Conceptualising a research interrogating of management functions in the South African National Defence Force

Abstract

South African Defence Review 2015 found that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is in significant decline and will lose important military capabilities in the long term if nothing is done. In a shrinking defense budget, general rhetoric blames aging equipment and staff for the decline. However, managerial issues in the SANDF may be to blame for the decline. We examined academic and other literature to find the origin of this problem and found that the SANDF does not use any systems management methodology to manage tasks. This peculiarity hinders SANDF management and prevents it from providing credible defense to South Africa. We found that empirical studies on SANDF management are scarce and failed to explain this oddity. To understand why the SANDF's application inherent management functions fail to provide a genuine defense capacity, this paper proposes a cognitive technique to conceptualize an empirical investigation beyond a literature review. We propose a systems management approach based on the Administrative Theory of Management, Neoclassical Theory of Management, and General Systems Theory frameworks in management education. We believe that empirical public and management research may create defence capabilities management understanding. This premise guides our study conceptualization by outlining the research context and then doing a research problem analysis to find the knowledge gap. To examine the literature, we use thematic summative content analysis. The research conceptualisation—problem statement, purpose statement, research questions, strategy, design, process, and methods, and interpretative frameworks—is based on this analysis. On the latter, we expect to write later.

Authors & affiliations

Mornay De Ridder
Affiliation not supplied

Kambidima Wotela
Affiliation not supplied

Deposited references

Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.

Africa, S., & Molomo, M. (2013). Security in Southern Africa: The State of Debate. Southern African Security Review 2013, 13-26. (A. Van Nieuwkerk, & K. Hofman, Eds.) Johannesburg: Univertsity of the Witwatersrand.

Babbie, E. (2001). The pratice of social research (9th ed.). Belmont: Wadsworth Thomas Learning.

Baker, D.-P., & O'Neill, M. (2010). Introduction: Contemporary South Africa and Counterinsurgency. In D.-P. Baker, & E. Jordaan (Eds.), South Africa and Contemporary Counterinsurgency, Roots, Practices, Prospects (pp. 1-11). Claremont: UCT Press.

Berniker, E., & McNabb, D. E. (2006). Dialectical Inquiry: A Structured Qualitative Research Method. The Qulitative Report, 11(4), 642-664. Retrieved May 08, 2019, from https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol11/iss4/2/

Booysen, S. (2001). Transitions and Trends in Policymaking in Democratic South Africa. Journal of Public Administration, 36(2), 125-144.

Bryman, A. (2004). Social Research Methods. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press.

BusinessTech. (2019, July 18). South Africa’s army has run out of money – here’s how bad things have got. Retrieved August 27, 2019, from BusinessTech: https://businesstech.co.za/

Buzan, B. (1983). People States and Fear: The National Security Problem in International Relations. Sussex: Wheatsheaf Books.

Cawthra, G., & Luckham, R. (2003). Democratic Control and the Security Sector: The Scope for Transformation and its Limits. In G. Cawthra, & R. Luckham (Eds.), Governing Insecurity: Democratic Control of Military and Security Establishments in Transitional Democracies (pp. 305-320). London: Zed Books.

Chilisa, B., & Kawulich, B. B. (2012). Selecting a Research Approach:Paradigm, Methodology and Methods. In C. Wagner, B. Kawulich, & M. Garner (Eds.), Doing Social Research A Global Context (pp. 51 - 61). Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Higher Education (UK) Limited.

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2690231

DOI: 10.4324/9780203968536

Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design, Third Edition. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Defence Web. (2019, September 6). Badger progresses to development stage for section variant. Retrieved October 15, 2019, from Defence Web: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/badger-progresses-to-development-stage-for-section-variant/

Department of Defence. (2016). South African Defence Review 2015. Retrieved June 06, 2016, from Department of Defence: http://www.dod.mil.za/documents/defencereview/Defence%20Review%202015.pdf

Du Pisani, A. (2007). Democratic Governance and Security: A Conceptual Exploration. In G. Cawthra, A. Du Pisani, & A. Omari (Eds.), Security and Democracy in Southern Africa (pp. 1-22). Johannesburg: Wits University Press.

Ehlers, T., & Lazenboy, K. (2010). Stategic Management - South African Concepts and Cases (3rd ed.). (T. Ehlers, & K. Lazenboy, Eds.) Pretoria: Van Schaick Publishers.

DOI: 10.5334/sta.610

Fanchini, C. (2012). The New Geopolitics Of Peace Operations: A Dialogue With Emerging Powers. Stockholm: SIPRI.

DOI: 10.1146/annurev.polisci.2.1.211

Fukayama, F. (2001). The Origins of Political Order: From Pre-human Times to the French Revolution. London: Profile Books.

DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-7506-7973-2.50013-3

Heinecken, L. (2019). Retrieved September 20, 2019, from The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/soldiers-wont-stem-gang-violence-because-south-africas-army-is-in-a-sorry-state-121754

Hellriegel, D., Slocum, J. W., Jackson, S. E., Louw, L., Staude, G., Amos, T., . . . Zindiye, S. (2017). Management (5th ed.). Cape Town: Oxford University Press.

Hoffman, F. G. (2009). Hybrid Warfare and Challenges. (D. H. Gurney, Ed.) Joint Forces Quarterly, 1st Quarter 2009(52), 34-39.

Huntington, S. P. (1957). Soldier and the State: The Theory and Politics of Civil-Military Relations. New York: Belknap Press.

DOI: 10.1080/14702436.2018.1455506

DOI: 10.5787/30-2-180

DOI: 10.1080/10246029.2003.9627229

Levy, J. S. (2005). Theories of Interstate and Intrastate Wars: A Levels-of-Analyses Approach. In C. A. Crocker, F. O. Hampson, & P. Aall, Turbulent Peace: The Challenge of Managing International Conflict (pp. 1-27). Washington, DC: United States Institude of Peace Press.

DOI: 10.5787/42-1-1088

DOI: 10.1080/03057070701475682

McConville, T. (2006). The principles of management applied to the defence sector. In L. R. Cleary, & T. McConville (Eds.), Managing Defence in a Democary (pp. 109-124). New York: Routledge.

Mills, G. (1999). The South African National Defence Force. Naval War College Review, Winter 99, 52(1), 78.

Mills, G. (2011). An Option of Difficulties? A 21st Century South African Defence Review. Discussion Paper 2011/7. Johannesburg: The Brenthurst Foundation.

Mitchley, A. (2018, October 18). News. Retrieved May 05, 2019, from News 24: https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/its-not-a-funky-chicken-jive-out-there-sa-army-chief-slams-budget-cuts-as-dangerous-20181018

Moody, M. (2009). Conflict Trends in the 21st Century. (D. H. Gurney, Ed.) Joint Forces Quaterly, 2nd Quarter(53), 18-27.

Mputing, A. (2014, July 23). SANDF in decline, says minister. Retrieved August 03, 2015, from Parliament of South Africa: http://www.parliament.gov.za/live/content.php?Item_ID=6203

DOI: 10.4102/sajip.v29i3.119

Neal, D. J. (2006). Strategic Mangement, Avoiding analysis paralysis. In L. R. Cleary, & T. McConville (Eds.), Managing Defence in a Democary (pp. 125 - 139). Oxon: Routledge.

Neethling, T. (2000, February). Conditions for Successful Entry and Exit: An Assessment of SADC Allied Operations in Lesotho. Monograph: Boundaries of Peace Support Operations, 44.

Nieuwenhuis, J., & Smit, B. (2012). Qualitative Reasearch. In C. Wagner, B. Kawulich, & M. Garner (Eds.), Doing Social Research, A global context (pp. 124-139). Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Higher Education (UK) Limited.

Saleh, A. (2010). Broadening the Concept of Security: Identity and Societal Security. Geopolitics Quarterly, 6(4, Winter 2010), 228-241.

DOI: 10.1080/17502977.2018.1426383

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. (1996). South African Government. Retrieved December 08, 2016, from http://www.gov.za/documents/constitution-republic-south-africa-1996

DOI: 10.5787/32-2-130

Wagner, C., Botha, A., & Mentz, M. (2012). Developing a Research Topic and Planning the Research Project. In C. Wagner, B. Kawulich, & M. Garner (Eds.), Doing Social Research, A global context (pp. 12-27). Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Higher Education (UK) Limited.

White Paper on Defence 1996. (1996). Retrieved June 23, 2016, from Department of Defence: http://www.dod.mil.za/documents/WhitePaperonDef/whitepaper%20on%20defence1996.pdf

DOI: 10.4324/9780203926604

Williams, R. (2000). The Other Armies: A Brief Historical Overview of Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK), 1961-1994. Military History Journal, 11(5), 4-5.

Wingrin, D. (2019). Retrieved September 20, 2019, from DefenceWeb: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/sa-navy-in-danger-of-losing-frigate-and-submarine-capabilities-due-to-declining-budget/

DOI: 10.1177/0095327X0002600306

Wotela, K. (2016, June 9 - 10). Towards a systematic approach to reviewing literature for interpreting business and management results. Proceedings of the 15th European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies. London, United Kingdom: Kinston Business School.