Abstract:
Developing nations such as Namibia enjoy equal access to trade opportunities but are also
vulnerable to the competitive threats of global trade. Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR),
widespread internet usage and access to international funding grant the country passage
into rapid interconnectivity, and both social and economic networks. Global trade would be
impossible without transport networks, the vital link in moving merchandise along the value
chain. Nearly 90% of the world’s merchandise is transported by sea, and this has given
rise to a highly competitive maritime industry where seaport efficiency can greatly enhance
a country’s participation in global trade. Marine trade in Namibia reflects the same
statistics. Namibia Ports Authority (Namport), a state-owned enterprise (SOE) tasked to
manage two major ports in Namibia, competes with ports along the coastline of southern
Africa. In this highly competitive industry, a more efficient port may attract more
international trade, and Namibian ports are ideally situated to compete with South African
ports, often criticised for performing poorly compared to world ports. At the same time
SOEs such as the Namport, are afflicted by growing debt, dysfunctional management and
leadership, failure to deliver and overall inefficiency. Furthermore, leadership in SOE’s
faces the dichotomy of political interference in operational and administrative decisions
and competitive strategies. Amidst all these challenges, capable leadership is pivotal in the
extent to which SOEs meet their operational and strategic objectives. This theoretical
paper therefore investigates the literature, asking whether a leader’s emotional intelligence
and leadership style may contribute to operational efficiency.
