Blended learning framework for management competencies in South African retail

Orientation: The W&R SETA identified retail manager and retail supervisor as the most difficult-to-fill vacancies in South Africa, citing deficits in experience, qualifications and skills. No fit-for-purpose blended learning framework for this context existed. Research purpose: This study aimed to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a blended learning framework for developing critical management competencies in a large South African hardware retailer. Motivation for the study: Existing models did not account for South Africa’s limited Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, low digital literacy, geographic dispersion or operational constraints preventing extended off-site training. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative pre–post survey design was used with a purposive sample of 94 management development programme participants across six South African regions. A 50-item questionnaire measuring nine competency constructs was completed by learners and line managers before training and 6 weeks post-training. Scale reliability, factor analysis and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) established reliability and validity. Main findings: Improvements were recorded for all nine constructs – communication, motivation, conflict management, problem-solving, time management, decision-making, goal-setting, delegation and self-awareness – with a mean improvement of 11.2% (learner) and 12.3% (line-manager). All 94 participants were assessed as competent against the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 4 unit standards by accredited Wholesale & Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&R SETA) assessors. Practical/managerial implications: Seven framework refinements – on-the-job primacy, role differentiation, structured coaching, pre-reading orientation, social interaction, e-learning as a complement and distributed assessment – provide actionable design principles for training practitioners in resource-constrained retail environments. Contribution/value-add: This study produced an empirically evaluated blended learning framework, the first of its kind reported in the literature for the South African retail context, grounded in adult learning theory and responsive to W&R SETA management competency priorities.