Quantum-Native Organisational Design: Managing Non-Linearity and Superposition in Strategy: An Empirical Investigation of South African Enterprises

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14414/jbb.v15i02.5643

Keywords:

Quantum-Native Design, Strategic Superposition, Quantum-NativOrganisational Agility, QuQuan-tum Management, South African Enterprises

Abstract

This research examines how Quantum-Native structures outperform standard linear ones. Using information from 384 companies in South Africa and a statistical method called AMOS Structural Equation Modelling, this study looked at whether Quantum-Native organisations (with ‘strategic superposition’ holding multiple strategies at once, flexible departments, and intentionally following strategies that seem to oppose each other) do better than traditional, straightforward ones. And the results are very clear. Businesses using quantum-native principles are much more adaptable (β = 0.67, p < 0.001), are more successful at innovating (β = 0.58, p < 0.001), and have a bigger edge over the competition (β = 0.72, p < 0.001) compared to those with the older, Newtonian approach. Strategic superposition, structures in which decision-making is distributed, and teams work independently, and a way of managing people to suit quantum principles are the main reasons for success in this new way of doing things. This calls into question many management ideas that rely on a simple, one-thing-leads-to-another understanding of how things happen, and it is the first time it has proven what a quantum approach to management looks like. 

Author Biography

  • DICKSON MDHLALOSE, National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa

    Facilitator

    Information and Communication Technology

References

Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103(3), 411–423.

https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.103.3.411

Armstrong, J. S., & Overton, T. S. (1977). Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys. Journal of Marketing Research, 14(3), 396–402.

https://doi.org/10.1177/002224377701400320

Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120.

https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108

Barney, J. B., & Hesterly, W. S. (2012). Strategic management and competitive advantage (4th ed.). Pearson.

Bilgen, A., & Elçi, M. (2022). The mediating role of organisational intelligence in the relationship between quantum leadership and innovative behaviour. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1051028.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1051028

Bova, F., Goldfarb, A., & Melko, R. G. (2021). Commercial applications of quantum computing. EPJ Quantum Technology, 8, 2.

https://doi.org/10.1140/epjqt/s40507-021-00111-0

Boyd, B. K., Bergh, D. D., Ireland, R. D., & Ketchen, D. J. (2013). Constructs in strategic management. Organizational Research Methods, 16(1), 3–14.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428112471290

Busolo, P. (2025). Strategic agility and organisational performance. International Journal of Recent Advances in Multidisciplinary Topics, 6(1), 24–30.

Buterin, V. (2014). DAOs, DACs, DAs and more: An incomplete terminology guide. Ethereum Blog. Available at: https://blog.ethereum.org/2014/05/06/daos-dacs-das-and-more-an-incomplete-terminology-guide

Byrne, B. M. (2016). Structural equation modelling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming (3rd ed.). Routledge.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315757421

Cai, Y., Liu, H., & Zhang, M. (2024). Validating the causal relationship between quantum leadership and employee innovation performance from the perspective of organisational sustainability. Sustainability, 16(18), 7884.

https://doi.org/10.3390/su16187884

Caniëls, M. C., & Vos, F. G. (2021). The effects of cognitive flexibility and experience on creative production. Journal of Creative Behaviour, 55(3), 822–832.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.485

Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling. In G. A. Marcoulides (Ed.), Modern methods for business research (pp. 295–336). Lawrence Erlbaum.

Cognitive Market Research. (2025). Smart contracts market analysis 2026.

Coughlin, L. (2025, June 24). How smart leaders thrive in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) times. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2025/06/24/how-smart-leaders-thrive-in-vuca-times/

Davidson, S., De Filippi, P., & Potts, J. (2016). Disrupting governance: The new institutional economics of distributed ledger technology. SSRN Electronic Journal.

https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2811995

Davis, P. (2025). Quantum leadership. In J. Marques (Ed.), Encyclopedia of diversity, equity, inclusion and spirituality. Springer.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32257-0

Department of Small Business Development. (2024). *Annual report 2023/24*. Republic of South Africa.

Dolgova, V. I., Tsyganova, S. Y., & Andronova, A. A. (2024). Adaptive leadership for multilevel resilience in the context of disruptions. Thunderbird International Business Review, 67(2).

https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.22384

Doz, Y. L., & Kosonen, M. (2010). Embedding strategic agility: A leadership agenda for accelerating business model renewal. Long Range Planning, 43(2–3), 370–382.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2009.07.006

Doz, Y. L., & Kosonen, M. (2021). Strategic agility: A dynamic capability for competitive advantage. Long Range Planning, 54(2), 102–118.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2020.102118

Dyck, B., & Greidanus, N. S. (2017). Quantum sustainable organising theory: A study of organisation theory as if matter mattered. Journal of Management Inquiry, 26(1), 32–46.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492616656407

Easterby-Smith, M., & Lyles, M. A. (2011). In praise of organisational forgetting. Journal of Management Inquiry, 20(3), 311–316.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492611408508

Eisenhardt, K. M., & Martin, J. A. (2000). Dynamic capabilities: What are they? Strategic Management Journal, 21(10–11), 1105–1121.

https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0266(200010/11)21:10/11

Erçetin, Ş. Ş., & Kayaman, E. A. (2014). How to be a quantum leader in an intelligent organisation? In Chaos, complexity and leadership 2012 (pp. 25–37). Springer.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7362-2_3

Fatoki, O. (2012). The impact of human, social and financial capital on the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa. Journal of Social Sciences, 33(3), 395–403.

https://doi.org/10.1080/09718923.2012.11893108

Felin, T., Lakhani, K. R., & Tushman, M. L. (2023). The firm as an experimental laboratory. Organisation Science, 34(3), 1055–1078.

https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.16578

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.

https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104

Geok, S. W., & Ali, M. B. B. (2021). A journey of a thousand miles begins with a quantum step: The importance of quantum leadership to promote lifelong learning in organisations. Ilkogretim Online, 20, 235–247.

https://doi.org/10.17051/ilkonline.2021.03.26

Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2011). PLS-SEM: Indeed, a silver bullet. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19(2), 139–152.

https://doi.org/10.2753/MTP1069-6679190202

Harman, H. H. (1976). Modern factor analysis (3rd ed., rev.). University of Chicago Press. [No DOI — book].

Hassan, S., & De Filippi, P. (2021). Decentralised autonomous organisation. Internet Policy Review, 10(2), 1–10.

https://doi.org/10.14763/2021.2.1556

Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

He, Z. L., & Wong, P. K. (2004). Exploration vs. exploitation: An empirical test of the ambidexterity hypothesis. Organisation Science, 15(4), 481–494.

https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1040.0078

Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard Business Press. [No DOI — book].

Helfat, C. E., & Peteraf, M. A. (2015). Managerial cognitive capabilities and the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities. Strategic Management Journal, 36(6), 831–850.

https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2247

Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modelling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8

Hidayat, N., & Rahayu, B. N. D. (2024). Resource-based view analysis in building competitive advantage in the SME sector. Target: Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis, 6(2), 81–90.

Ho, Y. H., Chen, C. Y., & Wang, Y. S. (2023). Strategic HRM and SME innovation: The mediating roles of organisational learning and resilience. Journal of Business Research, 154, 113299.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113299

Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis. Structural Equation Modeling, 6(1), 1–55.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118

Hwang, B. N., Lai, Y. P., & Wang, C. (2021). Open innovation and organisational ambidexterity. European Journal of Innovation Management, 26(3), 862–884.

https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-06-2021-0310

IBM. (2021). What are smart contracts on blockchain? IBM Think Topics. Available at: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/smart-contracts

Jansen, J. J., Van Den Bosch, F. A., & Volberda, H. W. (2006). Exploratory innovation, exploitative innovation, and performance. Management Science, 52(11), 1661–1674.

https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1060.0576

Journal of Leadership and Development. (2025). Strategic management, organisational agility, and competitive advantage in the digital age. JLD, 1(2), 15–30.

Kiffer, L., Levine, A., & Miori, M. (2021). Analysing Ethereum's contract topology. ACM Transactions on Internet Technology, 21(1), 1–24.

https://doi.org/10.1145/3425648

Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modelling (4th ed.). Guilford Press. [No DOI — book].

Lumineau, F., Wang, W., & Schilke, O. (2021). Blockchain governance — A new way of organising collaborations? Organisation Science, 32(2), 500–521.

https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2020.1379

Luthans, F., Youssef, C. M., & Avolio, B. J. (2007). Psychological capital: Developing the human competitive edge. Oxford University Press.

Maharaj, S. (2024). The impact of COVID-19 on SME profitability. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 22(4).

McKinsey & Company. (2024). Fostering workforce resilience and adaptability. McKinsey Health Institute.

Mwangi, J. K., & Boinett, C. K. (2022). Surviving a crisis: A multilevel model of leadership styles, employees' psychological capital and organisational resilience. PLoS ONE, 17(2), e0263790.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263790

National Planning Commission. (2012). National development plan 2030. Republic of South Africa. [Government plan, no DOI].

Nemashakwe, M., & Kayawe, T. (2024). Navigating uncertainty: The role of VUCA and BANI frameworks in educational leadership strategies. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 8(3).

Nemeth, C. J., & Ormiston, M. (2007). Creative idea generation: Harmony versus stimulation. European Journal of Social Psychology, 37(3), 524–535.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.373

Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Peng, M. W., & Heath, P. S. (1996). The growth of the firm in planned economies in transition. Academy of Management Review, 21(2), 492–528.

https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1996.9605060220

Phillipson, F., & Bhatia, A. (2024). Quantum computing in logistics and supply chain management. arXiv preprint, arXiv:2402.17520. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.17520

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Sources of method bias in social science research. Annual Review of Psychology, 63, 539–569.

https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioural research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903.

https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879

Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. Free Press.

Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behaviour Research Methods, 40(3), 879–891.

https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879

Rikken, O., Janssen, M., & Kwee, Z. (2019). Governance challenges of blockchain and decentralised autonomous organisations. Information Polity, 24(4), 397–417.

https://doi.org/10.3233/IP-190154

Saurabh, K., Upadhyay, P., & Rani, N. (2025). Towards blockchain decentralised autonomous organisations (DAO) design. Information Systems Frontiers, 27(2), 659–681.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-024-10555-1

Siggelkow, N. (2007). Persuasion with case studies. Academy of Management Journal, 50(1), 20–24.

https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.24160882

Statistics South Africa. (2024). Quarterly labour force survey. Stats SA. [Statistical report, no DOI].

Sun, L. Y., Aryee, S., & Law, K. S. (2007). High-performance human resource practices, citizenship behaviour, and organisational performance. Academy of Management Journal, 50(3), 558–577.

https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.25525879

Szabo, N. (1996). Smart contracts: Building blocks for digital markets. Extropy: The Journal of Transhumanist Thought, 16.

Tapscott, D., & Tapscott, A. (2016). Blockchain revolution: How the technology behind bitcoin is changing money, business, and the world. Penguin Random House.

Teece, D. J. (2007). Explicating dynamic capabilities. Strategic Management Journal, 28(13), 1319–1350.

https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.640

Teece, D. J. (2025). Dynamic capabilities and related paradigms. Cambridge Elements. Cambridge University Press.

Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509–533.

https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199708)18:7

Wegner, D., Zuquetto, R. D., & Grisi, C. C. H. (2024). Decentralised autonomous organisations in business administration: A systematic literature review. RAE — Revista de Administração de Empresas, 64(1).

https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-759020240101

Williamson, O. E. (1991). Comparative economic organisation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36(2), 269–296.

https://doi.org/10.2307/2393356

Xin, J., Han, Y., Liu, S. J., & Sun, W. M. (2021). The influence of quantum leadership on employees' work engagement in uncertain situations. Scientific Research Management, 42, 176–183.

Xin, J., Xie, Y. Z., & Fan, L. (2020). Origin, dimension and measurement of quantum leadership in VUCA. Journal of Business Economics, 4, 39–51.

Yarkoni, S., Raponi, E., Bäck, T., & Schmitt, S. (2022). Quantum annealing for industry applications: Introduction and review. Reports on Progress in Physics, 85(10), 104001.

https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6633/ac8c1a

Yeniaras, V., Kafadar, M. T., & Camlibel, Z. (2021). The impact of strategic flexibility on firm performance. Journal of Business Research, 135, 28–37.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.06.025

Yukl, G., & Mahsud, R. (2010). Why flexible and adaptive leadership is essential. Consulting Psychology Journal, 62(2), 81–93.

https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019835

Zetzsche, D. A., Arner, D. W., & Buckley, R. P. (2020). Decentralised finance. Journal of Financial Regulation, 6(2), 172–203.

https://doi.org/10.1093/jfr/fjaa010

Zhou, J., & George, J. M. (2001). When job dissatisfaction leads to creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 44(4), 682–696.

https://doi.org/10.2307/3069410

Zhou, Y., Zhang, Y., & Montag-Smit, T. (2021). The more ambidexterity the better? Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1283637.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1283637

Zhu, Y. (2024). How quantum leadership optimizes the flow of information and decision-making processes in organizations. Economics & Management Review, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.37420./j.emr.2024.033

Downloads

Published

2026-08-24

How to Cite

MDHLALOSE, D. (2026). Quantum-Native Organisational Design: Managing Non-Linearity and Superposition in Strategy: An Empirical Investigation of South African Enterprises. Journal of Business & Banking, 15(2), 283-299. https://doi.org/10.14414/jbb.v15i02.5643