Towards improving management development by understanding the perceptions of senior managers of the Khaedu Action Learning Programme : a case study in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial administration.

Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.The effectiveness of Senior Management in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Public is essential to effective service delivery. This study addresses the area of management development. It is an attempt to improve management development by understanding the perceptions of Senior Managers of Action Learning as an approach to management development. One of the reasons cited for poor service delivery is the lack of management capacity. While management development is taking place its impact on individual and organisational performance is being questioned. The objectives of the research are to gather data on the perceptions of Senior Managers of action learning and to use the data to make recommendations on it as a management development approach. A self administered questionnaire comprising forced choice, closed and open ended questions was development and used to gather data. The population for the study comprised Senior Managers who attended the Khaedu Action Learning Programme with the sample being fifty. Non-probability sampling was used, with the sample selected using purposive sampling. Thirty of the fifty questionnaires were completed and returned. The data was analysed using the MoonStats Statistical Package to determine frequency of responses only. Themes were identified in the data and linked to the theory of action learning. Based on the themes conclusions and recommendations were made. The survey data reflected that Senior Managers have a positive perception of action learning as a management development methodology and that it contributed positively to their capacity and performance because of its practical learning by doing approach. The data also highlighted that it will have a positive impact on creating a learning organisation, teams and team learning and organisational improvement. (v) Perceptions about support and commitment to programme and whether the action learning recommendations will be implement were negative. The recommendations made seek to reinforce the positive perception and support the use of action learning as the core management development approach to revitalize management development