A leadership capability model for the South African higher education environment

Abstract

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.