Abstract:
This report documents research work conducted on global mindset dimensions that best describe black South African business leaders. This study sought to understand whether black South African leaders either fit the current accepted norm of global mindset dimensions or whether they can contribute to what is globally understood as the foundation and universal principles of the global mindset. The currently accepted global mindset dimensions are: social capital, intelligence capital and psychological capital (Javidan & Walker, 2012; Dill, 2016; Global Mindset Institute, 2012).
The research approach employed was a qualitative method with exploratory interviews with ten black South African leaders in senior executive roles. The respondents were from various industries, such as financial services, mining, fast moving consumable goods (FMCG) companies and technologically innovative companies. The results from the interviews and the thematic analysis revealed that the mindsets of black South African leaders are informed by deep-seated traditional values and principles unique to the South African context that include traditional values such as ÒUbuntuÓ (Nzimakwe, 2014), black consciousness and others unique to the black South African society. These values encourage black South Africans to never assume that their small places of birth are the centre of the universe. When gauging the South African leaderÕs perspective, using the three defined conventional mindset dimensions mentioned above, the social and psychological capitals came out strongly during the analysis. Passion for diversity, sense of true identity (self-assurance), intercultural empathy and collaboration were the four key themes that best described the dimensions of the South African leadershipÕs mindset towards globalisation.
This research makes a contribution to the academic understanding of the cultural values that South African leaders possess. The findings of this study will be useful when business leaders consider these sub-constructs of a global mindset from a South African perspective in developing business recruitment or talent development strategies that can guide the recruitment or development processes of human capital in South Africa