Abstract
Improving the quality of teaching and research within higher education institutions has become a top priority in the South African (SA) higher education landscape. This has placed pressure on universities to develop the capacities of staff in order to deliver improved teaching and research. This study looks into the implementation of academic capacity development in a selected higher education institution in SA.The study focuses on exploring the cultural and behavioural aspects, as well as change management strategies, that influence the effective implementation of a capacity development programme (CDP) in a selected higher education institution in SA. This is a qualitative case study. A purposive and snowball sampling technique was employed to select the participants. A total of 12 semi-structured interviews and documents from the selected university were collected and analysed with thematic data analysis software.
The findings suggest that the implementation of academic CDP is influenced by institutional structures, processes and communication strategies and, in turn, is influenced by beliefs, motivation, and perceptions about the CDP. Insufficient communication has emerged as a critical element that presents challenges during the implementation of the planned change initiative. It also emerged from the finding that strategies aimed at optimising the facilitation of CDP implementation include fostering community support, establishing mentoring initiatives, adopting a phased implementation strategy, and streamlining administrative support. It also emerged that the programme has significantly enriched the academic community by promoting accelerated progression and advancements in PhD acquisition. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the CPD has significantly enhanced both cognitive and non-cognitive skills, encompassing participation in academic conferences, generating outputs from theses, developing research writing proficiency, publishing scholarly articles, and enhancing confidence in scholarly activities. The study proposes a model that enhances the implementation of academic capacity development in a South African higher education institution.
Key terms: Academic Staff, Capacity Development, Change Management, Higher Education, Organisational Change, Organisational Culture, and Transformation
| Date of Award | 2026 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Jurgen Enders (Supervisor), Robert Cuthbert (Supervisor) & Hong Bui (Supervisor) |