Doctoral Graduates’ Research Aims to Contribute New Knowledge on Industry 4.0

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Doctor of Business Administration graduates Dr Neville Chinniah, Dr Kavisha Nandhlal, Dr Praline Ann Ross as well as PhD in Leadership Studies Dr Michael Naidoo, Dr Carol Nxumalo, and Dr Nokuphiwa Zondi’s research aims to contribute new knowledge on the impact of rapid technological changes and innovations on the workforce, local government, leadership and education in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). 

Titled: From a Manual to a System-Guided Process: Implementing Change in a Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Company in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Chinniah’s study - supervised by Professor Cecile Gerwel Proches and Dr Simon Taylor - focused on inventory control management in a multi-national based in South Africa. The company operated a manual inventory system resulting in significant losses of expired short-dated stock. ‘To mitigate stock losses, a logistics change management framework integrated with technology adoption and experiential learning cycle was developed to guide the change management process to an automated inventory system. Operations Management will benefit from this study’s contribution to change management. A logistics change management framework was my contribution to knowledge which was the gap in the literature,’ said Chinniah. 

The experienced National Logistics Manager at Pioneer Foods has a demonstrated history of working in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) food and beverages industry. ‘From my humble beginnings of being a general worker and subsequently my first full-time employment as a truck driver to obtaining my MBA through UKZN, there was a desire and challenge within me to pursue doctoral studies. Being accredited by a reputable institute affirms my credibility as a subject-matter expert. Having both practical experience and academic qualifications should contribute to greater value proposition and bolster advancement within the organisation,’ he added. 

Nandhlal’s study: Enabling eThekwini Municipality to Drive Sustainable Development by Leveraging Innovation Outcomes with the Design Thinking Paradigm, was supervised by Professor Gerwel Proches. It explores how sustainable development - while far from being achieved - is important for a progressive society. The implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) has been rather slow, globally. Innovation is one of the mechanisms that can impact the lives of people. Hence, the purpose of this study was to highlight innovation as one of the key drivers of economic transformation by approaching systemic change with design thinking. 

Investigating Growth Mindset and Theory U: Complementary Change Modalities for Practitioner Development as a Workplace Trainer was the title of Ross’s study, also supervised by Proches. This self-study involved Ross placing herself under the microscope, exposing habitual behavioural patterns and how the power of words impacts emotions and behaviour, which either accelerate or impede transformation and affect one’s practice too. Ross takes a non-traditional and less scientific approach and introduces avant-garde methods like journaling and breathwork in the workplace. By suffusing emotions through singing, visuals and poetry, she shares life experiences through reconstructed stories from her past, present and emerging future. This thesis addresses a gap in the literature by proposing a framework with a growth mindset as complementary to Theory U. ‘I advance knowledge by embarking on a heuristic journey through the U, using growth mindset as a lens, allowing me to progress from being stuck in the past, moving towards an emerging future. I hope that this framework can also serve as a guide to accelerate the Inner Development Goals -- a global initiative for inner development. Ross is a Mindset and Heartset Practitioner and Founder of Aqua Empowerment Solutions - a training and development consultancy specialising in Mindset Coaching, Leadership Development and Transformation with over 20 years’ business experience. 

Naidoo’s study supervised by Professor Gerwel Proches and Professor Angela James was titled: The Development of a Leadership Model for Interpretation and Enactment of 21st Century Learning: A Case of South African Private Secondary Schools in KwaZulu-Natal. It investigated the relationship between 21st Century Learning, Information and Communication Technology, and school leadership in South African private secondary schools. ‘The world is changing, in all spheres, at a tremendous pace. Education at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is rapidly evolving. Twenty-First Century Learning (21 CL) is the new pedagogy which is replacing traditional methods of teaching and learning. It focuses on the development of both cognitive and affective competencies. It also shifts the emphasis, from the learning of facts to the application of knowledge, in different contexts. School leadership has a fundamental role to play in the management and success of 21 CL. This research is also relevant to tertiary education as it can be adapted and modified,’ he said. 

James indicated that the thesis highlights the dynamics of leadership that are essential for the 21st Century Education. ‘It also in a way alerts a reader to think and question what is happening in the government sector regarding quality education and leadership, in a comparative sense.’ 

Through this study, Naidoo - who is an educator and an Academic Programme Manager of Mancosa’s School of Education - developed a leadership model for the interpretation and enactment of 21st Century Learning. This leadership model can facilitate the utilisation of 21st Century Learning, by both private and public secondary schools, in South Africa and internationally. ‘I was in a schooling environment for twenty-one years, first as a teacher, then subject head and acting deputy principal. In 2021, I changed professions, to become an academic programme manager at a private tertiary institution. One of the criteria that allowed me to be considered for the position was the engagement with my PhD. The completion of my PhD will further expedite my progression in the tertiary space, both in academia and in managerial positions.’ 

Nxumalo’s study titled: Developing a Leadership Model to Effectively Integrate Millennials and the 4th Industrial Revolution in the eThekwini Municipality. Nxumalo is a Human Resources (HR) professional, employed as a Senior HR Manager in a public entity. She pursued a PhD in Leadership studies to make a contribution on a pertinent topic to tackle the challenges and opportunities organisations and the country face in the current digital era. 

‘In the era of Industry 4.0, it is an opportunity for leaders to use technology to engage the younger generation for solutions that can help with organisational and economic growth. The eThekwini Municipality employs a large number of millennials and has an enormous task of delivering efficient services to communities using technology, hence, the choice to conduct my research with the organisation. 

Among the key findings of the study is the importance of understanding the relationship between millennials and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the influence of the revolution on organisational culture, its role in enhancing strategy implementation, its impact on attracting and retaining millennials, and the importance of developing a leadership model to integrate millennials and the revolution to ensure that organisations are prepared for disruptive and advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, virtual reality, cloud computing and robotics.’ Nxumalo’s study findings have motivated her to start a business which will be greatly influenced by technology and focused on building better communities with the benefits technology provides, particularly in the education sector. 

Zondi’s action research titled: The Use of the Systems Thinking Approaches to Develop a Holistic Model to Improve Stakeholder Management in the eThekwini Water and Sanitation Unit explored the challenges faced by the water service authority municipalities in implementing water and sanitation projects. The study which drew on the systems thinking approaches, which is not a popular approach in the water services sector, was also supervised by Proches and Professor Paul Green. ‘Having served in the local government space, especially infrastructure project implementation, I noticed the gap between the municipalities and the beneficiaries of those projects. The services protests and the work stoppages during the project implementation phases motivated me to enquire more about the root causes of these conflicts, and I took it upon myself to investigate stakeholders’ challenges within the municipality,’ said Zondi who is the Director of Indumiso Zogagashe Pty Ltd. 

Having formerly held the position of Water and Sanitation Unit Deputy Head in the eThekwini Municipality, and former Director of Water Governance and Regulation at Harry Gwala District Municipality prior to that, Zondi is committed to playing an active role in ensuring that communities have access to water. ‘The study’s main finding revealed that there is a lack of proper communication between officials and external project stakeholders, as well as the fragmentation of social facilitation systems within the unit and proposed a new model that can be used to improve the situation.’ Professor Green highlighted the value of Zondi’s research in developing a holistic model. ‘This model consists of the implementation process, which includes identifying stakeholders prior to project implementation; communicating project boundaries with stakeholders; and ensuring that project stakeholder committees are in place to enforce consistency and improve relationships; as well as ensuring that risk mitigation is prioritised.’ 

Proches indicated how proud she is of all the doctoral graduates for their hard work and dedication to complete their studies. ‘Their studies illustrate the value of research in Business Schools whereby practitioners address real-world problems in their professional and/or personal contexts. Such research advances existing knowledge, while also making valuable contributions to industry and practice. These studies also demonstrate how critical it is to engage in continued research into developing leadership capabilities in the public and private sectors.’ 

Words: Thandiwe Jumo

Photograph: Abhi Indrarajan