African Management Research Articles

Sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) in South Africa: A limited adoption of environmental criteria

ABSTRACTThis paper explores whether Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) products and strategies in South Africa take environmental sustainability into account. It is based on a qualitative, empirical survey of 22 organisations which are signatories to the United Nation's Principle for Responsible Investment or offering an SRI product. By looking at how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are practically used in investment decision making and share ownership decisions, we found that most SRI products and strategies largely focus on social developmental goals whereas environmental criteria do not yet receive comparable attention from the SRI South African fund management industry.

Measuring the performance of South African equity investment managers using portfolio opportunity distributions

ABSTRACTMarket indices and peer group comparison are the most commonly used proxies to measure a portfolio manager's relative performance and draw conclusions regarding a manager's skill in managing investment portfolios. However, methods based on both of these proxies have several drawbacks that may lead to incorrect conclusions regarding relative performance and skill. This study addresses the shortcomings of the traditional approaches, and applies an alternative method to eliminate their shortcomings, namely Portfolio Opportunity Distributions (PODs). The method is applied to all South African equity unit trust portfolios classified as either value or growth portfolios. Although data constraints ruled out any statistical testing of this hypothesis, the results nevertheless suggest that the PODs approach may indeed offer a more accurate performance measurement approach.

On the ethical conduct of business organisations: A comparison between South African and polish business management students

On the ethical conduct of business organisations: A comparison between South African and polish business management students

South African management literature over the past fifteen years: Content analysis of the three top South African management journals

This article analysed 15 years, from 1996 to 2010, of research published in the three leading South African business management journals. The three journals chosen were the South African Journal of Business Management, the South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences and Management Dynamics. Content analysis was used to compare five broad themes in the journals: firstly the nature of authorship was examined, and then the most published as well as most prolific authors were identified. Thirdly, the most prominent universities and departments were identified whereafter the research themes and disciplines of the articles and authors were analysed. Lastly, various manuscript characteristics were investigated. This article provides a clear picture of the evolution of South African management literature over the past fifteen years.

Managerial challenges in South Africa

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate insights into cross‐cultural conflict, identity and values amongst selected managers within a South African management context. It aims to increase the understanding of these complexities from an academic managerial perspective, thereby providing in‐depth information which can lead to the development of managerial training tools for improving diversity and conflict management in the described context.Design/methodology/approachThe authors selected qualitative data from a case study that was conducted in the international South African automotive industry. The case study was based on the post‐modernist premise by considering phenomenological and interpretative paradigms most relevant.FindingsFindings show conflicts in managerial communication and treatment, position and competition, organisation, race and gender and are often defined as “cross‐racial” conflict fuelled by the society's past.Research limitations/implicationsThe generalisability is limited to this specific context and needs to be proven by follow‐up studies which expand the context and the methodological approach of the study.Practical implicationsPractical suggestions address the implementation of training tools, coaching and counselling in cross‐cultural conflict management. They are anticipated to create awareness on managing the present challenges and are aimed at managers and international organisations investing in South Africa.Originality/valueThe paper provides new insights into the discussion on human resource management in a specific South African management context by referring to the highly important topics of cross‐cultural conflict, values and identities.

Management Versus Preservation: Archaeological Heritage Management in a Transforming South Africa

The discipline of archaeology has, like any other discipline, undergone transformation of various kinds over years. Such transformation is encouraged by various factors, which may range from the need to improve research techniques and theoretical frameworks to extract better results from the material culture to racial transforming within the discipline. The latter is true in the case of South Africa. An effort to bring about racial transformation within South African archaeology was initiated in 2007 by three African archaeologists who had the desire to see meaningful changes happening in the discipline following the democratic transition in 1994. A transformation charter was approved by the professional structure of archaeology in Southern Africa a year later. In it, we not only strive to achieve racial balance within the archaeological discipline, but explore how archaeology is practised in the context of archaeological heritage management. What does this transformation agenda mean for the management of archaeological resources? How can South African archaeological heritage management, through the transformation charter, bring about a truly post-colonial and Africanist archaeology? A review of post-colonial and Africanist ideology in the context of heritage management will be presented. In the case of South Africa, current archaeological heritage management principles are one-dimensional and Eurocentric in that the physical approach to heritage management is emphasized. This approach is at loggerheads with an approach based on African understanding of archaeological heritage management. To highlight this phenomenon, I shall briefly discuss the current heritage legislation. I conclude the paper by arguing that a post-colonial and Africanist archaeology cannot be meaningfully achieved by a mere change of theoretical principles, but by the full incorporation of professionals from across the racial divide. In the context of the paper, archaeological heritage management should not be about managing African heritage for the Africans in their absence.

Mirror, mirror: preferred leadership characteristics of South African managers

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate desired leadership characteristics of South African managers, and link differences in desired traits to contextually crucial demographic group differences and managerial advancement.Design/methodology/approachSouth African managers (n=205) ranked ten items of the characteristics of admired leadership scale. Aggregate rank analysis and nonparametric ANOVAs reveal significant preference differences in the sample and demographic sub‐groups. The research compares traits across managerial advancement and age, providing an implicit success test.FindingsManagers most highly ranked the three “credibility” characteristics (competence, honesty and inspiration) prevalent in comparative worldwide studies. Key differences exist between managers and employees, many contextually crucial demographic sub‐groups, and higher and lower‐level managers of younger and older ages.Practical implicationsThis research provides potentially important information for leadership identification, selection and development, in that it may identify characteristics that current leaders associate with contextual success. The research also identifies discrepancies between employees and managers and demographic groups, which may be sources of dissatisfaction or misunderstanding, and which organizations should address to better align expectations of subordinates and actions of leaders. Individuals might also use the information in self‐development, comparing their own views to successful leaders.Originality/valueSignificant informational and statistical advantages exist over prior studies. This research provides individual‐level analyses, and an explicit test of association with objective success that previous studies have not provided. It includes top management, whereas prior studies have limited samples to subordinates or middle managers. Greater demographic differentiation is provided, allowing for more contextually relevant understanding.

Why excavate? A South African perspective

The subject of the round table is a sensitive one, depending on the interest one represents. Based on my own work experience in South African heritage management in both national and provincial heritage bodies, I tackle this subject from the heritage authority's point of view. I will argue that archaeological sites should be left in situ or excavated only partially. When excavation is necessary, stringent procedures are to be put in place.

Theorising human resource management in Africa: Beyond cultural relativism

This paper provides a critical review of the emerging literature on African management, which is dominated by cultural relativism. In particular, the weaknesses and limitations of the assumptions and arguments of this view are extensively examined. One of the key issues relate to the homogeneous conceptualization of “national” and African culture, which is inappropriate given the cultural diversities and complexities that characterize the continent. Second, the generalizations that often characterize the literature do not acknowledge the varieties of business types and organizations that exist, an apparent lack of attention to context and firm-specificity. Furthermore, cultural relativism often overestimates the stability and long-term resilience of cultural values. Due to these fundamental weaknesses of the culturalist conceptual approach, this paper argues that there is a need for richer and fuller theoretical approaches that emphasize the market and institutional embeddedness of organizations.

A preliminary factor analytic investigation into the firstorder factor structure of the Fifteen Factor Plus (15FQ+) on a sample of Black South African managers

Orientation: The Fifteen Factor Questionnaire Plus (15FQ+) is a prominent personality questionnaire that organisations frequently use in personnel selection in South Africa.Research purpose: The primary objective of this study was to undertake a factor analytic investigation of the first-order factor structure of the 15FQ+.Motivation for the study: The construct validity of the 15FQ+, as a measure of personality, is necessary even though it is insufficient to justify its use in personnel selection.Research design, approach and method: The researchers evaluated the fit of the measurement model, which the structure and scoring key of the 15FQ+ implies, in a quantitative study that used an ex post facto correlation design through structural equation modelling. They conducted a secondary data analysis. They selected a sample of 241 Black South African managers from a large 15FQ+ database.Main findings: The researchers found good measurement model fit. The measurement model parameter estimates were worrying. The magnitude of the estimated model parameters suggests that the items generally do not reflect the latent personality dimensions the designers intended them to with a great degree of precision. The items are reasonably noisy measures of the latent variables they represent.Practical/managerial implications: Organisations should use the 15FQ+ carefully on Black South African managers until further local research evidence becomes available.Contribution/value-add: The study is a catalyst to trigger the necessary additional research we need to establish convincingly the psychometric credentials of the 15FQ+ as a valuable assessment tool in South Africa.

Management Awareness And Strategies For The Contemporary African Manager Of Organizations

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">This paper addresses a topical issue:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>management awareness and strategies for the contemporary African manager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The overall aim of the work is to provide a framework for improved management practices for the manager and the intervener in both private and public sectors. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This framework is not limited to the African manager but has a wider application for other managers of organizations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In pursuant of this objective, relevant key management concepts are explored and discussed bearing in mind that the subject of management is a dynamic and universal phenomenon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Emphasis is placed on the features of the endowed person and the potentials of the human being as the manager and as the most effective contributor to organizational life.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The identified concepts and their properties are interwoven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Other highlights are:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>(i) the universality in the applications or practices of management; (ii) the peculiarity in the applications and practices of management in different environments or social settings; (iii) management practices, problems and prospects in the African settings (See Table I).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Cases cited and examples drawn are meant <span style="text-decoration: underline;">inter alia</span> to strengthen the objectives of the study.</span></span></p>

Legislation as an Instrument in South African Heritage Management: Is It Effective?

Heritage management and cultural legislation have always existed in the African continent, even before the days of written laws. However, it is often perceived that it was with the 'taking over' of the continent that civilization and heritage legislation were first implemented. The 'new' legislation did not recognize the indigenous means of management and ignored the fact that heritage sites have existed long prior to the scramble for the continent. The first enacted legislation in South Africa was distinctively biased towards the Bushmen heritage. I argue that this was probably because it was not politically problematic as Bushmen were considered to be a dying nation with a culture going 'extinct'. Having legislation that promoted the heritage of the people you were colonizing might not have been strategically correct. Legislation over the years moved away from the 'Bushmen culture' to protecting colonial heritage sites. Whilst the post-colonial heritage legislation has improved on the previous legislation — as can be shown by its success in courts — there are still areas of concern. I find the whole heritage framework represented by the legislation to still be clearly non-African, with a top-down approach that has not much respect for African culture, especially the values that clash with Eurocentric ones. I conclude that indeed there has been significant progress made with legislation over the years, from 1911 to 1999 when the current legislation was promulgated. However, a lack of proactive measures from within heritage management, as well as external factors, are still a stumbling block to a successful implementation of heritage legislation and as a result heritage is still threatened.

Portfolio rebalancing in South Africa

The theory of so-called ‘optimal’ portfolio rebalancing has emerged over the last decade in journals and working papers, but this theory has several drawbacks, being based on advanced mathematics and relying on sets of restrictive assumptions. This paper investigates rebalancing strategies by using resampling procedures from actual South African data in a way that captures the intrinsic high volatility nature of South African asset price movements. It considers the main consequences of calendar and range rebalancing strategies on tracking error, transaction costs and portfolio performance and demonstrates that range rebalancing has advantages over calendar rebalancing in the South African financial context using the comparative portfolio allocations of Firer, Peagram and Brunyee (2003). As such it provides a practical framework for South African portfolio managers to make informed choices on the appropriate approach for best-practice portfolio rebalancing.

Empowering tomorrow's African entrepreneurs and managers: the Global Business School Network

The essay introduces an innovative low-cost knowledge-based approach to development cooperation: the Global Business School Network (GBSN). Since 2003 GBSN has been addressing a cross-cutting development issue which has been neglected or altogether ignored by Official Development Assistance institutions as well as private philanthropic funders: the extreme scarcity of well-trained local leaders and managers — ‘problem-solvers’ — in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as well as other low-income areas of the world. This shortage can be alleviated by sending Africans abroad for training, or by nurturing local training institutions by means of multi-year capacitybuilding efforts. GBSN opted for the latter, as it offers the best chances of long-term locally grounded sustainability. After a brief introduction setting out salient facts about development (or the absence thereof ) in SSA, the next section offers a knowledge-based framework for development and development cooperation; the subsequent section focuses on GBSN as a case in point, a global knowledge network of business schools with the potential to enhance local capacity to generate tomorrow’s leaders and managers in SSA. Why are Sub-Saharan economies lagging behind? Economic growth of SSA countries has accelerated these past ten years, thanks largely to improved macroeconomic policies and favourable terms of trade. Yet living standards of the vast majority of the population are still lagging far behind that in other regions. Taking a longer-term perspective, with the exception of South Africa and extractive industry clusters, SSA is unique in having experienced massive urbanisation, with some of the world’s fastestgrowing cities, without a corresponding increase in industry. Because of a failure over centuries to raise smallholder agricultural productivity, migration to the cities often is ‘a simple displacement of poverty to the urban environment’

African public sector financial managers – heroes or villains? – the origins and future prospects for public financial management reform in Sub-Saharan Africa

Contrary to the currently dominant view, it was not poor governance nor the associated corruption which were the prime causes of the development of poor public sector financial management in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was the economic problems across Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which led to a decline in the quality of public sector financial management and governance. The economic problems primarily arose from external events over which African governments had little or no control. Public sector financial managers across Sub-Saharan Africa, far from being the cause of the decline in the quality of public financial management, could be considered heroes and should be recognised as the key experts on the history, capabilities and short-comings of the systems they manage. As such, they should lead incremental reform programmes to re-build their systems rather than attempts at comprehensive and complex reforms effectively led by foreign consultants and the international financial institutions.

Perceptions of managers on transcultural conflict: a study in international South African management

Studies in organisational conflict management have gained interest in business and management sciences in the past decade. At the same time, the potential for transcultural conflict has grown. The challenge for South African managers is to find creative solutions for managing a highly diverse workforce and the transcultural conflicts that occur. In order to reduce this transcultural conflict potential in a globalised work environment, it is important to redefine individual and cultural values and identities and make possible the construction of multiple, transcultural identities that are aligned with adaptive value concepts. The purpose of this article is to assess managerial perspectives on transcultural conflict, values and identity in a selected organisation in the automotive industry in the South African context. This study adopts an exploratory research approach by using qualitative methodologies within the phenomenological and interpretative research paradigms. With this approach, the article aims at gaining a deeper understanding of transcultural conflict in the South African organisational work context. The research findings lead to conclusions and recommendations with regard to managing transcultural conflicts in the selected context, which are of importance for researchers and practitioners in Europe who focus on transcultural business management in South Africa.

Concepts of health and well-being in managers: An organizational study

Global changes and new managerial challenges require new concepts of health and well-being in organizational contexts. In the South African context, health and well-being of managers have gained relevance in organizations and in management sciences. International organizations, in particular, attempt to address the increasing demand for health care and the delivery of health services to their managers. Careful and appropriate health management requires research to evaluate context-specific health concepts and strategies. The purpose and aim of this article is to assess managerial concepts on health and well-being that could be used by the organization to contribute to managerial well-being by implementing health promotion according to managerial needs. At the same time, this article contributes to salutogenetic health research that is very rare with regard to the South African organizational management research.This study is a multi-method research study conducted in a selected international organization in South Africa. However, in this article, selected qualitative findings will only be presented.This organizational study presents selected research findings on health concepts and strategies employed by managers. Findings demonstrate that the managerial concepts of health and strategies mainly refer to not only physical but also to mental and spiritual aspects, with a priority on physical health and well-being.The findings presented are based on qualitative research methods and their research criteria.This assessment serves as a foundation for new approaches to health management within the international work context in South Africa. It also contributes to a paradigm shift from pathogenetic to salutogenetic concepts of health and well-being within the South African organizational work context.The article produces new insights into the qualitative health concepts of South African managers and expatriates and contributes to promoting salutogenesis in organization within South Africa.

SHOULD WE PUT LOCALS IN CHARGE? MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN PROSPECTIVE US – SOUTH AFRICAN JOINT VENTURES

Using a data set derived from South African managers in our empirical analysis of potential U.S.‐South Africa agreements. The picture that emerges from the analysis, posits that the need for highest work performance, knowledge management and strict control is high and the South African government's administrative barriers seem to be the most crucial problems for the prospective joint ventures. Furthermore, South African managers endorse issues such as plan for knowledge acquisition, distribution, interpretation and organizational memory/performance. US companies invest in South Africa to gain access to its market and South African companies get into joint ventures with US companies to tap into the appropriate knowledge know‐how and financial resources. Key directions for future research in international business stemming from the conceptual framework are also highlighted. Santrauka Galimu JAV ir Pietu Afrikos sutarčiu empirinei analizei buvo naudoti duomenys, surinkti iš Pietu Afrikos imoniu vadovu. Gauti analizes rezultatai parode, kad didesnio darbo našumo, žiniu valdymo ir griežtos kontroles poreikis yra didelis ir kad administraciniai Pietu Afrikos vyriausybes barjerai yra viena iš didžiausiu kliūčiu bendroms imonems kurtis. Pietu Afrikos imoniu vadovai pritaria tokiems klausimams, kaip žiniu igijimo planai, platinimas, interpretavimas ir organizacine atmintis. JAV imones investuoja i Pietu Afrika noredamos ieiti i jos rinka. Pietu Afrikos imones susijungia su JAV imonemis, noredamos gauti reikalingu žiniu (know‐how) ir finansiniu ištekliu. Straipsnyje išryškinama pagrindine tarptautinio verslo ateities tyrimu kryptis.

NETWORK, HOW? Perceptions of business people on networking practices

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to contribute to literature on networking from a South African perspective. Literature on networking is mainly concentrated on the European and American contexts with homogeneous groups and traditional divisions. The business landscape of South Africa thus requires more investigation. Problem investigated: Literature regarding networking in an South African context with its dynamic business environment is limited. This article addresses the concerns of how South African business owners and managers perceive networking in their businesses and specifically focus on the South African perspective. Therefore, the focus is on the perceptions of business owners and managers on current networking practices in South Africa. Methodology: A qualitative research design to uncover the rich underlying feelings of business owners and managers was used. The qualitative enquiry consisted of five focus group discussions (n=41 participants) among prominent business owners and managers in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. The Gauteng Province was selected since it is the economic and innovation hub of South Africa. Findings and implications: The main findings showed the following main themes of networking that emerged from the data, and included (1) networking as a skill versus a natural ability; (2) the motivation behind networking; (3) the loci of networking; (4) the type of relationships that determine the character of the network; and (5) the relationship characteristics of successful networking. The main contribution of this is that there seems to be different networking situations and applications for different circumstances. According to the participants, it seems that networking in the South African landscape appears to be either relationship or business based. Originality and value of the research: The value of these findings lies in the fact that they contribute to networking literature from a South African perspective and that networking skills form an important part of management and entrepreneurship. The conclusion is that this research supports the notion that networking skills are important and should be developed on a wider basis. Formal courses on networking or incorporation in existing management training and development courses need to be implemented on all levels by educational institutions and government.

When two African cultures collide: A study of interactions between managers in a strategic alliance between two African organizations

This paper explores the interaction between managers from two African countries. Using a case study of a strategic alliance between a South African multinational organisation and a local firm in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we examine procedural justice and interactional justice between managers from the two firms. Host country managers reported higher levels of procedural and interactional injustice than South African managers. Further, the results indicate that top management teams from both firms were more willing to work together than lower level managers.