Survival strategies of non-profitable organisations in South Africa : a qualitative multiple-case study

Abstract

The study responds to calls for research within wider contexts. In particular, it is positioned within the South African non-profitable sector – non-profitable organisations (NPO) – in social care. The non-profitable sector is also called the Third Sector, and this research adopted the strategy-as-practice perspective to explore the strategy in this sector. The study investigates how managers and leaders of these NPOs strategise to sustain their organisations and services in a changing and demanding environment. The survival of NPOs is affected by a range of constraints linked to personnel, finances, resources, volunteering, and continuous increase in demand for social care. These constraints require managers and leaders of non-profitable organisations to devise strategies and practices to ensure success and sustainability. The findings of this study confirm the need for resilience to survive over the long term. The findings indicate that NPOs need to adapt to the external and internal environments constantly. Leadership drives resilience through governance and maintains services that are fit-for-purpose for the ever-changing needs of the society they serve. Adapting practices should react to changes through training and retraining, meticulous reporting to partners and other financiers, and complying with their governing entities by applicable legal statures and strict financial control. Adapting is amongst the most important practices identified through this study. A leadership style that enables sustainability was specifically highlighted. Through semi-structured interviews, the researcher uncovered strategic practices of longstanding NPOs to identify the strategies that contribute to long-term survival. Leaders in different management positions shared detailed descriptions of their practices, which served as the data for this research. The data provided the opportunity to research the strategy from a practical perspective, and were confirmed by secondary documents. Using the strategy as practice paradigm, the researcher identified strategic practices within drivers of value and found them to be contributing toward sustainability. The strategic practices were then organised in themes and assertions toward the theory of sustainability regarding these service organisations. The practices influence the stages of the organisational life cycle in a collective system of practices, leading to identifying a phase within the life cycle that contributes to resilience and renewal to aid survival and sustainability. Implementation strategies in the organisations provide good governance inclusive of reporting adequately. They also provide good leadership to ensure stable personnel committed to working together as a team and establish a culture of fit-for-purpose in service delivery. Most important is adapting towards resilience in the short term and developing resources to provide financial stability.

Hierdie studie is in reaksie op die oproep om navorsing in breë kontekste onderneem. Dit is in die Suid-Afrikaanse sektor sonder winsoogmerk – organisasies sonder winsoogmerk (OSW’s) – in maatskaplike sorg onderneem. Die sektor sonder winsoogmerk word ook die Derde Sektor genoem. In hierdie navorsing word die strategie-as-praktykperspektief gevolg om strategieë in die sektor te verken. Die strategieë wat bestuurders en leiers van OSW’s formuleer om in ʼn veranderende en veeleisende omgewing hulle organisasies volhoubaar te bedryf en dienste te lewer, word ondersoek. OSW’s het met allerlei beperkings te kampe waaronder ʼn gebrek aan personeel, finansies, hulpbronne en vrywilligers benewens die immergroeiende vraag na maatskaplike sorg. Weens hierdie beperkings moet bestuurders van organisasies sonder winsoogmerk strategieë bedink en bepaalde praktyke toepas sodat hulle organisasies suksesvol en volhoubaar bedryf word. Die bevindings van hierdie studie bevestig die noodsaak van veerkrag om op die duur te oorlewe. Die bevindings laat blyk dat OSW’s hulle voortdurend by die eksterne en interne omgewing moet aanpas. Bestuurders openbaar veerkrag in die wyse waarop hulle hul organisasies bestuur en doelgemaakte dienste volgens die immerveranderende behoeftes van die samelewing lewer. Praktyke moet deur opleiding en heropleiding volgens veranderings aangepas word. Voorts moet noukeurig verslag gedoen word aan vennote en finansiers, en bestuurders moet aan die wet voldoen en streng finansiële bestuur toepas. Aanpasbaarheid is een van die belangrikste praktyke wat in hierdie studie aangetoon word, en nadruk word gelê op ʼn leierskapstyl wat volhoubaarheid vooropstel. Die navorser het halfgestruktureerde onderhoude oor die strategiese praktyke waaraan organisasies hul oorlewing te danke het, met gevestigde OSW’s gevoer. Leiers in verskillende bestuursposte het hulle praktyke uitvoerig beskrywe. Hulle beskrywings was die data vir hierdie studie. Die geldigheid van die data word in verskeie sekondêre dokumente gestaaf. Die bestuurspraktyke is uit ʼn praktiese oogpunt ondersoek. Volgens ʼn praktykparadigma is strategiese praktyke in waardedrywers aangetoon wat op grond van die bevindings tot volhoubaarheid bydra. Daarna is die strategiese praktyke volgens tema en stellings oor die volhoubaarheidsteorie rakende hierdie diensorganisasies gerangskik. Die praktyke beïnvloed die stadia van ʼn organisasie se lewensiklus in ʼn kollektiewe praktykstelsel. Gevolglik kan ʼn stadium in die lewensiklus geïdentifiseer word wat tot veerkrag en vernuwing bydra met die oog op oorlewing en volhoubaarheid. Die strategieë van die organisasies in hierdie studie kom neer op goeie bestuur en behoorlike verslagdoening. Bestuurders openbaar goeie leierskap, die bestendige personeel werk as ʼn span saam, en ʼn kultuur van doelgemaakte dienslewering heers in hierdie organisasies. Afgesien van aanpassing met die oog op veerkrag in die kort termyn, is die aanpassing en ontwikkeling van hulpbronne vir finansiële stabiliteit van die allergrootste belang.

Thutopatlisiso e tsibogela boikuelo jwa gore go nne le dipatlisiso tsa bokao jo bo anameng. Tota tota, thutopatlisiso e theilwe mo lephateng le le sa direng lotseno la Aforikaborwa – ditheo tse di sa direng lotseno (NPO) – mo tlhokomelong ya loago. Lephata le le sa direng lotseno le bidiwa gape Lephata la Boraro, mme patlisiso eno e tsere molemo wa togamaano-jaaka-tiragatso go tlhotlhomisa togamaano mo lephateng leno. Thutopatlisiso e batlisisa ka moo batsamaisi le baeteledipele ba diNPO tseno ba logang maano ka gona go tsweletsa ditheo le ditirelo tsa bona mo tikologong e e fetogang le e e lopang go le gontsi. Go tswelela go nna teng ga diNPO go amiwa ke ditlhaelo di le mmalwa tse di amanang le badiri, ditšhelete, ditlamelo, boithaopo, le go koketsego e e tswelelang pele ya topo ya tlhokomelo ya loago. Ditlhaelo tseno di tlhoka gore batsamaisi le baeteledipele ba ditheo tse di sa direng lotseng ba dire ditogamaano le ditiragatso go netefatsa katlego le go nnela ruri. Diphitlhelelo tsa thutopatlisiso di tlhomamisa botlhokwa jwa kgotlhelelo go tswelela go nna teng mo pakeng e e telele. Diphitlhelelo di supa gore diNPO di tlhoka go nna di itlwaetsa seemo sa kwa ntle le sa ka fa gare. Boeteledipele bo bona kgotlhelelo ka taolo le go tsweletsa ditirelo tse di maleba tsa ditlhokego tse di nnang di fetoga tsa setšhaba se bo se direlang. Ditiragatso di tshwanetse go tsibogela diphetogo ka katiso le katisosešwa, dipegelo tse di matsetseleko go balekane le batlamedi ba bangwe ba ditšhelete, le go obamela ditheo tsa taolo ka melao e e maleba le taolo e e tsepameng ya ditšhelete. Go itlwaetsa seemo go magareng ga ditiragatso tsa botlhokwatlhokwa tse di supilweng mo thutopatlisisong eno. Go sedimositswe thata boeteledipele jo bo kgontshang go nnela leruri. Ka dipotsolotso tse di batlileng di rulagane, mmatlisisi o upolotse ditiragatso tsa togamaano tsa diNPO tse di sa bolong go nna gona go supa ditogamaano tse di tshwaelang mo go tsweleleng go nna teng mo pakeng e e telele. Baeteledipele ba ba mo maemong a a farologaneng a boeteledipele ba neetse ditlhaloso ka botlalo malebana le ditiragatso tsa bona, tseo di dirileng jaaka data ya patlisiso eno. Data e tlametse ka tšhono ya go batlisisa togamaano ka mogopolo wa tiragatso mme e tlhomamisitswe ke dikwalo tse dingwe. Ka tiriso ya togamaano ya molebo wa tiragatso, go supilwe di tiragatso tsa togamaano mo ditsamaising tsa boleng mme go fitlhetswe di tshwaela mo go nneleng leruri. Morago go ne ga rulaganngwa ditiragatso tsa togamaano ka meono le dipolelo go ya kwa tioring ya go tswelela go nna teng malebana le ditheo tseno tsa tirelo. Ditiragatso di tlhotlheletsa magato a sediko sa botshelo jwa setheo mo thulaganyong e e kokoantsweng ya ditiragatso, mme di lebisa kwa goreng go supiwe mo sedikong sa botshelo, legato le le tshwaelang mo kgotlhelelong le ntshwafatsong go thusa go tswelela go nna teng leruri. Go diragadiwa ga ditogamaano tse di fitlhetsweng mo ditheong tsa thutopatlisiso eno di tlamela ka bolaodi jo bo siameng jo bo akaretsang go dira dipegelo ka tolamo. Gape go tlamela ka boeteledipele jo bo siameng go netefatsa gore go nna le badiri ba ba tsepameng e bile ba itlamile go dira mmogo jaaka setlhopha go tlhama setso se se siametseng tlamelo ya ditirelo. Sa botlhokwatlhokwa ke go itlwaetsa kgotlhelelo mo pakeng e e khutshwane le go itlwaetsa le go dira gore go nne le ditlamelo tsa tsepamo ya ditšhelete.