The relationship between the changing leadership profile and the retention of black talent

Abstract

The retention of skills is central to the sustained success of an organisation. In an environment of increased globalisation and competition for skills, the retention of skills is increasingly important yet difficult to achieve. An inclusive organisational culture and the effective management of diversity play a decisive role in the retention of skills. In turn, leadership is a key element in shaping and influencing the culture of an organisation and creating an inclusive workplace environment in a diverse culture such as that in post-Apartheid South Africa. The explicit objective of the Employment Equity Act (1998) is to transform the racial composition of the South African employment landscape, but what of the implicit aim of transforming the workplace into one that embraces all races and cultures? Has the transformation process, driven by government through legislation, had a positive impact in the workplace and achieved the objectives of the Employment Equity Act? The aim of this research was to establish if the increasing number of black managers have had a positive influence on the culture of South African workplaces resulting in the retention of black talent. The results indicated that the influence of black managers on the culture of an organisation was limited - largely because the environment was not conducive to the change they envisioned. Consequently black top and senior managers have not influenced the decisions of other black employees to seek alternate employment.