Participative management as a component of staff delegation at male-dominated secondary schools In South Africa: experiences of Heads of Departments (HoDs)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the experiences of heads of departments (HoDs) with regards to participative management as a component of staff delegation at male-dominated secondary schools in the King Cetshwayo District of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The objective of this investigation was to assess the context in which participative management is regarded as a component of staff delegation in male-dominated secondary schools. Interpretivism paradigm was used during investigation. This was followed by choosing qualitative research methodology to collect data from HoDs in the King Cetshwayo District. Phenomenological approach was adopted to understand personal feelings, values, and experiences of participants during investigation. The findings of this investigation reveal that there is a great need for principals to devolve powers to HoDs and other senior staff members in schools. Furthermore, the findings reveal that there are remaining bureaucratic practices at certain secondary schools in the democratic South Africa.