Benevolent leadership and its implication for management education in South Africa

Abstract

Benevolence is related to strong ethical behaviour, respect for all, trust, kindness, harmony, integrity, justice, interconnectedness with others, and care and concern for the community, corporate social responsibility, and the natural environment. Benevolent leadership has been defined as the process of creating a virtuous cycle of encouraging, initiating, and implementing positive change in organisations through: a) ethical decision making and moral actions, b) developing spiritual awareness and creating a sense of meaning, c) inspiring hope and fostering courage for positive action, and d) leaving a legacy and positive impact for the larger community (Karakas 2009: 1). This study was undertaken to investigate the characteristics, attitudes, and behaviours of benevolent leaders at business organisations in South Africa; to examine how benevolent leadership impacted organisational performance; to understand the extent to which university education prepared managers for benevolent leadership; and to make recommendations on what content related to benevolent management could be included in management education. The study was guided by a quantitative research approach, with a cross-sectional survey research design. Purposive and snowball sampling was the strategy used to identify participants for the study. Three hundred and fourteen (314) participants were recruited from the Western Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal. A structured survey instrument adopted from Karakas (2009: 1) was used as the data collection instrument in the study. Data was analysed using SPSS version 2.0. The study found a high level of benevolent leadership qualities and characteristics amongst the sample. A majority of the participants showed that they are highly ethical, demonstrate care and compassion for their subordinates, and are very open to creating change in their work environments with a belief that through change and innovation they can create positive results. Participants also showed high levels of concern for the community and support for charitable causes. Consequently, this influenced organisational performance in the areas of employee morale, productivity, and corporate social responsibility. The study also found a high level of support for the introduction of benevolent leadership in leadership education.