Transmogrification at a South African group relations conference : what does this mean for the individual and the organisation?

Abstract

Group Relations Conferences provide adult learners opportunities to study above and below the surface dynamics of organisational and community life. An effective pedagogy in developing complex world views when exploring challenges of managing different social systems. Yet the literature suggested there is a hatred of learning by experience and lack of faith in such learning. The focus of this research is on a group relations conference named the Robben Island diversity experience (RIDE) held annually in South Africa. What prompted this research was the paucity of research on members experiences of group relations conferences. An emerging qualitative approach was applied within an interpretive framework in the meta theoretical post-positivistic paradigm of Critical Realism. The research strategy leads an inquiry into the RIDE participants experiences of transmogrification within Hermeneutic Phenomenology. A non-probability sampling strategy, of eight individuals enabled a multi-method research strategy of face-to-face interviews and a focus group. Data were analysed by means of Braun and Clarke six-step thematic data analysis method, applying a Systems Psychodynamic lens. Manifesting themes of a five-day revolution, the dangerous and delirious zero-sub game, a new dawn one of those with vampires and keep moving safety first no fires on the ship, indicate that the RIDE was a complex system containing individual differences of an inner struggle to preserve, transform and to transmogrify. While experiencing a five-day revolution, described as a tale of the vampires, excuse me but your teeth are in my neck. A new concept of preservation and transmogrification was conceptualised to extend the body of knowledge of what transformation may look like at group relations conferences. Leveraging participants and researcher as defended subjects enabled describing the RIDE participants experience of the group relations conference, despite meaning making being difficult for themselves. The rationalised myth in the literature that these events cannot be researched was tested. The value of group relations conferences as an intervention tool was confirmed.

Groepbetrekkingskonferensies bied volwasse leerders die geleentheid om bo en onder die oppervlakdinamika van organisasie- en gemeenskapslewe te studeer. Dit is ʼn doeltreffende pedagogie om komplekse wêreldbeskouings te ontwikkel wanneer die uitdagings om verskillende sosiale stelsels te bestuur, ondersoek word. Nogtans gee die literatuur te kenne dat daar haat én ʼn gebrek aan vertroue bestaan om deur ervaring te leer. Die fokus van hierdie navorsing is ʼn groepbetrekkingskonferensie, die Robbeneiland-diversiteitservaring (RIDE) genoem, wat jaarliks in Suid-Afrika gehou word. Die skaarste aan navorsing oor lede se ervarings van groepbetrekkings-konferensies het aanleiding tot hierdie navorsing gegee. ʼn Ontluikende, kwalitatiewe benadering is binne ʼn verklarende raamwerk in die metateoretiese, postpositivistiese paradigma van Kritiese realisme gebruik. Die navorsingstrategie lei ʼn ondersoek na die RIDE-deelnemers se ervarings van gedaanteverandering binne Hermeneutiese fenomenologie. ʼn Onwaarskynlike steek-proefstrategie van agt individue het ʼn multimetode navorsingstrategie van aangesig tot aangesig onderhoude en ʼn fokusgroep moontlik gemaak. Data is deur middel van Braun en Clarke se sesstap, tematiese data-ontledingsmetode ontleed met gebruik van ʼn Psigodinamikasisteem-lens. Duidelike temas van ʼn vyfdagrevolusie, die gevaarlike en deurmekaar zero-sub spel – ʼn nuwe daeraad een van daardie met vampiere en bly aan die beweeg veiligheid eerste geen vure op die skip – dui aan dat die RIDE ʼn komplekse stelsel is wat individuele verskille van ʼn innerlike stryd om te bewaar, transformeer en van gedaante te verander, insluit. ʼn Vyfdagrevolusie word beleef en as ʼn storie van vampiere beskryf – verskoon my maar jou tande is in my nek. ʼn Nuwe begrip van bewaring en gedaanteverandering is gekonseptualiseer om die gesamentlike kennis van hoe transformasie by groepbetrekkingskonferensies mag lyk, uit te brei. Deur die deelnemers en navorser as beskermde persone te bemagtig, is die geleentheid gebied om RIDE-deelnemers se ervaring van die groepbetrekkings-konferensies te beskryf, hoewel dat dit vir hulle moeilik is om te verstaan. Die rasionele mite in die literatuur dat hierdie gebeure nie nagevors kan word nie, is getoets. Die waarde van groepbetrekkingskonferensies as ingrypingsinstrument is bevestig.

Dikhonferetshe tša ditlemagano tša dihlopha di fa baithuti ba bagolo menyetla go ithuta godimo le ka fase ga diphetogo tša maemo a mokgahlo le bophelo bja setšhaba. Thuto ye maatla mo go tšweletšong ya dikgopolo tše bothata tša lefase ge go fatišišwa dikgwehlo tša go swaragana le sistemo tša go fapana tša leago. Le ge go le bjalo dipuku di šišintše gore go na le lehloyo la go ithuta ka tsebo yeo o nago le yona le go hloka tshepho go ithuteng moo. Ntlha tebelelo ya diphatišišo e mo go conferentshe ya dikgokagano tša dihlopha tšeo di bitšwago tsebo yeo e phatlaletšego ya sehlakahlaka sa Robben (RIDE) yeo e swarwago ngwaga ka ngwaga ya Afrika Borwa. Seo se hlohleleditšego diphatišišong tše e be e le tlhokego ya diphatišišo tše mo go maloko ya maitemogelo a dikgokagano tša dihlopha tša dikhonferentse. Go tšweletšwa ga lemanoga la khwaitetive e ile ya dirišwa ka gare ga frameworke ya go hlatholla mo go meta paradigm ya teori ya post-positive ya Critical Ralism. Mokgwa wo wa diphatišišo o iša go potšišo mo go ba šea karolo (RIDE) ba ditsebo tša transemogrifike ka gare ga Phenomonogy ya Hermeneutiki. Sampling setrategy sa go se kgonege, batho ba seswai e kgontšhiše setrategy sa mokgwa wa go lekola e kgontštiše mokgwa wa go lekola ka bontši wa go botšišago ka mokgwa wa dipotšišo go lebelelwane thwii le sehlopha lebantšhwa. Tshedimošo yeo e lekolotšwego ka mokgwa wa Braun le Clarke wa dikgato tše tshela tša mokgwa wa go sekaseka tshedimo, le go diriša Disistemo tša leihlo la Pshychodynamic. Go laetša ditheme tša diphetogo tša matšatši a mahlano, tše kotse le zero-sub game ya godimo, e tee e ntshwa e thomago ya divempire tšeo gape le go sepediša polokego pele go sego gwa swanelwa ga mello sekepeng tša phetogo di laetša gore RIDE e be e le sisitimo e thata yeo e nago le go se swane ga batho mo go dithulano tša ka gare tšeo di lwelago go lotwa, go fetolwa le go transemografiwa. Ge go dutšwe go lemogwa phetogo ya matšatši phetogo, ao a hlalošwago bjalo ka nonwane ya divampire, ntshwarele e fela meno a gago a ka gare ga molala waka. Kgopolo ye mpsha ya go lota le transemografikheišene e ile ya dirwa kgopolo go otlolla mmele wa tsebo wa seo phetogo e ka bago yona e ka bonagala bjalo ka dikhonferentshe tša ditlemagano tša sehlopha. Go lekanyetša batšea karolo le mofatišiši bjalo ka bašireletši ba badiri ba kgonne go hlaloša boitemogelo bja batšea karolo ba khonferentshe ya dikgokagano tša sehlopa, ntle le go dira tlhalošo ya seo se lego bothata mo go bona. Go se be nnete go filwe mabaka ke dingwalo gore ditiragalo tšeo di ka se fatolwego di lekotšwe. Bohlokwa bja dikhonferentshe tša ditlemagano tša sehlopha bjalo ka setlabakanelo sa botsenelelo bo kgonthišitšwe.