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A learning organisation perception survey of the Saldanha Bay Municipality
Author(s)
Snyders, Hendrik
Date Issued
2008
Type
Thesis
Publisher
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 government, 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 learn while they
search for local solutions.
An inability to learn 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 municipalities must identify and improve potentially
constraining mental models. However, transforming any organisation into a learning
organisation according to Dilworth (1996) requires a particular set of leadership qualities,
such as commitment to the improvement of the quality of work life, democratic
leadership and the promotion of human dignity.
In this thesis, a learning organisation survey of the Saldanha Bay municipality's
leadership cadre, consisting of Municipal Councillors, Executive Directors and
Departmental Managers and Division Heads is undertaken with a view to determine
whether these key functionaries practise the key learning disciplines of team leaming,
shared vision, systems thinking, mental models and personal mastery.
The results of this study indicated that the municipality in question has not yet
succeeded in becoming a learning municipality. It has at best succeeded in laying a
foundation for both councillors and officials to build on in order to achieve the desired
result.
developmental local government, 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 learn while they
search for local solutions.
An inability to learn 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 municipalities must identify and improve potentially
constraining mental models. However, transforming any organisation into a learning
organisation according to Dilworth (1996) requires a particular set of leadership qualities,
such as commitment to the improvement of the quality of work life, democratic
leadership and the promotion of human dignity.
In this thesis, a learning organisation survey of the Saldanha Bay municipality's
leadership cadre, consisting of Municipal Councillors, Executive Directors and
Departmental Managers and Division Heads is undertaken with a view to determine
whether these key functionaries practise the key learning disciplines of team leaming,
shared vision, systems thinking, mental models and personal mastery.
The results of this study indicated that the municipality in question has not yet
succeeded in becoming a learning municipality. It has at best succeeded in laying a
foundation for both councillors and officials to build on in order to achieve the desired
result.
Additional information
Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008
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