A framework for organisational performance in local government focusing on effective leadership consistency : a case of Tshwane Municipality

Abstract

Metropolitan Municipalities are faced with myriad complex challenges that affect their effectiveness and efficiency in fulfilling their legislated responsibilities of rendering/providing services to their respective communities and customers. The lack of effective leadership consistency in top and senior management of most Metropolitan Municipalities result to failure and inability for municipalities to achieve their strategic objectives including the realisation of performance. Moreover, the absence of effective leadership consistency manifest in many forms such as inadequate oversight, noncompliance to legislations, failure to meet performance targets, numerous service delivery protests, projects stoppage and disruption, ineffective leadership and unfavourable audit opinions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of consistency on effective leadership and its influence in achieving the organisational objectives and the realisation of organisational performance in the Metropolitan Municipalities using City of Tshwane as a case. Furthermore, to develop a framework prescribing how effective leadership consistency should be formed and used to realise performance and achieve strategic objectives in local government. A sequential exploratory mixed method approach was applied in this study. A combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods complemented each other’s strengths, and further overcame weaknesses and limitations in collecting the data. A self-administered Questionnaire was used to collect 177 data with a response rate of 88.5% for the Quantitative data, while face-to-face interviews was used to collect the Qualitative part from 15 respondents. Quantitative techniques namely, Descriptive Statistics was used to analyse the frequency and percentage response of the participants while Inferential Statistics simple t-test was used to assess the difference in participant’s responses. Furthermore, Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to measure the level of association between variables of the study; and Forward Stepwise Regression was applied to assess the relationship between the variables of study. The study found that consistency of leadership in the organisation is positively correlated with effective leadership; consistency of effective leadership in the organisation correlates to the achievement of the strategic objectives; and consistency of effective leadership in the organisation correlates to the realisation of performance. Moreover, a framework has been developed prescribing how effective leadership consistency should be used to effect or bring about organisational performance. The research study recommended that consistency of effective leadership at the top and senior management is essential and absolutely necessary, and it should be wellmaintained for the realisation of success of the municipalities.