A phenomenological exploration of transformational leadership practices of selected programme managers at a TVET college in the Western Cape province
| dc.contributor.author | Felix, Merchalene | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-12-12T08:40:51Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-12-12T08:40:51Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description.abstract | As individuals working together, employees share a common humanity and interact within shared workspaces. In today’s fast-paced and demanding work environment, the success of organisations and the well-being of employees are highly dependent on the development of a supportive and collaborative work environment. Leaders in organisations have a responsibility to cultivate and sustain a culture of collaboration and support that fosters success. True leadership is not just about control, but about inspiring others and fostering a collaborative atmosphere where everyone feels empowered to achieve greatness. However, creating such an environment can be challenging in practice. This study explored the transformational leadership practices employed by a selected group of Programme Managers in a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College, specifically to understand how these practices contribute to the development of a supportive and collaborative work environment. Theoretically, this study draws on the work of David Rock’s Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, Fairness (SCARF) model of engagement, integrating it with Edmund Husserl’s ‘lifeworld’ theory and Martin Heidegger’s notion of Dasein. The study followed a qualitative research approach, specifically applying a phenomenological research design to investigate the transformational leadership practices of selected Programme Managers. To answer the main research question, “What do the lived experiences of selected Programme Managers at a TVET college reveal about transformational leadership practices?”, five research participants were purposively selected. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field notes. The data were analysed using Heidegger’s interpretive phenomenology, integrated with David Rock’s SCARF model of engagement. By exploring the lived experiences of selected Programme Managers, this study identifies the underlying factors that contribute to successful transformational leadership practices in fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment. The findings reveal that three of the Programme Managers incorporate transformational leadership practices and elements of the SCARF model, creating a supportive and collaborative work environment. A noteworthy observation is that all three have participated in leadership training, including a neuroscience-based leadership course, and have since been promoted to Head of Department. The fourth participant relies heavily on her years of experience; however, she demonstrates some core elements of transformational leadership. The fifth participant appears to struggle with leadership, likely due to a combination of inexperience, limited knowledge, a lack of confidence, and a language barrier. This participant has since resigned from the role. Additionally, the study highlights a strong link between each participant’s upbringing and their leadership style, indicating that early life experiences significantly influence their transformational leadership. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10566/21584 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of the Western Cape | |
| dc.subject | Transformational leadership practices | |
| dc.subject | TVET College | |
| dc.subject | Programme Managers | |
| dc.subject | Lifeworld theory | |
| dc.subject | Dasein | |
| dc.title | A phenomenological exploration of transformational leadership practices of selected programme managers at a TVET college in the Western Cape province | |
| dc.type | Thesis |