CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.4 Overview of the theoretical framework
This research was conducted within the frameworks of sustainability science, stakeholder engagement, organisational learning and climate change adaptation. According to Bieluch et al. (2017), to understand and address the sustainability of natural and human systems, there is a need to include various forms of knowledge, experiences, values and resources. This approach is critical to contextualise the science of sustainability to climate change, and this research therefore considered some of understandings of sustainability, including the UN’s SDGs.
The multi-conceptual theoretical framework that guides the research draws from established approaches in the environmental sciences field. It also recognises that environmental sciences
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as a field is embedded in the natural, physical and social sciences. Thus, given the focus of the study on organisation learning to promote pro-environmental behaviour, the research integrated both environmental, for example, sustainability and climate change adaptation and social, for example organisational learning and stakeholder engagement conceptual frameworks to develop an appropriate theoretical lens for the study.
The high uncertainty of climate change makes strategic planning by government and private sector organisations difficult due to the availability of a wide array of potential scenarios and decision alternatives (Wood et al., 2017). Therefore, stakeholder engagement becomes critical in developing a robust pro-climate change response. Stakeholder engagement can take many forms and mediums, and due to the impact of social media currently (Manetti and Bellucci, 2016), engagement with stakeholders cannot be ignored. Furthermore, stakeholder engagement extends to a range of issues. Graafland and Smid (2017) contend that stakeholder engagement is fundamental for organisations to obtain their social license to operate in an increasingly democratic, empowered, aware and connected world; where communities clamour for service delivery and consultation in what is meted out to them.
Matthews et al. (2017) are of the view that organisational learning can contribute to the sustained improvement of an organisation over time. Additionally, organisational-level changes resulting in sustained benefits can be derived from individual identified improvement opportunities through organisational learning. The organisational learning theories that are discussed in this study include Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour, the Norm Activation Model and the Value-Belief-Norm Theory of Environmentalism.
Li et al. (2017) comment that adaptation to climate change is critical for developing effective climate change response strategies, while Simonovic (2017) is of the view that adaptation to climate change is complex and involves increasing risk. Additionally, there is a need to involve many decision-makers, conflicting values, competing objectives and methodologies, multiple alternative options, uncertain outcomes, and debatable probabilities to address the challenging issue of climate change adaptation.
19 1.5 Research methods and data sources
This study uses the standard quantitative and qualitative methods to generate data relating to the research objectives. Bryman (2015) and Katz (2015) point out that quantitative methods result in numeric data, which can be usually analysed by a computer or recognised by statistical tests and models. The primary data sources used in this study includes the use of a survey questionnaire (Appendix 1), as well as focus group discussions (Appendix 2) and key informant interviews (Appendices 3 and 4) in relation to the qualitative approach adopted.
This research also includes a review of information acquired from reports, policies, speeches, published works, as well as a review of articles and journals which were secondary sources.
A multi-disciplinary research methodology was adopted for this study, due to the nature of the research. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection approaches were used to achieve the above objectives. The case study is Eskom’s Distribution Division. Employees were selected from across different occupational levels in the organisation. The case study sites included the nine Operating Units (OUs) in the Distribution Division, which are aligned to the provincial boundaries and are known as the Western, Eastern Cape, Free State, Northern Cape, North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo OUs.
Few studies provide a comparative basis to assess whether occupational and literacy levels, as well as historical disadvantages and quality of life influence responses to climate change and environmental responsible behaviour (Newman and Fernandes, 2015). These aspects are included in the research design. An online survey questionnaire formed the primary means through which data was collected. The survey was designed along the lines of the objectives and the guiding questions of the research. The survey questionnaire employed fixed-response questions on Distribution Division’s response to climate change (climate change capacity building and engagement of employees in relation to the organisation’s climate change policy and strategy), cultural and socio-economic characteristics (place of employment, department, level or grade in the organisation, education, age and gender) of employees and open-ended questions that elicited information on employee perceptions and attitudes towards climate change and Eskom’s response to this issue.
Interviews and the questionnaires were conducted in English. The online survey was self- administered by the researcher with the help of the Distribution Universal Access Planning and Strategic Support Department (based in MegaWatt Park, Johannesburg) and was hosted
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on the Distribution Division’s Intranet homepage. The survey was open for completion during the period of 01 July 2015 to 31 March 2016.
In order to determine the effectiveness of the research instrument, the questionnaires were pre-tested among a few selected employees. This assisted to clear up vagueness and made the questionnaire more relevant and appropriate to employees and the Distribution Division’s activities and functions.
The study also interviewed relevant managers and resource persons in Eskom as well as from pertinent government departments, academia and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), for background information on climate change in the context of power distribution in South Africa. These key informant interviews complemented the quantitative surveys. In addition to the quantitative survey and key informant interviews, focus group discussions were undertaken in three of the OUs with key role-players who were purposefully chosen. The focus group discussions involved discussions on the objectives raised focusing on the role of Distribution Division to climate change and the possible impacts of climate change. The data generated from quantitative surveys and focus group sessions were statistically examinedusing a range of statistical analysis tools and ranking option assessments.
This study therefore undertook primary research using multiple methods that complement each other and draws from both quantitative (survey questionnaires) and qualitative (key informant interviews and focus group discussions) approaches. Such relative and rigorous multiple methods approach have not been undertaken previously in the electricity distribution business. Thus, this research methodology for utilities will be a supplementary contribution of this research. The process of triangulation which, according to Hussein (2015) and Olsen (2004), is the use of multiple methods which cuts across the qualitative-quantitative divide was also used. The various sources of information validated and clarified the data by deepening and widening an understanding of the main issues under examination.
Furthermore, triangulation supports interdisciplinary research.