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Information on the Project:

For Participating Organizations

This is a guide for managers and their organizations intending to participate in this action-oriented research project aimed at identifying key elements in successful managing in Africa, and using this information to inform the development of effective and appropriate management in their organization which fits the cultural (normally multicultural) circumstances.

The project takes a cross-cultural approach as we believe that a key factor in effective management is an ability to gain positively from cultural difference and diversity. Most African countries are multicultural, are increasingly developing relations with other African countries through regional economic cooperation, and have hybrid cultural influences on management practices through a post-colonial inheritance, through western multinational companies and western management education, and ‘indigenous’ inputs. 

We also believe that to inform the management development process, it is essential to obtain systematic empirical evidence on the nature of management in Africa, the way it is changing, and the way it is seen and done through different cultural lenses. We have already collected important information on this in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Kenya and Nigeria through broad management surveys from established databases, such as those from member lists of institutes of management. This collection and analysis is continuing.

We are now working with a cross-section of organizations in these countries, in order to carry out more detailed work. This involves working with participating companies, parastatals and public sector organizations. To do this we interview key managers, survey a representative sample of managers throughout the organization using a simple questionnaire, and obtain corroborating information from a sample of employees in the organization.

All information received is confidential. Individuals cannot be identified. Responses are collated together and analysed. This information is then provided to the management group of the participating organization. Similarly, this information is confidential to the participating organization. It will be compared with data from other organizations, both within the country, and with other countries. Again, information from the comparative studies will be provided to the management group of each participating organization. The identity of organizations will not be revealed unless we are given specific permission to do so.

Management workshops are also a key feature of this project, where feasible. This is not just a valuable part of the ongoing research effort, it can also contribute positively to management development within participating organizations.

Development funding agencies are beginning to take a keen interest in this work. Effective management of organizations is seen as a key element in economic prosperity. In addition, a cross-cultural approach to developing effective management has hit a particular cord in Africa. It is increasingly recognized that the wholesale adoptions of Western approaches may not be appropriate, whereas a ‘return’ to indigenous approaches such as the ubuntu movement, may yet be too simplistic.

Currently, this project is funded by the Danish International Development Agency (Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and Institut Vital Roux (Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry). It is being coordinated by the Centre for Cross Cultural Management Research at ESCP-EAP European School of Management as an Anglophone-Francophone cooperative project. With campuses in Paris, Oxford, Berlin and Madrid, the School has pioneered cross-cultural approaches to management education and development. We have also been involved for many years with the multicultural Joint Management Development Programme based in Johannesburg. Currently we are working with some 20 partners across Africa from institutes and faculties of management.

We would like to welcome you to this project. The following will give you a better idea of what you can expect to contribute, and how you can expect to benefit.

Please give your feedback and suggestions on any part of this documentation to:

Terence Jackson, Centre for Cross Cultural Management Research, ESCP-EAP European School of Management, 12 Merton Street, Oxford, England, OX1 4JH. Email: tjackson@africamanagement.org Fax: +44 1865 251960. Telephone (direct) +44 1865 263212.

What Information is Available to You? 

It is likely that by the time you read this, we already have substantial empirical information on management across the country. This is from our management survey. We are happy to make this available to you. It will provide a general view of management from a cross-section of managers in different organizations throughout the country. Of particular importance from this information is the way this is seen to be changing, and the desirability of this change from different (normally cultural) perspectives. Being aware of different perspective, talking about them and understanding them, is a first step to enhancing the effectiveness of management.

Although this information may be useful to you, we believe it is just a starting point. We need to corroborate this information in specific organizations, to go into more depth and also check this with organizational employees.

What is Expected from the Participating Organization

You will be one of a number of participating organizations which represent a cross-section of the economy in the country. The most valuable organizational resource we are asking for is your time. We would normally expect approximately an hour of each of 5-6 managers’ time for interviews. We ask about half an hour of time for each manager completing the Management Questionnaire, and about the same for each employee completing the Employee Questionnaire. 

The process is as follows.

Initial interview with responsible manager

The purpose of this initial meeting with, normally, the Human Resource, Management Development or Organizational Development manager, is to discuss the importance of the project, and to obtain information about the operating environment (constraints and opportunities) organizational culture and management styles, people management policies and practices, how change is managed, and the incorporation of specific policies and practices of managing a multicultural workforce (including the inclusion of ‘indigenous’ versus ‘western’ approaches to management); as well as getting a perspective on how things are changing and why, and the desired change. 

Survey Of Managers

We are looking for  a representative sample of managers depending on the size and geographical extent of the organization. We would like to discuss with you the extent of this which could include all managers in the organization or a proportional sample. Distribution of the Management Questionnaire should include a covering letter from the responsible manager. A return address outside the organization is desirable, but may not be practicable. We would like to discuss alternatives that retain confidentiality.

Employee Survey

This is conducted in parallel with the survey of managers. Its purpose is to corroborate information from managers, and to obtain views of personnel further down the organization. The Employee Questionnaire is used. As far as possible a representative sample of employees should be obtained (between 10-25% depending on size of the organization). We would like to discuss with you who should distribute the questionnaire, and how (directly by the responsible manager, through department/section heads, or directly from the outside researcher). A letter should accompany the questionnaire (or explanation should be provided directly to the employee).

Again, we would like to discuss with you how employees should return the questionnaires, and feel comfortable that confidentiality has not been compromised.

Management Interviews

Ideally, 5-6 representative managers (e.g. by ethnic/cultural group, level, function) should be selected for interview. Only those in the organization for at least two years should be selected.

The purpose is to obtain in depth information about the organization and its managers and to obtain information about the operating environment (constraints and opportunities) organizational culture and management styles, people management policies and practices, how change is managed, and the incorporation of specific policies and practices of managing a multicultural workforce (including the inclusion of ‘indigenous’ versus ‘western’ approaches to management); as well as getting a perspective on how things are changing and why, and the desired change.  This is used to corroborate the information from the initial interview with the responsible manager, as well as results from the management questionnaire.

In some circumstances, where it is not possible to undertake personal interviews, it may be possible to substitute an email ‘interview’ where the manager responds to a set of questions.

Feedback of Results to Responsible manager

When all results are in and analysed, a report will be prepared and presented to the responsible manager. The manager will be encouraged to respond to each section, and the information recorded. 

Where preferred and where possible we will do a presentation of the findings to the top management group

At this stage we will also discuss the feasibility and desirability of developing and delivering management workshops.

Management (Cross-cultural) Workshops

Objectives

Although still part of the research process, the workshops have a number of purposes:

·         To develop managers through a training process.

·         To assist in this process by building awareness through feeding back of information from the research, and sharing information.

·         To develop management developers and trainers from the participating organization, by involving them in the process.

·         To gain reactions to the feedback of information.

·         To obtain specific research information on different cultures involved and interaction in a group situation.

·         To obtain additional research information through the use of the workshop as a focus group, and employing a number of research/development techniques such as Repertory Grid Analysis.

·         To develop, through group participatory methods and involving managers from different cultures, appropriate management principles and practices which can ultimately help the success of the organization. This to be documented in managers’ action plans.

·         To further input this knowledge, as case material, into the research process.

Participants

Participants should be nominated from a cross-section of managers (normally those involved in the original survey), involving representation from all cultural groups in the organization. Advice will be sought from the responsible manager on the desirability to mix levels of management. If not, different workshops could involve different levels of management. Number of participants should be between 20 and 30. The number of workshops should be by agreement.

Content

We provide an example of the content of the workshop (from workshops already conducted in Zimbabwe). The duration may be a day to two days. The example is a two-day workshop.

·         The first day focuses on developing  awareness and understanding of cross-cultural issues, with an examination of your own situation:

o        What are the issues: cross-cultural management in organizations in your country.

o        Understanding cultures: different ways in which cross-cultural management may be understood.

o        Working across cultures: motivation, leadership and effective management

·         The second day focuses on the building of appropriate management:

o        Developing multi-cultural teams and conflict management

o        Developing appropriate management

o        Formulating action plans, and monitoring progress.

Shared costs

This is a research project. We do not aim to make money from participating organizations. In order to cover basic expenses we have secured funds. We will also be seeking to secure additional funding in coming years to hold public workshops.  For organization-based workshops we would normally expect to pay all the costs of the facilitator (air travel, hotel, etc), but would expect organizations to cover the cost of the event (location, photocopied materials) as well as expenses of participants. We also, of course, value general financial support for this research project from participating organizations, although we do not actively seek this. This is because we recognize the value of inputs of time and intellectual capital provided by participating organizations.

What Your Organization Can Expect to Get Out of It

As well as deriving indirect benefits from this project through feedback of general findings to participating organizations from not just this country but all countries surveyed, we would also expect your organization to benefit considerably as a direct result of participating.

  You will receive written feedback on the results of our analysis on data collected in your organization. This will provide useful information on the way it is managed from different perspectives at different organizational levels, and through different cultural lenses, the way things are seen to be changing and the desirability of change. This will also be related to management and organizational effectiveness, and to development needs. We believe this will be invaluable for management development efforts involving an emphasis on cross-cultural management of people, and the management of change.

Essentially, the more a participating organization is prepared to put in, the more it will get out.

We also see that working with the management group to provide quality feedback, and to get their additional inputs and reactions is a valuable part of the research effort which will help to validate our findings, as well as deepening them and enriching them. We will continue to seek funding which will enable us to do this over the medium and longer term. This will increase the quality of impact of research findings for your organization, and provide additional support for management development initiatives.

No organization, or country, exists in a vacuum. Not only are we obtaining data from a number of different organizations and countries in Africa, we are also collecting data from other emerging regions (currently South Asia and East Asia), and also ‘developed’ countries including the UK, USA, Australia and Western Europe. We also will be collecting data from Japan. Here we are particularly interested in the interaction of these country cultures through the activities of multinational companies in African countries. Comparisons, in a number of relevant ways, will be available to participating organizations in succinct reports.

Cross-cultural Management Workshops will provide both awareness development for managers, as well as training that is based on empirical findings.

We will also discuss with you any other ways in which this research may provide additional impact and benefit to your management and organizational development initiatives.

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A Management Workshop in Cape Town