Affirmative action: from compliance mode to sustainable leadership practices in the private sector

Abstract

This quantitative, cross-sectional research (n = 116) sought to establish the relationship between Sustainable Leadership Practices (SLPs) and Affirmative Action (AA) implementation with the view of assessing whether South African private business applied SLPs in the implementation of AA. The sample consisted of leaders in private organisations particularly Human Resources Practitioners/Managers, Organisational Directors and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). The study collected data through a self-administered internet survey; data was collected using questions on 10 Sustainable Leadership Practices and 4 constructs of Affirmative Action implementation. KendallÕs Tau c tests were conducted to test the hypotheses. Data was also analysed through correlation analysis techniques that sought to establish correlational strengths between SLPs and AA as well as AA and company size. The results showed that use of SLPs within the South African private companies was generally high. However, SLPs had positively affected AA implementation with weak positive relationships observed. The findings of this research contribute to the SLPs realm through results which showed that SLPs had positive correlations with the implementation of AA. It was also observed through the study that AA can indeed be better implemented through SLPs hence Leaders and Managers of organisations must invest in these practices though their level of importance is not equally the same. SLPs such as, devolved consensual decision-making, internal succession planning, amicable labour relations, long-term perspective and social responsibility showed a stronger positive relationship with the implementation of AA relative to the other five.