This paper analyses Sol Plaatje University's (SPU) progress on increased research activities. The paper employs bibliometric analysis review method to demonstrate the university's transition from being a predominantly teaching-focused to a more research-oriented institution. A novel, data-driven methodology is also adopted in this paper, to…

This systematic review examines research trends on women's leadership in South African higher education from 2010 to 2024, analyzing 98 academic works comprising 15 doctoral dissertations, 28 master's theses, and 55 journal articles. Using content analysis, the study identifies key themes, methodological approaches, and findings related to women's…

The paper aimed at exploring intercultural communication as a means to promote inclusivity in diverse organisations. The study adopted a case study design with qualitative data. A semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions was utilised as the main data collection tool from a sample of ten purposively selected professionals from the…

More than two decades have passed since South Africa's liberation from apartheid, however, questions still abound regarding the lack of change in the country's higher education system. Policies, programs, and procedures aimed at addressing issues of inequality and organizational change have been less than effective at producing tangible results.…

This article reports on a study that was prompted by the resistance to school mergers by local communities in the rural region of Limpopo, South Africa. Traditional leaders, who are prominent people in rural communities, were at the forefront of protests against school mergers. Thus, it was necessary to investigate the tensions experienced by the…

This qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of stakeholders at independent schools during and after the transition from a not-profit governance approach to a for-profit governance approach after a change of ownership. Section 29(3) of the Constitution of South Africa provides that "everyone has the right to establish and…

The COVID-19 pandemic set higher education institutions on an unprecedented path requiring of them to identify alternative strategies and implement various initiatives to sustain their academic projects. With the widespread devastation of the pandemic, the purpose of universities within their communities were again in the spotlight. A sensibility…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the integration of instructional and transformational leadership models of leadership in sustaining quality teaching and learning in schools. The study sought to establish how principals integrate instructional and transformational leadership in enhancing learner performance.…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the transformation disclosures in the publicly available annual reports of South African public universities and to establish the extent to which universities account to their stakeholders about how they have discharged their transformation obligations. Design/methodology/approach: This…

Decolonisation is being embraced as an imperative within Higher Education, yet many institutions have struggled to formulate a coherent response. This article reports on a case study of a research-intensive South African university where the call for decolonisation emerged amidst considerable conflict on campus. The research takes as its departure…

Universities should conduct research and provide services to the society in their environment. In this article, the relational leadership model was used to evaluate a University-Community partnership in a semi-rural context in South Africa. The relational leadership model is an aspirational model supporting a healthy, ethical, and effective group.…

The Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP), implemented from 2001-2013, was an international fellowship program based on a uniquely inclusive higher education model. Founded on the principle that higher education is an essential long-term investment for addressing major social issues, IFP had two essential goals: ensuring…

Student voice in this digital age and across higher learning institutions is increasing exponentially with the function of social media. Student voice provides a vibrant communication pathway to extended curriculum programme students in higher education institutions. Social media ensures active participation of extended curriculum programme…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of a culture of high quality and show how a culture of high or exceptional quality goes beyond the functional apparatus of quality assurance, the so-called props on the stage, to the enactment and ultimately to the shared meaning-making and webs of significance for both the institution…

This paper builds on a conceptual analysis of institutional culture in higher education. A theoretical framework was proposed to analyse institutional documents of two higher education institutions in the Western Cape, for the period 2002 to 2012 (Jacobs 2012). The elements of this theoretical framework are "shared values and beliefs",…