A conceptual situational leadership framework for senior municipal managers in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality

Abstract

The leadership and management skills of senior municipal managers in South Africa remain critical to the delivery of quality services to citizens. Managers in municipalities are faced with various challenges in their effort to ensure that basic services are delivered efficiently, despite political, socio-economic and technological dynamics within municipalities in the country. Various scholars are of the opinion that effective delivery of quality basic services depends on adequate competencies of senior management of municipalities. The South African government has clear legislation and policies for municipalities and councillors that govern how they should serve the communities within their jurisdiction. The relevant legislation and policies expect municipalities to be sensitive to community needs, interests and views and to be responsive to local problems and demands. Understanding and successfully addressing the interests and addressing the basic needs of local communities depend to a large extent on good management and leadership by both municipal councillors (the political sphere) and municipal officials (the administrative sphere). The Constitution (1996) determines in Section 178 (1) that a local government shall ensure that its administration is based on sound principles of public administration, good governance and public accountability so as to render efficient services to the persons within its jurisdiction through the effective administration of its affairs. In lieu of this, this study offers a conceptual situational leadership framework based on the theoretical knowledge gained from scholarly literature in this field of study. The researcher explores phenomena such as management, leadership (leading) and situational leadership in local governance. The study further explores the philosophy and principles underlying conceptual situational leadership. This forms the theoretical foundation for the conceptual situational leadership framework for senior municipal managers in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality. This conceptual situational leadership framework is aimed at helping senior municipal managers to understand that different leadership approaches mean that one would use different styles of intervention depending on the situation. The situational leadership theory of Hersey and Blanchard states that to be effective, leaders must use the right leadership style for subordinates at different maturity levels during different situations. The situational leadership theory can, apply to senior managers working in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality and other municipalities in South Africa. This may help them to lead and motivate their subordinate municipal officials to reach the objectives of the District Municipality and other South African municipalities in general. The study concludes with recommendations for the successful implementation of the developed conceptual situational leadership framework for senior managers in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality