Cave canem! The art (or science?) of western management in an African context

The West has continued to supply leadership and management ideas, political systems, and economic infrastructures to Africa, from colonial times to the present. Understandably, most Western theories that are continuously being used in organisations in Africa, with their seemingly good intentions, have not achieved the desired outcomes, because many Africans find it difficult to relate to them and have to sacrifice their authenticity in order to fully embrace them. Some have identified the limitations of perspectives and practices formulated solely in the West, while others have offered empirical evidence on the nature of extant practices, pointing to their appropriateness or lack thereof. This growing critique has highlighted the need to understand the African context as well as the indigenous thought system and, in particular, the perspective of the African worker.