Courses taught

Leadership and Diversity on the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme.
Leadership on the Oxford Advanced Management Programme.
Leadership and Diversity on the Standard Chartered Leadership Programme.
Personal Leadership & Diversity on the MAN General Management Programme.
Leadership on the METRO Group Programme.
Leadership on the Diploma in Advanced Strategy.
Diversity on the RWE/Thames Water Leadership Programme.
Leadership on the Zurich Financial Services Leadership Programme.

Research interests

Leadership
Diversity & Inclusion

Overview

A Professor at the Graduate School of Business (University of Cape Town, South Africa), Kurt is an Associate Fellow of Said Business School (University of Oxford, UK), Research Fellow at Ashridge (UK), and a regular Visiting Professor at Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus University, Netherlands).

Outside academia, Kurt is Managing Director of LICM Consulting, Director of Performance Through Inclusion (South Africa), Non-Executive Director of the Achievement Awards Group, and is an Advisory Board Member to the Knowledge Management Professional Society (USA), Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Management Education (USA), Editorial Board Member of the Annual Review of High Performance Coaching & Consulting (UK), Editorial Board Member of the South African Journal of Business Management, Advisor on Diversity & Inclusion to the NHS, as well as a Member of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council for Novartis International (Switzerland). He currently consults, and has consulted to, and behalf of, a range of industries, including: Shell International, SABMiller, SASOL, Lufthansa, METRO, Novartis, Sandoz, De Beers, Old Mutual, Zurich Financial Services, KPMG, Standard Chartered Bank, RWE/Thames Water, IBM, NHS, AngloGold Ashanti, Impala Platinum, European Space Agency, Bayer, and the Dutch Police Service amongst many others.

Kurt has published over 80 academic articles, as well as authored and co-authored seven books, and is currently working on three other books: Stewardship; Leading Efficiently, Effectively and Responsibly; Exclusive Environments. 

Books:

April, K. & Shockley, M. (Eds.) (2007), Diversity: New Realities in a Changing World, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

April, K. & Shockley, M. (Eds.) (2007), Diversity in Africa: The Coming of Age of a Continent, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Gorelick, C., Milton, N. & April, K. (2004), Performance Through Learning: Knowledge Management in Practice, Burlington, MA: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.

April, K. & Ahmadi-Izadi, F. (2004), Knowledge Management Praxis, Kenwyn: Juta Academic.

April, K., Macdonald, R. & Vriesendorp, S. (2000), Rethinking Leadership, Cape Town: University of Cape Town Press.

April, K. & Cradock, J. (2000), e or b e@ten: E-Business Redefining the Corporate Landscape, Durban: Butterworths.

April, K. (2000), Knowledge Management Handbook, Johannesburg: Kagiso.

Book Chapters:

April, K. & Smit, E. (2009), ‘Diverse Discretionary Effort in Workplace Networks’, in . Özbilgin, M.F. & Syed, J. (Eds.), Diversity in Asia, London: Routledge.

April, K. & April, A. (2008), ‘Reactions to Discrimination: Exclusive Identity of Foreign Workers in South Africa’, in Özbilgin, M.F. (Ed.), Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Work: A Research Companion, London: Edward Elgar Press.

Potgieter, A., April, K. & Bishop, J. (2005), "Complex Adaptive Enterprises", in M. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology: Volume 1, Hershey, PA : Idea Group Reference, pp. 475-480.

Journal Articles:

Potgieter, A., April, K.A., Cooke, R.J.E. & Osunmakinde, I.O. (2009), ‘Temporality in Link Prediction: Understanding Social Complexity’, Emergence: Complexity & Organization, Vol. 11, pp. tba.

April, K., Katoma, V. & Peters, K. (2008), ‘Personal Expectancy in Teams as related to Discretionary Effort of Individual Team Members’, Annual Review of High Performance Coaching and Consulting, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. tba.

Blass, E. & April, K. (2008), ‘Developing Talent for Tomorrow’, Develop, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 48-58.

April, K. & Jappie, A. (2008), ‘Global Talent Warfare: Line Managers Are Still The Determinant’, Journal for Convergence, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 40-43.

April, K., April, A. & Sharma, V. (2008), ‘Exclusive Workplace Systems’, 3600 The Ashridge Journal, April Edition, pp. 22-27.

April, K., Dreyer, S. & Blass, E. (2007), ‘Gender Impediments to the South African Boardroom’, South African Journal of Labour Relations, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 51-67.

April, K. & April, A. (2007), ‘Growing Leaders in Emergent Markets: Leadership Enhancement in the New South Africa’, Journal of Management Education, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 214-244.

April, K. & Dreyer, S. (2007), ‘Gender Unplugged in the SA Executive Boardroom: The Paradigm Shift’, Effective Executive, December, Ref No.: 03M-2007-12-11-01, pp. 62-77.

April, K. & Wilson, A. (2007), ‘In Search of Ethics: Probing the Firm-Society Interface’, Journal for Convergence, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 16-19.

April, K. & Bessa, J. (2006), "A Critique of the Strategic Competitive Intelligence Process within a Global Energy Multinational", Problems & Perspectives in Management, Vol. 4, Issue 2, pp. 86-99.

Potgieter, A., April, K.A., Cooke, R.J.E. & Lockett, M. (2006), "Adaptive Bayesian Agents: Enabling Distributed Social Networks", South African Journal of Business Management, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 41-55.

Mendelek-Theimann, N., April, K. & Blass, E. (2006), ‘Context Tension: Cultural Influences on Leadership and Management Practice’, Reflections, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 38-51.

April, K., April, A. & Wabbels, H. (2006), ‘Growth Through Unlearning’, Develop, No. 3, pp. 78-81.

Torun, E. & April, K. (2006), ‘Individual Control: Implications for Business Managers’, Journal for Convergence, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 1-4.

April, K. (2006), ‘Business Could Use A Little Soul’, Business Brief, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 38-39.

Peters, K. & April, K. (2006), ‘The Global Future of the MBA’, Journal for Convergence, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 16-19.

April, K. (2005), ‘Knowledge Sharing and Distribution’, Global Knowledge Review, March Edition, pp. 8-12.

April, K. (2005), ‘Toimetulek Mitmekesisusega: Paluks Uutmoodi Lähenemist’, Director, Juuni Edition, Nr. 6, pp. 52-55.

Gorelick, C. & April, K. (2004), "BP Case Study: KM Team Structuration and Sense-making (Part I)", South African Journal of Business Management, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 1-16.

Gorelick, C. & April, K. (2004), "BP Case Study: KM Team Structuration and Sense-making (Part II)", South African Journal of Business Management, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 15-24.

April, K. & Shockley, M. (2004), ‘How Ready Is Your Organisation for KM’, Global Knowledge Review, September Edition, pp. 10-12.

April, K., Bosma, P. & Deglon, D. (2003), "IC Measurement and Reporting: Establishing a Practice in SA Mining", Journal of Intellectual Capital, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 165-180.

April, K. (2002), "Guidelines for Developing a K-Strategy", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 6, No. 5, pp. 445-456.

April, K. and Cradock, J. (2001), "The Wisdom of being a Fast-Follower", Intelligence: Business 2.0, April Edition, pp. 76-80.

April, K. & Hill, S. (2000), "The Uncertainty and Ambiguity of Leadership in the 21 st Century", South African Journal of Business Management, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 45-52.

April, K. (1999), "Leading Through Communication, Conversation and Dialogue", The Leadership & Organizational Development Journal, Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 231-241.

April, K. & Macdonald, R. (1998), "New Science and Leadership: The Shift in Thinking", People Dynamics, Vol. 17, No. 6.

April, K. (1998), "Leading through Communication", People Dynamics, Vol. 16, No. 11, pp. 74-85.

April, K. (1997), "Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL): A Technology Focus and Forecast," Elektron: Journal of the SA Institute of Electrical Engineers, pp. 23-26.

April, K. (1995), "Calibration using an Instrumentation Amplifier," Elektron: Journal of the SA Institute of Electrical Engineers, pp. 54-55.

Conference Articles:

April, K. & Ephraim, N. (2006), ‘Implementing African Leadership: An Empirical Basis To Move Beyond Theory’, 1st International Conference on Values-Based Leadership, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, 14th-16th March.

April, K. & Shockley, M. (2005), ‘Social Complexity: An Integrating Catalyst for Complementary Resource Combinations in the South African Assurance Industry’, 4th International Critical Management Studies Conference, University of Cambridge, UK, 4th-6th July.

Potgieter, A., April, K. & Cooke, R. (2005), ‘Using Bayesian Agents to Enable Distributed Network Knowledge: A Critique’, 4th International Critical Management Studies Conference, University of Cambridge, UK, 4th-6th July.

Vermeulen, P., April, K. & Lhermitte, G. (2005), ‚Leadership Competence: A Socially Networked Process,’
4th International Critical Management Studies Conference, University of Cambridge, UK, 4th-6th July.

April, K. (2004), ‘Stewardship & Responsible Leadership: Technology’s Role’, Annual VIAG Conference, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 7th-8th November, pp. 1-7.

April, K. (2003), ‘Guidelines for Developing a Knowledge Management Strategy’, Excellante Conference, Sandton, South Africa, 12th February, pp. 1-20.

Gorelick, C. & April, K. (2001), ‘Toward an Understanding of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management: A Case Study of Structuration and Sensemaking in British Petroleum’s Knowledge Management Team’, 4th International Conference on Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management: New Directions, University of Western Ontario, Canada, 1st-5th June, pp. 1-20.

April, K. (2001), ‘Knowledge Management Strategy: A Theoretical Framework’, UNICOM Proceedings, Issue #2, 16th May.

April, K., de Smet, A., Dunford, R., Geigle, S., Gorelick, C. & Jenefsky, R.F. (2001), ‘Models of Consulting & Consulting Projects’, Academy of Management: Management Consulting Division, Professional Development Workshops, Washington DC, USA, 3rd-5th August.

April, K., de Smet, A., Dunford, R., Geigle, S., Gorelick, C. & Jenefsky, R.F. (2001), ‘Phases of Consulting Projects’, Academy of Management: Management Consulting Division, Professional Development Workshops, Washington DC, USA, 3rd-5th August.

April, K., de Smet, A., Dunford, R., Geigle, S., Gorelick, C. & Jenefsky, R.F. (2001), ‘Deliverables and Reports’, Academy of Management: Management Consulting Division, Professional Development Workshops, Washington DC, USA, 3rd-5th August.

April, K., Harvey, M-L & Reardon, D. (2001), ‘Women in Higher Education’, International Management Theory at Work Conference, Lancaster University, UK, September.

April, K. & Spangler, A. (2000), ‘Knowledge Management in Multinational Corporations Within South Africa’, International Management Theory at Work Conference, Lancaster University, UK, September.

April, K. (2000), ‘Guidelines for Management Education in South Africa’, 2nd International Lancaster-Cambridge Conference: Emergent Fields in Management Connecting Learning and Critique, Lancaster University, UK, 19th-21st July, pp. 1-24

Case Studies:

Hargarter, A. & April, K. (2007), CASE STUDY – First National Bank: Inspirational Leadership in a South African Context (European Case Clearing House, Case Study Reference No. 407-048-1, pp. 1-54).

Hargarter, A. & April, K. (2007), TEACHING NOTE – First National Bank: Inspirational Leadership in a South African Context (European Case Clearing House, Teaching Note Reference No. 407-048-8, pp. 1-54).