African Organisations Research Articles

African Agency in Practice: Acquiring Agency and Institutional Change in the West African Health Organisation

This article investigates how practitioners in the West African Health Organization (WAHO) obtain and exercise autonomous political agency in the development of regional health policy. While many process-driven accounts of African agency focus on the freedom and ability of African governments and regional organisations to act and not be acted upon, the article finds that it is necessary look within these agents to examine how they are constituted and the processes in which they acquire the capacity to be agents in their external interactions. This article shows that practitioners in WAHO rely on three institutional strategies that constitute them as agents within the organisation: networking with extra-regional partners; the inclusion of civil society in regional social policy; and the development of intra-organisational linkages to create insulation from political control. Through these strategic interactions, WAHO practitioners constitute themselves as agents within the organisation as well as autonomous agents in the broader global health theatre.

Cross-Cultural Comparison of Mental Health Between German and South African Employees: Shame, Self-Compassion, Work Engagement, and Work Motivation.

The negative impact of the coronavirus disease outbreak 2019 (COVID-19) on work mental health is reported in many countries including Germany and South Africa: two culturally distinct countries. This study aims to compare mental health between the two workforces to appraise how cultural characteristics may impact their mental health status. A cross-sectional study was used with self-report measures regarding (i) mental health problems, (ii) mental health shame, (iii) self-compassion, (iv) work engagement and (v) work motivation. 257 German employees and 225 South African employees have completed those scales. This study reports results following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. T-tests, correlation and regression analyses were performed. German employees had lower mental health problems and mental health shame, and higher self-compassion than South Africans. Mental health problems were positively associated with mental health shame and amotivation, and negatively associated with work engagement and intrinsic motivation in both groups. Lastly, self-compassion, a PP 2.0 construct, was the strongest predictor for mental health problems in both countries. Our results suggest (i) that German culture’s long-term orientation, uncertainty avoidance and restraint may help explain these differences, and (ii) that self-compassion was important to mental health in both countries. While the levels of mental health differed between the two countries, cultivating self-compassion may be an effective way to protect mental health of employees in those countries. Findings can help inform managers and HR staff to refine their wellbeing strategies to reduce the negative impact of the pandemic, especially in German-South African organizations.

Report of the Premier African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer Virtual Genomics Conference held from 18-20 February 2021.

The rapidly rising cancer burden and mortality rate in Africa are in contrast to the increase in cancer survivorship in Europe and North America. Genomic medicine has contributed to the rise in survival and has facilitated precision cancer control. However, there is a shortage of African representation in genomic databases, even for cancers that disproportionately affect Africans. To improve this outlook and address research in genomics and genetics relevant to Africa and people of African descent, the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), under the Research Committee’s auspices, organised the Cancer Genomic Conference. The conference aimed to develop a roadmap for cancer genomics research to control the continent’s increasing cancer burden. Presentations at the conference revealed that: (1) Africa is made up of a highly heterogeneous group of people with diverse ethnic groups, (2) Very few African countries have been the focus of cancer genomics research, (3) Cancer exacts a heavy burden on global populations across the African diaspora with obvious genetic variants and cancer disparities and (4) There are differences in the contribution of genetics by race or ancestry and these differences are likely due to evolutionary genetics, contextual factors and genomic architecture. The importance of data security, ethics and integrity of the African genomics data was emphasised. The implementation of the conference highlights will provide the bedrock for pharmacogenomics to guide treatment decisions for cancer in Africa. The conference concluded with the formation of an AORTIC Special Interest Group on cancer genomics. It is the goal of this group to drive the implementation of this Conference’s outcomes.

Sermons to Address Obesity in Partnership With African American and Latino Churches

Sermons to Address Obesity in Partnership With African American and Latino Churches

Fatigue-management strategies among women with endometriosis in South Africa: a qualitative study

Fatigue is a common, secondary symptom of endometriosis that has not been qualitatively explored. We conducted individual, face-to-face interviews with 25 women in South Africa about their experiences of endometriosis-related fatigue. Participants were recruited at a public hospital in Cape Town and through several South African endometriosis organizations. Interviews were conducted in English and Afrikaans and ranged from 30 min to 1 hr 16 min in duration. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. We found that both the experience of fatigue and fatigue-management strategies were highly personalized. Participants reported using a variety of cognitive strategies, such as planning, pacing, and pushing through their fatigue to reduce the levels of fatigue. Participants also employed physical strategies such as rest, dietary changes, using supplements, and exercise. We found that while participants often tried fatigue-management strategies suggested to them by others, they struggled to maintain these strategies even when they were successful. There are currently no interventions aimed at reducing endometriosis-related fatigue. The findings of this study provide insight into the management of fatigue in women with endometriosis and may be used to develop a psychosocial intervention for fatigue among women with the disease.

The societal importance of journalistic health reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa: Impressions from science and health journalism organizations

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on health systems and economies around the world. This is particularly true for developing and newly industrialized countries that often have to deal with poverty and inadequate health systems. A greater awareness of COVID-19 and its consequences, generated and fostered by journalistic health reporting, may contribute to better preparations. The societal importance of journalistic health reporting and its challenges in sub-Saharan societies during the pandemic are examined. A qualitative research design relying on interviews with representatives of African science and health journalism organizations is employed. The results show that health reporting during health crises can provide a variety of normative functions of journalism in democracies and in autocratic developing and newly industrialized countries, but it presents many challenges for journalists and media houses. COVID-19 also offers starting points for global media assistance in strengthening and improving health reporting in the long term.

Faculty development: What do we know about barriers, enablers, and satisfaction levels among African oncology faculty?

11023 Background: Faculty development (FD) programs and initiatives have been shown to improve teaching, learning, and overall satisfaction levels of academic faculty. However, these benefits are not fully realized in resource constrained settings like those found in some Sub-Saharan African academic institutions, that often face many FD challenges. Improving FD activities in the region may enhance the capacity of oncology faculty to address these challenges. We sought to examine African oncology faculty’s satisfaction and the perceived enablers and barriers with current FD opportunities. Methods: We randomly surveyed oncology faculty ( n = 21) through the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) listserv and conducted semi-structured interviews with nine ( n = 9) faculty involved in African oncology training programs to ascertain their perspectives on faculty development activities including curriculum development, teaching, and learning. All survey respondents and interview participants are current members of the AORTIC. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, and thematic analysis were used to analyze the survey and interview data respectively. Results: Interim survey results revealed that 64% of academic oncology faculty believe that there are barriers to their FD at their current academic institutions. Barriers cited for FD from the interviews include the competitive nature of FD courses and programs, limited online learning opportunities, poor internet access, time constraints, language barriers, and high costs associated with FD activities. A significant minority of the survey respondents (43%) were dissatisfied with their overall FD. Access to curriculum development opportunities (χ2 = 10.97, p = 0.001) and longer duration of practice (χ2 = 7.9, p = 0.019) were significantly associated with an increased overall satisfaction with FD of oncology faculty. Themes emerging from the interviews also revealed that participants believe that addressing issues relating to access to local institutional support and opportunities including funding, reduced fees for individuals from low- and middle-income countries, getting time off work from local institution, and availability of online FD education will enable them to increase their participation in FD activities. Conclusions: A considerable number of African oncologists face many FD challenges and are therefore dissatisfied with the current state of their FD. Incorporating the recommendations offered by participants into faculty development planning activities may improve faculty satisfaction levels, remove barriers, and improve outcomes for learners. Also, the finding that access to curriculum development opportunities leads to increased levels of satisfaction with FD could guide FD for faculty in African oncology training programs.

Who set the narrative? Assessing the influence of Chinese global media on news coverage of COVID-19 in 30 African countries

The size of China’s State-owned media’s operations in Africa has grown significantly since the early 2000s. Previous research on the impact of increased Sino-African mediated engagements has been inconclusive. Some researchers hold that public opinion toward China in African nations has been improving because of the increased media presence. Others argue that the impact is rather limited, particularly when it comes to affecting how African media cover China-related stories. This article contributes to this debate by exploring the extent to which news media in 30 African countries relied on Chinese news sources to cover China and the COVID-19 outbreak during the first-half of 2020. By computationally analyzing a corpus of 500,000 written news stories, this paper shows that, compared to other major global players (e.g. Reuters, AFP), content distributed by Chinese media (e.g. Xinhua, China Daily) is much less likely to be used by African news organizations, both in English and French speaking countries. The analysis also reveals a gap in the prevailing themes in Chinese and African media’s coverage of the pandemic. The implications of these findings for the sub-field of Sino-African media relations, and the study of global news flows are discussed.

Maturity of the Organisational Leadership Development Process – Development and Validation of an Afrocentric Measure

Organisations spend enormous amounts of money on leadership development. Yet, these organisations do not necessarily know exactly in which leadership development programmes or areas they should invest for each level of work (leadership). The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a measure of the maturity of the organisational leadership development process that is fit for use in southern Africa across the different levels of leadership. This measure consists of two instruments, namely the qualitative Social Perspective Profiling and the quantitative Leadership Development Process Maturity Index. Both these instruments were validated against two large multinational southern African organisations and revealed different levels of maturity of the leadership development process across the levels of leadership in these organisations. As a result, southern African organisations are now able to measure themselves against the benchmark areas that represent the maturity of the leadership development process. This will allow these organisations to close the gap between their leadership development process status quo for each level of leadership and what is most or least critical from a leadership development point of view, which will result in an improved return on learning and the increased success of these organisations.

Rethinking Leadership in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Lessons for Construction Business Organizations

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is changing the way organizations function and provide services. However, scholars are of the view that the construction industry is struggling to catch up with the pace of change. Some studies have queried whether leadership is required to drive the change agenda. The current study employed a quantitative research approach and a cross‐sectional survey research design to obtain information from a sample of 408 construction executives across the nine provinces of South Africa. The leadership orientation and functions of the executives employed toward the adaptation to 4IR were examined. The current study found that only a few 4IR technologies, namely, internet of things, three‐dimensional printers, and cloud computing are mostly adopted in South African construction organizations. Further, it was found that the leader functions of executing and coaching are not being employed. Based on these findings, it is concluded that there are gaps in the perceived functions of leaders in implementing 4IR in South African construction organizations, which impacts on the ability of construction companies to improve their services in the 4IR era. The study recommends a rethinking for construction leaders to fully benefit from the 4IR.

Supervisor support and work engagement: The mediating role of psychological safety in a post-restructuring business organisation

The present study aimed to examine employee perceptions of supervisor support, psychological safety, and work engagement in a restructuring mining organisation. Participants were 253 employees of a South African mining organisation (male = 65%; African = 57%; skilled supervisory technicians = 44%; and employees with 10–15 years’ experience = 23%). They completed self-report measures of supervisor support, psychological safety, and work engagement. Following structural equation modelling, results indicated that employee perception of improvement in supervisor support enhance both psychological safety and work engagement amongst retained employees. The results further indicated psychological safety to mediate the relationship between supervisor support and work engagement, thereby confirming the importance of psychological safety amongst retained employees. Psychological safety and work engagement would be important to workforce adaptation with business organisation restructuring.

Risk Management Practices by South African Universities: An Annual Report Disclosure Analysis

This paper assesses risk management practices at South African universities by analyzing the extent of risk management disclosure recommended by King IV and the level of risk governance maturity. This study was motivated by #Feesmustfall disruptions, which pointed to the lack of effective risk management, preparedness for volatility and increased scrutiny by stakeholders. A qualitative content analysis using a risk disclosure checklist was conducted on 18 annual reports and analyzed using an exploratory research design. The results revealed that over 80% of the sampled South African universities have disclosed most of their risk management practices, showing an improved disclosure due to King IV’s “apply and explain” philosophy as introduced in 2016. However, there were areas of improvement identified, such as: defining and approval of risk appetites and tolerance; development and implementation of business continuity plans; confirming the unpreparedness for volatility; annual revision of policies; and integration of risk management into the culture and daily activities of the university. This paper builds upon previous studies that highlighted a lack of detailed disclosures in South African organizations’ annual reports. This study also provides interesting insights into the impact of social events on organizational practices and supports the notion that legislative accounting practices should echo stakeholders and societal expectations.

The validation of a diversity climate measurement instrument for the South African environment

Orientation: South Africa had a distinctive diversity environment with unique diversity-related challenges. Researchers and practitioners required a validated diversity climate instrument that can be used to examine diversity management observations in a South African setting. Research purpose: The objective of this study was to address a research opportunity to source, test and validate a diversity climate instrument for the South African environment. Motivation for the study: Studies examining the conceptualisation, validation and measurement invariance of a diversity climate instrument for the South African environment do not yet exist. Research approach/design and method: A quantitative approach with cross-sectional design was utilised. A total of 323 respondents from a convenience sample formed part of this study. Statistical analysis included reliability, validity and measurement invariance computations. Main findings: An applicable one-dimensional diversity climate assessment instrument was identified from literature. This study found evidence indicating that the instrument was reliable and valid across white and African population groups. Practical/managerial implications: The assessment of diversity climate will be an accurate indication on how well an organisation is managing diversity. A validated measuring instrument will be a valuable managerial tool for any South African organisation, which can assist with future decision making. Contribution/value-add: This study was able to source and validate a diversity climate measuring instrument for a unique diversity setting, such as South Africa.

Erratum: Mental health research in African organisations: Advancing theory and practice

Erratum: Mental health research in African organisations: Advancing theory and practice

Leadership development process maturity: An Afrocentric versus Eurocentric perspective

Orientation: Organisations continuously find it a challenge to focus on the right areas that would result in successful and effective leadership development. This article reports on a comprehensive study to identify the leadership development process maturity areas fit for Southern Africa. Research purpose: This article aims to identify and report on Eurocentric and Afrocentric leadership development process maturity areas and assess how these are similar or different. Motivation for the study: This study was conducted to help enhance the understanding of which Eurocentric and Afrocentric leadership development areas, organisations, especially in Southern Africa, need to focus on in support of a mature leadership development process. Research approach: A qualitative, deductive approach was adopted, which included an extensive, in-depth literature review, followed by in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Southern African leadership development expert panel members. Main findings: A complementary, inclusive and comprehensive list of 125 leadership development process maturity areas was developed within the Southern African context, which could be used by leadership development practitioners as a guide to focus their resources and leadership development efforts. It also functions as a new foundation for future leadership development research. Practical implications: Southern African organisations should focus more on what works in this geographical context to ensure that focused leadership development interventions are implemented, resulting in a higher return on leadership development investment. Contribution and value-added: This article contributes to the leadership development body of knowledge, specifically relating to the maturity of this process within the Southern African context.

Ebola Outbreak amid COVID-19 in the Republic of Guinea: Priorities for Achieving Control.

.In February 2021, a new Ebola outbreak occurred amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the Republic of Guinea. Technical committees and Ebola mitigation mechanisms used during the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemics, have been redeployed by the public health organizations and African health organizations. As the burden on the local healthcare system is rising, fears of socioeconomic disruption are growing as well. Strategies used during the previous epidemic need to be reactivated, and new measures taken during the challenges of COVID-19 are being considered. This perspective discusses the available evidence regarding the epidemic of Ebola in Guinea amid the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights the challenges to be prioritized, and provides evidence-based recommendations.

‘Literacy, Armed Struggle and Black Consciousness’: The Evolution of NAYO, 1973–1976

ABSTRACT Within the literature on Black Consciousness, the National Youth Organization (NAYO) is relatively unknown compared to its sister organisations like the South African Student Organization (SASO) and South African Students’ Movement (SASM). Organisers in NAYO played a significant role conscientising and organising with the working people of South Africa’s Black urban landscape. The organisation was a space created for Black South African youth who were not based in secondary or tertiary education. Hence, it disproportionately attracted the working poor and what Marxists would call the lumpen-proletariat population. Their politicising under Black Consciousness and actions to spread NAYO’s gospel left an indelible mark on the South African liberation struggle during the 1970s and beyond. Lastly, NAYO and its various regional branches served as a recruiting ground for the various South African armed wings in exile during the 1970s.

Workplace engagement of South African Millennials: A non-issue?

Although theories on generational issues abound, this research sought to explore whether Millennial employees and employees from Generation X responded differently to the South African work environment. The aim of the study was to assess whether South African Millennials experience their work environment different to Generation X employees, focusing specifically on engagement and identifying the differential activation of engagement across these generations. Data from 1913 Millennials and 1027 Generation X employees, from an existing database representative of employees across the broad spectrum of South African organisations, were analysed. Data on the age of employees and responses to the employee engagement questionnaire (UWES-9) were available across all cases. The reliability of the instrument was tested first, followed by measurement invariance testing across generations. This was followed by mean differences testing between the generations on the total scores, as well as subscale scores and items. The results reveal that the UWES-9 was reliable and measurement invariant across generations. It further revealed that no mean differences exist between Generation X and Y (Millennials), as far as total engagement scores are concerned. This result is significant as it reveals that South African Millennials respond similarly to the generation preceding them to workplace engagement initiatives. The findings also indicate that Millennials respond well to interventions that help them build confidence and juggle multiple responsibilities.

Using advanced information and communication technologies to advance oncology education in Africa.

BackgroundRecent work has highlighted the tremendous potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in advancing global oncology education, research and care. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the development of effective approaches for online education even more crucial. Here we assessed the readiness, interest and potential models for effective implementation of ICT-powered oncology education in Africa.MethodsBuilding on previous work by the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), a survey was conducted to assess the electronic learning (e-Learning) readiness of oncology health professionals using an online self-assessment tool. Components of e-Learning readiness assessed include access to computers, Internet, appropriate bandwidth and interest. As a practical test model, an ICT resource-intensive radiation oncology training programme was implemented via the Global Oncology University (GO-U) collaborative education platform. An analysis of results, challenges and opportunities resulting from these is discussed for advancing online oncology education in Africa.ResultsThe survey showed over 92% of health professionals have access to computers, laptops or other technology that can allow them to participate in online education. Over 45% of oncology health professionals have already participated in some form of online education. Interest in online education was over 93%. Models for effective online learning in oncology include synchronous and asynchronous short-term courses for continuous education and long-term degree and residency programmes. There was a significant increase in skills level following the collaborative radiation oncology training model used by the GO-U platform.ConclusionAfrica has the capacity to implement successful e-Learning in oncology, which is consistent with findings in previous work such as the AORTIC. Greater investment by institutions and governments is needed in terms of resources and policy changes to facilitate the implementation of effective online oncology training. Purposeful engagement of diaspora oncology health professionals with relevant cultural backgrounds as with some current collaborative efforts is highly recommended in helping turn brain drain into brain circulation.

The role of intellectual property rights on access to medicines in the WHO African region: 25\u2009years after the TRIPS agreement

BackgroundIt is now 25 years since the adoption of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and the same concerns raised during its negotiations such as high prices of medicines, market exclusivity and delayed market entry for generics remain relevant as highlighted recently by the Ebola and COVID-19 pandemics. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) mandate to work on the interface between intellectual property, innovation and access to medicine has been continually reinforced and extended to include providing support to countries on the implementation of TRIPS flexibilities in collaboration with stakeholders. This study analyses the role of intellectual property on access to medicines in the African Region.MethodsWe analyze patent data from the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI) to provide a situational analysis of patenting activity and trends. We also review legislation to assess how TRIPS flexibilities are implemented in countries.ResultsPatenting was low for African countries. Only South Africa and Cameroon appeared in the list of top ten originator countries for ARIPO and OAPI respectively. Main diseases covered by African patents were HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and tumors. Majority countries have legislation allowing for compulsory licensing and parallel importation of medicines, while the least legislated flexibilities were explicit exemption of pharmaceutical products from patentable subject matter, new or second use of patented pharmaceutical products, imposition of limits to patent term extension and test data protection. Thirty-nine countries have applied TRIPS flexibilities, with the most common being compulsory licensing and least developed country transition provisions.ConclusionsOpportunities exist for WHO to work with ARIPO and OAPI to support countries in reviewing their legislation to be more responsive to public health needs.