Leadership competencies and capabilities in South African banks for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Abstract

The study aimed to delve into the leadership competencies and capabilities within South African banks amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The rapidly transforming landscape of 4IR - marked by rapid technological advancements, increasing global interconnectedness, and rising levels of complexity - shapes a unique set of challenges and opportunities for leadership in the banking sector. In investigating the relevance of the existing leadership competency profiles in the face of 4IR and the necessity for a context-specific leadership approach, the research method was devised as a combination of literature review and empirical study. The sample size consisted of Banking Leaders and Learning and Development (L&D) managers from a variety of South African banks, providing a robust data set for the empirical investigation. The research process began with a comprehensive literature review that helped in grounding the research in the established theories and latest findings about the impact of 4IR on leadership. The literature review underlined the demand for particular leadership competencies and capabilities such as adaptability, resilience, innovation, and strategic thinking in the era of 4IR. Following the literature review, an empirical study was conducted using a questionnaire survey method to gather primary data. The questionnaires, aimed at Banking Leaders and L&D managers within the banking sector, comprised closed-ended questions that targeted key aspects of leadership competency profiles and their relevance to the 4IR environment. The responses provided first-hand insights into the current leadership development practices within the South African banking sector. From the collected data, it was revealed that transformational leadership was predominant among the sampled in South African banks. The data showed a positive correlation between transformational leadership and variables such as job satisfaction and performance. This aligns with previous research indicating the effectiveness of transformational leadership in promoting employee engagement and performance, particularly in complex, rapidly changing environments like the 4IR. However, the data also exposed a gap in the alignment of existing leadership competency profiles with the 4IR's demands. The current leadership competency profiles in South African banks appeared to inadequately address the unique challenges posed by 4IR, underscoring the need for a more tailored, context-specific approach to leadership development. Based on the research findings, a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) framework was proposed. This framework integrates the key leadership competencies and capabilities identified in the literature review and the study findings, tailored specifically to the challenges and opportunities of the 4IR. The proposed VUCA framework emphasises competencies like adaptability, resilience, innovation, and strategic thinking, identified as critical for 4IR. It also includes elements like collaboration, emotional intelligence, and technological savviness, crucial for navigating the complexities of 4IR. In conclusion, the study's findings indicate a need for continuous development and adaptation of leadership competencies to align with the rapidly evolving landscape of the 4IR. The VUCA framework offers a practical guide for the South African banking sector to reassess and enhance their leadership development initiatives, thereby equipping their leaders to better navigate the 4IR challenges. The research findings not only contribute to the broader understanding of leadership in the 4IR context but also underline the importance of context-specific leadership development strategies.

Die studie het beoog om verdiep te wees in die leierskapbevoegdheid en vermoëns binne Suid-Afrikaanse banke te midde van die Vierde Industriële Revolusie (4IR). Die landskap van 4IR – gekenmerk deur vinnige tegnologiese vooruitgang, toenemende wêreldwye onderlinge verbinding en stygende kompleksiteitsvlakke – skep ʼn unieke stel uitdagings en geleenthede vir leierskap in die banksektor. In ʼn ondersoek na die toepaslikheid van die bestaande leierskapbevoegdheidsprofiele met die oog op 4IR en die nodigheid vir ʼn konteksspesifieke leierskapbenadering, is die navorsingsmetode as ʼn kombinasie van literatuuroorsig en empiriese studie ontwerp. Die steekproefgrootte het uit Leer- en Ontwikkelingsbestuurders (L&D-bestuurders) van ʼn verskeidenheid Suid-Afrikaanse banke bestaan wat ʼn sterk datastel vir die empiriese ondersoek voorsien. Die navorsingsproses het met ʼn uitgebreide literatuuroorsig begin wat gehelp het om die navorsing in die bestaande teorieë en nuutste bevindings oor die impak van 4IR op leierskap te grondves. Die literatuuroorsig het die behoefte aan spesiale leierskapbevoegdheid en vermoëns soos aanpasbaarheid, wilskrag, vernuwing en strategiese denke in die era van 4IR beklemtoon. Na die literatuuroorsig, volg ʼn empiriese studie wat gedoen is deur ʼn vraelys-opname metode te gebruik om primêre data te versamel. Die vraelyste, gemik op L&D-bestuurders binne die banksektor, het bestaan uit ope en geslote vrae wat op sleutel-aspekte van leierskapbevoegdheidsprofiele en hul toepaslikheid op die 4IR-omgewing gerig was. Die L&D- bestuurders se antwoorde het eerstehandse insigte in die huidige leierskap-ontwikkelingspraktyk binne die Suid-Afrikaanse banksektor voorsien. Die versamelde data het onthul dat transformasionele leierskap oorheersend is onder L&D-bestuurders in Suid-Afrikaanse banke. Die data het ʼn positiewe korrelasie tussen transformasionele leierskap en veranderlikes soos werksbevrediging en prestasie getoon. Dit stem ooreen met vorige navorsing wat die doeltreffendheid van transformasionele leierskap om werknemerbetrokkenheid en -prestasie te bevorder, aandui – veral in komplekse, vinnig veranderende omgewings soos die 4IR. Die data het nietemin ook ʼn gaping in die opstelling van bestaande leierskap- bevoegdheidsprofiele met die eise van 4IR aan die lig gebring. Dit lyk asof die huidige leierskapbevoegdheidsprofiele in Suid-Afrikaanse banke onvoldoende aandag aan die unieke uitdagings van 4IR gee wat die nodigheid vir ʼn meer toegespitste, konteksspesifieke benadering tot leierskapsontwikkeling onderstreep. Na aanleiding van die bevindings van die navorsing, is ʼn VUCA-raamwerk (Veranderlikheid, Onsekerheid, Kompleksiteit, Dubbelsinnigheid) voorgestel. Hierdie raamwerk integreer die sleutelleierskapbevoegdheid en vermoëns wat in die literatuuroorsig vasgestel is en die studie se bevindings wat spesifiek op die uitdagings en geleenthede van die 4IR gefokus is. Die voorgestelde VUCA-raamwerk beklemtoon vaardighede soos aanpasbaarheid, wilskrag, vernuwing en strategiese denke wat kritiek vir 4IR is. Dit behels ook beginsels soos samewerking, emosionele intelligensie en tegnologiese kundigheid, deurslaggewend om die kompleksiteit van 4IR te navigeer. Ten slotte, dui die studie se bevindings op ʼn behoefte aan volgehoue ontwikkeling en wysiging van leierskapbevoegdheid om met die vinnig ontwikkelende landskap van die 4IR ooreen te stem. Die VUCA-raamwerk bied ʼn praktiese gids vir die Suid-Afrikaanse banksektor om hul leierskap-ontwikkelingsinsiatiewe te hersien en te versterk en op dié manier hul leiers toe te rus om die uitdagings van 4IR beter te navigeer. Die bevindings van die navorsing dra nie net by tot groter begrip van leierskap in die 4IR-konteks nie, maar onderstreep ook die belangrikheid van konteksspesifieke leierskap-ontwikkelingstrategieë.

Lolu cwaningo noma lesisifundo besihlose ukuhlolisisa amakhono obuholi namandla ngaphakathi kwamabhange aseNingizimu Afrika phakathi neNguquko Yezimboni Yesine (4IR). Isimo sezwe esishintsha ngokushesha se-4IR - esimakwa ngentuthuko esheshayo yezobuchwepheshe, ukwanda kokuxhumana emhlabeni wonke, kanye namazinga akhulayo okuba yinkimbinkimbi - kwakhela isethi eyingqayizivele yezinselelo namathuba obuholi emkhakheni wamabhange. Ekuphenyeni ukufaneleka kwamaphrofayili akhona anekhono lobuholi phambi kwe4IR kanye nesidingo sendlela yobuholi egxile komongo, indlela yocwaningo yaklanywa njengenhlanganisela yokubuyekezwa kwezincwadi kanye nocwaningo olwenziwayo. Usayizi wesampula ubuhlanganisa abaphathi be-Learning and Development (L&D) abavela emabhange ahlukahlukene aseNingizimu Afrika, okuhlinzeka ngedatha eqinile yophenyo olusetshenziswayo. Inqubo yocwaningo yaqala ngokubuyekezwa okuphelele kwezincwadi okwasiza ekusekeleni ucwaningo emibonweni esunguliwe kanye nokutholwe kwakamuva mayelana nomthelela we-4IR ebuholini. Ukubuyekezwa kwezincwadi kugcizelele isidingo samakhono athile obuholi namakhono afana nokuzivumelanisa nezimo, ukuqina, ukusungula izinto ezintsha, kanye nokucabanga kwamasu enkathini ye-4IR. Ngemva kokubuyekezwa kwezincwadi, kwenziwa ucwaningo olungokomlando kusetshenziswa indlela yocwaningo lwemibuzo ukuze kuqoqwe idatha eyisisekelo. Uhlu lwemibuzo, oluqondiswe kubaphathi be-L&D emkhakheni wamabhange, beluhlanganisa imibuzo evulekile nevaliwe eqondise izici ezibalulekile zephrofayili yamakhono obuholi kanye nokuhlobana kwazo endaweni ye-4IR. Izimpendulo zabaphathi be-L&D zinikeze ukuqonda ngqo mayelana nezinqubo zamanje zokuthuthukiswa kobuholi ngaphakathi kwemboni yamabhange aseNingizimu Afrika. Ngolwazi oluqoqiwe, kwavezwa ukuthi ubuholi bezinguquko bebugqame phakathi kwabaphathi be-L&D emabhange aseNingizimu Afrika. Imininingwane ikhombise ukuhlobana okuhle phakathi kobuholi bezinguquko kanye nezinto eziguquguqukayo ezifana nokwaneliseka komsebenzi kanye nokusebenza. Lokhu kuhambisana nocwaningo lwangaphambilini olubonisa ukusebenza kahle kobuholi boguquko ekukhuthazeni ukusebenzelana kwabasebenzi nokusebenza, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni eziyinkimbinkimbi, ezishintsha ngokushesha njenge4IR. Kodwa-ke, imininingwane iphinde yadalula igebe ekuqondaneni kwamaphrofayili akhona obuholi nezimfuno ze-4IR. Iphrofayili yamanje yamakhono obuholi emabhange aseNingizimu Afrika ibonakale ingabhekananga ngokwanele nezinselelo ezihlukile ezilethwe yi-4IR, egcizelela isidingo sendlela ehambisanayo, egxile komongo ekuthuthukisweni kobuholi. Ngokusekelwe emiphumeleni yocwaningo, kwahlongozwa uhlaka lwe-VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainity, Complexity, Ambiguity). Lolu hlaka luhlanganisa amakhono obuholi abalulekile namakhono ahlonzwe ekubuyekezweni kwezincwadi kanye nokutholwe ocwaningweni, okuqondiswe ngqo kuzinselelo namathuba e-4IR. Uhlaka oluhlongozwayo lwe-VUCA lugcizelela amakhono afana nokuvumelana nezimo, ukuqina, ukusungula izinto ezintsha, nokucabanga kwamasu, okuhlonzwe njengokubalulekile ku-4IR. Iphinde ifake izinto ezifana nokusebenzisana, ubuhlakani bemizwa, kanye nobuhlakani bezobuchwepheshe, okubalulekile ekuzulazuleni okuyinkimbinkimbi kwe-4IR. Sengiphetha, okutholwe ocwaningweni kukhombisa isidingo sokuqhubeka nokuthuthuka kanye nokujwayela amakhono obuholi ukuze kuhambisane nesimo sezwe esithuthukayo se-4IR. Uhlaka lwe-VUCA lunikeza umhlahlandlela osebenzayo womkhakha wamabhange waseNingizimu Afrika ukuze ubuyekeze futhi uthuthukise izinhlelo zabo zokuthuthukisa ubuholi, ngaleyo ndlela uhlomise abaholi bawo ukuze bazulazule kangcono izinselele ze-4IR. Okutholwe ocwaningweni akugcini nje ukufaka isandla ekuqondeni kabanzi ubuholi kumongo we-4IR kodwa futhi kugcizelela ukubaluleka kwamasu okuthuthukisa ubuholi obuqondene nomongo.