Organisational Transformation and Managerial Capability in South African Non-Profit Institutions: Developing a Framework for Institutional Resilience
Keywords:
organisational transformation; managerial capability development; non-profit organisations; South Africa; institutional resilience; leadership alignment; strategic adaptability; capacity buildingAbstract
This study investigates how organisational transformation influences the development of managerial capabilities within non-profit organisations (NPOs) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Adopting a qualitative, exploratory approach grounded in an interpretivist paradigm, the research explores how transformation initiatives impact leadership alignment, capacity building, and institutional resilience. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 participants, including executive managers and programme heads from a prominent Johannesburg-based NPO. Thematic analysis revealed key challenges such as cultural resistance, fragmented stakeholder engagement, limited leadership vision, and constrained resource mobilisation—often compounded by legacy practices and weak accountability structures. In response, the study proposes an Integrated Framework for Capability-Driven Organisational Transformation, which emphasises participatory leadership, strategic communication, skills alignment, and sustainable performance monitoring. The findings contribute to both theory and practice by contextualising transformation within the South African non-profit sector, offering a roadmap for fostering strategic adaptability, ethical leadership, and long-term institutional resilience.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Shoayb Sheik, Elroy Denver Barry, Charleen Jackson
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