STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE by SAZI LIVINGSTON VELDTMAN Submitted in accordance with the requirements of the degree of DOCTORATE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTOR: PROFESSOR GERA FERREIRA JOINT PROMOTOR: PROFESSOR SINVAL KAHN Date: 2018 DECLARATION I declare that “STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE” is my own work and that all sources that I have quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. _____________________ __________________ Signature Date ii SUMMARY This study investigated strategic change management in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) during the period 1994 until 2014. Theoretical perspectives on strategic management, institutional culture, leadership and strategic change management in the SANDF were discussed. In addition, a historical perspective on the evolution of South African military culture was given. The study found that a transactional leadership approach was used to transform the SANDF. This transactional leadership approach is commensurate with the preservation of the status quo without radically transforming the institution. On the contrary, the transactional leadership approach fits in well in transforming an institution with a view to bring about a new composite institutional culture, drawn from the integrated institutions. The strategic change management as applied in the SANDF has not succeeded in creating a unified inclusive military culture of the seven former armed forces, from 1994 until 2014. The research has also shown that the institutional culture of the SANDF does not reflect the shared assumptions, beliefs and values of all integrated armed forces. However, the study concluded that transformation in the SANDF as a planned strategic change intervention has not been managed adequately between 1994 and 2014, to achieve the desired results. KEY TERMS: strategic management, change management, leadership, transactional leadership, military culture, institutional culture iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My sincere gratitude to my promotors, Professors Gera Ferreira and Sinval Kahn, for their sterling guidance in my completing this study. Their companionship, trust and confidence kept me ‘doing it right’ when I wanted to settle for less, and motivated me to challenge myself to become better. I am indebted to my family, in particular, my wife Phumla, my father Malamlela, my siblings Mbulelo and Thandeka, and my children, Buntu, Phathiswa, Toivo and Phumela from whom valuable time was ‘borrowed’ to accomplish this thesis, forfeiting my attention as father and friend. To my aunts, Nondili Tengimfene and the late Vuyelwa Pringane, whose determination in life is a source of inspiration to me – you instilled in me the value of education, discipline and an ambition to succeed in life. I am truly indebted. I am grateful to my colleagues and friends, Temba (TT) Matanzima, Sipho and Matsotso Vuso who kept a ‘watching brief’ on this study. Their persistent questions about the progress and their encouragement to complete this study against all odds, kept me going and kept me keeping on. Finally, I owe special thanks to Dr. Gerhard Kamffer, Johan Kruger, Wilna Brooks, Babalwa Matiwane, Mlungisi Khona, Nyabane Maswanganyi, Quinton Derbyshire, Michelle Buthelezi and Nikelwa Tengimfene for their unwavering support. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DECLARATION ii SUMMARY iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv TABLE OF CONTENTS v LIST OF FIGURES xiii LIST OF TABLES xv LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS xvi 1. CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE 1 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT 5 1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 5 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 6 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 6 1.7 TERMINOLOGICAL CLARIFICATION 7 1.8 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 9 1.8.1 Literature review 9 1.8.2 Survey questionnaires 11 1.8.3 Interviews 13 1.9 EXPOSITION OF CHAPTERS 14 1.10 SUMMARY 15 2 CHAPTER 2: INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT OF STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 2.1 INTRODUCTION 16 v 2.2 THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT 16 2.2.1 Strategic change management 16 2.3 SOURCES OF CHANGE 22 2.3.1 External change 22 2.3.2 Internal change 23 2.4 FIRST AND SECOND-ORDER CHANGE AS AN APPROACH 24 2.5 CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES 25 2.5.1 Strategic change 26 2.5.2 Cultural change 26 2.5.3 Structural change 27 2.5.4 Changing attitudes and skills 28 2.6 APPROACHES TO MANAGING CHANGE 28 2.6.1 Lewin’s three-step model 28 2.6.2 Action research 29 2.6.2.1 Definition of action research 29 2.6.2.2 Features of action research 30 2.6.3 Management of transformation approach 31 2.6.4 Organisational development 32 2.6.4.1 Definition of organisational development 32 2.6.4.2 Organisational development’s five stages 32 2.7 SYSTEMS APPROACH TO MANAGING CHANGE 35 2.8 RESISTANCE TO CHANGE 37 2.8.1 Systemic level 38 2.8.2 Individual Factors 38 2.9 METHODS TO OVERCOME RESISTANCE TO CHANGE 39 2.10 SUMMARY 41 vi 3 CHAPTER 3: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK AND PROCESS 3.1 INTRODUCTION 42 3.2 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT 42 3.2.1 Strategy in context 42 3.2.1.1 Strategy defined 42 3.3 STRATEGIC PLANNING 46 3.3.1 Defining Strategic Planning 46 3.4 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS 48 3.4.1 Definition of Strategic Management 48` 3.4.2 Basic activities of Strategic Management 50 3.4.2.1 Strategic analysis 51 3.4.2.1.1 Assessing macro-environment (External environment) 51 3.4.2.1.2 Assessing micro-environment (Internal environment) 53 3.4.3 Formulation of Vision and Mission statement 54 3.4.3.1 Formulating vision 54 3.4.3.2 Mission statement 55 3.4.4 Strategy formulation 55 3.4.5 Strategy implementation 58 3.4.6 Strategy monitoring (evaluation / control) 59 3.5 SUMMARY 61 4 CHAPTER 4: INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE 4.1 INTRODUCTION 64 4.2 THEORETICAL POSITIONING: THE BASIC NATURE OF INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE 64 4.2.1 Defining institutional culture 64 4.2.2 Levels of culture 65 vii 4.2.2.1 Artefacts 66 4.2.2.2 Values 66 4.2.2.3 Basic assumptions 67 4.2.3 Surface components of institutional culture 67 4.3 TYPES OF ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE 69 4.3.1 Power culture 69 4.3.2 Role culture 70 4.3.3 Task culture 70 4.3.4 Person culture 71 4.4 INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE: STRONG AND WEAK 71 4.5 MILITARY CULTURE 73 4.5.1 Etymology regarding military 73 4.5.2 Military culture defined 74 4.5.3 Elements of military culture 75 4.6 SUMMARY 78 5 CHAPTER 5: THE EVOLUTION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY CULTURE: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 5.1 INTRODUCTION 81 5.2 A COMPENDIUM OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY PRIOR TO1912 82 5.2.1 The Portuguese and Dutch against Khoikhoi and San 82 5.2.2 The Boers and British settlers against AmaXhosa 83 5.2.3 The Boers and British settlers against Zulus 84 5.2.4 Anglo-Boer war: 1822–1902 85 5.3 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE EVOLUTION OF SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY: 1912–2014 85 5.3.1 Union Defence Force: 1912–1947 86 viii 5.3.2 South African Defence Force (SANDF): 1948–1993 90 5.3.2.1 Total strategy and the SANDF’s role 93 5.3.2.2 The State Security Council (SSC) and the National Security Management System (NSMS) 94 5.3.3 THE ROLE OF THE TRANSKEI, BOPHUTHATSWANA, CISKEI AND VENDA (TBVC) 96 5.3.4 EMERGENCY OF LIBERATION FORCES: UMKHONTO WE SIZWE (MK) AND THE AZANIAN PEOPLES LIBERATION ARMY (APLA) 97 5.3.4.1 A synoptic overview of the history of UmKhonto weSizwe (MK) 97 5.3.4.2 Historical overview of the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA) 100 5.4 CREATIION OF SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE (SANDF) AND THE NEW INCLUSIVE MILITARY CULTURE 101 5.4.1 The creation of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) 102 5.4.2 INCLUSIVE SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY CULTURE 104 5.4.3 The new role of the SANDF as mandated by the South African government 105 5.5 SUMMARY 105 6 CHAPTER 6: LEADERSHIP 6.1 INTRODUCTION 108 6.2 LEADERSHIP DEFINED 108 6.3 LEADERSHIP VERSUS MANAGEMENT 110 6.4 TRANSACTIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP APPROACH 111 6.4.1 Transactional leadership 111 6.4.2 Transformational leadership 111 6.4.3 Military leadership 112 ix 6.4.4 Military leadership defined 113 6.4.5 Leadership approaches prevalent in the military 114 6.4.6 Command and control 117 6.5 STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN THE SANDF 119 6.5.1 Structure and functions of the SANDF 119 6.5.2 Strategic change management in the SANDF 122 6.5.2.1 Regulatory framework 122 6.5.2.2 Transformation in the SANDF 123 6.6 SUMMARY 125 7 CHAPTER 7: INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE 7.1 INTRODUCTION 127 7.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 127 7.3 RESEARCH DESIGN 128 7.4 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION 129 7.4.1 Quantitative research method 129 7.4.2 Qualitative research method 130 7.5 POPULATION AND SAMPLE 131 7.6 DATA COLLECTION 133 7.6.1 Interviews 133 7.6.2 Questionnaires 135 7.6.3 Documents 137 7.7 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 137 7.7.1 Confidentiality and anonymity 138 7.7.2 Informed consent 138 7.8 DATA PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS 139 7.9 SUMMARY 139 x 8. CHAPTER 8: RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS 8.1 INTRODUCTION 141 8.2 ANALYSIS OF THE QUANTITATIVE STUDY 141 8.2.1 Institutional culture 142 8.2.2 Change management 148 8.2.3 Leadership 160 8.3 ANALYSIS OF THE QUALITATIVE STUDY 166 8.3.1 Strategic change management 166 8.3.2 Institutional culture 167 8.3.3 Change management 168 8.3.4 Leadership 169 8.4 SUMMARY 170 9.