Ej van Niekerk

Strategic management in South African education : the leadership dimension : research article

Abstract Since the introduction of the South African Schools Act, 1996 and the shift to school self-management, strategic management has become an important issue in South African schools. This shift requires a proactive leadership approach by the school principal. The focus in this article is on the leadership dimension of strategic management by the school principal. After elucidating the relationship between strategic management, strategy implementation and leadership, a model of long-term leadership is presented and then applied to the strategic leadership role of the school principal. Acceptable theory in relevant management literature formed the basis of the exposition of the relationship between strategic management, strategy implementation and leadership, while the model of long-term leadership, which was developed from existing leadership models and literature, formed the basis of the discussion of the principals strategic leadership function. From this emanated new insight into the strategic le...Abstract Since the introduction of the South African Schools Act, 1996 and the shift to school self-management, strategic management has become an important issue in South African schools. This shift requires a proactive leadership approach by the school principal. The focus in this article is on the leadership dimension of strategic management by the school principal. After elucidating the relationship between strategic management, strategy implementation and leadership, a model of long-term leadership is presented and then applied to the strategic leadership role of the school principal. Acceptable theory in relevant management literature formed the basis of the exposition of the relationship between strategic management, strategy implementation and leadership, while the model of long-term leadership, which was developed from existing leadership models and literature, formed the basis of the discussion of the principals strategic leadership function. From this emanated new insight into the strategic leadership role of the school principal. This formed the basis of a discussion on the impediments facing the principal in the fulfilment of the function of strategic leader.

Emotionally intelligent learner leadership development: a case study

A case study was conducted with a student leadership body of a private multicultural international secondary school in North- West Province , South Africa, to indicate that the emotional intelligence leadership development challenges of student leaders can be identified through a questionnaire as a measuring instrument, which can then be utilized in promoting training and development of student leaders. The questionnaire results were used to construct emotional intelligence leadership profiles for the 12 participating student leaders, followed by semi-structured interviews with them to verify the results qualitatively. The results of the questionnaire and two of the interviews are reported. It was established that it was possible to develop a reliable instrument to measure the emotional intelligence leadership development challenges of student leaders, which can be used in promoting their training and development. Keywords : emotional intelligence; emotional intelligence student leadership profiling; emotionally intelligent student leadership; student leadership; student leadership development; student leadership questionnaire

Challenges experienced by school managers in the Nkangala District Mpumalanga regarding the provision of long term leadership

Abstract The long term leadership task of creating favourable circumstances for followers to excel are discussed in this article using narratives supplied by education managers in schools of the Nkangala District in Mpumalanga Province. Thereby deficiencies in the long term leadership proficiency of these managers are identified with a view to be able to address these shortcomings. It emanated from the research that education managers do have a very basic working knowledge of the process of vision building, communication of the vision and values management whereby favourable circumstances for followers to excel are created, but that they seem to experience a challenge in translating this into good use for their schools.Abstract The long term leadership task of creating favourable circumstances for followers to excel are discussed in this article using narratives supplied by education managers in schools of the Nkangala District in Mpumalanga Province. Thereby deficiencies in the long term leadership proficiency of these managers are identified with a view to be able to address these shortcomings. It emanated from the research that education managers do have a very basic working knowledge of the process of vision building, communication of the vision and values management whereby favourable circumstances for followers to excel are created, but that they seem to experience a challenge in translating this into good use for their schools.

Education Managers' Perceptions of Teamwork: A Pilot Case Study in the Nkangala District, South Africa

Abstract The objectives of the pilot case study carried out in the Nkangala District in South Africa were twofold: Firstly, to determine whether a quantitative measuring instrument could be designed to measure the perceptions of education managers on teamwork in schools; secondly, to determine teamwork training needs of school managers through the application of the instrument. The questionnaire administered to 23 education managers determined their perceptions and training needs in ten aspects of teamwork identified through a literature study. The results for five aspects are presented in the article, while the rest are shortly summarised. The analysis results on scale reliability proved it was possible to design and test manager perception trends reliably, which could then be used to determine training needs in effective teamwork.