Nyikiwa Agreement Mavunda
Abstract
South African higher education institutions (HEIs) are undergoing complex transformation processes that require more than structural and policy reform as they demand meaningful shifts in organisational culture, leadership, and employee engagement. This study examines how leadership, employee behaviour, and organisational culture interact to drive transformation within South African higher education institutions (HEIs). Adopting a qualitative case study approach, data were collected from purposively selected academic and administrative staff (n = 15) through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis, supported by intercoder reliability checks and an audit trail, was employed to ensure trustworthiness. Themes were mapped directly to the study’s objectives, which foreground leadership practices, employee capabilities, and organisational culture alignment. Results reveal that inclusive and complexity-oriented leadership styles enable transformation by fostering psychological safety, innovation, and collaboration. Positive employee behaviours, particularly adaptability, cross-functional engagement, and digital fluency, emerge as critical mediators between leadership vision and cultural change. However, entrenched hierarchies, resource constraints, and uneven readiness for 4IR technologies limit transformation momentum. The integration of leadership theory with behavioural and cultural mechanisms offers a clearer pathway for human-capital-driven change, beyond structural reform. This paper advances transformation scholarship by proposing a novel conceptual framework that integrates inclusive leadership, behavioural alignment, and cultural transformation in the context of South African HEIs.