Managerial attitudes of public sector managers in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Africa, and more specifically Sub-Saharan Africa, is faced with severe economic problems. The public sector, both the political and the managerial, is under severe attack to change its approach to the organization and management of society and its administrative System. There is today, external, and to some extent internal, pressure to downsize the administrative system, to privatize, and to generally give up the prominent role played by the administrative system in the production and distribution of the general welfare. This study attempts to assess the attitudes of public sector managers in Sub-Saharan Africa to what may be called universal managerial concerns such as problem-solving, leadership, job challenge, change, and organizational culture. It also assesses the level of satisfaction with career and particular positions of Sub- Saharan African mangers. In assessing attitudes and levels of satisfaction, we compare managers' attitudes with managers from other third world countries. The study concludes with the findings that routineness of work generates negative attitudes while bureaucratization and experience initiate positive attitudes towards universal managerial concerns.