezekile nomkhankaso wezoguquko kwezemfundo ephakeme (okuhlanganisa nokuhlelwa kabusha kwezinhlelozifundo), ukuncipha kwemalisibonelelo kahulumeni, ukukhula kokuqhudelana, ukukhula kwezindleko, ukukhula kwesibalo sababhalisile, ukuncipha kwezinsiza, ukumenyezelwa kwemfundo ephakeme yamahhala, ukudlondlobala kwezombusazwe ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme nokukhula kokusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe kwezokufundisa nocwaningo. Okungumphumela walokhu, ukudingeka kwabaholi bezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme eNingizimu Afrika abanamakhono azobalekelela ekuholeni ngempumelelo izinhlangano zabo kulezi zikhathi. Yize noma ubuholi bucwaningiwe ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme eNingizimu Afrika akukho okutholakele obekugxile ekuhlonzeni nasekuchazeni ngokuyizidingo zokuhola ngempumelelo lezi zikhungo ngalesi sikhathi sezinguquko nokuphazamiseka okwenzeka ngesivinini. Lolu cwaningo luhlonze futhi lwachaza ngamakhono namava adingekayo ukuze kuholwe ngempumelelo iziKhungo ZeMfundo ePhakeme zaseNingizimu Afrika ngesikhathi sezinguquko nokuphazamiseka okwenzeka ngesivinini kanye nokuyizidingo zezinga ngalinye lobuholi. Okokugcina, lolu cwaningo lwakhe injulalwazi nohlaka oluchaza ngobudlelwano phakathi kwezinguquko nokuphazamiseka okwenzeka ngesivinini, ukuba namava adingekayo nokuwasebenzisa ngempumelelo ekuholeni iziKhungo zeMfundo ePhakeme zaseNingizimu Afrika ngesikhathi salezi zinguquko nokuphazamiseka kanye nokubhekana nakho ngempumelelo. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Phil. (Consulting Psychology)