The contemporary role of leadership in organizational transformation : a qualitative approach

Abstract

Leadership in South Africa have been gIven the major responsibility of having to transform and renew their organisation in order that they may now compete in the global economy and that they are furthermore aligned to the socio-political dynamics and imperatives of the country. Ensuring organisational renewal and survival and meeting the requirements of labour legislation places extraordinary pressure on company leaders. Most South African leaders obtained their managerial experience and expertise during a period characterised by environmental stability and predictability and are now faced with unfamiliar conditions and environmental stressors for which most of them are dismally prepared. This study demonstrates that given the turbulent environment in which leadership had to operate, there were few leaders who were able to meet these new challenges within their organisations. The way in which these leaders were able to shift their organisation from its present state to the desired state was examined in this study. The study showed that despite the use of transformational leadership to effect many aspects of the transformation process, all leaders tended to resort at some stage of the transformation process, to a dictatorial and overtly 'quasi-military' style of leadership. Once the organisation had been renewed and stabilised, leaders were more likely to incorporate traditional elements of transformational leadership. Leaders therefore only tended to become more democratic, participative and person centred once their organisations had become sufficiently stable to cope with new and threatening conditions.