Search

Sustainable leadership is a necessity to achieve the goals of sustainable development, such as addressing complex global issues, preserving environmental and social balance, ensuring the well-being of future generations, and promoting innovation. Sustainable leadership in education is important to contribute to sustainable development goals by equipping future generations with environmental, social, and economic responsibilities and integrating sustainability principles into the education system. This study aims to determine the current state of research containing the term "sustainable leadership" by conducting a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science (WoS) database. The VOSviewer software is employed to visually represent the data obtained from the WoS database. According to the comprehensive bibliometric analysis results, research related to the theme of "sustainable leadership" began to emerge in 2002, with a total of 390 publications identified in the period from 2002 to 2023. The majority of these publications are in the form of articles, reflecting the interest and curiosity within academic circles in this field. However, considering the lower presence of other document types such as conference papers, book chapters, and review articles, there appears to be a growing need for these types of sources. The bibliometric analysis reveals that research on sustainable leadership is predominantly published in the form of articles, with a significant increase observed, particularly in publications from 2019. The VOSviewer analysis of the "sustainable leadership" field categorizes the most commonly used terms into three clusters: "sustainability", "sustainable leadership", and "leadership". In terms of the distribution of articles in the field of sustainable leadership by citing countries, the countries with the highest number of citations are Thailand, South Africa, the United States, and China, respectively. The findings of the analysis are believed to contribute as a resource for future research and benefit researchers in exploring potential topics related to the theme of sustainable leadership in the near future. Additionally, it is noted that there is limited research on sustainable leadership in Turkey, and recommendations are provided for its further development.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the contribution of Enactus sustainability initiatives to youth empowerment and community development, thus analysing how South African higher education institutions can increase student involvement in Enactus projects across all faculties. Design/methodology/approach: Using a systematic literature review approach, the authors searched the Web of Science database for 47 relevant studies, which were found and filtered using the search parameters, and then 33 articles that are strictly relevant to the main topic were chosen as the final corpus. Findings: The authors found that Enactus facilitates community progress through transformative innovations and students gain valuable skills that increase their employability regardless of their field of study. Research limitations/implications: The focus of this study is confined to scholarly evidence acquired from peer-reviewed journals, hence empirical studies could be conducted by using literature from books, theses, bulletins, government white papers and gazettes. Practical implications: These findings highlight several merits of Enactus skill-based training such as learning-by-doing, learning from failures and learning from entrepreneurs. Social implications: The study findings offer compelling evidence that student transformational innovations could facilitate sustainable development within communities. Originality/value: Despite the crucial contribution of Enactus projects to nation-building worldwide, literature on this phenomenon in the context of South Africa is limited.

Purpose: This research aimed to assess the leadership role of principals in the implementation of peace education in selected secondary schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed qualitative research approach to assess the leadership role of principals in the implementation of peace education in selected secondary schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Data were gathered from a small sample of six principals from six selected secondary schools which were engaged in the implementation of a peace education programme, and data were analysed using thematic content analyses. Findings: Findings of the study suggest that principals possess a low level of understanding or awareness of their leadership role in the implementation of peace education. The study pointed out the constraints such as time constraints and learners' negative attitudes and social influences hinder the effective implementation of peace education in selected secondary schools. Research limitations/implications: First, the data were self-reported and therefore subject to social desirability bias; participants may have provided socially desirable responses rather than their true belief or experiences. Thus, participants may have overstated their role in and commitment to the peace education programme. Originality/value: Studies that aim to explore alternative approaches to combat violence, such as peace education, are still limited in South Africa. Hence, this paper served to close that gap by contributing to the growing body of research on the leadership role of the principal in the implementation of peace education in the school and exploring barriers hampering its effective implementation.

In this paper, we report on the findings of a study that sought to understand the nature of circuit managers' leadership in supporting teaching and learning in the context of multiple deprivations in South Africa. The paper aimed first at examining the nature of circuit managers' leadership for learning in deprived school contexts, and second to explore the extent to which the context of deprivation influences circuit managers' practices of leadership for learning. A qualitative approach grounded within the interpretive paradigm was adopted. We used semi-structured interviews and supplemented them by document reviews to understand leadership of circuit managers. The findings show that the work of circuit managers is strongly influenced by the contextual complexities arising from social deprivation. To lead fruitfully in these contexts, circuit managers adopted relationship-driven leadership, invested in their circuits' visions and missions, and built leadership capacities amongst different stakeholders. After analysing the findings, we conclude that leadership for teaching and learning, as it happens at circuit level in deprived contexts, goes beyond focusing on teaching and learning, and includes issues that are indirectly linked to teaching and learning.

Objective: Schools are important settings for health promotion. In schools, children and adolescents can be reached regardless of their social background, which represents a unique opportunity for promoting health. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of school leadership in initiating and sustaining health promotion; however, efforts to systematically review the influence of school leadership on school health promotion are still lacking. Hence, this paper analyses empirical studies published in scientific journals on school leadership and health promotion in schools. Design: Systematic literature review. Method: Informed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, a review was conducted using two main databases: Web of Science and Scopus, which retrieved 51 eligible articles. Results: The review of these articles resulted in the identification of seven main themes -- school leaders' health; attitudes, knowledge and behaviour; accountability; support from school leaders; shared leadership approaches; capacity building and parent engagement. Conclusion: This systematic literature review expands the literature by highlighting the school leadership factors that promote school health promotion in Oceania, Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia continents. Future systematic literature reviews could explore studies and different aspects of health promotion by teachers, especially in the Asian context.

There is general consensus that parents are invaluable partners in education of their children but, getting South African rural parents involved in education has remained difficult. This paper draws from parents' voices to explore the question, what do parents in a rural South African school context see as the school's role in enhancing parent-teacher collaboration? An interpretive qualitative approach was adopted to conduct the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from 10 rural parents and the interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyze data. Findings suggest that parents understand the need for their involvement but believe that schools need to invest in their empowerment, consider modern communication methods, communicate with parents the school vision, and what is expected from parents. The findings further suggest the need to bring on board the traditional leaders because of their inherent influence in the community. While parents seem to have adopted the negative discourse in relation to their involvement, they present a different notion from scholarship that portrays rural parents inadequate. The findings suggest that we need to question the current dominant notion of what parental involvement is and consider roles that parents from different contexts can play when collaborating with teachers.

The paper examines the value of traditional leaders in the advancement and execution of Municipal Integrated Plan (IDP) in South Africa. According to literature search institution of traditional leadership have been in place for a very a long time. To examines the value of traditional leaders in the advancement and execution of Municipal Integrated Plan (IDP) in South Africa, the paper employed the Behavioural theory of leadership. This paper used secondary data (through a literature review) to collect relevant information. It was revealed that differences between the local governance, and traditional leaders are depriving community members of the services that they should be getting from their respective municipalities. Despite the enactment of numerous constitutional laws to strengthen ties between traditional leaders and the local government, it is evident in existing literature that the lack in understanding of roles between traditional leaders and municipal councils remains a challenge. Traditional leaders are not able to participate fully in the IDP policy execution. The paper concluded by arguing that overcoming the undermining and including traditional leaders in all stages of development programs by municipalities is desirable to win the fight against poverty, unemployment, and income inequality through quality service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an assessment of 21 years of developmental local government as advocated through the 1998 White Paper on local government. In the 21st century, local governments have developed into hubs for developmental objectives. This suggests that they are now expected to go beyond the fundamentals of providing services. For instance, the agenda of local governments has automatically adopted South Africa's idea of a developmental state that primarily prioritises economic development and the need to consider the most suitable intervention scales. With the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) in 2012, South African authorities formalised their intention to pursue a developing state. The authorities' conviction that the developmental state approach is a factor for development is evident from reading the NDP. Because of the vertical connections between regional, sub-regional and local processes of change, strategies must be well-suited to one another, different interventions may be most effective at various spatial scales, and strategy and implementation may also be most effective at particular scales. This study used a multi-site case study as the sole type of research methodology. The study took an exploratory approach, because it constituted contextual research, allowing the researcher to investigate and record research phenomena in line with diverse participant interpretations. The study discovered that despite the ideals outlined in the 1998 White Paper, National Development Plan, and District Development Model, emphasising the influence of the local sphere as closer to citizens, and thus more responsible for their welfare and development, factors such as public participation, a lack of skills, and sub-par infrastructure delivery have negatively impacted developmental local government outcomes. In the end, local government is unable to fulfill its responsibility for development. The paper contends that local government's performance, assessed against its constitutional purposes, hinders the realisation of a progressive state in South Africa against a backdrop of local government incapacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analysis the leadership and ethical challenges facing South African public sector including municipalities. Generally, the South African public sector is grappling with service delivery challenges. On top of the public service crisis discourse there is a huge complain about the ethical challenges facing leadership in all the three spheres of government. The South African government sector has turned into a haven for bad management. This has resulted to unmet service delivery to residents of South Africa. This paper is conceptual in approach, and it contends that despite numerous factors affecting service delivery, one major cause that has been overlooked is the failure of the public sector officials to uphold moral principles when performing public duties in their offices. The paper conclude that the current South African sector requires ethically grounded leaders in order to achieve a stable service delivery system compatible with the South African citizenry and their satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of technical and vocational education and training has increased exponentially over the past two decades. In terms of inclusion, it is without a doubt that today's TVET sector is a far cry from what it was before the democratic government took over the baton from the apartheid government. TVET has become a refuge to many hopefuls from the historically disadvantaged sectors of society who, due to a range of apparent reasons, would ordinarily not have managed to partake in tertiary education. To many South African youth, TVET presents an avenue for the acquisition of a skill that will give them a fighting chance at escaping the harsh recurrence of poverty, economic inactivity and resource deprivation they are subjected to almost on a daily basis. However, beneath this silver lining lies a growing public disgruntlement over the TVET system's inability to steadfastly deliver quality education and transform the lives of students, by instilling in them agency for self-regulated and collaborative innovation that will turn them into formidable and assertive role players in the knowledge societies, come the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). To understand the crux of public mistrust in TVET college education in South Africa, an extensive body of literature was reviewed. The findings of the paper point to strategic factors (which in the main are attributed to a lack of effective leadership and managerial skills) and contextual factors that occur at a campus level, as major causes of public mistrust in TVET education. The paper concludes by tabling a manifesto for changing the status quo ahead of the advent of 4IR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explored the experiences of geography subject advisors (GSAs) in the implementation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in South African schools. This was done to determine how they assist in the implementation of GIS. National senior certificate diagnostic reports for matric results indicate every year that learners are performing poorly in the GIS section of geography subject. The current literature shows that there is a lack of pedagogical content knowledge in geography teachers in the teaching and learning of GIS. Several scholars have written about learners and educators in the implementation of GIS in schools, but there is a lack of literature on GSAs' experiences in the implementation of GIS in schools. This paper is underpinned by instructional leadership theory, which argues for leadership to focus their efforts on implementing of practices that positively impact students' learning. Qualitative research approach, and semi-structured interviews were used to generate data to answer the research questions. Two GSAs from two selected districts were purposively chosen to participate in this study. The findings showed that GSAs organise workshops for educators. However, certain educators do not attend workshops and other workshops which are planned, do not materialise. GSAs rely on geography educators that are knowledgeable about GIS to assist in workshops by teaching others. GIS teaching in schools was alleged to be focused on a theoretical aspect without integrating the practical part. The study proposes that the DBE in collaboration with higher education institutions, should provide GIS teacher training opportunities for teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is a growing call both globally and nationally for integrated multisectoral and multidisciplinary systems of care to be implemented for children's needs in the foundation stages of their growth to be met. Extant literature shows that historical, structural, epidemiological, political and social factors create many adversities for South African children both in the short and in the long term. South Africa's fragmented and weak service delivery compounds the situation. In this paper, the authors describe the lessons learnt from a multisectoral and multidisciplinary community of practice established to strengthen social systems to ensure child wellbeing outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research design was used, drawing on data collected over a two-year period. Data included meeting minutes, focus group discussions, and email communications between project partners. Focus group discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was analysed thematically. Findings: Findings show that having a shared goal, establishing supportive, mutually beneficial relationships and contributing to services that enhance child wellbeing outcomes enabled the community of practice, while differing organizational mandates and heavy workloads constrained the partnership. Research limitations/implications: The study shows the effectiveness of a Community of Practice (CoP) in integrating services across sectors for children's well-being and promoting collaborative learning and intersectoral work. However, this success also depends on the presence of strong leadership and efficient coordination.Limitation: Despite its benefits, the CoP model presents challenges, including securing active participation and buy-in from stakeholders, managing time and resource constraints, and dealing with issues in the existing service delivery system. Questions about long-term sustainability and the practicalities of scaling and institutionalizing the model need to be addressed. Originality/value: Through this paper, the authors contribute to a nascent area of research in the Global South, critically reflecting on the lessons the authors learnt from implementing an integrated community of practice approach to strengthen social sector systems toward the enhancement of children's wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on barriers to implementing instructional strategies by primary school principals in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The research was done in schools in Tshwane South Province of Gauteng, in South Africa; and it utilizes a qualitative study approach involving an interview with fifteen experienced school principals. The research used purposive sampling in selecting 15 school principals that are highly experienced from among 131 primary schools. This study is an endeavour to explore the idea of instructional leadership performed by principals of these schools. The findings are pertinent and valuable for those who are involved in the field of education, such as policymakers, researchers, and school principals. The identified challenges highlighted in the study are limited resources, non-compliance, inflexible processes, communication problems and lack of adequate technological skills. Moreover, the personal beliefs defined by past experience, educational system changes and school management alongside insufficient program training programs refer to obstacles of strategy implementation for principals. Finally, this paper provides recommendations for policymakers and principals on addressing the various barriers to implementing instructional strategies in primary schools in Gauteng Province. The study provides a deep understanding of the complicated field of instructional leadership in primary schools that seeks to enrich policy and practice for effective education results within Gauteng province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research aimed to assess the leadership role of principals in the implementation of peace education in selected secondary schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed qualitative research approach to assess the leadership role of principals in the implementation of peace education in selected secondary schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Data were gathered from a small sample of six principals from six selected secondary schools which were engaged in the implementation of a peace education programme, and data were analysed using thematic content analyses. Findings: Findings of the study suggest that principals possess a low level of understanding or awareness of their leadership role in the implementation of peace education. The study pointed out the constraints such as time constraints and learners' negative attitudes and social influences hinder the effective implementation of peace education in selected secondary schools. Research limitations/implications: First, the data were self-reported and therefore subject to social desirability bias; participants may have provided socially desirable responses rather than their true belief or experiences. Thus, participants may have overstated their role in and commitment to the peace education programme. Originality/value: Studies that aim to explore alternative approaches to combat violence, such as peace education, are still limited in South Africa. Hence, this paper served to close that gap by contributing to the growing body of research on the leadership role of the principal in the implementation of peace education in the school and exploring barriers hampering its effective implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Government has long mooted the notion of becoming a developmental state in response to rising unemployment, inequality and poverty. This idea was moulded along the folds of the rise of economic growth and industrialisation, as experienced by East Asian developmental states such as Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong. There would be an attempt to channel the state's administrative capacities, policies and resources towards attaining national development goals. A developmental state plays an active role in guiding economic development and using the country's resources to meet the needs of the people. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) such as the Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom) were meant to be the catalyst in the National Development Plan's (NDP) bid to reignite the country's stagnant economy. However, the country's state institutions, administrative capacities and resources have been challenged by the state capture debacle that shed light on the corrupt relationship between the political and business elite. As a lack of effective leadership, mismanagement and a complex regulatory framework appear to be at the core of the crisis at Eskom in particular, the main objective of this paper was to determine to what extent the aforementioned constructs perpetuated the energy crisis at Eskom and in turn, negatively impacted the socio-economic aims of the NDP and South Africa's endeavour to become a developmental state. To achieve this objective, the paper pursued a qualitative research approach where secondary information about the crisis at Eskom, and South Africa's goal to become a developmental state, were perused. One of the article's recommendations was that Eskom's grip on the regional power economy must end and that independent power plants must be enabled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to present relevant literature review to build up the case pertaining to the impact of traditional leadership in the demarcation of municipal boundaries in South Africa. Municipal boundary demarcation remains a major contentious issue during the process of establishing municipalities. Little or no attention has been paid to the significance of traditional leadership in resolving issues around boundary demarcation between municipalities, hence this paper. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopted case study design. Data were collected from secondary sources and the contents were analyzed for this research purpose. Findings: This paper put boundary in municipal context as a result of spatial reconfiguration process. It also discussed the impactful roles of traditional leadership as an institution involved in municipal (re)demarcation processes. Research limitations/implications: This paper focusses on the contemporary roles that traditional leadership is at vantage position to play in the process of municipal boundary demarcation. Therefore, the paper concludes that traditional leadership could resolve issue of ethnicity as a causal factor mitigating the redemarcation of municipal boundaries. Originality/value: It contributes to existing knowledge by providing information on the roles of traditional leadership that could complement the resolution of the ethnic complexities arising from municipal (re)demarcation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The cold supply chain industry is still emerging and digital transformation is in the nascent stage in this industry. This paper argues that there are various barriers to implementing blockchain technology in the cold supply chain and aims to develop and validate a model for overcoming key barriers to implementing blockchain technology in the cold supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: The adoption of blockchain technology was proposed through interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and further it is validated using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings: In this study, ten key barriers to implementing blockchain technology in the cold supply chain were identified, modelled and analysed. Poor leadership style of top management was found to be the most important barriers to implementing blockchain technology in the cold supply chain. The results of SEM indicate that all the paths are supported. The findings showcase the barriers responsible for the lack of blockchain technology infrastructure that ultimately impacts the cold supply chains. Practical implications: This study highlights the fact that the fate of blockchain technology infrastructure development depends on the leadership style of top management. Demonstrating good leadership style by top management can help overcome the barriers. A good leader pulls the entire team instead of pushing the team. A good leader can guide the entire team to improve IT governance, financial investment, digital footprint, digital readiness, skills and collaboration with service providers to implement blockchain technology. Not only that, a good leader provides mental strength to the team and helps overcome the fear of implementing blockchain in the cold supply chain. A good leader demonstrates good administrative skills and focus on security and privacy policies. Originality/value: This is a novel contribution towards analysing the key barriers to implementing blockchain technology in the South African cold supply chain using the integrated ISM–MICMAC and SEM approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors of this paper adopted a transformative framework in this article to examine how the legacy of apartheid continues to manifest within higher education in South Africa. In particular, the authors analyzed (a) how mainstream mentoring knowledge of 'black' and 'marginalized' people have influenced mentoring in post-apartheid South Africa; (b) varied ways in which mentoring initiatives and programs have been silenced and ignored previously marginalized voices through the application of apartheid mentoring knowledge, and (c) shared how the mentors/lecturers and students show and tell their stories about the demands of mentoring and the emphasis of contextual and responsive mentoring for the previously marginalized people in higher education in South Africa. The shortage of mentoring has been cited as a crucial reason for women's lack of advancement in leadership. Implications for advancing transformation through mentoring in higher education in South Africa are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing learner-on-teacher violence remains a severe challenge to school management Teams worldwide. School violence is a worldwide challenge, and it also seems to be getting worse in South Africa, where it is not sufficiently reported or addressed. Thus, this study aims to explore School Management Teams' perspectives on the challenges of addressing learner-on-teacher violence in selected South African secondary schools. The paper adopted the Invitational Leadership theory to guide and interpret the findings. A qualitative research approach was used to understand leadership challenges in addressing learner-on-teacher violence in secondary schools. Eight participants were purposively selected for the study. The data was generated through one-on-one semi-structured interviews with principals, Heads of Departments, and teachers. The findings revealed that the challenges SMTs face when addressing learner-onteacher violence include inadequate policies, lack of parental involvement, insufficient Department of Basic Education support, and lack of support from other stakeholders. Therefore, this paper recommends that the Department of Basic Education capacitates SMTs in reviewing policies and supporting them in implementing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2021 local government elections (LGE) in the Republic of South Africa once again delivered hung metropolitan municipalities – a phenomenon that became common following the 2016 LGE results. The City of Cape Town is, however, a metropolitan municipality that has experienced coalition governance since the early 2000s, while the rest of South Africa's metropolitan municipalities were governed by the ruling African National Congress from 1994 to 2016. The 2021 LGE delivered coalition governments across the majority of metropolitan councils, namely: City of Tshwane (the capital), City of Johannesburg (Africa's economic hub), Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, City of Ethekwini, and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. This paper provides a conceptualisation of 'coalition governance and politics', and key characteristics of this phenomenon in South Africa and globally. Conceptual and operational understandings of coalitions is crucial given their increasing prevalence in South Africa. Areas of cooperation, compromise, consensus and divergence among the prospective coalition partners in South Africa are also examined in the article (based on political party electoral performance trends, political ideology, policy preferences and leadership personalities and qualities). Such factors are important because they determine the likely feasibility, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of coalition governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an environment of changing customer needs, technological advancement and digitization, the importance of business model innovation in supporting companies to accrue benefits from increased digitization while counteracting threats has intensified. Factors driving business model innovation could be of value in facilitating business model innovation success and accrue benefits from increasing digitization. As the factors driving business model innovation are often triggers for the next cycle, however, there is limited empirical research on factors driving business model innovation. This paper presents empirical findings on factors driving business model innovation using unstructured interviews with nine executives from five sample companies in South Africa. Main finding from the research indicate that both external and internal factors such as existential crises, serve as valuable triggers for business model innovation. Furthermore, entrepreneurial inspirational leadership and quality of staff are important conditions for business model innovation success. The study findings imply that both companies and policymakers who seek to facilitate innovation need to take into account the impact of the business model innovation triggers on business model innovation success. The main contribution of the paper is the empirical finding on factors driving business model innovation using as a lens the sample case study companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of organizational culture, psychological safety, and perceived leadership integrity on employee voice in organizations are evaluated in this paper. Ten (10) companies in South Africa and Nigeria's financial, service, and manufacturing sectors served as the sample for this research. Intentionally, surveys were disseminated to 200 employees from five workplaces in Nigeria and 200 employees from five workplaces in South Africa. To test the investigation's hypotheses and collect data on participants' opinions on corporate culture, psychological safety, leadership integrity, and employee voice, 400 people were recruited. One hundred eighty-one (180) surveys were discovered in Nigeria, while one hundred eighty-three (183) surveys were found in South Africa. The data was collected and analyzed using SPSS version 29 (Statistical Packages for Social Sciences). According to this study, perceived leadership integrity positively and significantly impacts employee voice in South African and Nigerian organizations. It also showed how employee voice in South African and Nigerian organizations is favorably influenced considerably by perceived leadership integrity. Further, it demonstrated how perceived corporate culture favorably influences employee voice in South African and Nigerian organizations. Additionally, this study showed how employee voice in South Africa and Nigeria is positively impacted by perceived leadership integrity, psychological safety, and organizational culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine (Wolters Kluwer India Pvt Ltd) is the property of Wolters Kluwer India Pvt Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Simple Summary: The translocation of elephants is a management tool developed in the 1980s during the culling operations at the Kruger National Park, South Africa, to remove "surplus" elephants from fenced properties. Elephants live in large social networks and form strong social bonds within their family units. In particular, the mother–offspring bond is crucial to the learning and development of social skills and social and environmental competence of the calves. The leadership role and experience of the matriarch appear to be an important factor in providing the necessary knowledge to optimise social and environmental skills and competence. The translocation of smaller groups of elephants results in the social disruption of these networks. This paper looks at the social and ecological aspects of such disruption and what it implies for elephants. A herd of Orphans and a translocated herd consisting of two families were observed over several years. The Orphans demonstrated marked effects of social disruption by splitting more frequently and for longer periods than the family herd and experiencing accelerated reproduction. Social disruption may therefore reduce learning opportunities with implications for elephant society as well as for conservation. African elephants (Loxodonta africana) exhibit a long developmental period during which they acquire complex social and ecological knowledge through social networks. Central to this is that matriarchs and older individuals play an important role as repositories of information gained through experience. Anthropogenic interventions—including poaching, culling, translocation, and hunting—can disrupt elephants' social networks, with implications for individual fitness and potential long-term population viability. Here, we draw on a unique long-running, individual-based dataset to examine the impacts of translocation on a population of elephants in South Africa, taking into consideration demographic rates, social dynamics, and ecological decision-making. Specifically, we compared two translocated groups: a group of unrelated culling Orphans and a family herd. We found that the Orphan group experienced accelerated reproductive rates when compared with the family herd. The Orphan group also fissioned more frequently and for longer periods of time, suggesting lower cohesiveness, and were less decisive in their large-scale movement decisions. These results add to the growing body of literature on the downstream impacts of social disruption for elephants. Whilst the translocation of culling Orphans is no longer practised in South Africa, we encourage careful consideration of any elephant translocation and the resulting social disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a qualitative single case study approach this paper explores the views of academics which ultimately impact their actions to implement international curriculum within one institutional context in South Africa. The results show that a tailored IoC at an institution situated at the peripheries of the Western world is a policy that advances diversity of thought, decolonization of curriculum content, and appreciation of indigenous cultures and languages. The theory that emerged in this study underscores that IoC is a bottomup customized policy as it applies to the needs of the students to become wider thinkers and professionally integrated in the intercontinental and global job markets. Further recommendations for future theory and practice suggest IoC as an educational approach that accounts for the geographic positionality of the institution, and all aspects of diversity, rather than for a collective institutional identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the literature on regional power-hood and its application to Africa with a view to answering two key questions: one, whether we can talk of regional hegemons in the continent in real terms, and two, whether group hegemonic leadership better explains regional hegemonic behavior in Africa. It uses Sandra Destradi conceptual framework and Miriam Prys' typology of regional power-hood to answer these questions, with South Africa and Nigeria as case studies. Using Prys' typology which distinguishes between regional detached powers, regional hegemons and regional dominators as an analytical framework, the paper confirms what already exists in the literature, viz. that neither South Africa nor Nigeria neatly fit the conception of regional hegemons in Africa. However, it uses both countries as empirical cases to argue that they already act as hegemonic leaders and in cooperative ways that suggest group or shared leadership, using specific Common African Positions they have led in Africa. The analysis concludes by laying out the normative basis for a Group Hegemony composed of not only South Africa and Nigeria, but also other sub-regional leaders in the continent. This is based on the hard power shortfalls and internal weaknesses of both our case studies including their relative soft power resources which have utility in an increasingly intersocial international system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The field of Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) views researchers as active participants in processes of knowledge mobilization, learning and action. Yet few studies examine how such processes are institutionalized or consider their health system or wider impacts. This paper aims to contribute insights by presenting a South African experience: the Western Cape (WC) HPSR Journal Club (JC)., Methods: The paper draws on collective reflection by its authorial team, who are managerial and academic JC participants; reflective discussions with a wider range of people; and external evaluation reports. The analysis has been validated through rounds of collective engagement among authors, and through comparison with the wider sets of data, documentation and international literature. It considers impacts using a framework drawn from the co-production literature., Results: Since 2012, the JC has brought together provincial and local government health system managers and academics to discuss complex systems' and social science perspectives on health system development. The JC impacts encompass the trusting relationships (group micro-level) that have not only strengthened personal confidence and leadership skills (individual micro level), but also led to organizational impacts (meso level), such as practice and policy changes (practitioner organizations) and strengthened research and post-graduate teaching programs (academic organizations). Macro-societal impacts are, finally, judged likely to have resulted from new health system practices and policies and from academic post-graduate training activities. This set of impacts has been enabled by: the context of the JC; aspects of the JC design that underpin trusting relationships and mutual learning; the sustained participation of senior health system managers and academic managers who are able to translate new ideas into practice in their own organizational environments; and our individual and collective motivations - including the shared goal of health system development for social justice. Our challenges include risks and costs to ourselves, and the potential exclusion of challenging voices., Conclusion: The principles and practice of the JC approach, rather than the JC as a model, offer ideas for others wishing to mobilize knowledge for health system development through embedded and co-production processes. It demonstrates the potential for productive human interactions to seed long-lasting systemic change., (© 2022 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

Women's economic empowerment has been South Africa's policy priority since the country became a democracy. This paper examines the domains associated with the economic empowerment of small-scale female agro-processors in South Africa. A sequential exploratory mixed methods research design and a close-ended questionnaire were used to collect quantitative data from 503 small-scale agro-processors in five provinces. Qualitative data were collected during five focus group sessions aided by the focus group guide. The results show that production decision-making (β = 0,140; p = 0,003), access to productive resources (β = 0.140, p = 0.001), time allocation (β = 0.327, p = 0.000), and intervention (β = -0.353, p = 0.004) are the critical domains of small-scale agro-processing empowerment. The study revealed that only four domains of women's economic empowerment have significantly improved the economic status of small-scale agro-processors. However, the combination of income, leadership, and intervention (β = 0.009, p = 0.015) was also a significant influencing factor. The study recommends that small-scale agroprocessors be provided with necessary policies and legislative control over their production decisions. This authority is coupled with broadening access to productive resources, time allocation, grants, leadership, and projects to actively empower these entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper is a result of a comprehensive survey conducted in Further Education Training Colleges (FETC) providing educational services to South Africans residing in the various regions of Gauteng Province in South Africa. The main theme of the research was barriers that undermine service quality in teaching and learning in FETC institutions. The principal stakeholders of the study are educational leaders and administrators who sit on board councils in FETC institutions. Leadership quality in FETC institutions was measured and quantified by using a benchmark introduced by Northouse [2018. Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage publications]. Ordered logit analysis was used for estimating and quantifying key predictors of service quality in teaching and learning as well as the efficient management of FETC institutions. Findings of the survey revealed that there is a need for elements of good institutional leadership. Examples of desirable attributes of leadership are honesty, personal integrity, accountability and transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender equity among South African principals remains a compelling issue for research. While post-apartheid governmental policies address gender equality, women continue to experience discrimination in the field. A theory of intersectionality was used to examine three Indian South African women's leadership experiences. The focus was to investigate how the women negotiated obstacles in their work. The project involved semi-structured interviews, and the results yielded a contribution to the small body of literature employing intersectionality theory as well as the research around female principals experiences in South Africa. The findings revealed the impact intersections of gender, class and race had on the women within environments of domination and discrimination among family and their colleagues at work. Themes of family values, class, and Indian culture illustrated how powerful cultural and societal practices continue to promote patriarchal perceptions. Women as leaders were questioned, as the women experienced discrimination, stereotyping, and emotional abuse within family and work environments. In their efforts to overcome barriers to the principalship, the women relied on their leadership styles to promote relational 'power with' models of leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the findings of a qualitative study conducted in 2018 in five schools (three primary and two secondary schools) in a rural community in the south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (SA). It adopted a case study methodology and explored principals' understandings and practices of servant leadership (SL), which is assumed to be part of principals' leadership approaches. A review of literature suggested a dearth of empirical studies in this area in SA despite its importance. The findings indicate that close to three decades since SA became a democratic country, research suggests that the notion and values of putting people first has not taken root. The findings also suggest that principals have a limited understanding of the concept of accountability as an inextricable component of SL. Consequently, accountability to external bodies is prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study is an initial exploration of ways in which principles of dance movement therapy practice can be used in South Africa. Culturally-relevant principles in dance movement therapy practice were identified in an earlier phase of the study and informed a short-term group intervention within a transdisciplinary research team that dealt with water resources management. The research question for this phase of the study focused on the experiences of members of this group: How did researchers from a water resources management transdisciplinary environmental research group program in South Africa experience their participation in a group that adopted selected, culturally-sensitive dance movement therapy principles and practices? Hermeneutic phenomenology provided the methodological framing. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis influenced the identification of themes. We conclude that principles of dance movement therapy have relevance in multiple and diverse ways within environmental transdisciplinary teams, beyond typical therapy contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of social media as a strategic approach to corporate communication when handling crises at Bank X in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The study had three over-arching objectives; to determine the challenges that are encountered when handling crises about communication at Bank X, to determine if the leadership has the willingness to change their approach when formulating the strategy; to determine if social media has an impact on strategy formulation of crisis communication at Bank X; and lastly to make recommendations to Bank X's leadership on how to incorporate the social media component as a communication approach to effectively handle crises. This research followed a qualitative research approach through one-on-one Microsoft Teams in-depth interviews with 10 participants. The study, through the analysis of the primary data, secondary data, and literature reviews, underpins and supports that there is an opportunity for Bank X to incorporate social media as a strategic element to the crisis communication strategy. The organisation's crisis communication strategy needs to incorporate social media from a strategic perspective for it to be ahead of the curve when a crisis emerges online. The implications for Bank X are a lesson in the evolution of technology in the communication space and how imperative it is for the bank to evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of different leadership styles on the performance of organisations in the banking sector of South Africa. The outcomes are expected to be utilised in order to construct leadership development initiatives, which will facilitate the cultivation of leadership competencies that contribute to the success of a company. The research conducted a synthesis of 50 empirical studies through the use of secondary source content analysis. A one-sample t-test was used to assess the presence of a statistically significant association between organisational success and a manager's lifestyle. A unidirectional analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine the correlation between different leadership styles and organisational performance. The Pearson's Correlation Coefficient was employed to examine the correlation between leadership styles and organisational performance. Research has confirmed that Transformational leadership has a positive impact on financial success, customer satisfaction, and staff engagement. Transformational leaders foster innovation and exceptional performance through their inspiring vision and tailored assistance. Transactional leadership ensures operational stability and adherence to regulations, but it does not have a substantial impact on staff engagement and innovation. Servant leadership emphasises the establishment of a supportive work environment through the enhancement of staff morale and customer service. An optimal approach for enhancing organisational performance in the South African Banking sector is to adopt a well-rounded strategy that incorporates transformational, transactional, and servant leadership principles. The Transformational leadership style has been determined to be the most effective in the banking sector, as it has shown the highest improvement in organisational performance. Banks executives and managers should consider embracing transformational leadership, cultivating innovation, and allocating resources towards staff development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a substantial amount of literature on the perception of the practice environment and quality of care as perceived by registered nurses and community services nurses in South Africa and worldwide, but there is little to no research that could be found regarding other categories of nurses, and how these perceptions differ between the different categories. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe the different nursing categories' perceptions of the practice environment and quality of care and the association between the variables. Methods: This study applied a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected in April 2021 in the public sector of the North West Province. Multiphase sampling was applied to all categories of nurses who worked in an in-patient unit in the selected hospital for at least 3 months (n = 236). Results: All nursing categories perceived the practice environment as negative, regarding nurse participation in hospital affairs; nurse manager ability, leadership, and support of nurses and staffing and resource adequacy. Perceived quality of care and patient safety items were perceived as neutral and good. However, in all instances, the perceptions of community service nurses and registered nurses were most negative, and enrolled nurse assistants most positive. Adverse events towards patients and nurses were perceived to only occur a few times a year. Overall, nurse perceptions of quality of care and patient safety were most correlated with the subscale of nurse foundations of quality of care and nurse manager ability, leadership, and support of nurses. Adverse events towards patients were most correlated with the collegial nurse-physician relationship subscale, while adverse events towards nurses were correlated with the foundations of quality of care subscale. Conclusion: Improving the practice environment, especially regarding the subscale nurse foundations of quality of care and nurse manager ability, leadership, and support of nurses, is associated with improved quality of care. Nurses with higher qualifications, registered nurses and community service nurses rated quality of care lower than other categories of nurses, contributing to literature that higher qualified staff are more competent to assess the practice environment and quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the practice environment, quality of care and patient safety are global health priorities. In South Africa, quality of care and patient safety are among the top goals of the National Department of Health; nevertheless, empirical data regarding the condition of the nursing practice environment, quality of care and patient safety in public hospitals is lacking. Aim This study examined nurses' perceptions of the practice environment, quality of care and patient safety across four hospital levels (central, tertiary, provincial and district) within the public health sector of South Africa. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey design. We used multi-phase sampling to recruit all categories of nursing staff from central (n = 408), tertiary (n = 254), provincial (n = 401) and district (n = 244 [large n = 81; medium n = 83 and small n = 80]) public hospitals in all nine provinces of South Africa. After ethical approval, a self-reported questionnaire with subscales on the practice environment, quality of care and patient safety was administered. Data was collected from April 2021 to June 2022, with a response rate of 43.1%. ANOVA type Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) was used to present the differences in nurses' perceptions across four hospital levels. Results Nurses rated the overall practice environment as poor (M = 2.46; SD = 0.65), especially with regard to the subscales of nurse participation in hospital affairs (M = 2.22; SD = 0.76), staffing and resource adequacy (M = 2.23; SD = 0.80), and nurse leadership, management, and support of nurses (M = 2.39; SD = 0.81). One-fifth (19.59%; n = 248) of nurses rated the overall grade of patient safety in their units as poor or failing, and more than one third (38.45%; n = 486) reported that the quality of care delivered to patient was fair or poor. Statistical and practical significant results indicated that central hospitals most often presented more positive perceptions of the practice environment, quality of care and patient safety, while small district hospitals often presented the most negative. The practice environment was most highly correlated with quality of care and patient safety outcomes. Conclusion There is a need to strengthen compliance with existing policies that enhance quality of care and patient safety. This includes the need to create positive practice environments in all public hospitals, but with an increased focus on smaller hospital settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The landscape of human and social services delivery has undergone significant transformation in recent years, driven by governments worldwide striving for improved outcomes amidst growing caseloads and constrained resources. This evolution is characterised by a shift towards integrated service delivery, leveraging innovative case practices and advanced information technology. Governments are adopting diverse strategies to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, including modernising information systems, redefining program boundaries and sector responsibilities, restructuring workforces, and introducing new casework tools and practices. Additionally, there is a push for enhanced commissioning, transparency, and accountability structures, reflecting a holistic approach to service delivery optimisation. Despite these global creative demands compounded with technology and the ever-changing global environment, the third-world public sector leadership is making a lackadaisical turn towards embracing the new leadership imperative of agility in delivering public value in public sector organisations. This qualitative desktop research seeks to unravel the challenges and prospects of leadership and the imperative of agility in the delivery of public value in the public service in South Africa. This article argues that whilst the public sector in South Africa has vehemently advocated and mobilised for strategic innovation in service delivery, the leadership is not proactive in the ever-changing environment. Consequently, this article recommends that the public sector leadership be responsive, flexible, and agile to the ever-changing environment due to global technological forces for effective service delivery in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Palliative care (PC) has been integrated to a limited extent in the South African healthcare system. Contextual factors may be a pivotal influence in this integration. Objectives: This study aims to explore contextual factors that are possibly influencing the integration or lack thereof in an academic teaching hospital (ATH). Design: A mixed-method study was conducted in a large ATH in South Africa. Methods: The mixed methods were conducted in parallel and then merged. Findings were integrated to describe the contextual factors influencing PC integration, to develop a timeline of implementation and assess the probable influence of context on the integration process. The mixed-methods phases included a narrative review of published literature related to health systems, integration of health interventions and PC in teaching hospital settings; followed by interviews, documentary and routine data analyses. Semi-structured interviews with purposively sampled participants provided the qualitative data. Primary national, provincial and organizational documents expanded the contextual phenomena and corroborated findings. Routine hospital admission and mortality data was statistically analysed to expand further and corroborate findings. All qualitative data was thematically analysed using deductive coding, drawing from the aspects of the contextual dimensions of integration. Results: Enabling contextual factors for local PC integration were global and local advocacy, demonstrated need, PC being a human right, as well as the personal experiences of hospital staff. Impeding factors were numerous misconceptions, PC not valued as a healthcare priority, as well as limitations in functional elements necessary for PC integration: national and regional political support, leadership at all levels and sustainable financing. Conclusion: The normative and functional contextual aspects interplay at macro, meso and micro levels positively and negatively. How stakeholders understand and value PC directly and indirectly impacts on PC integration. Strategic interventions such as mandatory education are required to ensure PC integration. The health system is dynamic, and understanding the context in which the health system functions is core to the integration of PC. This may assist in developing integration strategies to address PC integration and the transferability of these strategies. Plain language summary: How the context influences a new palliative care intervention Palliative care is being integrated in a big hospital in South Africa. However, there are many contextual factors that influence this integration. These factors are both structural aspects like policies, but also how role players' values and understand of palliative care. It is important to know what these factors are and how these factors influence integration. This study describes the factors and how they influence palliative care integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leadership is a very important element for effective service delivery. However, Madibeng Local Municipality is exposed to excessive corrupted related activities. Information gathered on the ground revealed that, projects are not completed due to political fighting on the group.. There are no plans in-place to offer good services. Money is squandered. Top management including the mayor are involved in corrupt related activities. They are only concerned about their positions, power and money. Projects are not completely e.g. water treatment and reticulation plant that started in 2015 have not been completed. There is no monitoring of approved plans, no evaluation of employee’s performance. Plans are not revisited to ensure implementation. Madibeng leaders are not accountable, responsible and eager to improve service delivery. They are power hungry, concerned about their personal gain and positions. No projects or approved plans to improve our situation. Corruption, greed and bribery is at the centre of Madibeng. Madibeng municipality was put under administration twice recently but there’s no change/ improvement in service delivery. The mayor is failing the Madibeng community because of lack of effective leadership. Using a quantitative research approach, the study provides findings of the study that was done in the Madibeng Local Municipality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reported herein examined the influence of school contexts on leaders' leadership practices in South Africa. To this end, deputy principals were put under the microscope to scrutinize the relationship between their leadership practices and the school contexts in which they operate. The narrative inquiry--a qualitative methodology--was adopted to engage with deputy principals' lived experiences. Five deputy principals were purposively and conveniently sampled, each representing a different school context. Narrative ways of generating and analyzing field texts were utilized. The findings revealed disparities in the influence of school contexts on the deputy principals' leadership practices. While lower Quintile schools appeared to subject deputy principals to a state of leadership deficit, higher Quintile schools appeared to be springboards that enable the leadership endeavors of deputy principals. These disparities reflect inconsistencies in South African communities, mostly characterized by social and economic inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulnerable youth and youth with disabilities are at great risk of not having their rights met. In addition, they face challenges with regard to empowerment and participation in their own lives. Youth development programmes frequently focus primarily on the individual skills of the youth. However, reviews have indicated that for youth to be able to drive change, additional opportunities at community and broader society levels are required. This project sought to evaluate the changes facilitated by the Changing the Story—Leadership Development Programme as implemented in the Youth Accountability and Deaf Inclusion in South Africa project, for both vulnerable and Deaf youth. A longitudinal Q-sort methodology was used to measure the youths' changes in perceptions. The results provided evidence of significant change following the programme, including increases in perceptions of empowerment within the community. Furthermore, although vulnerable and Deaf youth began the programme with differing perceptions of self, community and society, these perceptions were more aligned after completion of the programme. The results and challenges experienced using a longitudinal Q-sort methodology are presented and discussed. Recommendations and limitations are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a review of different approaches to creativity research in the workplace. It explores the concept of creativity and its significance in professional settings. The authors, Zhou and Shalley, discuss various perspectives and theories on creativity, including the cognitive, social, and organizational approaches. The review aims to deepen the understanding of creativity and its implications for innovation and problem-solving in the workplace. [Extracted from the article]

The study explored the adoption of information communication technologies (ICT) and its integration in Africa as an e-Government system. The article contributes to the continuing debate regarding the constraints that developing-country e-government systems face when it comes to the implementation and adoption of ICT as e-Governance for service delivery and the realization of socio-economic development. The study covers the various stakeholders who may have an impact on the implementation of e-Government at the grassroots level. It also highlights the barriers cited by other scholars of e-Governance that require local government attention. The impediments include challenges with governance, access to resources, leadership, ICT skills and funding. The study primarily relies on secondary data that is available in both the private and public domain to produce qualitative primary data. The research observations are on the essential role that local municipalities play in pursuing e-Government by using inductive thematic data analysis. The research concluded that the planning and implementation of e-governance should focus on finding methods to address a variety of issues which includes amongst other ensuring that the existing e-Governance initiatives gives valuable insight into what works and what does not, and provides meaningful guidance in developing and refining egovernance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipalities are mandated to follow principles of democracy, accountability and good governance. This is evident through the delivery of basic services. Municipalities are directly responsible for ensuring that communities have water, sanitation and so on, and that community members have a voice that affect their existence. This is however not the case in most South African communities where squalor and sordid conditions prevail. In 2021 it was reported that 64 municipalities were dysfunctional and that the dysfunction was attributed to "poor governance, weak institutional capacity, poor financial management, corruption and political instability". A Code of Conduct is available in the South African public sector, governing the behaviour and work ethic of public officials, councillors and the like. Yet corruption and maladministration at local government level prevail. Therefore, the Local Government Ethical Leadership Initiative was launched in 2020 with the view to devise another Code focused on Ethical Governance in South African Local Government by October 2023. The research question which this article addresses is centred on whether a new Code of Conduct is needed and whether the problem with the existing Code does not lie with its enforcement or the ethnicity of the public officials in leadership positions and their view on how to conduct business. The article employed a qualitative research approach where secondary sources of information, constituting document analysis, premised around disruption and ethnic leadership as well as the legislative framework in relation to the Code of Conduct governing South African local government in particular, and anticorrupt behaviour, in general, were explored. Four provinces were purposely selected to partake in the study. Extracts from the AG's report formed the locus of the study. It was found that one cannot explicitly say that ethnicity play a role in how municipalities are governed. However, governance at selected provinces were marred by poor governance practices and inadequate leadership. The Code of Conduct for Public Servants are generally not adhered to. Further research around ethnic leadership in the South African public sector is called for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the intricate world of gift-giving within the context of blesser-blessee relationships in South Africa, where affluent individuals provide financial support to their younger counterparts in return for favours, most often of a sexual kind. Examining the multifaceted nature of these transactions, the article explores the implications of such relationships on the emotional well-being, ethical considerations, and power dynamics of those involved. From imaginary and symbolic gifts to the controversial "envelope practices" we scrutinise the various dimensions of giftgiving in these relationships. Additionally, the article addresses the darker aspects of these dynamics, including issues of exploitation, vulnerability, and societal stigma. While recognizing the desire for intimacy among individuals, especially younger and less mature participants, the article emphasizes the importance of understanding the nuanced complexities of gift-giving within these relationships. The fraud diamond theory is explored as a foundation for the integration of practices like blesser-blessee behaviours within organisational activities, highlighting the role of social norms in shaping acceptable behavior. Ethical leadership is underscored as crucial for maintaining integrity within organisations, emphasising the importance of leaders in mediating uncertainty and promoting virtues such as humanity. Additionally, Lacan's theory is introduced, suggesting that communication is inherently flawed and that the unique context of the blesser-blessee phenomenon in South Africa may pose challenges for understanding. Ultimately, the article calls for a critical examination of the ethical implications and advocates for comprehensive education and support systems to navigate the challenges associated with intimacy, power imbalances, and financial transactions in such relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure and drop-out rate in rural high schools (RHSs) in South Africa remains a prevailing crisis. This has been attributed to issues such as poor/limited infrastructures, poverty, unemployment, among others. Thus, this case study explores the issue of a purposively selected South African Rural High School (RHS) with 15 years' success rate at terminal examination known as Matric. Qualitative method was adopted, hence, interviews were conducted with eight purposively selected staff members of the school: one principal, one deputy principal, three departmental heads, two teachers and one senior admin clerk. The collected data was coded, categorised, thereafter thematically analysed. The findings of the study showed that resources in the selected rural high school are limited, and dropout impacts the school negatively. Nonetheless, with resilience and collaborative efforts of the school leaders: principal, deputy principal, teachers and other staff members, as well as limited reliance on government learners can be supported to succeed, thus increasing pass rate. The study therefore, recommends among others the need for school leaders to believe in their abilities, be resilient in their pursuit of ensuring learners' success and if need be, rely minimally on support from the government [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]