TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AT A HIGHER

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TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AT AHIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONbyMagdalena Maria van Niekerk (née Pienaar)Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree ofMASTER OF ARTSin the subjectIndustrial and Organisational Psychology at theUNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICASUPERVISOR: PROF. JPR JOUBERTNOVEMBER 2005

iiAcknowledgementsMy family for their selfless support, encouragement and understandingwithout which this study would not have been possible.Dalena van Niekerk (née Pienaar)Bloemfontein, 27 February

iiiGreat leadership is a unique form of art, requiring both force and vision to anextraordinary degree . Leadership is more than technique, though techniquesare necessary. In a sense, management is prose; leadership is poetry. Theleader necessarily deals to a large extent in symbols, in images, and in the sortof galvanizing idea that becomes a force of history. People are persuaded byreason, moved by emotion: he (the leader) must both persuade them and movethem. The manager thinks of today and tomorrow. The leader must think of theday after tomorrow. A manager represents a process. The leader represents adirection of history. Thus a manager with nothing to manage becomes nothing,but even out of power a leader still commands followers. Great leadershiprequires a great vision, one that inspires the leader and enables him to inspirethe nation. People both love the great leader and hate him; they are seldomindifferent toward him. It is not enough for a leader to know the right thing. Hemust also be able to do the right thing . All of the really strong leaders that Ihave known have been highly intelligent, highly disciplined, hard workers,supremely self-confident, driven by a dream, driving others [the italics are theresearcher’s].Richard M. Nixon(Nixon, 1982, pp. 4-5)

ivTABLE OF CONTENTSCHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCH .11.1BACKGROUND TO AND MOTIVATION FOR THE RESEARCH . 11.2PROBLEM FORMULATION . 71.3OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH . 91.41.3.1General objective .91.3.2Specific literature objectives .91.3.3Specific empirical objectives.10THE PARADIGMATIC PERSPECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH . 101.4.1Intellectual climate.101.4.2The market of intellectual resources.12(a) Theoretical beliefs .12(b) Methodological convictions.141.51.61.7RESEARCH DESIGN. 151.5.1Description of the research design.161.5.2Unit of analysis .161.5.3The validity of the research project .171.5.4The reliability of the research project .17RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. 181.6.1Phase 1: Literature review .181.6.2Phase 2: Empirical study .19DEMARCATION OF CHAPTERS. 25

vCHAPTER 2: LEADERSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF ORGANISATIONALTRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE .262.1INTRODUCTION . 262.2TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE . 262.2.12.3Organisations as systems of change .28LEADERSHIP AND TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE. 332.3.1Appropriate leadership for transformation and change.362.3.2Conceptual explanation of leadership.372.3.3Leadership as management .40(a)Transactional leadership as equated with management41(b) The distinction between Management andtransformational leadership .41(c)Management and transformational leadership arecomplementary .422.4FROM TRANSACTIONAL TO TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP422.4.1Transactional and transformational leadership .43(a) The constructs of transformational leadership .44(b) A conceptual explanation of transformationalleadership .48(c) Ethical criticisms of transformational leadership .48(d) Morality and value.492.4.2Focus on the transformational effect.542.4.3Constraints in responding to the calls for leadership.55

viCHAPTER 3: TRANSFORMATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION.573.1 INTRODUCTION . 573.2FORCES OF CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION IN HIGHEREDUCATION. 573.3DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHER EDUCATION593.3.1The National Plan for Higher Education of the Ministryof Education .603.3.2The effect of change on academic work.62(a) Pressures on time, workload and morale.62(b) Performance, professional standards and externalaccountability .63(c) The shift from local control to individual autonomy.64(d) Specialisation and complexity of university work .67(e) Diffusion and blurring of roles .693.3.3Impact of changes on leadership in higher education.713.4 THE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION IN QUESTION: ANINSTITUTION IN TRANSFORMATION . 733.4.1An overview of the institutional context to operationalise themission .733.4.2Transformation management at a higher educationinstitution.763.5 LEADERSHIP FOR STRATEGIC CHANGE .783.6 INTEGRATION . 813.7 SUMMARY . 81

viiCHAPTER 4: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .844.1INTRODUCTION . 844.2RESEARCH DESIGN (Chapter 1, section 1.5). 844.2.1The research model .86(a) The sociological dimension .87(b) The ontological dimension .88(c) The teleological dimension .89(d) The epistemological dimension .89(e) The methodological confictions4.2.290Theoretical foundation of the research design andmethodology.90(a) Data triangulation .92(b) Advantages and disadvantages of data triangulation 924.3 QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY . 934.3.1The unstructured interview .93(a)Advantages and disadvantages of the interview asqualitative method of research .944.4 QUANTITATIVE DATA . 944.4.1Quantitative tests and questionnaires.944.5 SAMPLING STRATEGY . 954.5.1Sampling method .96(a) Purposive sampling.964.5.2Characteristics of the sample .984.5.3Sample size.984.6.1Qualitative instrument.99(a) Background and aim.99(b) Overview of the use of the interview in qualitativeresearch .100(i) Preparing for the interview .100

viii(ii) Conducting the interview (style and structure).101(iii) Reliability of the semi-structured interview .102(iv) Validity of the semi-structured interview .103(v) Motivation to make use of the semi-structured interview.1034.6.2Quantitative instrument .103(a) Background and aim.104(b) Composition of the Multifactor LeadershipQuestionnaire.104(c) The validity of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire.106(d) Examining the construct validity of the MLQ 5X .106(e) The reliability of the Multifactor LeadershipQuestionnaire.107(f) Augmentation effects .108(g) Prior concerns regarding the MLQ (Form 5R).110(h) Motivation for use of the MLQ 5X .1104.7 DATA ANALYSIS . 1114.7.1Data preparation.1114.7.2Statistical analysis.111(a) Descriptive statistics .1114.7.3Data processing.112(b) Processing qualitative data.1134.8 REPORTING QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESULTS. 1154.9 SUMMARY . 115

ixCHAPTER 5: RESEARCH RESULTS .1165.1INTRODUCTION . 1165.2 PARTICIPANT PROFILE . 1175.3 DESCRIPTIVE RESULTS . 1175.4 QUALITATIVE DATAT (Refer to Appendix 2). 1255.5 INTEGRATION AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS . 1275.6 SUMMARY . 128CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS.1306.1 INTRODUCTION . 1306.2 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. 1306.2.1Conclusions pertaining to the literature review objective1306.2.2Conclusions pertaining to the empirical study objective 1326.3 LIMITATIONS . 1326.3.1Limitations in terms of the literature review.1326.3.2Limitations in terms of the empirical study.1336.4 RECOMMENDATIONS . 1346.4.1Recommendations pertaining to the literature objectives 1346.4.2Recommendations pertaining to the empirical objectives 1356.4.3Recommendations regarding HR management135(a) Implications for the corporate image137(b) Implications for recruiting137(c) Implications for selection, promotion, and transfer 137

x(d) Implications for development .138(e) Implications for training .1386.5 SUMMARY . 139LIST OF REFERENCES.140APPENDIX 1: INTERVIEW GUIDELINE .158APPENDIX 2: SUMMARY - RESULTS OF QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWSACCORDING TO MLQ 5X LEADERSHIP ITEMS .161Intellectual stimulation .172Individualised consideration .176Contingent rewards.180Management-by-exception (active).181Management-by-exception (passive).184Laissez-faire.186APPENDIX 3: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS OF EACH ITEM IN THE MLQFORM 5X QUESTIONNAIRE .189

xiLIST OF FIGURESFigure 4.1: Conceptual layout of the theoretical foundation of theresearch designFigure 5.1: Average score on the leadership styles91120Figure 5.2: Mean scores of the five respondents on the factors of theleadership styles121Figure 5.3: Mean scores on the transformational factors124

xiiLIST OF TABLESTable 2.1:Differences between system change and cultural change 30Table 2.2:Kotter's eight steps for leading organisational changeTable 4.1:The factor structure of the MLQ105Table 5.1:Demographic description of each respondent117Table 5.2:Average Scores for the MLQ Form 5X117Table 5.3:Descriptive information of the leadership styles11934

xiiiSUMMARY OF STUDYTRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AT A HIGHER EDUCATIONINSTITUTIONByMM van NiekerkDegree: MA (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)Supervisor: Prof. JPR JoubertThis study investigates transformational leadership at a higher educationinstitution. The systems paradigm serves as the point of departure, while theconstruct ‘leadership’, which forms the driving force of change in theorganisation, and the concept ‘transformational leadership’, are integrated toyield a mechanism for the optimal positioning of the organisation in the ambit oftransformation.The results indicate that the leadership style at the higher institution in questionis transformational in nature. From the literature review it became evident thatalthough it is possible for transformational leaders to fail in the transformationalstrategy, the transformational leader may exhibit the most ‘ideal’ leadership stylefor the higher education institution engaged in a turnaround strategy. Based onthe results of the study, additional proposals are made regarding further study inthe area of transformational leadership as well as possible decisions regardinghuman resource management for the higher education institution in question.KEY TERMS:Transformational Leadership, Transactional Leadership, Higher EducationInstitution, Transformational Change, Transformation in Higher EducationRealm, Academic Work, Constructs of Transformational esourceMultifactorManagement.

1CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCH“I wanted to change the world. But I have found that the only thing one can besure of changing is oneself” (Aldous Huxley as quoted by Strydom, 1998, p.1).This study investigates transformational leadership at a higher education (HE)institution. The systems paradigm (with the institution as system) will serve asthe point of departure, while the construct ‘leadership’, which forms the drivingforce of change in the organisation (Joiner, 1987), and the concept‘transformational leadership’, will be integrated to yield a mechanism for theoptimal positioning of the organisation in the ambit of transformation.The first chapter provides background to and a motivation for the research aswell as a problem statement. The general objective of the study is landempiricalobjectives.Thereafter various relevant research models are discussed, followed by aparadigm perspective that will specify the boundaries of the research. Theresearch design and methodology are outlined, indicating the procedures tobe adopted. Finally, an outline of the chapters of this dissertation concludesthis first chapter.1.1 BACKGROUND TO AND MOTIVATION FOR THE RESEARCHThe following perspectives from the literature provide the rationale andbackground to this study.Firstly, we live in an era in which the pace and scope of change isunpredictable. According to Manning (2004, p.2):In this extraordinary moment in human history, much of what we knowabout business has been turned on its head. Executives who don’t seethe new realities – and adapt to them with lightning speed – will be leftbehind in the race for customers and profits.

2Higher education (HE) institutions are confronted with the same changes anddemands:All providers of Higher Education today are faced with the challengeof building a system of Higher Education, which will be equipped tomeet the needs of society in the next century. The requirements torespond positively to change and to manage it effectively have neverbeen so urgent.(Ford, 1996, p.1)This is confirmed by Wilkenson, Fourie, Stydom, van der Westhuizen and vanTonder (2004), who state that international trends have shown that HEinstitutions need to reform their mission, and to better utilise their intellectualresources (academia), in order to meet the challenges posed to HE in the 21stcentury. It is further emphasised that great pressure is placed on institutionsto respond rapidly to issues such as internationalisation and globalisation, theincreasing economic role of knowledge, new communication and informationtechnology, and reduced government funding of HE.Coaldrake and Stedman (1999) emphasise specifically five key areas that areparticularly important because of their impact on the work of staff withinuniversities. The first area is growth in higher education participation or amassification in higher education. A second major change has been the shiftin responsibility for funding higher education from the government to thestudent. Government has gradually repositioned itself from being a patron ofuniversities to a “purchaser” or owner of higher education, and expectsdemonstrated accountability and returns for this investment.A third area is increasing knowledge and the demand for synthesis. Thisimplies: an emphasis on teams; that the research direction is shaped byinteraction between researchers and users; overlapping problems and issuesin different disciplines, organisational diversity; networks

Transformational Leadership, Transactional Leadership, Higher Education Institution, Transformational Change, Transformation in Higher Education Realm, Academic Work, Constructs of Transformational Leadership, Authentic leadership, Pseudotransformational Leadership, Multifactor Leadership Quesionna

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