Introducing “Rebirth” – a Model for Organisational Change and Development
- Phumie
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Abstract
In divergent ecosystems around the world, there is a desire for visible, integral ecological transformation. A lack of ecological transformation is found within various domains beginning with the self, team, organisation and society, and is partly influenced by the loss of identity both within and without the larger ecology. Notably, the issue of identity and transformation remains a burning platform within the African context, for which the researcher proposes a solution grounded in the Southern relational path of community and reason (Schieffer & Lessem, 2014). In the context of this study, the researcher was invited to lead and transform a wealth banking business unit that had become a liability to the larger banking brand, reflecting the lowest engagement scores at the time.
The research design applied was Integral Research Approach (IRA). IRA enables one to ground through an experience which engages auto-ethnography. Kothari (2009) stated that “Research methods refer to the behavior and instruments used in selecting and constructing research technique.” In simple terms, this means that research methods refer to the methods the researchers use in research operations.” The applicable ontology was phenomenology, adopting Southern, communal frames from which to drive inclusive transformation, and the epistemology was feminism, encompassing integral research and participatory action research (PAR) as part of the Southern path.
Data was gathered by qualitative means such as participative observations, community engagements, discussions and interviews. The researcher analyzed the gathered data by measuring its quality in terms of valuable and truthful results of REBIRTH data analysis. REBIRTH is an innovative organisational change and development process located in the South, and has potential to be adapted and applied within divergent organisations and systems as the rebirth transformation journey.
Conclusion of the research culminated in the creation of a REBIRTH Model for Organisational Change and Development, hereinafter referred to as REBIRTH. The purpose of this model’s design is to cause inclusive transformation though enabling an organisation to re-engage the issue of identity as catalyst for inclusivity. It is a creative experience which starts in the Southern relational path, and unfolds into the four voices of global exploration, towards inclusive transformation and authentic identity. REBIRTH reconnects self, other, community and organisation to identity in Botho-Ubuntu, captured in the banking case study vision as: “I Care (Heart), I Can (Head), I Commit. Botho-Ubuntu is an African philosophy which draws us back to the value of our humanness and offers an authentic lens through which to view transformational practice.
Key Words: Change Management, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Moral Intelligence, Rebirth, Spiritual Intelligence
Metaphorically characterized by a cyclical and orbital connection, emanating from the South, denoting the beginning of existence, or Being, traverses abstract landscapes to the Eastern Zone, where realization, recognition and cognition takes place, denoted as Becoming; continues to the Northern Zone, where execution of epistemic methodologies are critically navigated ultimately producing cognitive abilities to Know; and continues the explorative journey to the Western Zone, where decisive actions are made, commonly known in this model as Doing. The journey does not end in the West; it goes back to the South with a sole purpose of gathering and harnessing 9 intelligences as reflected in the following table. The 9 intelligences represent the wealth that the Southern Zone presents to all other Zones, for a balanced approach to systemic and systematic functioning. At the same time they also represent a connotative explication for a 9 month pregnancy before what was conceived is birthed.
THE 8 DEMINTIONAL INTELLIGENCIES Descriptor
| Spiritual Quotient | SQ | The spiritual quotient (SQ) is the capacity for transcending the physical and material to tap into infinite wisdom (Zohar & Marshall, 2000). It is the ability to experience heightened states of consciousness and to sanctify everyday experience. The ability to utilize spiritual resources to solve problems is through the SQ (Emmons, 2000). REBIRTH emerges and seeks to promote spiritual intelligence, and collectively develop communal culture which appreciates the supra- consciousness through the SQ. The SQ proposes that in every domain of organisational change and development, new rules for unifying community from the fragile to the anti-fragile through the reduction of fragility through deep psychological work towards harnessing anti-fragility will be required (Markides, 2012; Taleb 2012). |
| Intelligence Quotient | IQ | Primarily, the intelligence quotient (IQ) solves logical problems as it measures mental intelligence. Carson and Lowman (2002) divided intelligence into fluid intelligence (reasoning), crystallized intelligence (knowledge), long-, medium- and short-term memory, quantities knowledge, visual processing, auditory processing, reading and writing, processing speed and decision/reaction time. IQ alone cannot ensure success. It is therefore important for human beings to connect their intellect capability to their spiritual and core beings. Gardner (1999:33, apud Gows,2007) defined intelligence as “the bio-psychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture.” |
| Emotional Quotient | EQ | In REBIRTH, the community is embodied within the EQ wherein strong values of community rooting lie. Organisations require knowledge workers to be more committed to cohesive working interrelationships where emotional intelligence promotes the ability to sense, understands and effectively applies acumen of emotions (Baron, 2013). The emotional quotient thus becomes an essential source of human energy, connection and collective influence. It is also important to note that knowledge is a critical resource in the work environment and learning organisations prioritize the creation and acquisition of new knowledge and emphasize the importance of emotional and spiritual intelligence (Zohar and Marshall, 2000). |
| Moral Quotient | MQ | The moral quotient (MQ) is considered a strategic capital for any organisation, and it is in this regard that this quotient spirals forth in the womb of Rebirth to reinforce good behaviour, and to enable a sustainable social life (Beheshtifar, Esmaeli & Nekoie-Moghadam, 2011). According to these scholars, maternal leadership and accountability rests in the moral quotient (Beheshtifar, et al., 2011). Maternal leadership was further described as a leadership method that inculcates building a family structure which functions holistically or governs in a motherly manner. Maternal leadership considers the African warrior as an important frame of reference within which to embody collective values regarding the environment as valuable to the rebirth transformation journey and within the South translates into the tribal circle. Maternal leadership is characterised by a more feminine style of leadership with quality soft skills, long-term thinking, effective and collaborative traits to improve organisations. MQ is thus the ability to differentiate right from wrong. Morality is based upon one’s beliefs and values towards making decisions (Francis & Armstrong, 2003). The believes that the main pillar to organisational reputation is morality. |
| Work Quotient | WQ | The work quotient (WQ) involves high work ethics as a life force and performance tool, and is driven through ethical-leadership and accountability. This is the value of work capacity and of quality one brings to an organization (Alamchandani, 2017). |
| Leadership Quotient Global Quotient | LQ | The level of fulfilling life purpose uniquely as well as authentically . Leadership quotient is a way of measuring leadership for its understanding and improvement in a way that overcomes many of the past measurement problems (R., 10094)). |
Global Quotient | GQ | This refers to the ability for one to understand, respond and develop as a nexus drive for working towards the beneficence of humanity across the globe (Spariosu, 2004). The leader then becomes what is defined as GLOCAL, relevant across dimensions through holistic entrenchment of a REBIRTH enablement cause. |
| Body Quotient | BQ | The level of respect for self, other and human dignity (Lessem, 2001) within which the health quotient (HQ) as the level of harnessing of holistic health and well-being in human beings spirals out. BQ and HQ are therefore barometers for creating well-being and balance in the ecosystem (Abrams, 2017) |
| Community Quotient | CQ | The community quotient is about social participation, being and co-existing to create balance within the greater ecosystem. This is about sharpening people’s skills through learning in community (Goleman, 1995). As people learn and assess them and their actions in certain situations, they begin to develop and shape their authentic behaviour towards others and self, which translates into a transformational value proposition premised in the South . |
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