When Public Adult Learning Centres (PALCs) were transferred to the Department of Higher Education and Training and renamed as Community Learning Centres (CLCs), educators increasingly experienced insecurity about the continuity and stability of their employment.
This article, which aimed to address this gap, presented a multiple case study design within an interpretivist paradigm. Drawing on Kurt Lewin’s three-stage theory as an underpinning theoretical framework, we explored the educators’ experiences and the effects of the transitioning.
Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 6 African male teachers between the ages of 35 and 50 years.
Our findings suggested that educators became anxious and insecure regarding their jobs. They became aggrieved because they were not consulted on or communicated with regarding the transitioning and management change in the CLCs. Educators experienced dissatisfaction, disillusionment, stress, confusion and depression and feared for the loss of their jobs because of the change in work environment and management.
Recommendations that the Departments of Education should ensure that employees have a sound knowledge and understanding of the issues of transition and change management were implied. Consultation, communication, training and development should have been planned for all educators affected by the transitioning to avoid stress and anxiety amongst employees.
Transitioning through management change occurred when Public Adult Learning Centres (PALCs) were transferred to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and renamed as Community Learning Centres (CLCs) in April 2015. Much has been written on the extent and nature of changes in the world of work and the impact of these changes on workers’ and prospective workers’ well-being (Urbanaviciute, Udayar, & Rossier,
Turner (
This study investigated transitioning through management change. The experiences of CLC educators in the Tshwane South District in Gauteng were probed to answer the specific research question: How did educators experience the transitioning through management change from DBE to the DHET?
In Gauteng, the PALCs were managed by the DBE for several years until the end of March 2015. On 1 April 2015, the PALCs were transferred to the DHET, and the nomenclature was changed to CLCs (DHET,
This transition from the Basic Education sector to the Higher Education sector had come with numerous changes and challenges. Some of these relate to policy imperatives, nomenclature, roles, responsibilities and delegation of authority. Various critics, Fox and Combley (
Organisations that need to be successful in implementing transitioning through management change must recognise the social aspect of the employees. Slack, Corlett and Morris (
Green (
Transitioning through management change is an issue that every leader, employee and management should deal with daily for them to cope with change (Raziq & Maulabakhsh,
Employees must be committed to the transition, as the employers’ expectations are to continue providing a good service to the clientele by raising their performance level higher and changing their attitudes and behaviour at the same time (Green,
When fear is reduced, employees become energised and embrace change and performance levels increase. Employees find new reasons to go along with management as they experience new opportunities, learn new tasks and overcome challenges (White,
Change can be either passive or active. Response to change is met with ambivalence, because there are those embracing it, but on the other hand, those who are angry and frustrated, because they are not aptly informed (Clasquin-Johnson,
Chetty (
According to Chetty (
Mosia’s (
Chetty (
Bellah and Dyer (
The importance of the work environment in employee satisfaction cannot be underestimated. Raziq and Maulabakhsh (
Hamlin (
One of the most influential planned approaches to managing change is that of Lewin (
Lewin’s change model.
According to Lewin (
Authorities, senior managers and line managers from both the DBE and DHET are responsible for preparing the mindset of the educators (employees) for the transition to ensure that subordinates are ready for transitioning from DBE to DHET. The subordinates are encouraged to do away with the old behaviour and thinking. Unfreezing of the organisation assists in overcoming the forces of resistance to change.
When transition occurs, there is normally panic and confusion amongst the educators (employees) whilst the authorities execute the intended transition. During this change or moving stage, educators align themselves with the expected changes (Turner,
The authorities now solidify and convince the educators to accept the transition. A new mindset is instilled in the educators so that they do not revert to their old way of thinking and behaving. Once there is a signal that change has been accepted, the momentum of acceptance should be sustained and reinforced. Reinforcement ensures that the transition or change is permanent.
Lewin’s theory proposes three stages for educators to move from the current state to a desired or anticipated future state. A failure to implement one stage may cause imbalances, and the affected educators may resist the transitioning. The theory made implementers of change aware of the need to communicate change clearly. They could then win subordinates’ buy-ins, execute the transition according to plan and the drivers of change as the leaders aligned with change and demonstrate that they had a serious desire for the change.
Lewin’s change management theory helps account for both the uncertainty and resistance to change that can be experienced at all staff levels within an organisation. The benefits to the Lewin model are obvious in that it is the simplest model out there. This makes it easy to plan around, especially in organisations not accustomed to the science of change management. At the same time, it does try to minimise the difficulty with opposition by addressing its head-on (Hussain, Lei, Akram, Haider, Hussain, & Ali,
A qualitative approach was utilised employing interpretivism as meta-theoretical paradigm, thereby recognising that individuals’ reality is socially constructed in multiple ways and cannot be objectively determined (Kelliher & Menezes,
The population of the study was the employees of the Department of Education. Participants of the study were six African males, aged between 35 and 50, purposefully selected from three centres in Tshwane South District in Gauteng. Two participants from each of the three centres were invited to a focus group interview. A purposive sampling strategy was used to identify the participants and research sites (McMillan & Schumacher,
A semi-structured interview questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. It composed of open-ended questions. The open-ended questions allowed the researcher to probe further into the experiences of educators and their attitudes and feelings of transitioning through management change from the DBE to the DHET.
Data were collected through a qualitative questionnaire. All the data were audio recorded to ensure transcription was free from misinterpretation (Lewins & Silver,
Permission of the study was granted by the University of Pretoria Ethics Committee. The researcher adhered to the ethical principles of informed consent, confidentiality and privacy, honesty and openness, access to findings and avoiding harm as described by Vanclay, Baines and Taylor (
The experiences of CLC educators were categorised into two broad themes, namely: (1) educators’ knowledge and understanding of transitioning and management change and (2) educators’ experiences of the transitioning from the DBE to the DHET and its effects.
Verbatim quotes are used as evidence in the results.
This section presents findings that emanated from the participants’ responses using the semi-structured interview questions regarding the transitioning from the DBE to DHET.
When the participants were asked about their understanding of transitioning and management change, the responses varied significantly. Some of the participants were aware that changes in an organisation are inevitable; however, most of the participants in this study had a limited understanding of what transitioning between the DBE and DHET actually meant to them as employees. Participant EA mentioned:
‘Management change is about having new managers in the work environment.’ (EA, Educator, 07 August 2017)
When the author probed further and asked the participant’s understanding of ‘transitioning through management change’, he responded:
‘Transitioning is about transformation of an organisation.’ (EA, Educator, 07 August 2017)
He further went on to say:
‘It is about moving from one department to another.’ (EA, Educator, 07 August 2017)
According to EC and EF their understanding of management change is when an organisation decides to appoint someone new into a leadership position within the organisation.
Regarding transitioning through management change, EF indicated:
‘It is when employees move from one department to another.’ (EF, Educator, 07 August 2017)
According to Lewin’s theory, transitioning is the first stage of change management, whereby employees have knowledge and understanding of the issues of change or transitioning from one organisation to another. On the other hand, management change is a logical activity for preparing the institution to implement ongoing environmental changes in business operation; it is a deliberate approach to move the institution forward (Boikhutso,
Management change deals with long-term strategic activities and sudden changes of the governance of the institution that need to be changed, to improve the productivity level of the employees or by complementing the existing systems of the organisation. Onyango (
Regarding their understanding and view of the transitioning from the DBE to DHET, the participants responded as follows. Participant EB stated:
‘We are moving from the DBE to DHET. It is when we have to change employers.’ (EB, Educator, 07 August 2017)
Both ED and EE were in agreement with EB. They felt that they did not understand why they needed to move from DBE to DHET. They were uncertain as to how the change would affect their jobs, their conditions of employment and whether they would be addressed as educators or practitioners.
Participant EF indicated that:
‘When we are employed [
The responses of the participants clearly indicate ambivalence. According to Lewin’s change management theory, employees need to understand the reasons for change fully. Communication and advocacy are critical issues that need to be well articulated to all employees before any change or transition can happen (Turner,
The interviewed participants had different views on the transition from DBE to DHET. Participant EA viewed:
‘The transition as a wake-up call to educators and the change to DHET can bring new challenges, changes and developments to the sector, which can affect us.’ (EA, Educator, 07 August 2017)
Participant EC thought that:
‘Adult education was not correctly placed in education system and viewed the change was too quick to be implemented.’ (EC, Educator, 07 August 2017)
He further stated:
‘This transitioning is making me nervous and very stressful.’ (EC, Educator, 07 August 2017)
To this ED added:
‘Transition or change is a process, not an event that takes place over-night. It is important that the Department of Education should consult us about this management change.’ (ED, Educator, 07 August 2017)
EA interjected and said:
‘We should know what is happening in our workplace, because it affects us as employees. Now, I am not sure how my job description is going to change when we move to DHET. This can be very stressful and unsettling for us as educators. What do we tell our adult learners?’ (EA, Educator, 07 August 2017)
DeGhetto, Russell and Ferris (
Regarding their experiences of the transitioning of management change from the DBE to the DHET, participants expressed their ambivalence. EA stated:
‘I am very nervous and uncomfortable with this change. We were not well informed why we had to change from DBE to DHET.’ (EA, Educator, 07 August 2017)
According to EC, he was concerned about his job description as an adult educator. To this EF added:
‘Management change is about having new managers, are we going to have a new head of the centre who will now change our job description? What are we going to be called when we are under the management of DHET? Are we still educator?’ (EF, Educator, 07 August 2017)
EB voiced his opinion:
‘The change could be a positive, and we will be working with a new group of people. We can learn from them.’ (EB, Educator, 07 August 2017)
EE agreed:
‘Sometimes change can have a positive effect on us as employees. We may get opportunities for career movement and upward mobility.’ (EE; Educator, 07 August 2017)
Jalagat (
The participants commented on the consultation process of the transitioning from the DBE to DHET with mixed feelings. EF indicated:
‘We were not consulted about this change. One day our principal came to the staff room and informed us that we are moving from DBE to DHET. When we asked what the reasons were, he told us that the Department officials would speak to us. That was the end of the discussion.’ (EF, Educator, 07 August 2017)
EA and ED agreed that they too were not well informed or consulted regarding the transitioning. Participant EC differed from the others indicating:
‘We were informed that there was going to be a move from the DBE to DHET, however, they did not ask for our views or opinion. The officials from the Department of Education arrived, told us what they wanted to and left. We did not have time to engage in a discussion.’ (EC, Educator, 07 August 2017)
Most of the participants agreed that they did not contribute to the transitioning from the DBE to DHET. They all felt that they were not respected and recognised as employees of a major organisation. Bucăţa and Rizescu (
Although the transitioning from the DBE to the DHET did not affect the job descriptions of educators, many educators strongly indicated that these issues should have been clearly communicated with them. They felt that the Department of Education is behaving autonomously. All the participants agreed that they are not receiving the desired support from the DHET regarding the transitioning. However, participants EA, EE and EF said that they were glad that their job descriptions, roles and responsibilities, salary structure, employment status and security were not affected by these changes. However, EB, EC and ED indicated, ‘If only the Department was open with us, we would not have experienced such stress and anxiety for months’. There must be open communication between the employer and the employee. Beattie and Ellis (
With reference to management change, all the participants agreed that change is inevitable. Because the process of transitioning from the DBE to DHET did not affect their conditions of employment, participants agreed to embrace the change. Participant EC stated that as educators:
‘We decided that we must not be against change, so we should follow the rules and regulations.’ (EC, Educator, 07 August 2017)
Moreover, participant ED stated that:
‘We are trying to comply with what is being required by the department.’ (ED, Educator, 07 August 2017)
According to Lewin (
The findings highlighted the gap in communication and consultation between employer and employees. Most educators do not have access to information and rely on their centre managers to provide feedback as articulated by EB and EC:
‘We at the lower end of the education structure have to wait for information from our managers. Most of them do not report to us immediately. It sometimes goes for weeks before we have a staff meeting and then told about labour issues.’ (EC, Educator, 07 August 2017)
EF also indicated:
‘In my centre, the centre manager is not very open to share information with staff. Only certain members of the staff are aware what is happening between the department and the centres. It is very frustrating for people like us who are in the classroom.’ (EF, Educator, 07 August 2017)
It is therefore recommended that appropriate platforms should be created through technology, whereby educators can retrieve information on the organisation’s decision. Management needs to communicate and consult with employees at all levels (Koivula,
In the case of transitioning, another gap that most educators experienced was insecurity and apathy in the work environment. ED and EE stated that at their centre, apathy towards education is observable. There is a lack of enthusiasm amongst staff because of changes that are happening. ED was vocal when he said:
‘I am left in the dark, I feel overwhelmed and anxious whether I have a job or not.’ (ED, Educator, 07 August 2017)
According to Artz and Kaya (
‘If we know that our jobs are not on the line, then we can work with much ease and comfort. We will give off our best to our adult learners.’ (EF, Educator, 07 August 2017)
The unfreezing stage in Kurt Lewin’s (
Because of the lack of knowledge and understanding of the transitioning process, most educators at the CLCs were reluctant and unwilling to accept the transitioning. The educators were disillusioned, dissatisfied, confused and depressed by the migration from the DBE to the DHET. The voices of EB, ED and EF clearly articulated their knowledge and understanding of the transitioning process:
‘I have no idea why we are going through this process of change. I don’t see the reasons why an organisation like the DBE must move us to DHET. We are still working with learners, what is the difference?. The DHET is responsible for universities and FET colleges. What does CLC have to do with higher education? If we move to DHET, then we will not get the same privileges as teachers. I really don’t know what is the difference between employees at universities and CLC. This is very depressing and confusing to us level 1 educators.’ (ED, Educator, 07 August 2017)
It is therefore recommended that training and development workshops are organised to inform educators on the reasons for the transitioning to the DHET. They should also be trained and developed concerning the organisational culture and environment (Bowe,
The importance of a stable work environment cannot be overemphasised. The findings in this study clearly indicated that the transitioning from the DBE to DHET has created much dissatisfaction and apathy amongst CLC educators. This finding mirrors the findings of Bucăţa and Rizescu (
‘… not knowing if you have a job is frightening and very stressful.’ (EF, Educator, 07 August 1997)
Green (
The study adapted a purely qualitative approach as the interests of the investigation lay in the depth of the experiences and feelings held by participants who underwent the transition in management change. The study cannot be generalised and would benefit from a mixed method strategy, which would validate the qualitative findings in his article. The study could also be performed amongst other institutions that underwent transitions.
All employees in an organisation are seeking job security and satisfaction during these trying times. The ability to change frequently and rapidly is a requirement for survival. An organisation like the Department of Education that intends to implement transitioning from one sector to another should seriously consider planning for change. Consultation, communication, training and development should have been planned to avoid stress and anxiety amongst employees. When educators are empowered with the knowledge and understanding of their conditions of employment, job security, job satisfaction, respect and consideration, there would be minimal to no resistance to change. Transitioning from one sector to another would have been a smooth process. Because unmanaged transitions led to insecurities, employee disengagement and disenchantment, transition management must rank as a key decision-making skill that would be needed in the years to come. The need for a paradigm shift towards providing opportunities regarding online training for managers in the DHET and the DBE on transition and change management has become more urgent.
The authors acknowledge the University of Pretoria Department of Early Childhood Education, where this study was undertaken.
The authors declare that they have no competing interest.
All authors contributed equally to this work.
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated agency of the authors.