Developing African Management Theories: Problems and Solutions
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Date
2019
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Covenant Journal of Business & Social Sciences
Abstract
The paper examined the problem of developing indigenous management
theories in Africa and the solutions. It employed the narrative analysis approach
using the inductive analytic process. The data for the analysis were qualitative data
generated from a review of the relevant literature and a survey of opinion of
scholars in management studies. The paper identified two categories of the
problem, viz, inherent socio-cultural problems and externally induced problems. It
noted that although there is now some awareness about the need for African
Indigenous management theories, and some effort has been made over the years by
some African scholars to introduce African philosophies into management of
organizations in Africa, these efforts have not yielded any visibly concrete result;
there is yet to be any formalized African oriented management theory. The paper
concluded that for African societies to make progress in industry, they must tailor
their management approach according to their own needs and behavioural
peculiarities. It recommended that concerted efforts must be made to overcome the
challenges bedeviling the development of African indigenous management
theories by committing to positive ways of thinking about African philosophies
and evaluating them through research for management theories development; and
re-engineering the existing paradigms of African educational systems to include
local contents that would lay the foundation for research leading to development of
indigenous theories. It emphasizes that theory builders must visit the African
traditional cultures and harvest the positive values for the development of African
theories of management.
Description
Keywords
Indigenous, Management theory, Problems and solutions, Africa, Developing