The role of strategic leadership in guiding performance of public vocational colleges in Kwazulu-Natal

Abstract

Globally, technical vocational education and training (TVET) is an essential sector in the economic development of any country as it provides skills required by the workplace. However, the sector, in many countries, especially developing countries, is beset by challenges which impede its performance. Thus, countries like South Africa have embarked on a series of educational reforms to transform the sector to ensure that it is elevated to the required level. Yet the performance of most public TVET colleges in South Africa has not met the required standard. This has raised questions about the role and practice of leadership, especially strategic leadership, in these public colleges. Since the college principal is fully responsible for the organisation’s effective and efficient functioning, this study explored his/her strategic leadership role in guiding the performance of the public college. The study investigates the role of strategic leadership in guiding performance higher education institutions from the perspective of public TVET colleges in KwaZulu-Natal. The study includes a literature review of strategic leadership, the TVET sector and organisational performance, from local and international perspectives. A qualitative case study inquiry of the role of strategic leadership in guiding organisational performance from the perspective of leaders of public vocational colleges in KwaZulu-Natal was conducted. Data were gathered from two department officials, seven college principals and twenty-two deputy principals, who were regarded as information-rich participants, by means of individual in-depth interviews. In total, thirty-one participants were interviewed individually. Data were analysed thematically, discussed and synthesised. The findings demonstrated that public colleges in KwaZulu-Natal face many challenges. The performance of public colleges in KwaZulu-Natal is below par because college principals do not fulfil their strategic leadership role effectively. Compounding the problem is the lack of support and training from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to public colleges and lack of understanding of strategic leadership and its importance by college leaders. This hinders the performance of public colleges in KwaZulu-Natal to the detriment of economic development and societal well-being. Based on the findings, recommendations for improving the strategic leadership role and subsequently the performance of public colleges are proposed.