2020 has proved to be a challenging year. In addition to the challenges of COVID-19, yet again, the USA has witnessed police brutality leading to the death of a Black man, George…
Abstract
Purpose
2020 has proved to be a challenging year. In addition to the challenges of COVID-19, yet again, the USA has witnessed police brutality leading to the death of a Black man, George Floyd. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, founded in the US but now an international organisation which challenges white supremacy and deliberates harm against Black people, mobilised hundreds of thousands of people to take to the streets across the globe. Increasingly, the protests focus not only on George Floyd's murder but also the continued failure to challenge the celebrity of those involved in the transatlantic slave trade and European imperialism. In this article, the author will contend that many organisations are now reexamining their association with these historical wrongs against Black Africa and its diaspora. Further, the author will contend but that the failure to highlight the role of Black chattel slavery and imperialism in the accumulation of economic, commercial and political benefits reaped by the global north is a source of shame not only for many firms and institutions but also for universities.
Design/methodology/approach
The author has reviewed the online media for the latest developments in response to Black Lives Matter's George Floyd campaign in 2020 and reviewed the literature on the link between European global ambition and its impact on the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa.
Findings
Internationally, there is a discernible change in outlook towards the importance of the evils of slavery and colonialism on the Black experience today. These small steps will require scholars to embark on a fresh reexamination of race, society and work.
Originality/value
For decades, the slave trade and colonialism were issues rarely raised in government, firms and business schools. This will inevitably change especially in those countries that are the main beneficiaries of Black chattel slavery and colonial exploitation. Much Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) practice is fundamentally tokenism. A root and branch reappraisal will be needed to create more effective EDI policy and practice in support of race equality and anti-racism.
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Olusoji George, Kolawole M. Yusuff and Nelarine Cornelius
Taking a clue from the aftermaths of colonisation and the need to manage an “unholy marriage” created by the British colonial masters, the purpose of this paper is to examine the…
Abstract
Purpose
Taking a clue from the aftermaths of colonisation and the need to manage an “unholy marriage” created by the British colonial masters, the purpose of this paper is to examine the peculiar challenges of managing Nigeria’s unique diversity in the public sector through the critical lens of the Federal Character Principle (FCP) with specific focus on how this invented model of diversity management ended up creating more serious problems than it was meant to solve in the Nigerian public administration.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is essentially a review, and it relies on previous studies and real-world evidence on the subject. The paper systematically traces the evolution of diversity management in Nigerian public administration through the critical lens of the FCP with specific focus on how problematic it is to management Nigeria’s unique diversity with more serious problems being created by the FCP application in the public sector.
Findings
The paper reveals that the constitutional provisions of the “Federal Character Principle” ended up in creating more problems than it set out to solve, reflecting in the “melting pot” allegory. It reveals how problematic it is to manage the country’s diversity, and highlights some of the problems created by the FCP. The review makes a case for an urgent need to intensify empirical research on the subject in order to fashion out a better way of managing Nigeria’s diversity in the public sector.
Research limitations/implications
One major limitation of this paper is rooted in lack of empirical research such as survey to further explore the topic. Few real life examples and cases provided are considered insufficient to justify some of the assertions. Thus, a call for more systematic and empirical research is made.
Practical implications
The implication of the finding is that the model for managing workforce diversity especially in the Nigerian public sector (not limited to the public administration) must be “Nigerianised” such that the unique socio-cultural realities of the Nigeria’s society as well as benefits accrued to diversity can be fully explored in driving the growth of the country and survival of the “unity-in-diversity” goal.
Originality/value
The paper will benefit the government, all stakeholders, and the Nigerian society at large. It offers some useful insights into public administration. It stimulates an interest to conduct further research on diversity management with a view to producing some useful findings that could lead to a better management of diversity in the country.
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Nelarine Cornelius and James Wallace
In this article, the aim is to explore the rise of the role of the social enterprise as a “force for good” in the context of social and economic regeneration. Building on the…
Abstract
Purpose
In this article, the aim is to explore the rise of the role of the social enterprise as a “force for good” in the context of social and economic regeneration. Building on the growing importance of the third sector to central government as part of its agenda to diversify the delivery of public services, the paper seeks to question the veracity of the view that social enterprises invariably enable the communities in which they operate.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have developed this conceptual paper by building on the application of Amartya Sen's capabilities approach.
Findings
It is concluded that where social enterprises are contracted to provide services to communities, including those that would previously have been provided by the public sector (within a carefully crafted statutory framework), should have a demonstrable remit for community wide action, as this, it is argued, is more likely to facilitate community wide benefits. Part of any assessment should include, first, the sustainability of the contribution; and second, the extent to which they enable community members to exercise the choice to participate in the mainstream economy and society.
Research limitations/implications
This theoretical account would benefit from empirical assessment.
Practical implications
The article is of potential value to policy makers and researchers of social enterprise in urban, multicultural environments.
Originality/value
The article has attempted to use the capabilities approach to reconcile some of the tensions between the rhetoric and reality of social enterprise activity and its value in the context of the regeneration of communities.
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Myfanwy Trueman, Nelarine Cornelius, Tom Franks and John Lawler
This article aims to introduce the special issue which arose from a conference about urban regeneration in post industrial cities hosted at Bradford University in 2008. The event…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to introduce the special issue which arose from a conference about urban regeneration in post industrial cities hosted at Bradford University in 2008. The event focused on the sustainable and intangible aspects of individual and community well‐being.
Design/methodology/approach
The article discusses the background to urban regeneration and introduces the papers in the issue.
Findings
The papers investigate and understand how policies, programmes and projects can increase well‐being in the built environment, and what this means for those involved. Specifically the papers address key features of well‐being in terms of the economics of regeneration, participation, sustainability, social enterprise, migration, partnership, management, and the importance of place and space.
Originality/value
The article focuses on the papers of the special issue that encourage pragmatic and workable solutions based on sound theory and practice.
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Mathew Todres, Nelarine Cornelius, Shaheena Janjuha‐Jivraj and Adrian Woods
To study the applicability of capacity building as a technique for developing social enterprises.
Abstract
Purpose
To study the applicability of capacity building as a technique for developing social enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
Two emerging social enterprises, developed within the WestFocus Partnership, a consortium of seven higher education institutions, were studied in a series of capacity building sessions conducted by Brunel University Business School, UK. Reports the gathering of data for the project using participant observation, questionnaire surveys and focus groups, together with a series of capacity building sessions delivered by specialists, addressing the areas of leadership and human resources, marketing, environmental scanning, stakeholder analysis and business strategy where Session 1 addressed “Management and leadership styles”, Session 2 addressed “Strategic marketing and environmental analysis”, and Session 3 addressed “Strategy (in the widest sense)”.
Findings
The results indicated that, although capacity building could not resolve a perceived conflict between social ends and profit‐driven motives, it does play an important role in the development of successful social enterprises, even if the role is limited.
Originality/value
Propose that a capabilities approach provides a useful platform for highlighting important links between corporate social responsibility and corporate governance within social enterprises.
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Pauline Gleadle, Nelarine Cornelius, Eric Pezet and Graeme Salaman