Leadership Towards Learning Organisation
A LEARNING ORGANISATION PERCEPTION SURVEY OF THE SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPAUTY
Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology (Business Administration) In the FACUL TY OF BUSINESS At the CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
HENDRIK SNYDERS
SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR H. H. BALLARD
BELLVILLE SEPTEMBER 2008
DECLARATlON
I, Hendrik Snyders, hereby declare that the contents of this thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
ABSTRACT
The merger of South African municipalities in the year 2000, and the dawn of the era of developmental local govemment, has confronted local authorities with a range of new challenges. In addition to the need to develop a new organisational culture and mutual trust, or the introduction of soft management actions, municipalities have to aetualise the concepts and processes of co-operative governance, integrated development planning, public participation and developmental local government. In addition, the White Paper on Local Government (WPLG, 1998) implores municipalities to lead and leam while they search for local solutions.
An inability to leam and manage in a changed context and circumstances will inevitably lead to public displays of dissatisfaction, such as public demonstrations, that undermine municipalities' legitimacy. To overcome legitimacy dilemmas, municipalities need to strengthen their learning capabilities to enable them to operate effectively within changed circumstances and to become learning organisations. Such organisations, according to Senge (1990), have succeeded in formulating a shared vision, displayed a high level of personal mastery and team learning, as well as practising systems thinking. Together with these elements
Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology (Business Administration) In the FACUL TY OF BUSINESS At the CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
HENDRIK SNYDERS
SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR H. H. BALLARD
BELLVILLE SEPTEMBER 2008
DECLARATlON
I, Hendrik Snyders, hereby declare that the contents of this thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
ABSTRACT
The merger of South African municipalities in the year 2000, and the dawn of the era of developmental local govemment, has confronted local authorities with a range of new challenges. In addition to the need to develop a new organisational culture and mutual trust, or the introduction of soft management actions, municipalities have to aetualise the concepts and processes of co-operative governance, integrated development planning, public participation and developmental local government. In addition, the White Paper on Local Government (WPLG, 1998) implores municipalities to lead and leam while they search for local solutions.
An inability to leam and manage in a changed context and circumstances will inevitably lead to public displays of dissatisfaction, such as public demonstrations, that undermine municipalities' legitimacy. To overcome legitimacy dilemmas, municipalities need to strengthen their learning capabilities to enable them to operate effectively within changed circumstances and to become learning organisations. Such organisations, according to Senge (1990), have succeeded in formulating a shared vision, displayed a high level of personal mastery and team learning, as well as practising systems thinking. Together with these elements