Conference Theme: Managing Africa’s Future: Prospects and Challenges

Africa’s image has recently taken a positive turn to attract headlines, such as Lions on the move: The progress and potential of African economies (McKinsey, 2010); Africa rising (The Economist, 2011); and, Cracking the next growth market: Africa (Harvard Business Review, 2011). This African renaissance presents both challenges and opportunities for management scholars. It also presents an opportunity for management scholars to reflect upon the meaning of these challenges and opportunities for theory and practice.

In accordance with the theme of the conference, Managing Africa’s Future: Prospects and Challenges, we invite conceptual and empirical papers, on topics that engage with how management of organizations and knowledge could be harnessed to propel Africa’s future and prospects.  The papers can draw on theories from the different management disciplines as well as other relevant theoretical frameworks.  Though not exhaustive but some of the following questions are worth considering:

• What type of management theories, philosophies and concepts have helped contribute to or hinder an Africa rising?
• How can post-colonial theories provide insight into the transformation of management and administrative systems inherited during colonialism?  
• How are some of the root causes of challenges to organizations in Africa being tackled through management and organization interrogation and engagement?
• What does good management and leadership look like in organizations in Africa?
• How might indigenous approaches to management benefit African managers and organizations? 
• What human resource management strategies are needed to build the skills and knowledge of the labor force?  
• What management challenges face organizations in Africa as it tries to harness and build on the expanding workforce towards sustainable and inclusive growth?
• How do organizations nurture Africa’s young growing workforce with relevant training and development?
• What are some examples of best management practices in African organizations?
• Do Africa’s diverse cultures, languages and ethnicities present opportunities or challenges for managing and developing capable institutions?
• Does the recent arrival of China, alongside the existence of western historical presence on the African continent present particular management challenges?
• What does sustainability mean within the African renaissance phenomenon?
• How do emergent technologies, such as mobile banking and mobile based applications enhance marketing channels and business activities?
• With the growing importance of natural resources such as new energy finds, how can new entrepreneurial efforts enhance local development?
• What are best practices in governance in public, government, and non-profit organizations?  And how can we promote transparency, accountability and institutional effectiveness in African enterprises.
• What could be some measures/solutions that could help public organizations in Africa improve on issues like administrative development, reforms, meet complexity, manage crises, and reduce corruption?
• How do preparing future managers and leaders in African institutions elicit increasing importance of public service education?
• How do the strategic management theories of the firm (e.g., TCE, the RBV, the institutional view, competitive strategy & dynamics, etc.) apply to the African context?  What differences in the African context alter these theoretical models and how can it used improve firm outcomes?

Review Process

All papers will go through a blind peer-review process and will be reviewed for originality, rigor and relevance.

Given the theme of the conference, academic contributions are invited in the following tracks:

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