Exploring the change of organisational culture in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period at the selected vocational colleges in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

Practising organisational culture is indispensable in boosting the sustainable development of various organisations. However, lately it has been shrouded with confusion especially in the post-COVID-19 crisis which prompted this study to investigate its current stature. The gradual disappearance of the pandemic era gave birth to a new complex and challenging space for human resource management professionals in South African higher education institutions in both public and private sectors, who are compelled to find ingenious solutions around bringing sound and competitive organisational culture. Although there are vast studies that uncover different issues related to COVID-19 pandemic, few previous studies to date have been conducted regarding the change of organisational culture at the workplace in the postCOVID-19 pandemic period. It is against this backdrop that the current study sought to explore the change of organisational culture in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period at Vocational Colleges in Kwazulu-Natal. The study's target population equated to 137 employees and a sample size of 20 respondents comprised of academic staff and professional (Administration) staff was considered appropriate. However, the data were successfully gathered through semi-structured interviews from 18 respondents. The remaining two participants declined to take part in the interview due to their busy schedules. Thematic analysis was utilised to analyse the collected data. The findings of the study indicated that teamwork enables employees to navigate and cope with changes in the post-pandemic period. Leadership was also cited as captain of change who bear the responsibility of breaking the old culture and embracing the new organisational culture. The findings further emphasised that offering an organisational climate that enhances innovation, and creativity enables employees to come up with new ideas, values and norms. The results further revealed that employees lack adequate training to cope with the change, and there was inadequacy in team building to ensure that the team was bonding and sharing the same values as well as norms. The findings and suggestions of the study could be valuable in evaluating how training and development programs contribute to fostering a culture of resilience, innovation and adaptability in response to future disruptions. The study has made significant contributions to the existing body of knowledge and provides valuable insights for educational institutions.