African Organisations Research Articles

Virtue Ethics and Ubuntu in Leadership towards the Promotion of Ethical Organisational Operations

The objective of the conceptual literature study is to assess virtue ethics as a viable ethical leadership theory in African countries, more explicitly South Africa. We pinpoint some deficits in ethical leadership, which could be addressed through adopting a virtue ethics driven ethical organisational climate in order to positively enhance business practices and service to the community and society in general. This paper supports the notion of virtue ethics as being the suitable one for the purpose of motivating an ethical climate which leads to sustainable business. Leaders need to assume core responsibility for promoting ethics and should reinforce the notion of morally correct behaviour at all times through their demonstrable ethical conduct. This necessitates that leaders’ must exhibit virtue and possess particular qualities and know how to apply these to workplace situations. Virtue ethics as one of numerous ethical theories, certainly has a role to play in the contemporary discourse in which corruption is rife. In addition, it aligns in many ways with the notion of Ubuntu. We argue that ethical leadership behaviour based on virtue and an Ubuntu spirit, is critical in supporting an ethical climate in any organisation and it promotes sustainability. The study employed an interpretivistic expository methodology of textual analysis based on extant literature. Thus, it is to an extent hermeneutic in nature and leads to insights supporting the notion of using Virtue ethics and Ubuntu to inform practice in African organisations and society. Keywords: virtue ethics, Africa, organisations, Ubuntu, sustainability

The Transaction Costs of the South African Levy– Grant System for Skills Development

In this article, I seek to explore the ratio between the administrative transaction costs faced by organisations in South Africa for claiming skills development grants and the grants that they achieve. This simple trade-off of costs versus gains is a key factor in whether firms choose to participate in the training-related activities targeted by this system. Anecdotal sources have claimed that excessive administrative costs have led firms to under-claim grants available to them. However, no prior empirical research exists on such costs, presenting a gap in the literature. Accordingly, in this article, I explore the proportion of administrative transaction costs to direct gains in 14 case studies of South African organisations regarding their 2016 activities and expenditures. The results found half of the firms studied to have costs in excess of direct gains from grants. The remaining firms exhibited extreme variability in the cost–gain ratio from very low to near parity. Some evidence suggests that larger firms may enjoy a slight cost–benefit advantage. This research provides some support for the claim that the levy–grant system for skills development may present many organisations with excessive costs compared to gains. The high levels of variability suggest that policymakers should consider cost structures carefully and mitigate policy instruments.

Investigating the exchange of plant material between European and African botanical institutions for research and development

Social Impact StatementThe exchange of plant material and data is essential for supporting collaborative research efforts to address global challenges. In order to promote collaboration between Plant Genetic Resource (PGR) organizations in conservation research and development and to improve the sustainable utilization of PGRs, constraints to plant material and data exchange must be addressed. This can only be achieved through the introduction of policy measures that will build trust among institutions and encourage facilitated plant material exchange, equitable benefit sharing, and compliance with Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) instruments. The resulting improvements in the conservation and sustainable utilization of PGRs will improve food security, public health, livelihoods, sustainable development, and ecological sustainability.Summary The aim of this study was to assess the extent of plant material exchange between European and African Plant Genetic Resource (PGR) organizations for research and development. Data were collected from Index Seminum databases and through a survey questionnaire. They were statistically analyzed using a chi‐square test and Spearman correlation coefficient using SPSS, version 25. The study indicated that the extent of plant material exchange between African and European PGR organizations for research and development is insignificant compared with the exchange between European institutions. Plant material exchange usually included benefit sharing, and the most commonly shared benefits were knowledge transfer, participation in research, access to research results, and joint authorship of publications. Many of the respondents were not very familiar with Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) principles and regulations. The major constraints to plant material exchange were found to be cumbersome bureaucratic procedures, poor knowledge of compliance requirements, lack of national ABS regulations, poor quality of data associated with collections, and lack of tracking mechanisms. The low level of plant material exchange between African and European institutions is also most probably due to limited human and technological capacity in African institutions that restrict their involvement in research and development. Therefore, there is a need to build trust and to increase human and technological capacities for research in African institutions to strengthen collaboration by ensuring facilitated exchange and equitable benefit sharing.

COVID-19 and the constructions of Africa in African news media

This article examines the constructions of Africa in COVID-19-related stories that were produced by African news media. Dominant scholarship indicates that western media generally reproduce and perpetuate harmful stereotypes on Africa. Given that there is scant literature on how African media covers Africa, this article uses the COVID-19 pandemic as an entry point to explore the disease narratives on Africa. Drawing on Afrokology as decolonial perspective, this article examines the discourses and narratives on Africa that were produced by African news organizations. Data were drawn from ten news organizations from Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Egypt. A quantitative corpus analysis and a qualitative critical discourse analysis were used to analyse the COVID-19-related stories. Findings demonstrate that harmful disease stereotypes about Africa as a place of danger, darkness, tragedy and human rights abuses were reproduced by the African media.

The impacts of climatic conditions on cereal production: implications for food security in Africa.

Climate change is a confounding factor that affectsfood security in several ways.Although the analyses of earlier studies in this area were largely non-technical, new analytical techniques have been developed tocomprehensively evaluate climate change patternsand their implications for food security. In this study, we use recent developments in panel econometrics, which consider cross-sectional dependence and parameter heterogeneity, to examine the effects of climatic conditions on cereal farming in Africa from 1970Q1 to 2017Q4. The results show that rainfall positively affects cereal crops, although average temperatures are typically unfavourable. In the country-specific scenarios, we observed significant variations in the influence of climatic conditions on cereal production. The causality test results show a two-way causal relationship between climatic conditions-rainfall and temperature-and cereal production. It is suggested that African governments and non-governmental organisations support farmers' adaptation to climate change by implementing policies that prioritise farmers' capacity building and ensure that extension service officers engage with farmers intensively.

Religion and educational mobility in Africa

The African people and leaders1,2 have long seen education as a driving force of development and liberation, a view shared by international institutions3,4, as schooling has large economic and non-economic returns, particularly in low-income settings5. In this study, we examine the educational progress across faiths throughout postcolonial Africa, home to some of the world’s largest Christian and Muslim communities. We construct comprehensive religion-specific measures of intergenerational mobility in education using census data from 2,286 districts in 21 countries and document the following. First, Christians have better mobility outcomes than Traditionalists and Muslims. Second, differences in intergenerational mobility between Christians and Muslims persist among those residing in the same district, in households with comparable economic and family backgrounds. Third, although Muslims benefit as much as Christians when they move early in life to high-mobility regions, they are less likely to do so. Their low internal mobility accentuates the educational deficit, as Muslims reside on average in areas that are less urbanized and more remote with limited infrastructure. Fourth, the Christian–Muslim gap is most prominent in areas with large Muslim communities, where the latter also register the lowest emigration rates. As African governments and international organizations invest heavily in educational programmes, our findings highlight the need to understand better the private and social returns to schooling across faiths in religiously segregated communities and to carefully think about religious inequalities in the take-up of educational policies6.

Exploring E-waste Management Practices in South African Organisations

The previous studies have delineated the weakness and drawbacks of e-waste practices in various organisations. However, these studies failed to address major issues relating to effective e-waste management, hence the high rate of obsolescence of electronic equipment continues to grow becoming the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Organisations are paying little attention to the environmental aspects, and there is limited research surrounding e-waste in South African organisations. The primary motivation of the study was to determine the current e-waste practices in the South African organisations to contribute to sustainable e-waste management. The sample was drawn from ten South African organisations from the viewpoint of Information Technology (IT) professionals and managers through semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study revealed that there is a lack of environmental awareness programme in South African organisations, research is not conducted during the procurement process and there is no procurement strategy, limited budget is provided to purchase electronic equipment, hardware’s and software’s are not upgraded to extend the life span of electronic equipment, and data is not managed appropriately, there is lack of recycling capacity, obsolete electronic is not properly disposed of, and there is non-conformance to environmental legislations due to lack of enforcement. The study recommends an increased environmental awareness programme in South African organisations, research to be conducted prior purchasing, develop procurement strategy, provide sufficient budget and purchase environmentally friendly electronic equipment that are less harmful to the environment. The hardware’s and software’s should be upgraded to extend the life span of electronic equipment, and recycling of e-waste should be conducted to reduce and manage e-waste. To some extent, obsolete electronic equipment should be returned to the supplier to ensure safe disposal, and effort should be made to ensure regulatory compliance with the environmental legislations.

FINANCIAL INCLUSION, INSTITUTIONAL EFFICIENCY AND UNDERNOURISHMENT IN SUB-SAHARA AFRICA

The governments of Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries and international organizations have undertaken a variety of undernourishment-targeting initiatives, such as financial inclusion, humanitarian interventions, social reengineering and institutional changes, in line with the United Nations' top priority of eradicating undernourishment as articulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We have investigated the crucial role that institutional quality plays in diminishing the prevalence of undernourishment through financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa. With a time, scope of 18 years and a cross-sectional scope of 29 SSA nations, we used the system generalized Methods of Moments (system-GMM) in a panel data setting for our analysis. For the linear system-GMM, we discovered a strong positive self-replicating effect of prevalence of undernourishment, diverse effects of financial inclusion, and an unremarkable role of institutions. However, in the context of a nonlinear system-GMM method, the role of institutions strengthens the impact of financial inclusion. Therefore, we stressed the need for relevant authorities to develop informed policy alternatives that are based on instantaneous surveillance of changes in prevalence of undernourishment in the SSA region.

Navigating the challenges of neuro-oncology in Africa: addressing diagnostic and treatment barriers in the region: a correspondence

Navigating the challenges of neuro-oncology in Africa: addressing diagnostic and treatment barriers in the region: a correspondence

The applicability and challenges of implementing Facilities management standards in South Africa

FM is a multi-sector environment where organisations vary in terms of scope, structure and services. The publication of management system standards in the FM environment has created significant challenges in implementation. Few of the World’s top 10 listed FM companies have achieved ISO 41001 certification. This opinion paper discussed the applicability and challenges of the implementation of ISO41001 standard in the South African context. An opinion piece was conducted on applicability and challenges of implementing management system standards in South Africa. The paper found that the challenges of implementing these systems include a lack of awareness, resistance to change, and lack of applicability to some organisations. Also, many organisations spend many human resources, capital, and time but still have inadequate and poorly deployed management systems. The paper recommends that ISO41001 implementation frameworks are developed that consider the varying scope, structure, and services within the FM environment to improve its success in the South African organisations.

Technology-Enhanced Learning, Data Sharing, and Machine Learning Challenges in South African Education

The objective of this paper was to scope the challenges associated with data-sharing governance for machine learning applications in education research (MLER) within the South African context. Machine learning applications have the potential to assist student success and identify areas where students require additional support. However, the implementation of these applications depends on the availability of quality data. This paper highlights the challenges in data-sharing policies across institutions and organisations that make it difficult to standardise data-sharing practices for MLER. This poses a challenge for South African researchers in the MLER space who wish to advance and innovate. The paper proposes viewpoints that policymakers must consider to overcome these challenges of data-sharing practices, ultimately allowing South African researchers to leverage the benefits of machine learning applications in education effectively. By addressing these challenges, South African institutions and organisations can improve educational outcomes and work toward the goal of inclusive and equitable education.

Amicus Curiae Applications in Malawi—Reflections of a South African Practitioner

Abstract Amicus curiae applications are important as they aim to raise awareness for the court around aspects of a case that might otherwise be overlooked. This is especially significant in cases dealing with the intersection of various rights of vulnerable individuals such as women and children. In this practice note, I discuss the amicus intervention of the South African non-profit organization, the Centre of Applied Legal Studies, in the Malawian Constitutional Court case of AJ and TS v State and Others. The case deals with the constitutionality of section 138(1) of the Malawian Penal Code, which makes it an offence for anyone to engage in intercourse with a female child under the age of 16. Although this section was undoubtedly aimed to protect female children from sexual violence and rape it casts the net too wide by including consensual intercourse between minor children. In this case, both minor children were under the age of 15 at the time of their arrests. They had both engaged in consensual intercourse with their female partners (also minors) at the time and both faced a prison sentence of up to 14 years. In this note I proceed to explore the importance of the amici submissions in the case, the process of applying to be admitted as an amicus curiae in Malawi, as well as the challenges associated with being a foreign amici before the Malawian Constitutional Court.

Conformer or colluder? The human resource professional’s contribution to toxic leadership

Orientation: There is a growing body of knowledge on the role of human resource (HR) professionals in workplace bullying, but their role in perpetuating a toxic leadership culture in organisations remains unscrutinised. Human resource professionals are uniquely positioned to influence toxic leadership styles as they are required to cultivate and sustain the organisational leadership culture.Research purpose: The aim of this study was to identify gaps in HR practices that could contribute to toxic leadership in organisations.Motivation of the study: The inherent role conflict of the HR professional and competing demands from organisational stakeholders are likely to create toxic outcomes.Research approach/design and method: A phenomenological study was carried out at a South African organisation to gain insight into the practices of HR professionals. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and the key findings of the study were identified through a thematic analysis.Main findings: Three themes emerged that contribute to creating gaps in HR practices that support toxic leadership: toxic HR practices, challenges faced by HR professionals and business results at any cost.Practical/managerial implications: The findings suggest a need to alleviate the inherent role conflict experienced by HR professionals, so that their contributions to toxic leadership are minimised.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the literature on toxic leadership by expounding on the role of the human resources professionals (HRP) and gaps in their practices that contribute to toxic leadership. Suggested guidelines and recommendations are offered to address the gaps in HR practices.

African regionalism, economic nationalism and the contested politics of social purpose: the East African Community and the ‘new developmentalism’

AbstractOver the last decade, a new developmentalism has taken root across Africa, centred on promoting local production and industrialisation. One unintended consequence of this has been the proliferation of economically nationalist policy measures that have increasingly come into tension with the aims of regional integration in Africa. This article sets out to offer insights as to why these tensions are emerging by focusing on the East African Community (EAC) and the growing trend of economic nationalism among its members. Contrary to what rationalist and structuralist accounts might presume, this article argues that this rise in economic nationalism is instead reflective of a weakening of the discursive imperative – or social purpose – that had initially converged various actors around the EAC's integration agenda when revived in 2000. While drawing from the EAC's experience, it concludes by highlighting a broader legitimacy dilemma facing African regional organisations within this ‘new developmentalism’.

Remembering the Herero-Nama Genocide in Namibia

Remembering the Herero-Nama Genocide in Namibia

Position Statement on Cancer Nursing Leadership.

Position Statement on Cancer Nursing Leadership.

Employee voice as a behavioural response to psychological contract breach: The moderating effect of leadership style

Empirical evidence shows that psychological contract breach (PCB) leads to negative work behaviours of employees, including withholding of discretionary activities such as employee voice (EV). This research aims to determine empirically how PCBs are linked to different types of EV, and how different leadership styles affect these relationships. The paucity of literature on the relationship between all three variables necessitated this research. The study targeted medium to large South African organisations with more than 60 employees. The population sample was representative of a broad range of South African employees. This research adopted a crosssectional survey design, whereby the respondents were asked to answer a questionnaire about PCB, leadership styles and EV. Correlation analyses were used to test the direct links between variables and regression analyses to test for the moderation effect of leadership styles on the PCB–EV link. The data were collected from 620 respondents from 11 organisations. All the instruments showed acceptable psychometric properties. Three findings were dominant: PCB correlated negatively with promotive types of EV and positively with prohibitive types of EV; leadership styles were a weaker predictor of EV than PCB; and the PCB–EV relationship was, in most cases, partially moderated by leadership styles. PCB and leadership styles influence EV; however, leadership styles only partially influence the PCB–EV relationship. Applying a specific leadership style to influence EV under conditions of PCB is partially effective. Managers should circumvent PCB and focus on the fulfilment of PC, as this would elicit promotive EV and lessen prohibitive EV.

Understanding African journalistic agency in China–Africa media interactions: The case of Kenya

Drawing on field observations and extensive interviews, this study investigates how Kenyan media practitioners exercise their agency when interacting with Chinese stakeholders. When dealing with Chinese stakeholders or China-related stories, Kenyan media practitioners developed three strategies to exercise their journalistic agency: (a) situational negotiation, (b) collective reflection, and (c) resistance, through which they have approached, negotiated with, and resisted their relations with their Chinese counterparts. This article challenges the misconceptions that Chinese media organizations always hold a powerful position vis-à-vis African media organizations, and that African agents are dependents or innocent victims with neither agency nor creativity.

The impact of South African culture on the work-life balance of women in leadership positions

Women are the pillars of every healthy society. Numerous socio-cultural practices, especially patriarchy and religion in African communities deprive women of equality and justice across all sectors of society. However, younger and educated generations seem to adopt a different attitude. This paper explores the impact of South African culture and the work-life balance (WLB) of women in managerial positions since the democracy’s inception. A survey based on elements of three complementary theories: the role of congruity, feminism and cultural dimension theories was used to collect data from 187 women in leadership positions in the Mangaung metropolitan municipality in the Free State province of South Africa giving a 75% return rate. A factor analysis was conducted to determine the loading of items. The reliability of instruments using the Cronbach alpha value was reported at 0.87. Results reveal that 47.1% bemoan cultural tendencies at work. Furthermore, 35.7% opined that the choice between adoption and conceiving children is non-negotiable, despite pressing work demands and 34.3% agreed that culture makes them feel guilty if they give their work preference over their family life. Crafting human resource strategies that advocate for ‘gender equality or sensitivity’ and harmonise the work-life balance of female staff in order to enhance their performance in a sustainable way is long overdue and needs to be prioritized by any South African organizations.

The Evolving Remote Workforce, the Multigenerational Workforce, and Supporting Employee Mental Health in the Context of Africa

This conceptual review delves into the dynamics of the African workforce, influenced by trends such as remote work, multigenerational employees, and the growing importance of employee mental health support. The adoption of remote work in Africa presents both challenges and opportunities. Limited access to reliable internet infrastructure and disparities in digital inclusion are hurdles, yet it brings benefits such as increased job opportunities and better work-life balance. The multigenerational workforce in Africa, composed of various generations, can lead to communication barriers and differing expectations, but it also offers potential for innovation and creativity. Recognizing the significance of mental health in the African context, organizations should prioritize support programs to boost employee well-being and productivity. The review discusses emerging trends like clean technology, gender inclusivity, international business opportunities, global marketing strategies, and global best practices in human resource management. The methodology involved a systematic literature search and analysis. This review, while acknowledging its knowledge cut-off date in September 2021, provides recommendations for enhancing digital infrastructure, promoting intergenerational understanding, implementing mental health support, embracing clean technology, fostering gender inclusivity, analyzing international business opportunities, implementing global marketing strategies, and incorporating global best practices in human resource management. By addressing these aspects, African organizations and policymakers can navigate these workforce transformations effectively.