Followership constructs and behaviours in a complex organisation : a South African perspective

Abstract

In this thesis, titled Followership constructs and behaviours in a complex organisation: A South African perspective, the researcher aimed to expand on the current literature within the field of followership by providing a complex organisation perspective in the South African public sector. Employing a qualitative approach, the study investigated how employees at a South African metropolitan municipality socially construct their followership. The study focused specifically on follower implicit followership theories (FIFTs) in a complex environment. Interviews were conducted with 27 participants to explore their beliefs about followership, the enactment of their followership, and the factors that contribute to how they enact their followership. The results suggest that followers’ self-schemas can be characterised around beliefs that are either self-focused, leader-focused, organisation-focused, or a combination thereof. Findings also indicate that followers can simultaneously hold beliefs that include characteristics that are associated with passive schemas, such as deference to leaders; as well as those that are considered to be proactive, such as challenging leaders and taking initiative. The results further reveal that follower behaviour is influenced more positively by intrinsic individual factors compared to external organisational or leadership factors; whilst the converse is also indicated. In respect of organisational factors, the inherent political nature and rigid structure of the organisation are the primary emerging themes of challenges for enactment of ideal followership. The study concludes that individual followers simultaneously hold beliefs across the continuum of follower self-schemas from passive to proactive; however, the activation of the behaviours across the continuum is dependent on the follower’s perception of the appropriate schema in response to the situation or environment.