Building Competitive Advantage from Ubuntu: Management Lessons from South Africa

Abstract

Much of management theory is based on the writings of early 20th-century Western scholars whose disciplinary orientations were heavily grounded in economics and classical sociology. These writings depict homo sapiens as an individualistic, utility-maximizing, transaction-oriented species. In contrast, recent scholarship has revealed the gender and racio-ethnic biases of these theories, and shown them to be invalid models of human nature. Humans are social and communal beings. Along with rationality, we are guided by emotions such as anxiety, hope, disappointment, fear, anger, excitement, pity, and remorse. By acknowledging the importance of emotions, world management discourse can evolve more holistic, inclusive, and emancipatory theories. South Africa offers a unique opportunity for understanding the African concept of ubuntu or humaneness. Ubuntu is rich with consideration for compassion and communality. This article discusses the characteristics of ubuntu, explores situations in which it manifests itself in the workplace, and argues that ubuntu can give competitive advantage to companies that incorporate its principles and practices.