The underperformance of South Africa’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) due to poor strategy co-ordination and implementation negatively impacts economic growth, service delivery, Gross Domestic Product, skills development, and the fulfilment of public mandates.
Doctor of Business Administration graduate Dr Ziphathele Chamane’s study aimed to identify the enablers and barriers to strategic alignment in SOEs in KwaZulu-Natal and to develop a framework to improve strategy alignment within these enterprises.
Chamane interviewed strategic leaders to understand what facilitates their work and the obstacles that hinder their progress and the delivery of the SOE mandate.
The study identified several enablers of effective strategy alignment, including strong planning and strategy development within the organisation, good relationships with stakeholders, supportive leadership and relevant expertise, sufficient financial resources, and effective board committees.
The barriers include a lack of clear goals, political influence and connections between politicians and appointed leaders, bureaucracy, the short terms served by board members and misalignment between the board and the chief executives.
Reflecting on his achievement, Chamane said, ‘I pursued this qualification to generate knowledge and contribute to solving the economic problems besieging our country and stifling economic growth.’
‘This qualification will advance my career. As a trained chemical engineer, it deepens my understanding of the public sector and legislation. The skills I acquired during my PhD will enable me to make a meaningful contribution to SOE boards.’
Chamane said he hopes his success will inspire young people from disadvantaged communities, like his hometown of Inanda to realise that with education, it is possible to achieve great things.
Words: Lungile Ngubelanga
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini