IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i19p8555-d1490776.html

Complex Systems and Sustainable Leadership: Enhancing Resilience and Sustainability of Community-Based Social Enterprises in Soweto, South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Roselyne Cheruiyot

    (School of Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2017, South Africa
    Wits Strategic Foresight Research Group, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2017, South Africa)

  • Robert Venter

    (School of Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2017, South Africa
    Wits Strategic Foresight Research Group, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2017, South Africa)

Abstract

In urban South Africa, community-based social enterprises (CBSEs) face challenges at the intersection of financial and environmental sustainability and social purpose. These enterprises address social exclusion and community development within complex institutional environments. Despite increasing governmental support, CBSEs struggle with historical inequalities, resource limitations, high poverty levels, inadequate infrastructure, and complex social dynamics. These challenges contribute to a high failure rate among SMMEs, including CBSEs, which represent approximately 71% of community-level businesses. This study examines how complex system dynamics in marginalized South African suburbs impact the sustainable leadership and resilience of CBSEs. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the study conducted 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews with CBSE leaders. The findings revealed that effective leadership in CBSEs requires extraordinary abilities to traverse complexity, adapt to changes, and engage in dynamic organizational change. The key themes identified included adaptive and flexible leadership, interdependencies and network collaboration, community engagement and co-creation, continuous learning and feedback loops, policy influence and response, and resource utilization and constraints. By applying complex systems leadership theory (CSLT) and sustainable leadership principles, the research offers insights into the mechanisms enabling CBSEs to thrive in challenging environments. These findings contribute to Social Enterprise Management and Leadership Studies, providing practical implications for policymakers and practitioners to support CBSE development and sustainability in marginalized urban communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Roselyne Cheruiyot & Robert Venter, 2024. "Complex Systems and Sustainable Leadership: Enhancing Resilience and Sustainability of Community-Based Social Enterprises in Soweto, South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-18, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:19:p:8555-:d:1490776
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/19/8555/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/19/8555/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Luis Curral & Pedro Marques-Quinteiro & Catarina Gomes & Pedro G Lind, 2016. "Leadership as an Emergent Feature in Social Organizations: Insights from A Laboratory Simulation Experiment," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Frederik Claeye, 2017. "A typology of social entrepreneuring models in South Africa," Post-Print hal-01744519, HAL.
    3. Louise Metcalf & Sue Benn, 2013. "Leadership for Sustainability: An Evolution of Leadership Ability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 369-384, February.
    4. Shubing Guo & Yaming Hou & Hui Jiang & Xueli Zhan & Junhai Ma & Fabio Tramontana, 2021. "Dynamic System Analysis of Leadership Effectiveness in Complex Environments," Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, Hindawi, vol. 2021, pages 1-12, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yoram Reich, 2025. "A Framework for Analyzing and Supporting Communities on Their Path to Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-22, August.

    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. Irene Chu & Mai Chi Vu, 2022. "The Nature of the Self, Self-regulation and Moral Action: Implications from the Confucian Relational Self and Buddhist Non-self," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 245-262, September.
    2. Nicos A. Scordis & Yoshihiko Suzawa & Astrid Zwick & Lucia Ruckner, 2014. "Principles for Sustainable Insurance: Risk Management and Value," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 17(2), pages 265-276, September.
    3. Hong, Paul & Jagani, Sandeep & Kim, Jinhwan & Youn, Sun Hee, 2019. "Managing sustainability orientation: An empirical investigation of manufacturing firms," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 71-81.
    4. Turgut Karakose & Ibrahim Kocabas & Ramazan Yirci & Stamatios Papadakis & Tuncay Yavuz Ozdemir & Murat Demirkol, 2022. "The Development and Evolution of Digital Leadership: A Bibliometric Mapping Approach-Based Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-26, December.
    5. Harymawan, Iman & Nasih, Mohammad & Putra, Fajar Kristanto Gautama & Taylor, Grantley & Amran, Azlan, 2025. "Military experience and sustainable development goal disclosure," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    6. Karin Tollin & Lars Bech Christensen, 2019. "Sustainability Marketing Commitment: Empirical Insights About Its Drivers at the Corporate and Functional Level of Marketing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(4), pages 1165-1185, June.
    7. Rok Črešnar & Zlatko Nedelko, 2020. "Understanding Future Leaders: How Are Personal Values of Generations Y and Z Tailored to Leadership in Industry 4.0?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-19, May.
    8. Syed Awais Ahmad Tipu, 2022. "Organizational change for environmental, social, and financial sustainability: A systematic literature review," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(6), pages 1697-1742, August.
    9. Fred Paterson & Polina Baranova & Bruno Gallotta, 2022. "Towards a conceptual framework of enterprise support for pro-environmental small and medium-sized enterprises: A contextualised review of diverse knowledge domains," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 37(3), pages 142-168, May.
    10. Rachel Wolfgramm & Sian Flynn-Coleman & Denise Conroy, 2015. "Dynamic Interactions of Agency in Leadership (DIAL): An Integrative Framework for Analysing Agency in Sustainability Leadership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(4), pages 649-662, February.
    11. Olivier Boiral & David Talbot & Pascal Paillé, 2015. "Leading by Example: A Model of Organizational Citizenship Behavior for the Environment," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(6), pages 532-550, September.
    12. Shahid Mehmood & Tuba Ghani & Laraib Naseer & Tariq Mehmood, 2026. "Unlocking innovation: the role of self-sacrificial leadership in bridging knowledge behaviors and AI-driven job satisfaction," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    13. Tatjana Janovac & Goran Djokovic & Aleksandra Pusara & Viktorija Misic & Ksenija Milankovic & Aleksandra Pavicevic & Adrijana Vukovic & Sasa Virijevic Jovanovic, 2023. "Assessment and Ranking of the Behavioural Leadership Model in the Process of Implementing Reforms in Public Sector of the Republic of Serbia Using the PIPRECIA Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-17, June.
    14. Fabien Martinez, 2019. "On the Role of Faith in Sustainability Management: A Conceptual Model and Research Agenda," Post-Print hal-02887640, HAL.
    15. Suparak Suriyankietkaew & Krittawit Krittayaruangroj & Nacharee Iamsawan, 2022. "Sustainable Leadership Practices and Competencies of SMEs for Sustainability and Resilience: A Community-Based Social Enterprise Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-36, May.
    16. Fernandes, Cristina I. & Veiga, Pedro M. & Ferreira, João J. & Rammal, Hussain G. & Pereira, Vijay, 2022. "Assessing strategic leadership in organizations: Using bibliometric data to develop a holistic model," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 646-655.
    17. Daniel Etse & Adela McMurray & Nuttawuth Muenjohn, 2022. "The Effect of Regulation on Sustainable Procurement: Organisational Leadership and Culture as Mediators," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 177(2), pages 305-325, May.
    18. Polina Baranova & Fred Paterson, 2017. "Environmental capabilities of small and medium sized enterprises: Towards transition to a low carbon economy in the East Midlands," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 32(8), pages 835-853, December.
    19. Qaisar Iqbal & Noor Hazlina Ahmad, 2021. "Sustainable development: The colors of sustainable leadership in learning organization," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 108-119, January.
    20. Fangfang Zhao & Tae-Won Kang & Mingu Kang, 2022. "Linking Intellectual Leadership Practices to Sustainability Outcomes: Moderated Mediation Effect of Employees’ Multifunctionality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-13, March.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:19:p:8555-:d:1490776. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.