Die vestiging van 'n eenvormige organisasiekultuur in die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag : persepsie van die krygspraktisyn

Date
1999
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The establishment of a democracy in South Africa resulted in a new system for the armed forces. Several armed forces were unified into one structure. Forces which maintained the former regime as well as the opposing forces became a single defence force in order to defend the territorial integrity of the new dispensation. The beginning of the democracy was determined through political negotiations at the "Congress for a Democratic South Africa" (CODESA). Liberation forces like "Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK)" and the" Azanian Peoples Liberation Army'' (APLA), as well as the former South Afiican Defence Force (SADF) and the four apartheid created forces of the Transkei, Ciskei, Venda and Bophutatswana had to be integrated into a new National Defence Force. The integration of the above forces did not happen without problems and obstacles, but the process has now entered its last phase. The key role-players in effecting change were the former SADF and MK. An issue which had to be solved was how power was to be allocated to the different forces so as to reflect the change in power in civil society, ie what the new organisation had to look like with regard to size, composition and culture after integration. These problems led to negotiation and the establishment of work study groups. At the end of various enterprises which lasted several years the process is now almost completed. In spite of the fact that on paper the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has now been established in a democratic system for five years, the members of the new defence force have not been united into a new organisation culture. The true measurement of the success of the integration process is the establishment of a single identity and the "our feeling" . The soldier at grassroots level still experiences situations of conflict, distrust, misunderstanding, unsuitable management styles, unfairness and incompetence on both sides of the two groups (ex-NSF and ex-SADF). There exist a number of problems with regard to the policy of affirmative action and equal opportunities. This assignment concentrates mainly on the views of the military practitioner with regard to the establishment of a uniform organisation culture; it addresses specific attempts by the South Afiican National Defence Force to create this uniformity; culture surveys and morale assessme!:lts have been done whilst there were attempts to change symbolic communication in the SANDF. In conclusion a number of recommendations are made that could facilitate the establishment of a unified organisational culture in the SANDF.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die totstandkoming van 'n demokrasie in Suid-Afiika was die oorsaak dat 'n nuwe stelsel van gewapende magte ook tot stand gekom het. Verskeie gewapende magte is herorganiseer in een. Magte wat die voormalige regime instand gehou het sowel as die magte wat dit teengestaan het, is verenig in 'n enkele weermag ten einde die territoriale integriteit van die nuwe bestel te beskerm. Die begin van 'n demokrasie het sy beslag gekry deur rniddel van politieke onderhandelings by die "Congress for a Democratic South Africa" (CODESA). Bevrydingsmagte soos Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) en die Azanian Peoples Liberation Army ( APLA), die voormalige Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag (SAW), en die vier skeppings van apartheid- naamlik die weermagte van Transkei, Ciskei, Venda en Bophuthatswana moes gemtegreerword in 'n nu we N asionale Weermag. Die integrasie van bogenoemde magte het nie sonder probleme en struikelblokke geskied nie. Die integrasieproses is tans in die laaste fase. Die belangrikste rolspelers in die proses is die voormalige SAW en MK. ' n K wessie om op te los was hoe mag geallokeer mo et word aan die verskeie magte ten einde die veranderinge in mag van die burgerlike samelewing te weerspieel. Hoe mo es die nu we organisasie lyk met betrekking tot grootte, samestelling en kultuur na afloop van integrasie? Hierdie vrae het verskeie onderhandelinge en werkgroepe die lig laat sien. Na afloop van verskeie prosesse wat etlike jare geduur het, is die proses bykans afgehandel. Ten spyte daarvan dat die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag (SANW) reeds 5 jaar in 'n demokratiese best el gevestig en die papieroefening feitlik verby is, is lede van die nu we weermag steeds nie verenig in 'n nu we organisasiekultuur nie. Die ware meting van die sukses van die integrasieproses is die vestiging van 'n enkele identiteit en die "ons-gevoel". Die soldaat op die grondvlak ervaar steeds situasies van konflik, wantroue, misverstande, onvanpaste bestuurstyle, onregverdigheid en onbekwaamheid aan weerskante van die twee groepe ( eks-NSM en eks-SA W). Daar is heelwat probleme met die beleid van regstellende aksie en gelyke geleenthede. Hierdie werkstuk konsentreer hoofsaaklik op die menings van die krygspraktisyn ten opsigte van die vestiging van 'n eenvorrnige organisasiekultuur. Die werkstuk spreek bepaalde pogings aan wat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag aangewend is ten einde 'n eenvormige organisasiekultuurte skep; kultuurondersoeke en moraalmetings is gedoen terwyl daar gepoog is om simboliek aan te pas by die veranderde omstandighede. Ten slotte is verskeie aanbevelings gemaak ten opsigte van die wyse waarop die SANW die vestiging van 'n eenvormige organisasiekultuur kan fasiliteer.
Description
Thesis (MPA) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1999.
Keywords
Group identity, Organizational change, Collective behavior, South Africa -- Military policy, Dissertations -- Public administration
Citation