Abstract
Global social ills, including rising global inequalities, environmental degradation and
pollution, food insecurity, climate change induced disasters, and HIV and Aids
continue to threaten millions of people, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was unanimously adopted by countries
across the world during 2015, is premised on the recognition that the eradication of
extreme poverty is a fundamental necessity to achieve sustainable development.
Companies are powerful societal actors that could contribute to sustainable
development, whilst advancing social justice in their operating jurisdictions. South
Africa’s apartheid past and its associated legacies have placed the imperative of
business contributions to social justice and socio-economic development at the
centre of the development agenda. The active involvement of the business sector in
tackling societal challenges is crucial to prevent subversion of the country’s social and
economic cohesion, which has potential to destabilise the country.
This study focused on the influence of transformational leadership on corporate social
responsibility, using an insurance company as a case study, and hence adopted a
qualitative paradigm. The study used thematic analysis to identify, analyse and report
on themes that emanated from the data. Seven themes emerged from the data
analysis. A realist style was adopted to present the data, which allowed the researcher
to use verbatim quotations from participants.
The main finding was that transformative leadership attributes such as an ability to
model high commitment, clearly articulate a vision for the future and positively
influence and inspire others to move beyond self-oriented interests towards high-order
organisational and societal goals. This is achieved using values such as integrity,
honesty, liberty, social justice, equality and humanitarianism. These values provide a
foundation to implement Corporate Social Responsibility, as well as social justice
related initiatives. The findings show that a transformational leader is an agile and
adaptive agent of social change and can who view CSR as a vehicle for social justice
and empowerment.
The study’s recommendations include the need to enhance stakeholder management
capacity, strengthening project management capacity at municipal levels and