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Orientation: It is scientifically questionable whether a predominantly Western construct and instrument could be used in the culturally diverse South African context. The sound measurement of transformational leadership in a multicultural context with the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (TLQ), developed by Podsakoff et al. (1990), is studied from an etic perspective. Research purpose: Our study aimed to investigate the TLQ in terms of its construct validity. The instrument was developed outside the South African and the broader African and context; our study thus adopted an etic approach. Motivation: The psychometric properties of the TLQs are examined through a contextual lens (the South African context), building on the previously conducted work of Podsakoff et al. (1990) and Podsakoff et al. (2012). Research approach: This research employed a typical empirical paradigm using a cross-sectional design and quantitative analysis. The sample comprised 3805 respondents. A multi-factorial model was explored and confirmed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results support the original conceptualisation of the overall construct, but with an adjusted factorisation. Main findings: Two factors of transformational leadership were confirmed, namely leadership focused on organisational, group and individual transformation and leadership focused on creativity and innovation. Good psychometric properties, in terms of good fit and acceptable levels of convergent and discriminant validity were reported for a two-factor model. Implications and contribution: Our study established a valid measure of transformational leadership from an etic approach. The necessity for our study originated from the diverse nature of the South African workforce. Participants from both the private and public sectors were included in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance-related problems facing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa are well known. Efforts to find lasting solutions are ongoing and include empirical research focusing on various business practices and models. Applying leadership practices and supply chain management to SMEs provides fertile ground for groundbreaking solutions. This study tested the relationship between transformational leadership, supply chain execution and supply chain performance in manufacturing SMEs in South Africa. The study uses structural equation modelling to examine this empirical connection using data collected from 411 professional employees drawn from SMEs in three South African provinces. The study found that idealised influence and intellectual stimulation exert a positive impact on supply chain execution. Supply chain execution is positively linked to four supply chain performance factors, namely agility, reliability, cost optimisation and responsiveness. Transdisciplinary contribution: The study connects transformational leadership, which is an organisational behaviour construct to supply chain management, the latter of which is an emerging business discipline. The study recognises that business strategy is implemented by people whose conduct and practices are pivotal to strategic success. In addition, the study has an entrepreneurship orientation as it addresses the challenges facing manufacturing SMEs in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Female entrepreneurs often take on a role as "social change agents", and yield innovative solutions to the social problems in the communities where they live and/or work. Entrepreneurial women in developing contexts are often challenged with limited resources when they attempt to solve these social problems in their communities. The paper focuses on the role education plays (if any) in women's ability to solve complex problems and create social value. Research objectives: The primary aim of this paper is thus to explore the influence that education has on social entrepreneurial women in Africa's social value creation. Research design and methods: For this study, we followed a quantitative research method. The population consists of all female social entrepreneurs (FSEs) from Africa that are Ashoka Fellows (142 persons). Data were analysed in the SPSS). We made use of descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Results: This insight enables us to make recommendations for the social entrepreneurial realm in terms of the importance of education and training programmes for social entrepreneurs but in addition make recommendations based on the good practice of social entrepreneurs. Conclusions: We argue such social entrepreneurial women have to apply their knowledge in innovative ways in an attempt to solve complex problems in communities in order to create social value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What framework of transformational leadership competencies could guide the development of church leaders in the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) with regard to the changes facing the church in South Africa in the 21st century? The article summarises the results of a Delphi research to find consensus on the formulated research question in a panel of 25 DRC leadership experts. Five competencies are formulated: spirituality, sensemaking, visioning, relationships, and implementing. Spirituality in the agreed upon framework is characterised as biblical and missional. The competencies are linked to the socalled 4 Capability Framework of Leadership (Ancona). The authors show what is new and unique in the transformative framework for ministers in the DRC. One of these outcomes is a very strong link between spirituality and transformative leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African government has enacted various employment laws intended to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace. The legislation and policies are not, however, always effectively implemented, resulting in the exclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace. Within this context, a multidisciplinary study incorporating leadership and the law is conducted to address the rationale behind the non-compliance with disability legislation. In addition, this study examines the role of transformational leadership and its contribution towards effective implementation of disability provisions. This study was conducted in a local government sector of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data was collected through interviews with senior leaders responsible for implementing disability laws and to develop strategies to include persons with disabilities in the workplace. Employees with disabilities were also interviewed. A thematic analysis was utilised to discuss the data that arose from the interviews. Various themes have been created as a result thereof. This study finds that transformational leadership is an important approach to adopt in order to include and promote the participation of persons with disabilities in the workplace. The study therefore contributes to the development of a transformational leadership model to include persons with disabilities in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: Organisations are consistently changing and diversifying; therefore, researchers and practitioners are viewing diversity as an essential part of organisational behaviour literature and practice. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate a simple mediation model, with the diversity climate as the proposed mediator, transformational leadership as the model antecedent and organisational commitment as the outcome. Motivation for the study: The South African diversity climate research is limited, including mediation investigations. Increased organisational diversification requires constant and relevant information with regard to diversity management. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative approach using a cross-sectional design collected 230 responses from a convenience sample. Transformational leadership was considered through six key behaviours associated with transformational leadership. Organisational commitment was considered as per the Psycones questionnaire and the organisational diversity climate was determined using a single-dimension diversity climate instrument. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and a simple mediation model. Main findings: Correlation results revealed that both transformational leadership and a diversity climate demonstrated practical effects with organisational commitment. Results from a standardised regression coefficient confirmed that transformational leadership predicts the diversity climate significantly. Both transformational leadership and diversity climate predicted commitment. The simple mediation model revealed that the diversity climate can be considered a mediator in the relationship between transformational leadership and employee commitment. Practical/managerial implications: Organisations would benefit from leadership assessments for current and future employees, especially organisations that would like to prioritise a constructive diversity climate and employee commitment. Contribution/value-add: Contributions are made towards limited diversity climate investigations by providing empirical evidence of the mediating role of a diversity climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: A need exists to investigate leader behaviour necessary to curb the corruption that has infected and weakened South Africa's moral fibre. Such leader behaviour would need to be underpinned by a set of universal moral values. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a new measure, the principled leadership scale (PLS), by integrating the value-based behaviours inherent in transformational, servant, authentic and ethical leadership. Motivation for the study: Leader behaviour intrinsic to value-based leadership was found to be closely aligned with universal moral values. Because the study found a considerable overlap between the behaviours mentioned in the value-based leadership theories, it sought to integrate these behaviours under one construct and to develop a reliable and valid scale to assess this construct. Research approach/design and method: Data from the quantitative study were analysed by means of item analysis, exploratory and confirmatory bi-factor analysis conducted via structural equation modelling. Main findings: The confirmatory bi-factor solution corroborated a strong general principled leadership factor and four moderately weak group factors. The statistical analyses provided good fit of the PLS measurement model with the empirical data. Practical and managerial implications: The study found acceptable measurement properties of the PLS that may be used for applications, such as the selecting, training and developing of ethical leadership in organisations. Contribution/value-add: The study adds value in that it is the first to integrate the four value-based leadership theories under one construct and to develop a potential psychometrically sound instrument to measure principled leadership. Keywords: Ethical leadership; value-based leadership; principled leadership; authentic leadership; servant leadership; transformational leadership; confirmatory bi-factor analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: For a higher education institution (HEI) to maintain a long-term trajectory of excellence, a strong focus on retaining a younger generation of skilled academics is needed. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate intention to quit amongst Generation Y academics in HEIs. Motivation for the study: Higher education institutions are more dependent on the abilities and commitment of their staff than most other organisations. More than 4000 academics will retire and need to be replaced by 2018, providing justification for the study of intention to quit of academics. Research design, approach and method: An ex post facto quantitative research design was followed. Academics at six HEIs in South Africa were sampled. Measurement instruments included abridged versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Arnold and Feldman Intention to Quit Scale, Job Descriptive Scale and Chew's reward scale. Main findings: Employee engagement, job satisfaction, remuneration, reward, recognition and transformational leadership were significantly related to intention to quit. In the partial model, three of these variables explained 45% of the variance in intention to quit. Partial least square path modelling revealed that employee engagement and job satisfaction have significant negative impacts on intention to quit. Practical/managerial implications: The findings serve as input for the development of efficacious strategies to retain Generation Y academics at HEIs in South Africa. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to our knowledge of intention to quit amongst Generation Y academics. It provides evidence of the complexity and inter-relatedness of variables in the phenomenological network of intention to quit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]