Page 56 - University of Pretoria Research Review 2017

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Understanding leadership
Caren Scheepers and Shireen Chengadu, Gordon Institute for Business Science (GIBS)
Making sense of the influence of contexts
on leadership is an area that is of interest to researchers, especially in dynamic and fast-changing settings, such as is the case in emerging markets.
Dr Caren Scheepers at the Gordon Institute for Business Science (GIBS) studies organisational leadership and uses complexity theory to understand the influence of organisational contexts on leadership. Her recent co-authored work includes the ‘moderator’ and ‘mediator’ effects of external variables, such as
the environmental dynamism in our
African context, as well as organisational variables, in particular an organisation’s structure and support, and its openness to innovation. Dr Scheepers
and co-researchers have used structural equation modelling to study such effects, which allows for the inclusion of multiple variables in the conceptual and measuring stages of modelling.
Dr Scheepers’ research is focused on exchanges
between leaders’ characteristics and the responsiveness and levels of engagement or ambidexterity of co- workers or ‘followers’. A particular interest has been contexts of organisational crises, such as turnarounds, the disruptions of mergers and acquisitions, and high customer demands during diversification. At a practical and applied level, her research findings have informed leadership selection and development, and have helped match leadership styles to contextual requirements.
Her basic thesis is that a complex phenomenon such as leadership can only be understood within context; that is, ways in which people experience an organisational setting are filtered through their biases, assumptions and values. In order to harness this complexity in making sense of the actions of leaders and co-workers or followers, Dr Scheepers uses a case study methodology to capture the unique context-specific dynamics of leadership, and co-authored five studies in 2017, published by Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies.
Dr Scheepers received the GIBS research award for the ‘most prolific researcher’ in 2017.
Women leadership in emerging markets
Shireen Chengadu and Dr Caren Scheepers at GIBS co-edited a book entitled, Women leadership in emerging markets (Routledge, 2017) that ties together two issues that are highly relevant to contemporary business organisations: women in leadership roles and women in emerging markets. The book brings to life the professional lives of women through 46 examples and profiles of women across Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East.
Globally, women constitute half of the population, yet they count for only up to 40% of the labour force. While there is now good evidence that women in leadership roles deliver better financial results for business organisations than where they are not in leadership roles,
women leadership roles remain low, averaging 25% globally. In emerging markets this figure varies. In the African region, for example, we are one of the leaders in respect to diversity performance, with 30% of senior roles held by women in 2017*.
Throughout the book, the editors and contributors present evidence to illustrate why women, and women leaders, matter in the business sector.
The economics of gender is one imperative for gender equality but the moral and leadership diversity imperatives are equally important. Recent evidence points to the world's need for relational leadership and women, according to research, possess more of these leadership dynamics.
* https://www.bbrief.co.za/content/uploads/2018/03/grant-thornton-women-in-business-2018.pdf