Technology consultant in the UKZN Teaching and Learning Office (UTLO), Mr Abdulbaqi Badru, graduated with a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
The “IT guru” chose to pause his year-old PhD programme to pursue his dream of attaining an MBA in line with his career aspirations.
‘I am in the technology domain, and a primary area is solving business-related problems,’ said Badru. ‘This qualification gives me extra credibility as a business technology analyst/consultant to engage with business stakeholders and equipped me with the necessary skills to take on leadership roles or even start my own business,’ said Badru.
Leading from Face-to-Face to Virtual: Leaders’ Experiences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal During the Pandemic, was the title of Badru’s study supervised by Professor Cecile Gerwel Proches. The research focused on the experiences of leaders in transitioning from face-to-face to virtual leadership during the crisis and the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) context of the pandemic.
‘My first master’s in Information Technology, which was a full research degree, prepared me for the research module and project. I chose an area I became passionate about during my MBA, which is leadership,’ said Badru.
The study found that leaders believe the hybrid/flexi work mode is the future of work arrangements, and institutions/organisations should revisit governance structures to accommodate hybrid work.
‘I developed a leadership transition model that explains the phases leaders went through when they switched from face-to-face to virtual leadership and the characteristics that enabled them to succeed. The unique element of the research is the conceptual framework on the leadership transition from face-to-face to virtual that emerged from the qualitative inquiries, which mirrors Otto Scharmer’s U-theory and Lewin’s Change Management Model. I am looking forward to publishing a paper on it soon.’
Badru is excited to celebrate graduation with his family as pursuing an MBA, which is dubbed the “divorce degree”, put some strain on his then new marriage.
‘I got married and had my first child during this period, so it was extra challenging managing all the events, travelling, and work,’ he said. ‘However, my determination helped me persevere through the tough times, and I give credit to my support structures, including family and friends. I am happy that my wife and baby are able to visit from Nigeria to experience the proud occasion.’
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini