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Development of military leadership : a proposed model for the South African National Defence Force

Thesis (PhD (Public Management and Planning
))—University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:
The result of this research is an alternative model for leadership character
development in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The SANDF
reflects the racial and cultural diversity of South Africa as a nation. The need for a
unifying leadership-related mechanism for the military milieu in which humane
leadership development will flourish, is evident. This statement is based on the
premise that no evidence is found that any previous efforts by the SANDF to instil a
leadership philosophy or policy as a way of military life was successful.
Further shortcomings in the current SANDF leadership development model, apart
from the reality that its selection process of officer candidates needs improvement,
are the absence of political guidance and participation in the development of its
military leaders, as well as emaciated attention to the development of the character
side of leaders during officer formative training. The SANDF, unlike the international
tendency, has no military leadership institution to ensure that its leadership
development policies and practices are based on sound academic research. Such an
institution will also ensure that the SANDF stays contemporary in the global field of
military leadership development.
The shortcomings of the current SANDF Model were identified by progressing
through the academic theories on leadership and leadership development to a
comparative analysis of leadership development practices in the militaries of
Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and the SANDF. This supplied the
information needed to propose the Five Point Star Model (FPS Model) for leadership
character development in the SANDF. The five components of the FPS Model, which
address the shortcomings of the current SANDF Model, are Convergent Leadership,
Political Participation, Superior Selection, Interventions for Leadership Character
Development, and a Military Leadership Institution. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:
Die uitkoms van hierdie navorsing is ’n alternatiewe model wat die tekortkominge in
die ontwikkeling van leierskapkarakter in die Suid Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag
(SANW) aanspreek. Die SANW weerspieël die rasse- en kulturele diversiteit van die
Suid Afrikaanse nasie, wat die behoefte aan ‘n samebindende leierskapsverwante
meganisme na vore bring. Hierdie stelling is gegrond daarop dat geen bewys, waar
die SANW daarin geslaag het om ’n samebindende leierskapsfilosofie of –beleid as
‘n militêre leefwyse te vestig, gevind is om sodoende die militêre milieu te skep
waarin mensgerigte leierskap sal floreer nie.
Verdere tekortkominge in die huidige Leierskapsontwikkelingsmodel van die SANW,
bo en behalwe dat die keuringsproses van kandidaat-offisiere uitgebrei en verbeter
moet word, is die afwesigheid van politieke deelname en rigtinggewing waar die
ontwikkeling van die land se jong militêre leiers ter sprake is. Te min aandag word
ook gewy aan die ontwikkeling van kandidaat-offisiere se karakter of inbors tydens
offisiersvorming kursusse. Die internasionale tendens is vir weermagte om ‘n militêre
leierskapsinstelling te hê. Die SANW het nie so ‘n instelling om te verseker dat
militêre leierskapsontwikkelingsbeleid en -praktyke op behoorlike akademiese
navorsing gefundeer is nie. Dit maak dit moeilik om ’n kontemporêre bydrae in die
internasionale veld van militêre leierskap te maak.
Die wyse waarop die tekortkominge van die huidige SANW
Leierskapsontwikkelingsmodel geïdentifiseer is, was om voort te bou op die
akademiese teorieë oor leierskap en leierskapsontwikkeling en om ’n vergelykende
studie tussen leierskapsontwikkelingspraktyke in die weermagte van Duitsland,
Brittanje, Kanada en die SANW te doen. Die vergelykende studie het inligting verskaf
om die Vyfpuntster Model vir die ontwikkeling van leierskapkarakter in die SANW
voor te stel. Die vyf komponente van die nuwe model spreek die tekortkominge van
die huidige SANW Model aan, en die komponente is Konvergerende Leierskap,
Politieke Deelhebberskap, Voortreflike Keuring, Intervensies vir Leierskapkarakterontwikkeling,
en ‘n Instansie vir Militêre Leierskap.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/1177
Date12 1900
CreatorsErasmus, Willem Driesse
ContributorsUys, F. M., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Management and Planning.
PublisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
RightsUniversity of Stellenbosch

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