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Women's knowledge systems and their potential contribution to leadership and socio-political transformation

At a theoretical and practical level of inquiry, the research presented in this thesis explores the potential of women's contributions to epistemology and knowledge for enhanced leadership, organisational performance and sustainable processes of socio-political transformation. The research inquiry...

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Main Author: Mwagiru, Njeri
Other Authors: April, Kurt
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: GSB: Faculty 2016
Subjects:
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access_status_str Open Access
author Mwagiru, Njeri
author2 April, Kurt
author_browse April, Kurt
Mwagiru, Njeri
author_facet April, Kurt
Mwagiru, Njeri
author_sort Mwagiru, Njeri
collection Thesis
description At a theoretical and practical level of inquiry, the research presented in this thesis explores the potential of women's contributions to epistemology and knowledge for enhanced leadership, organisational performance and sustainable processes of socio-political transformation. The research inquiry is informed by a commitment to promote diversity, equity and sustainability, and prompted by the need to investigate women's continued low representation at senior and leadership levels in organisations, and characteristics of persistent gender bias. The main focus of the practical research is the experience of women in senior and leadership positions in organisations. The practical research inquiry focuses on how organisations facilitate or impede women's contributions to knowledge and leadership processes at senior and leadership levels. The objective of the research was to identify organisational facilitators and obstacles that respectively support or constrict women in senior and leadership positions, particularly with reference to the motivations, collegial relations and decision making capacity of women in leadership. A main stipulation of the research theoretical discussion is that current emergence of knowledge economies and societies, in environments of complexity and uncertainty, presents an opportune moment to explore diverse knowledges which may enhance leadership, organisational innovation and performance, as well as sustainable processes of socio-political transformation. In particular, focus is on the potential of women's contributions to knowledge and leadership towards expanded and alternative epistemologies and theoretical frameworks, conceptual models and practical approaches for improved organisational performance and sustainable socio-political transformation. The principal context of interest is Africa, motivated by optimism related to positive patterns of recent economic growth, ongoing processes of democratisation, and a youthful population expanding the region's potential. The discussion references widely however (see References and Bibliography), and may be relevantly applied for a variety of international contexts.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:41:11.478Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
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spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/20477 Women's knowledge systems and their potential contribution to leadership and socio-political transformation Mwagiru, Njeri April, Kurt Business Administration At a theoretical and practical level of inquiry, the research presented in this thesis explores the potential of women's contributions to epistemology and knowledge for enhanced leadership, organisational performance and sustainable processes of socio-political transformation. The research inquiry is informed by a commitment to promote diversity, equity and sustainability, and prompted by the need to investigate women's continued low representation at senior and leadership levels in organisations, and characteristics of persistent gender bias. The main focus of the practical research is the experience of women in senior and leadership positions in organisations. The practical research inquiry focuses on how organisations facilitate or impede women's contributions to knowledge and leadership processes at senior and leadership levels. The objective of the research was to identify organisational facilitators and obstacles that respectively support or constrict women in senior and leadership positions, particularly with reference to the motivations, collegial relations and decision making capacity of women in leadership. A main stipulation of the research theoretical discussion is that current emergence of knowledge economies and societies, in environments of complexity and uncertainty, presents an opportune moment to explore diverse knowledges which may enhance leadership, organisational innovation and performance, as well as sustainable processes of socio-political transformation. In particular, focus is on the potential of women's contributions to knowledge and leadership towards expanded and alternative epistemologies and theoretical frameworks, conceptual models and practical approaches for improved organisational performance and sustainable socio-political transformation. The principal context of interest is Africa, motivated by optimism related to positive patterns of recent economic growth, ongoing processes of democratisation, and a youthful population expanding the region's potential. The discussion references widely however (see References and Bibliography), and may be relevantly applied for a variety of international contexts. 2016-07-20T06:52:51Z 2016-07-20T06:52:51Z 2016 Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20477 eng application/pdf GSB: Faculty Faculty of Commerce University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Business Administration
Mwagiru, Njeri
Women's knowledge systems and their potential contribution to leadership and socio-political transformation
thesis_degree_str Doctoral
title Women's knowledge systems and their potential contribution to leadership and socio-political transformation
title_full Women's knowledge systems and their potential contribution to leadership and socio-political transformation
title_fullStr Women's knowledge systems and their potential contribution to leadership and socio-political transformation
title_full_unstemmed Women's knowledge systems and their potential contribution to leadership and socio-political transformation
title_short Women's knowledge systems and their potential contribution to leadership and socio-political transformation
title_sort women s knowledge systems and their potential contribution to leadership and socio political transformation
topic Business Administration
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20477
work_keys_str_mv AT mwagirunjeri womensknowledgesystemsandtheirpotentialcontributiontoleadershipandsociopoliticaltransformation