IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/adi/ijbess/v6y2024i4p159-177.html

Leadership and communication strategies for managing organisational change: insights from eThekwini automobile dealerships

Author

Listed:
  • Nonye Chukwuma

    (Durban University of Technology)

  • Robert-Walter Dumisani Zondo

    (Faculty of Management Sciences, Durban University of Technology, South Africa.)

Abstract

Research studies have proven that leadership styles and communication are positively and significantly related to effective change management. This implies that the influence of leadership on effective communication is integral to the success of any organizational performance. These leadership styles include transformational and transactional leadership. The study was based on two different theories; the leadership theory and the communication theory. The study was descriptive in nature considering a sample size of 300 employees in the selected dealership organisations operating in the eThekwini, South-Africa. Data collection was achieved by handing out questionnaires to 300 employees, out of which 170 were returned completed. The study was analysed by means of correlational and regression analysis ascertained through the structural equation model (SEM). The study found that leadership styles and communication were positively and significantly related and are major determinant to the success of an effective organisational change management. The study further concluded that leadership styles and communication were positively and significantly related to effective change. Conclusively, it was indicated that the transformational leadership style stands out as the most effective leadership style for successful change management. It was also agreed that integrated communications which involves the application of more than one communication strategy to pass important information especially regarding change management was vital. The study recommended the adoption of transformational leadership style in the various departments of the organization. Also, it considers the application of integrated communication which includes verbal, non-verbal, written, assertive and electronic means of communication.

Suggested Citation

  • Nonye Chukwuma & Robert-Walter Dumisani Zondo, 2024. "Leadership and communication strategies for managing organisational change: insights from eThekwini automobile dealerships," International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293), Bussecon International Academy, vol. 6(4), pages 159-177, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:adi:ijbess:v:6:y:2024:i:4:p:159-177
    DOI: 10.36096/ijbes.v6i4.546
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.bussecon.com/ojs/index.php/ijbes/article/view/546/307
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://doi.org/10.36096/ijbes.v6i4.546
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.36096/ijbes.v6i4.546?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mustafa Changar & Tarik Atan, 2021. "The Role of Transformational and Transactional Leadership Approaches on Environmental and Ethical Aspects of CSR," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Chu, Shu-Chuan & Chen, Hsuan-Ting & Gan, Chen, 2020. "Consumers’ engagement with corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication in social media: Evidence from China and the United States," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 260-271.
    3. Mohammad Nisar Khattak & Roxanne Zolin & Noor Muhammad, 2020. "Linking transformational leadership and continuous improvement," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 43(8), pages 931-950, January.
    4. Gao, Ronnie (Chuang Rang) & Murphy, William H. & Anderson, Rolph E., 2020. "Transformational leadership effects on salespeople’s attitudes, striving, and performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 237-245.
    5. James N. Druckman & Mary C. McGrath, 2019. "The evidence for motivated reasoning in climate change preference formation," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(2), pages 111-119, February.
    6. Thomas Lauer, 2021. "Communication as a Success Factor: Avoiding and Overcoming Resistance," Springer Books, in: Change Management, edition 1, chapter 8, pages 119-143, Springer.
    7. Hetland, Jørn & Hetland, Hilde & Bakker, Arnold B. & Demerouti, Evangelia, 2018. "Daily transformational leadership and employee job crafting: The role of promotion focus," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 746-756.
    8. Mohammad Nisar Khattak & Roxanne Zolin & Noor Muhammad, 2020. "Linking transformational leadership and continuous improvement," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 43(8), pages 931-950, January.
    9. Raelin, Joseph A., 2005. "We the Leaders: In Order to Form a Leaderful Organization," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 12(2), pages 18-30.
    10. Aleksandra Kuzior & Alla Lobanova, 2020. "Tools of Information and Communication Technologies in Ecological Marketing under Conditions of Sustainable Development in Industrial Regions (Through Examples of Poland and Ukraine)," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-20, October.
    11. Martin Grill & Kent Nielsen & Regine Grytnes & Anders Pousette & Marianne Törner, 2019. "The leadership practices of construction site managers and their influence on occupational safety: an observational study of transformational and passive/avoidant leadership," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(5), pages 278-293, May.
    12. Wookjoon Sung & Changil Kim, 2021. "A Study on the Effect of Change Management on Organizational Innovation: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Members’ Innovative Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-25, February.
    13. Lei Huang & Amelia Clarke & Natalie Heldsinger & Wen Tian, 2019. "The communication role of social media in social marketing: a study of the community sustainability knowledge dissemination on LinkedIn and Twitter," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(2), pages 64-75, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Syed Imran Zaman & Sobia Jamil & Syed Ahsan Ali Zaman & Yushi Jiang, 2025. "Engaging the Modern Workforce: Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Individual Factors," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 412-452, March.
    2. Banta Karollah & Yuli Monita & Vilzati Vilzati & Muhammad Muhammad & Mahdani Ibrahim, 2020. "The practice of job crafting and its impact on job outcomes: An empirical study," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 9(5), pages 192-199, September.
    3. Cătălin Grădinaru & Sorin-George Toma & Ștefan Catană & Gabriela Andrișan, 2020. "A view on transformational leadership: The case of Jeff Bezos," Manager Journal, Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest, vol. 31(1), pages 93-100, December.
    4. Guglielmo Zappalà, 2023. "Drought Exposure and Accuracy: Motivated Reasoning in Climate Change Beliefs," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 85(3), pages 649-672, August.
    5. Concepción Rojas Casarrubias & José Luis Aparicio López & Columba Rodríguez Alviso & Mirna Castro Bello & Salvador Villerías Salinas, 2025. "Community Environmental Leadership and Sustainability: Building Knowledge from the Local Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-21, April.
    6. Eleonora Alabrese & Francesco Capozza, 2025. "Speaking Science in the Digital Age: How Political Expression on Social Media Shapes Trust in Experts," EconPol Forum, CESifo, vol. 26(04), pages 26-32, October.
    7. Michael Carolan, 2020. "Filtering perceptions of climate change and biotechnology: values and views among Colorado farmers and ranchers," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 159(1), pages 121-139, March.
    8. Drews, Stefan & Savin, Ivan & van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M., 2022. "Biased perceptions of other people's attitudes to carbon taxation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    9. Hira Khan & Maryam Rehmat & Tahira Hassan Butt & Saira Farooqi & Javaria Asim, 2020. "Impact of transformational leadership on work performance, burnout and social loafing: a mediation model," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-13, December.
    10. Chopra, Felix & Haaland, Ingar & Roth, Christopher, 2021. "The Demand for Fact Checking," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 563, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    11. Olli-Pekka Hilmola & Andres Tolli & Ain Kiisler, 2020. "Internet page content analysis of north European Sea ports," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Rui Ma & Jacob Cherian & Wen-Hsien Tsai & Muhammad Safdar Sial & Li Hou & Susana Álvarez-Otero, 2021. "The Relationship of Corporate Social Responsibility on Digital Platforms, Electronic Word-of-Mouth, and Consumer-Company Identification: An Application of Social Identity Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-17, April.
    13. Paul Fesenfeld, Lukas & Maier, Maiken & Brazzola, Nicoletta & Stolz, Niklas & Sun, Yixian & Kachi, Aya, 2023. "How information, social norms, and experience with novel meat substitutes can create positive political feedback and demand-side policy change," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    14. Pengfei Cheng & Zhuangzi Liu & Linfei Zhou, 2023. "Transformational Leadership and Emotional Labor: The Mediation Effects of Psychological Empowerment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-15, January.
    15. Aleksandra Kuzior & Aleksy Kwilinski & Ihor Hroznyi, 2021. "The Factorial-Reflexive Approach to Diagnosing the Executors’ and Contractors’ Attitude to Achieving the Objectives by Energy Supplying Companies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-16, April.
    16. Namin, Aidin & Dehdashti, Yashar & Ketron, Seth C., 2025. "Critical mass in a crowd: A predictive model of online crowdfunding of public goods in the U.S. vs. U.K," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    17. Zixin Dou & Yanming Sun & Tao Wang & Huiyin Wan & Shiqi Fan, 2021. "Exploring Regional Advanced Manufacturing and Its Driving Factors: A Case Study of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-14, May.
    18. Lim, Sungmin & Choi, Syngjoo & Hong, Jong Ho & Kim, Booyuel & Lee, Heerae & Shin, Jinwook, 2025. "Promoting willingness to pay for environmental charges in electricity tariff: Evidence from a randomized survey experiment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    19. Bose, Neha & Hills, Thomas & Sgroi, Daniel, 2020. "Climate Change and Diet," IZA Discussion Papers 13426, IZA Network @ LISER.
    20. Bevilacqua, Simone & Ferraris, Alberto & Matzler, Kurt & Kuděj, Michal, 2026. "Strategic leadership at high altitude: Investigating how AI affects the required skills of top managers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:adi:ijbess:v:6:y:2024:i:4:p:159-177. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Umit Hacioglu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ibihutr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.