Abstract
Factors such as globalisation, intense competition and ever-changing rules make
change a must. What used to be traditional markets have been eroded and
competitors have flooded most of the markets. This brings new challenges.
Organisations that seek growth and survival keep up with the changing
environment. Organisations that ignore the changing environment choose to do
so at the risk of failure because what works today is not guaranteed to work in
future.
For an organisation to achieve its objectives, everyone in that organisation needs
to contribute and pull in the same direction. As such, leaders and employees are
important to the change process. Management’s understanding of where the
organisation must go and how it could get there is crucial to take the whole
organisation through the change process. Managers have to learn new skills as
operational skills are often not enough when it comes to leading people. Leaders
have a critical role to play to ensure effective change management.
The study is aimed at establishing how the change process is managed at
Eskom. This is explored through finding out the leadership style applied at
Eskom in effecting change. Quantitative research was done within Eskom by
means of e-mail survey to a random sample of employees at middle
management. 980 questionnaires were sent out with a response rate of 21.5%.
Having identified issues affecting effective leadership and change management
in the organisation certain deficiencies or areas of possible improvement will be
identified. Recommendations will be made on addressing leadership and change
management process to create an environment for facilitation of change
efficiently given the stress, discomfort and dislocation associated with change.
“Change is a very fickle mistress. No sooner has one fresh new idea swept
through the business world, than other better way of doing things is hot on
its heels”. Anonymous
Mr. T.F.J. Oosthuizen