Propellers of organisational sustainability in hospices in South Africa

Abstract

Hospices operating in the non-profit sector are experiencing organisational sustainability pressures, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, while the population of patients who are terminally ill and requiring palliative care is increasing, the resources required to render this noble service are depleting, so much so that some hospices have closed. The situation raises profound organisational sustainability concerns, and this serves as the motivation for this generic qualitative study to investigate the propellers of organisational sustainability in South African-based hospices operating in the non-profit sector. Data was collected through interviews with twelve senior managers from different hospice organisations. The data was then analysed using Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). Subsequent results reveal that a cocktail of factors, including transparent communication, visionary leadership, a strategic disposition, improved service quality, a strong corporate culture, a diversified revenue base and committed staff, propel organisational sustainability among hospices. Conversely, the COVID-19 pandemicenforced lockdowns and the rampant emergence of many NPOs impede the sustainability prospects of the hospices. With these insights, this study contributes to the organisational sustainability discourse from a uniquely South African perspective, given the dearth of research in this area, particularly in the context of developing economies.