Abstract
This dissertation arises from concerns over the crucial role principals play in schools, thus the disruption that might result from their turnover. In South Africa, this turnover is also further complicated by suboptimal appointment processes and a lack of principal succession planning. In addition, relevant literature in South Africa features limited discussion of succession planning in schools, with even more limited exploration on the roles stakeholders play in this process. Appling Rothwell's (2005, 2010) Seven-Pointed Star succession planning model, this study explicitly explores this practice and literature gap both the principal succession planning process and the role the different stakeholders play in this process, focusing particularly on secondary school principals as they tend to face higher expectations and potentially higher turnover. Employing an interpretivism paradigm, qualitative approach and a generic qualitative design, this study collected data from 22 participants in four schools with different succession scenarios using semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal inadequacies in participants’ understanding and observation of succession planning practice and principal’s roles and responsibilities in a number of aspects. The finding also confirms a lack of proactive and futuristic orientation in the current succession planning practice and a tendency to point to others instead of focusing on one’s own ownership.