scholarly journals TOWARDS REBIRTH IN ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT A SOUTHERN VOICE

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Del M.N. Sekgaphane

In divergent ecosystems around the world, there is a desire for visible, integral ecological transformation. A lack of ecological transformation is found within various domains beginning with the self, team, organisation and society, and is partly influenced by the loss of identity both within and without the larger ecology. Notably, the issue of identity and transformation remains a burning platform within the African context, for which the researcher proposes a solution grounded in the Southern relational path of community and reason (Lessem & Schieffer, 2009). In the context of this study, the researcher was invited to lead and transform a wealth banking business unit that had become a liability to the greater FNB brand, reflecting the lowest engagement scores at the time.The research methodology was built on the foundation of the 4C Integral Research Approach (Call, Context, Co-creation and Contribution). Each one of the four research paths is integral, as each includes local Origination, local-global Foundation, all-round Emancipation and Transformation towards a consistent path to social innovation. Focusing on FNB Private Wealth Client Servicing as the research community, the researcher set up various communities of practice (CoPs). The applicable ontology was phenomenology, adopting Southern, communal frames from which to drive inclusive transformation, and the epistemology was feminism, encompassing integral research and participatory action research (PAR) as part of the Southern path. The research design followed an integral design on the Four Worlds of South, East, North and West, contextualised using the 4C rhythm and the grounding, emerging, navigation and effecting (GENE) integral paths of renewal towards social innovation. Data was gathered by qualitative means such as participative observations, community engagements, discussions and interviews. The researcher analysed the gathered data by measuring its quality in terms of valuable and truthful results of REBIRTH data analysis. REBIRTH is an innovative organisational change and development process located in the South, and has potential to be adapted and applied within FNB as the rebirth of the transformation journey. REBIRTH, engaged holistically, is designed to cause inclusive transformation though enabling an organisation to re-engage the issue of identity as catalyst for inclusivity. It is a creative experience which starts in the Southern relational path, and unfolds into the four voices of global exploration, towards inclusive transformation and authentic identity. REBIRTH reconnects self, other, community and organisation to identity in Botho-Ubuntu, captured in the FNB case study vision as: “I Care (Heart), I Can (Head), I Commit. Botho-Ubuntu is an African philosophy which draws us back to the value of our humanness and offers an authentic lens through which to view transformational practice. The REBIRTH transformation journey was successfully tested within FNB Private Wealth Client Servicing and FNB Wealth Inland. Grounded in traditional and indigenous knowledge, it offers a new lens for leadership towards inclusive transformation, founded in Southern values and norms and grounded in the essence and philosophy of Botho-Ubuntu as an authentic Southern frame to reconstruct the complexity of today’s ever-changing world.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
King Costa ◽  
Del M.N. Sekgaphane

In divergent ecosystems around the world, there is a desire for visible, integral ecological transformation. A lack of ecological transformation is found within various domains beginning with the self, team, organisation and society, and is partly influenced by the loss of identity both within and without the larger ecology. Notably, the issue of identity and transformation remains a burning platform within the African context, for which the researcher proposes a solution grounded in the Southern relational path of community and reason (Schieffer & Lessem, 2014). In the context of this study, the researcher was invited to lead and transform a wealth banking business unit that had become a liability to the larger banking brand, reflecting the lowest engagement scores at the time.The research design applied was Integral Research Approach (IRA). IRA enables one to ground through an experience which engages auto-ethnography. Kothari (2009) stated that “Research methods refer to the behavior and instruments used in selecting and constructing research technique.” In simple terms, this means that research methods refer to the methods the researchers use in research operations.” The applicable ontology was phenomenology, adopting Southern, communal frames from which to drive inclusive transformation, and the epistemology was feminism, encompassing integral research and participatory action research (PAR) as part of the Southern path. Data was gathered by qualitative means such as participative observations, community engagements, discussions and interviews. The researcher analyzed the gathered data by measuring its quality in terms of valuable and truthful results of REBIRTH data analysis. REBIRTH is an innovative organisational change and development process located in the South, and has potential to be adapted and applied within divergent organisations and systems as the rebirth transformation journey.Conclusion of the research culminated in the creation of a REBIRTH Model for Organisational Change and Development, hereinafter referred to as REBIRTH. The purpose of this model’s design is to cause inclusive transformation though enabling an organisation to re-engage the issue of identity as catalyst for inclusivity. It is a creative experience which starts in the Southern relational path, and unfolds into the four voices of global exploration, towards inclusive transformation and authentic identity. REBIRTH reconnects self, other, community and organisation to identity in Botho-Ubuntu, captured in the banking case study vision as: “I Care (Heart), I Can (Head), I Commit. Botho-Ubuntu is an African philosophy which draws us back to the value of our humanness and offers an authentic lens through which to view transformational practice.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Del M.N. Sekgaphane

In divergent world ecosystems, there is a desire for visible, integral ecological transformation pertaining to self, other, community and society; partly influenced by loss of identity both within and without the greater ecology. Notably, identity and impact of psychological practice remains a burning platform within the African context, thus growing the question – does Africa have anything to offer to redress the growing conversation of human disconnect, discard and dehumanisation through loss of identity. To redress, it becomes necessary to Rebirth through grounding to “Call” to cause transformation of self towards ecological healing. REBIRTH is an innovative transformational process grounded in the South, exploring the role of Africa, its norms and unique philosophy of Ubuntu-Botho as relevant practice towards inclusive transformation, catalysing social innovation. It is a creative experience reconnecting self, other, community and society to identity in Botho-Ubuntu beginning in the Southern relational path, and unfolds into the four voices of global exploration, towards inclusive transformation and authentic identity. The traditional African approach to rebirth promotes collective healing within a more holistic approach and the role of the community becomes apparent in the womb of the “Tribe” as point of entry - pointing towards a renewed civilisation in the world.


2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwyneth M Jolley

This article reports on the evaluation of an action research project designed to support workforce development in the promotion of healthy nutrition for older people. The evaluation methodology was grounded by the action research approach of the project and focused on case studies of the 10 partner organisations. Findings indicate that the Healthy Ageing—Nutrition Project has resulted in a large increase in awareness and knowledge about healthy ageing and nutrition in the case study organisations, and to a lesser extent, in the broader health and aged care sectors. For the case study organisations it seems likely that transformational change has been made through the project's work of building capacity, mediating and facilitating change and providing resources. Support at board and management level, as well as thoughtful development of the workforce, were critical success factors in bringing about organisational change. The main challenge was identified as time and resources needed. Follow-up evaluation of the health outcomes from nutritional assessment, screening and intervention should also be implemented in order to provide further evidence of the value of this effort.


Author(s):  
Karen Winter ◽  
Laura Neeson ◽  
Daryl Sweet ◽  
Aimee Smith ◽  
Sharon Millen ◽  
...  

Abstract In a national and international context where there is a concern about the effectiveness of social care services for children and families to address chronic, enduring social problems and where there are finite resources available, the concept of social innovation in social work policy and practice to address need in new ways is receiving increased attention. Whilst an attractive term, social innovation in child and family services is not without its challenges in terms of conceptualisation, operationalisation, implementation and evidencing impact. This article reports on the development and evaluation of the Early Intervention Support Service (EISS), a newly designed family support service in Northern Ireland set up as part of a government-supported innovation and transformation programme that aims to deliver a voluntary, targeted, flexible and time-limited service to families experiencing emergent problems. Using the EISS as a case study, the challenges, benefits in terms of addressing policy imperatives and future direction of social innovation in social work practice are reflected upon.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Paoloni ◽  
Francesca Maria Cesaroni ◽  
Paola Demartini

PurposeThe importance of relational capital for the university has grown enormously in recent years. In fact, relational capital allows universities to promote and emphasize the effectiveness of the third mission. The purpose of this paper is to propose a case study involving an Italian university that recently set up a new research observatory, and, thanks to its success, succeeded in enhancing its relational capital.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopted an action research approach to analyze the case study. Consistently, the authors followed the analysis, diagnosis, and intervention phases. First, the authors focused on the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the process through which the university created relational capital, and finally, the authors proposed solutions to improve the process.FindingsThis case study shows that the creation of relation capital for the host university was the result of a process of transfer and transformation of the individual relationships of the observatory’s promoters.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to filling a significant gap in the literature on relational capital and universities and provides useful insights into how these organizations can encourage its creation. It also allows scholars, managers, and politicians involved in higher education to gain a greater understanding of this relevant topic.


2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Juntunen

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe company renaming as a process among small firms, including the events and actors in and the reasons for company renaming. Design/methodology/approach – The study presents an interpretative narrative process research approach. The empirical part is conducted as an instrumental multiple case study of six cases. Findings – Company renaming is a long-lasting, complex, iterative and management-centric process among small firms. The process consists of six main events that are conducted more or less simultaneously but which need to be further divided into sub-events in order to reveal their order. The reasons for renaming are that the current company name is difficult to use or it is less known than the name of the company's well-known product among stakeholders. Research limitations/implications – The existing research on branding from the viewpoint of organisational change has been scarce. The study suggests that also other reasons than change in the organisation or in its environment may cause corporate rebranding. The empirical data from a specific contest, the B2B software industry, may limit the statistical generalizability of the results. Practical implications – For small business managers, the study suggests actively involving stakeholders to the process. The new name can be developed cheaply, but the process can be long. For ensuring a shorter process, costs need to be accepted. Originality/value – The use of interpretative narrative process research approach and an instrumental multiple case study provide methodological contributions to the field of corporate rebranding.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Hammad ◽  
Alice Alunni ◽  
Tamara Alkhas

This paper argues that an evidence-based approach to advocacy led by and targeting women could amplify women’s positioning in the political and economic realms. Participatory Action Research is examined as a process for mobilisation, coalition-building and evidence-based advocacy and action, through a case study of a multi-country British Council supported programme that incorporated an action research approach. 1 Drawing from the experiences and perceptions of its participants, it offers reflective insights into the theory and practice of action research and its empowerment potential. The findings confirm a widespread support for the use of Participatory Action Research as a starting point for stronger advocacy work, showing its positive transformative effects on individuals, groups and coalition. Participatory Action Research contributes to evidence-based advocacy that is more relevant and inclusive, and arguably empowering for women advocates.


Author(s):  
Márcia Aparecida Prim ◽  
Gertrudes Apaarecida Dandoline ◽  
Solange Maria da Silva ◽  
João Artur de Souza

Experiences in social innovation point to a collaborative work, in which several types of players connect in a network to seek solutions to the problems inherent in the less favored population. In this sense, the aim of this paper is to identify the constituent elements of collaboration networks for social innovation in the context of social incubators. This study used a qualitative, descriptive research approach and case study method. Data were collected through document analysis and semi-structured interviews. Based on the thematic analysis of the primary data, it was concluded that the constituent elements of collaboration networks for social innovation in social incubators are: partnerships (networks of players and different types of partnerships); collaboration (mutual help, commitment and trust); self-management (shared leadership, joint decision-making and shared processes); empowerment (recognition and construction of identity); resources (financial, material and human); learning (training, lectures and sharing of experiences); and sustainability (economic, social and environmental


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