Coming of age, seeking legitimacy: The historical trajectory of African management research

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the historical trajectory of African management research and managerial thinking.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws from a review and synthesis of the literature from 1960

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2012.

Findings

The analysis led to the identification of three distinct phases which reflect the difficult and uncertain beginning of a promising future. The historical pathway model also accounts for the evolution of management philosophies and thoughts and the current state of knowledge.

Originality/value

Although there is a burgeoning stream of African management research, a lack of comprehensive review and synthesis has obscured the enormous strides made. This paper advances a “novel” approach towards theory application and theory creation, building on the “convergence hypothesis” and “divergence hypothesis”. This analysis yielded a number of promising avenues for future research.

Citation

Amankwah-Amoah, J. (2016), "Coming of age, seeking legitimacy: The historical trajectory of African management research", Critical Perspectives on International Business, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 22-39. https://doi.org/10.1108/cpoib-10-2013-0041