Abstract
M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
Post the Apartheid era in South Africa, globalisation and increased market competition which resulted from the lifting of sanctions brought momentous challenges to the leaders of the country. A lack of business acumen, entrepreneurial drive, management skills, lack of education, low technology savviness, resistance to change, and a lack of leadership all evolved over time – all affecting work processes (Safavi & Tweddell, 1990; Hall & Sandelands, 2009; Olawale & Garwe, 2010). The implications of these challenges were low employee morale, financial losses, and poor work performance - affecting productivity. Innovation is an effective solution for leaders in a country like South Africa (Yan, B.; Maladzhi, W.; Makinde, O., 2012).
As with any paradigm shift, South African leaders needed not only to implement new approaches and techniques, but most importantly, new innovative ways of thinking (Luthans, F.; Wyk, R.; Walumbwa, F., 2004). Leadership is at the core of creating an innovative culture within organisations (Kugler, 2014). Innovation is a process that can be managed and this is very encouraging to the leadership of an organisation in that managers can plan, control, and organise all aspects of innovation to positively influence the outcome.
Leadership is the engine of an organisation and innovation is recognised as a critical success factor for an organisations survival. It is thus important to understand how leadership as a discipline affects innovation. It is also important to understand how does a leader’s behaviour affect innovative behaviour within their workforce. The purpose of this research study is to examine the relationship between leadership and employee innovation and to provide an inventory of leadership behaviours that promotes innovation at an individual and organisational level.
Through examining literature, the research will present a list of characteristics and values that are required at an individual and organisational level to cultivate and...