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Alternative management styles in PetroSA

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Executives wanting to establish or manage an effective organisation need to
understand the dynamics of leadership. PetroSA can have all the advantages in the
world - advocate of the state, good relations with the state treasury, and Gas-To-
Liquid technology - but if leadership fails, all these advantages melt away and the
organisation, like a driverless car, will inexorably run downhill.
Nevertheless, if we are to understand leadership, we also have to go beyond the
directly obvious. We have to pay attention to the relevant internal and social
dynamics. It calls for an analysis of the intricate interaction between leaders and
followers, and the unconscious and invisible psychodynamic processes and
structures that influence the behaviour of individuals. The conscious grouping of pairs
of two or more employees that maintain a sociologically significant relationship
should also not be ignored. People who dismiss the complex clinical dimension in
organisational analysis cannot hope to move beyond an impoverished understanding
of what life in organisations is all about.
Toxic managers dot the landscape in most organisations making them seem, at
times, like war zones. These managers can complicate your work, drain your energy,
compromise your sanity and destroy your career. However, it is critical to recognise
that toxicity, or emotional pain, is a normal by-product of organisational life. However,
organisations that want to stay healthy need to learn to handle such toxicity
effectively - or prevent it in the first place. This survey clearly demonstrates that very
unhealthy management styles prevail in PetroSA. The overall results of the survey
show that managers identified nine behaviours or practices that are detrimental to the
. organisation's culture. These traits scored more than 2.8 on a five-point scale, where
a score of five is severe. This paper examines various ways of managing toxicity in
the workplace and offers ideas for leaders to help foster health and productivity. The
recommendations will include a major change management initiative, wellness
programme, mentoring and coaching intervention, leadership development sessions
(residential), communication strategy, interventions that address the dark side of
leadership, as well as Learning to Lead workshops.
Finally, effective organisational responses to emotional pain, once in the system, do
not stop with the urgent, immediate response to a painful traumatic experience such
as the merger process PetroSA underwent in 2002/2003. leaders in their
organisations should make use of preventative strategies such as appointing the right
candidates, developing leaders and creating the right culture that offers space for
healing and inspiration. leaders can play a key role in the recovery of those who
have been hurt, speeding up the wellbeing of those who have suffered and facilitating
a healthy workplace. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Uitvoerende bestuur wat effektiewe organisasies wil vorm en bestuur moet die
dinamika van leierskap goed verstaan. PetroSA kan baie faktore hê wat in sy guns tel
- soos om as die mondstuk van die staat te wees, goeie verhoudings met die
staatstesourier te hê, sowel as om oor Gas-tot-Vloeistof tegnologie te beskik -'-maar,
sou die kritiese eienskap van leierskap ontbreek, is al dié voordele tevergeefs en die
organisasie sal, soos 'n motor sonder bestuurder, onkeerbaar afdraand loop.
Om leierskap werklik te verstaan, is die voor-die-hand-liggende nie genoeg nie. Daar
moet ernstig aandag geskenk word aan die gepaardgaande interne en sosiale
dinamika. Dit vereis 'n analise van die ingewikkelde interaksie tussen leiers en
navolgers sowel as die onbewustelike en insigbare psigodinamiese prosesse en
strukture wat gedrag van individue beïnvloed. Die willekeurige groepering van twee
of meer werknemers wat sosiologiese belangrike verhoudings ontwikkel moet ook nie
geïgnoreer word nie. Persone wat dié ingewikkelde kliniese dimensies ignoreer
tydens organisatoriese analise, het geen hoop om uit te styg bo 'n swak begrip van
wat die lewe van binne 'n organisasie behels nie.
Toksiese bestuurders is volop in die meeste organisasies, wat dié maatskappye
soms soos 'n oorlogsveld laat voel. Sulke bestuurders maak die werksplek baie
gekompliseerd, dreineer jou energie, is senutergend en kan jou loopbaan
verongeluk. Hoe dit ook al sy, dit is belangrik om daarop te let dat toksiese of
emosionele pyn, 'n normale byproduk van die lewe binne 'n organisasie is.
Nieteenstaande hierdie feit, moet organisasies wat gesond wil bly, hierdie giftige
gewoontes doeltreffend bestuur - of nog beter - in die eerste plek heeltemal
verhoed. Hierdie tesis bewys onteenseglik dat hierdie ongesonde bestuurstyle binne
PetroSA heers. Die oorhoofse resultate van die opname toon dat bestuurders nege
bestuurstyle of gewoontes identifiseer wat die organisasie negatief beïnvloed. Hierdie
style behaal 'n gemiddelde van meer as 2.8 op die vyf-punt skaal, waar 5 uiters
waarneembaar is. Die tesis poog om teenmiddels te identifiseer wat hierdie giftige
style teenwerk of verhoed. Die tesis poog ook om idees aan huidige en toekomstige
leiers te bied om gesonde en produktiewe werksomgewings te skep. Die
aanbevelings sluit in 'n aansienlike bestuurde veranderingsinisiatief, personeel welstandsprogram, mentor- en leierskapsprogramme, kommunikasiestrategie, en
werkswinkels wat die donker kant van leierskap aanspreek sowel as die kuns om te
lei.
Effektiewe reaksie op emosionele pyn binne die organisasie, moet nie net op die
onmiddelike dringende aksies om pynlike traumatiese ondervindings soos die
PetroSA samesmelting van 2002/2003 gerig wees nie. Leiers moet ook gebruik maak
van strategieë wat voorkomend is van aard soos om die regte kandidate aan te stel,
leiers te ontwikkel en die regte kultuur te skep wat ruimte vir heling en inspirasie bied.
Leiers kan 'n sleutelrol speel in die heling van diegene wat seergekry het, deur hul
beterskap te versnel en 'n gesonde werkplek te fasiliteer.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50253
Date12 1900
CreatorsKearns, Julius Jerome
ContributorsDenton, Mario, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format100 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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