A survey on benevolent leadership and its influence on organisational performance in the South African context

Abstract

Corporate scandals, the deepening global financial and environmental crisis as well as other societal ills have compelled leaders to rethink leadership styles. Recently benevolent leadership has emerged as a contemporary leadership style with promise to advance business ethics, corporate social responsibility, positive organizational building and workplace spirituality. Guided by quantitative research methodology, with a cross-sectional survey research design, 314 leaders were recruited across South Africa, to investigate the characteristics of benevolent leaders and how their leadership style influenced organizational performance. The study found a high level of benevolent leadership qualities and characteristics, amongst the sample, which consequently influenced their organizational performance in the areas of employee morale, productivity and corporate social responsibility.