Responsible Management in Africa, Volume 1: Traditions of Principled Entrepreneurship

This chapter explores African indigenous wisdom and its orientation to the common good in the practices that characterise responsible leadership and entrepreneurship. Traditionally, a wise leader was grown from the community and steeped in its communitarian traditions which led the leader to apply practical wisdom in seeking the collective good. These considerations of such wise practices are central to responsible management. Based on a qualitative literature review that is complemented with a micro-study (semi-structured interviews) of African sages and on the analysis of wisdom found by chapter contributors to this volume, insights indigenous to Africa are presented and then discussed. The countries referenced across the two studies are Kenya and Uganda (Eastern Africa), Ghana and Nigeria (Western Africa), Egypt (Northern Africa) and South Africa (Southern Africa), thereby providing some geographical spread though far from being exhaustive.

Responsible management increasingly plays an important role in the sustainability of development initiatives in Africa. This chapter aims to explore indigenous pre-colonial African responsible management practices using ancient Egyptians and the Ndop Iron Industry of the eighteenth century in Cameroon. The management system of pre-colonial African societies was related to the production systems geared to the subsistence needs of the population. Management-related training was gender-based and sustainable. The modern understanding of responsible management is enlightened by investigating the past to see how the practice has evolved. The Egyptian pyramids were built to create an integrated human community. Previously man lived in small, isolated tribes or villages, but the increasing population required a different pattern of organisation and responsible management for optimisation of the Nile River’s resources to irrigate land for agriculture to feed the growing population. The Ndop Plain Iron Industry of the eighteenth century was well-equipped with smelting furnaces, fabricating assorted iron tools for use in agriculture, hunting and in households. The two case studies of historical evidence of indigenous African responsible management have been eroded with time due to disconnect with the past and the ravages of colonialism perpetuated by imperialist Europe. A paradigm shift to reconnect with the indigenous management practices in Africa is recommended as the way forward for responsible management on the continent.

Responsible management (RM) is a topic of interest in the western world. Contemporary scholars explore ways of integrating responsible management education (RME) within curricula of business school. With the growing interest in the factors that contribute to attaining RM practices, one looks to communities, institutions and whole civilisations in order to learn from them. Such information would be helpful not only for the context from which they originate, but also for institutions with similar goals in different locations around the world. As one of the notable centres of ancient civilisation, Egypt was known for its diversity of occupations including trade. The Egyptian civilisation guided by traditional values flourished in many aspects. This chapter explores the traditional tenets that nourished growth and development of management practices in ancient Egypt as a way of discovering what factors can contribute to RM today. There are attempts to integrate the principles of RM into business practices and education especially into the curricula of business schools. This chapter provides insight to the principle of RME as is seen in contemporary Egypt but also provides knowledge of ancient wisdom that contributes to our understanding of RM in Africa. It attempts to draw from Egyptian heritage while exploring the deeper understandings of RM in Africa.

This chapter seeks to explore what responsible management entailed in the country of Ghana, with regard to gold trade. Responsible management ‘… addresses the specific strategies, tactics or actions managers ought to pursue to address business’s accountability, obligations and duties to society and stakeholders’ (Carroll et al., 2019, p. 57). The Akan moral saying, ‘To possess virtue is better than gold’, purports that good ethics is of more value compared to wealth; and underpins Afro-communitarianism where common societal good is priced over individual gains. ‘The gold mining sector was largely administered by the Abusa system, which is still a feature in agriculture in modern Ghana’ (Iliffe, 1995, p. 147). This system operated a tripartite profit-sharing scheme, where the chief who is the landholder, received one-third of the production, the lessee or operator of the mine one-third and the workers the last third (Iliffe, 1995, p.147). Some traditional values and ethical concepts that guided doing business in ancient Ghana will be expounded in this chapter.

There is no doubt that there is a need for new traditions, that is, wisdoms for enhanced responsible business in Africa. As one of the oldest world economies, Africa has a rich history of responsible indigenous business traditions that have sustained and supported her people’s principled business entrepreneurship over the centuries. However, there is little knowledge about these African responsible indigenous business traditions in the international literature. Currently, internationally familiar Western responsible business traditions dominate global responsible management knowledge and practice. The chapter explores responsible indigenous business traditions amongst the Sesotho-speaking people of Southern Africa called Basotho, bringing to light an aspect of responsible indigenous business management knowledge and practice from Southern Africa. These Basotho’s responsible indigenous business traditions embedded in Mokorotlo business model are Seahlolo, that is, communal, or mutual aid sharing, Letsema, that is, communal work party, Tsimo-ea-lira, that is, the field of enemies, Moelela, that is, food paid for work at threshing time, and Mafisa, that is, communal livestock loaning. The chapter concludes by suggesting that these Mokorotlo business traditions are prima facie attractive to be taken seriously in the global responsible management knowledge and practice.

The Hausawas are the largest ethnic group in sub-Saharan Africa, and significantly influence trade and development in the region (Limbs & Fort, 2000; Sabiu & Sarwar, 2019). They are highly entrepreneurial and have participated in international trade for centuries, particularly along the trans-Sahara. Historically, the Hausas have been considered one of Africa’s major trading powers. As of the twelfth century ad, their trading prowess was only rivalled by that of the Mali Empire and the Kanem-Bornu Empire (Sabiu, Zainol, & Abdullah, 2019).

Much can be learnt from indigenous Hausa culture of responsible management. Unfortunately, due to its multiple acculturative history, many aspects of this culture have not been properly preserved. Using historical sources, proverbs, and folktales, the author reclaims key cultural practices, values, and attitudes of the Hausa people that promote responsible management. Prominent amongst these values are kirki, respect for human dignity, spirit of work, being responsible, and honesty.

This chapter is an exploratory piece based on the historical and cultural background of Yorubaland. It examines the conceptual and theoretical understanding of responsible business management globally, and in Yorubaland, the perception and practice of responsible business management in Yorubaland, and the purposes of responsible business management in Yorubaland. It deploys an extensive review of extant literature, perceptual engagement of Yoruba and non-Yoruba Indigenes on responsible business management in Yorubaland through survey (See Appendix for respondent’s profile), in-depth interviews, and a comparative validation review of the case of an intergenerational business in Nigeria.

The case review showed that the family business viewed the cultural expressions in the family business management as strengths. Values were recurrent features in its success evaluation, and responsibility concerning various stakeholders was a business imperative. The perceptual survey and engagement showed that Yorubaland must and should bring its respect for knowledge and education, promotion of cultural heritage: Ọmọlúàbi, use of traditional cooperative approach to management for talent development and capital generation. Additionally, the Yorubaland can leverage what merit and experience and documentation of techniques and methods employed by successful businesses can afford their institutions, current and future business management practice.

This chapter provides insights for further research: business models, frameworks, and cultural understanding that work for Africa. It posits values as central for connecting other elements of responsible management and the consequential desired results. African (including Yoruba) storytelling and proverbs should be used consciously and often, during strategy sessions and retreats, for personal development plans/personality-archetype profiling, organisational culture mantras, and community/societal development advocacy efforts.

Management theory and practice have been developed mostly based on Western capitalist principles and imported into other nations. Some of these nations have their own indigenous principles though these are less well known. This chapter presents the values and concepts of Ubuntu and Batho Pele, both prominent business doctrines originally applied in the South African context.

Many scholars have pointed out the notion of Ubuntu as a philosophy that encompasses the beliefs, values, and behaviours of most South African people. It is a spirit of humaneness, caring and community, harmony, hospitality, and mutual respect among individuals and groups. It shows in the thinking and behaviour of African people towards others. Batho Pele, literally meaning ‘people first’ is a concept emanating from the Ubuntu principle that means putting other people ahead of one’s needs. It started with the drive to put others first, propagated from the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994. This idea of prioritising others’ needs then gave rise to various service delivery policies, for example, the 1997 Batho Pele White Paper. Batho Pele, as adopted from Sotho–Tswana languages, was an initiative introduced by the Mandela administration to change the public service at all levels to be more focussed on continuously delivering and improving on excellent service.

This study examines one of the managerial practices inspired by local value systems and ethics. The masaza system of governance is valued by the respective authorities in Uganda. Role clarity which is fundamental to social service delivery is one of the central tenets in the strategy. This calls for the adoption of role clarity in order to promote its application as an approach to effective service delivery. The masaza system in Buganda was applied under the guidance of the value and ethical arrangements of the Baganda people that reside in central Uganda and has been in use for a long period of time. Prior to colonisation, Buganda kingdom in central Uganda employed this structure of governance (ssaza-single/masaza-many) under the strict adherence to role clarity. The kingdom was divided into 18 administrative units (masaza). Each of which was under the stewardship of a head (owessaza), there were smaller units of eggombolola, omuluka, and obutongole whose roles were clearly defined to trickle down to the village level for equitable social service(s) provision. This study, therefore, examined the contribution of role clarity in promoting social service delivery in Uganda. The researchers used qualitative data, analysed and summarised information of vignettes to demonstrate the relevancy of applying role clarity in enhancing social services delivery in public institutions. The study concluded that role clarity influences social services in public institutions.

This chapter uses extensive literature review and critical analysis to evaluate the extent to which the Zunde raMambo (Chief’s Granary) philosophy can be applied in managing organisations sustainably and equitably. Zunde raMambo is a traditional social welfare system in Zimbabwe that espouses responsible and collaborative management in achieving communal goals. In addressing the literature gap on African management models, this chapter explores how the Zunde raMambo philosophy can add to knowledge in the African management discourse and beyond. Literature acknowledges that most management books and practices that are borrowed from the Western management principles and practices may have misgivings when applied in the African context. The assumption is that the Zunde raMambo as a management philosophy has the potential of creating responsible leaders through collaborative initiatives that can improve productivity and quality. This concept resonates well with African practices and traditions that exhibit teamwork and voluntary participation in achieving communal goals. The philosophy, if applied, can assist in constructing African management models that can be applied even beyond the continent. There is an assertion that voluntary participation in organisational projects and programmes may assist in sharpening the organisation’s sense of belonging and identity and solidifies relationships and teamwork. Teamwork can build resilient organisations that can survive in the most difficult times. This concept allows for a shared vision that is critical for achieving the overall objectives of the organisation.

This chapter examines the common good orientation of (i) African indigenous wisdom about responsible management in the light of (ii) Aristotelian epistemic architecture of phronesis and (iii) Catholic Social Teaching. Looking at what the chapter contributors found in Ghana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Africa, Lesotho, Uganda, Cameroon, and Egypt, the authors compare and contrast what common good means in these three great traditions that have done much to shape the world into what it is today and that can continue to help redirect humans into more responsible and sustainable domains of flourishing. The results show that the three traditions have much in common albeit with some nuances due to the disparity in their contexts and cultural settings. The expectation that the wise business leader should judge rightly and act ethically in pursuance of the common good is common to all three. The communitarian element of African indigenous wisdom stands out as the polis where wise leaders are taught and groomed for their responsibilities to the community. Where the person is disconnected from this reality of community, it could become more difficult for him or her to attain and maintain moral uprightness.