Public sector entrepreneurship in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 500-512
Author(s):  
Boris Urban ◽  
Mmapoulo Lindah Nkhumishe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
Middle Level ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Organisational Factors

Purpose Many unanswered questions remain regarding the authors’ understanding of how entrepreneurship can be fostered in the public sector. To fill this knowledge gap, the purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical investigation to determine the relationship between different organisational factors and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in the South African public sector. Design/methodology/approach Primary data are sourced from middle-level managers at municipalities in the three largest provinces across South Africa. Hypotheses are statistically tested using regression analyses. Findings Results reveal that the organisational antecedents of structure and culture explain a significant amount of variation in the EO dimensions of innovativeness, risk taking and proactiveness. Additionally, the findings on organisational rewards converge with an emerging stream of research which highlights that while rewards works well to motivate individuals in the private sector, they are negatively correlated with entrepreneurship in the public sector. Research limitations/implications The study implications relate to the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery of municipalities in South Africa. Due to increases in community protest actions, it is necessary not only to maximise efficiency in the provision of services, but also to innovate and be proactive in order to achieve more with less resources. Originality/value By investigating previously unrelated factors in the public sector, the authors create closer conceptual and empirical links between the role of organisational factors and each of the EO dimensions. Furthermore, the study takes place in a relatively under-researched entrepreneurship and public sector context.

Risk management factors contributing to transgressions in the procurement practices in South African SOEs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindani Myeza ◽  
Naledi Nkhi ◽  
Warren Maroun
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
African State ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Executive Level

PurposeThe study aims to deepen the understanding of why risk management principles are circumvented, thereby contributing to transgressions in public procurement for South African state-owned enterprises (SOEs). A deeper understanding of why risk management principles are circumvented is especially important in South Africa, given the high social, economic and environmental risks to which national and major SOEs are exposed in the procurement process.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a qualitative design, based on detailed semi-structured interviews with 19 participants comprising management advisors, forensic investigators and auditors to explore why risk management principles are circumvented by South Africa SOEs.FindingsThe results of the study indicate that the tone that is set at political and executive level plays an important role in determining compliance with risk management principles by lower-level staff. Intense levels of political influence at SOEs are the main reason behind risk management systems being undermined.Originality/valueThe current study is one of the first explorations of why transgressions in public procurement continue to be evident despite risk management reforms being adopted by South Africa public sector. The research responds to the call for more studies on why reforms in South Africa public sector are not reducing transgression in public procurement. The study provides primary evidence on the importance of political and executive leadership in influencing the effectiveness of risk management reforms in the public sector.

Leadership of change in South Africa public sector turnarounds

2018 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mampe Kumalo ◽  
Caren Brenda Scheepers
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Director General ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Financial Consequences

PurposeOrganisational decline has far-reaching, negative emotional and financial consequences for staff and customers, generating academic and practitioner interest in turnaround change processes. Despite numerous studies to identify the stages during turnarounds, the findings have been inconclusive. The purpose of this paper is to address the gap by defining these stages, or episodes. The characteristics of leaders affect the outcome of organisational change towards turnarounds. This paper focusses, therefore, on the leadership requirements during specific episodes, from the initial crisis to the full recovery phases.Design/methodology/approachA total of 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with executives from the public sector in South Africa who went through or were going through turnaround change processes and 3 with experts consulting to these organisations.FindingsContrary to current literature in organisational change, this study found that, in these turnaround situations, leadership in the form of either an individual CEO or director general was preferable to shared leadership or leadership distributed throughout the organisation. This study found four critical episodes that occurred during all the public service turnarounds explored, and established that key leadership requirements differ across these episodes. The study shows how these requirements relate to the current literature on transactional, transformational and authentic leadership.Practical implicationsThe findings on the leadership requirements ultimately inform the selection and development of leaders tasked with high-risk turnaround change processes.Originality/valueFour episodes with corresponding leadership requirements were established in the particular context of public sector turnaround change processes.

South African government faces public-sector showdown

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
African Government ◽  
Wage Bill ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rating Agencies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Debt Burden ◽  
Political Position ◽  
The Face

Significance The negotiations follow the government’s refusal last year to pay the final annual tranche of a previous three-year deal. Containing the public-sector wage bill is seen as key for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration to rein in a spiralling debt burden. Impacts The three main rating agencies may postpone their next assessments until the wage talks gain greater clarity. Government firmness in the face of union demands could undermine Ramaphosa’s hold on the ruling ANC. With unions in a weak political position, they may have to stomach government intransigence due to lack of alternatives to Ramaphosa. Substantial concessions to unions would be divisive amid difficult budgetary choices such as below-inflation increases on social grants.

A generic investigation process for South African commercial forensic practitioners

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 587-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobus Gerhardus J. Nortje ◽  
Daniel P. Bredenkamp
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
South African ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
Investigation Process

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse and discuss the identification of a generic investigation process to be followed by the commercial forensic practitioner in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a cross-sectional design that commenced with a review of the current available literature, highlighting the different approaches, processes and best practices used in local and international forensic practices. The methodology includes primary data collected with questionnaires from commercial forensic practitioner (N = 75) process users. Findings This paper identifies the following five distinct categories in the forensic investigation process, with sub-processes, namely, initiation, planning, execution, reporting and reflection. Research limitations/implications The study focuses only on the South African members of the Institute of Commercial Forensic Practitioners (ICFP) fraternity in South Africa as the ICFP is a leading body that, through membership, offers a recognised professional qualification in commercial forensics. Practical implications An investigation process for commercial forensic practitioners in South Africa could be used by the ICFP that would provide a governance structure for the ICFP. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in setting out of an account of forensic accounting processes and best practices nationally and internationally. The missing knowledge is that no such research is known to have been conducted in South Africa. Currently, to the authors’ knowledge, no formalised investigation process exists. The contribution of the study is that by using an investigation process, it may enhance the quality of forensic investigations and contribute to the successful investigation and prosecution of commercial crime in South Africa that will be beneficial to all stakeholders.

scholarly journals Cost Profiling of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treatment in South Africa: Medicines That Are Still Too Expensive to Swallow

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reeya Singh ◽  
Frasia Oosthuizen ◽  
Ebenezer Wiafe ◽  
Kofi Boamah Mensah ◽  
Varsha Bangalee
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
South African ◽  
Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
The Public

Abstract Background The development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has improved chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) management and increased CML prevalence due to low mortality rates. CML management is potentially lifelong and expensive and requires pharmacoeconomic approaches and regular review of therapy to ensure that patients obtain cost-effective therapeutic outcomes. Although the introduction of TKIs generics has improved the availability of TKIs, the high-cost implications continue to hinder TKIs accessibility and translate into poor quality of life. To improve the availability and accessibility of TKIs in South Africa, interventional programs have been instrumental. A notable intervention is the collaborative effort of Novartis pharmaceuticals and The Max Foundation which has provided free access to Imatinib to patients in need. In recognition of the needs of CML patients, this study aimed to provide an overview of TKIs regulatory approval, availability, and cost profile in the South African (SA) context for the 2019 period. Methods The researchers searched the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) website on 20 August 2019 to identify TKIs, generic and innovator brands, that was duly registered. The costs of the registered TKIs were extracted from the Medicines Price Registry (2019) and the Department of Health awarded tenders for oncology medications (2019). The results were analysed quantitatively using Microsoft Excel and presented as tables. Results Three TKIs were registered in SA: Imatinib, Dasatinib, and Nilotinib. Generics were only available for Imatinib. Despite the numerous Imatinib generics available in the private sector, treatment for CML chronic phase (CP) patients in the private sector was more expensive than in the public sector. Apparent cost inequality was noted where the same TKI (Nilotinib 200 mg) costs substantially less (by 92.4%) in the public sector than in the private sector. Conclusion The study concluded that the accessibility to CML management in the private sector is hindered by the high cost of therapy compared to the public sector. The availability of generic forms of Imatinib eliminated monopoly and improved medicated access compared to Dasatinib and Nilotinib. To improve CML medication access, stakeholders' engagement is required to control cost.

The impact of service excellence and service innovation on organisational reputation: quantitative evidence from Jordanian public sector

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaker A. Aladwan ◽  
Sajeda I. Alshami
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Arab Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
The Public ◽  
Service Excellence ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe aim of this paper is the identification of the impacts that innovation and service excellence have upon organisational reputation within public sector organisations in Jordan.Design/methodology/approachAn approach was adopted that was quantitative with a questionnaire designed that was to be self-administrated for the primary data collection. In total, there was distribution of 600 questionnaires from which 556 were retrieved with a high rate of response (92.7%).FindingsThrough analysis of the data, several findings were revealed by the study, including that innovation was the factor with the most influence (beta = 0.81) upon organisational reputation within the public sector in Jordan compared to the factor for service excellence (beta = 0.54).Practical implicationsThe research has several potential implications for theory and management for those making decisions and policies within public administration such as in relation to enhancement of innovation strategy application for improving the reputations of organisations within the public sector. Furthermore, the paper fills a gap within the theory of organisational reputation and within the literature generally, especially in the context of public administration.Originality/valueIn regard to value and originality of this paper, it can be considered the first of its type for the public sector in Jordan, and perhaps the Arab region as a whole, that has examined the impacts that innovation and service excellence have upon organisational reputation within the context of public administration.

Challenges in the deployment of LSS in the higher education sector

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 893-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiju Antony
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Visionary Leadership ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Fortune 500 Companies ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Total Failure ◽  
Staff Engagement

Purpose – Although Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has been widely accepted today by more than 70 per cent Fortune 500 companies, its applications in the public sector are not widely observed and reported due to a number of challenges. The purpose of this paper is to present some of the fundamental challenges in the deployment of LSS within the higher education (HE) context. Design/methodology/approach – The author uses primary data in the form of opinions or viewpoints from leading academics and parishioners around the world. The viewpoints were collected carefully to have a good balance between the leading academics and the LSS practitioners. Findings – The challenges of LSS implementation in HE can be classified into three categories: organisational, technical and individual challenges. Lack of visionary leadership for LSS journey from top management team in the HE sector makes the deployment a total failure. The difficulty of defining and measuring quality in a HE setting along with collecting relevant and accurate data can be an immense technical challenge in any university sector. Moreover the lack of staff engagement, full academic freedom and autonomy will be a personal challenge for those who are involved in the business process improvement initiative such as LSS. Research limitations/implications – Due to limited time constraints, the number of people participated in the study was relatively small. However, the author argues that this study can provide a good foundation to various researchers and practitioners in further exploring the challenges in the implementation and deployment of LSS in any HE setting. Practical implications – The findings of the study can be very useful to those who get involved in the application of LSS principles for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of HE processes. Originality/value – This paper makes an attempt to reveal some of the rudimentary challenges in the deployment of LSS within the HE setting. These challenges should be taken into account when any HE sector embarks on the LSS initiative.

Centrist television in the democratic South Africa: policymakers fail to answer the regional/local question, 1990-2011

Info ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 128-140
Author(s):  
Chris Armstrong
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
South African ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Media Regulation ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the disconnect between policy intent and policy implementation in relation to regional/local (sub-national) TV deliverables in South Africa between 1990 and 2011, and evaluate the impact of this disconnect in pursuit of public interest objectives. Design/methodology/approach – The article is based on a research case study in which data extracted from policy documents and interviews were qualitatively analysed via the Kingdon “policy streams” framework and the Feintuck and Varney public interest media regulation framework. Findings – It was found that ruptures in deliberative policymaking, and policy implementation missteps, undermined sub-national TV delivery and, in turn, undermined pursuit of the public interest. Originality/value – By combining a political science conceptual framework with a media policy conceptual framework, the article provides unique insights into South African TV policymaking in the early democratic era.

scholarly journals Doctor retention and distribution in post-apartheid South Africa: tracking medical graduates (2007–2011) from one university

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann George ◽  
Duane Blaauw ◽  
Jarred Thompson ◽  
Lionel Green-Thompson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Specialist Training ◽  
Financial Loss ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Doctor emigration from low- and middle-income countries represents a financial loss and threatens the equitable delivery of healthcare. In response to government imperatives to produce more health professionals to meet the country’s needs, South African medical schools increased their student intake and changed their selection criteria, but little is known about the impact of these changes. This paper reports on the retention and distribution of doctors who graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (SA), between 2007 and 2011. Methods Data on 988 graduates were accessed from university databases. A cross-sectional descriptive email survey was used to gather information about graduates’ demographics, work histories, and current work settings. Frequency and proportion counts and multiple logistic regressions of predictors of working in a rural area were conducted. Open-ended data were analysed using content analysis. Results The survey response rate was 51.8%. Foreign nationals were excluded from the analysis because of restrictions on them working in SA. Of 497 South African respondents, 60% had completed their vocational training in underserved areas. At the time of the study, 89% (444) worked as doctors in SA, 6.8% (34) practised medicine outside the country, and 3.8% (19) no longer practised medicine. Eighty percent of the 444 doctors still in SA worked in the public sector. Only 33 respondents (6.6%) worked in rural areas, of which 20 (60.6%) were Black. Almost half (47.7%) of the 497 doctors still in SA were in specialist training appointments. Conclusions Most of the graduates were still in the country, with an overwhelmingly urban and public sector bias to their distribution. Most doctors in the public sector were still in specialist training at the time of the study and may move to the private sector or leave the country. Black graduates, who were preferentially selected in this graduate cohort, constituted the majority of the doctors practising in rural areas. The study confirms the importance of selecting students with rural backgrounds to provide doctors for underserved areas. The study provides a baseline for future tracking studies to inform the training of doctors for underserved areas.

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