Gérer dans la tourmente: le management des entreprises formelles au Congo-Brazzaville

Abstract

The characteristics of African management are often given as an example to highlight the cultural relativism of management practices and the need to adapt these to the specificities of local context. However, these practices do not depend solely on culture. They are also embedded in a sociopolitical context that may be unstable and sometimes violent. Few studies have attempted to show the role of armed conflicts plaguing many countries - particularly in sub-Saharan Africa - on the management of organizations established in these at-risk zones. An empirical study made with about thirty managers in Congolese firms during the time of the civil war that ravaged Congo-Brazaville shows that consequences of this hostile environment on management practices. It appears that African management, as a whole, tends to be well adapted to situations of crisis and chaos. In particular, the community solidarity that characterizes African firms acts as a social buffer to absorb shocks related to conflicts, and it helps compensate in part for the decline of public institutions. The results of this study also show that despite reinforcement of certain traditional characteristics, in particular autocratic paternalism, Congolese management is rather open to more modern and participative management practices. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]