{"id":89863,"date":"2017-03-23T04:53:15","date_gmt":"2017-03-23T02:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/blend-of-western-and-african-leadership-approaches-key-to-business-success-in-african-markets-new-study-finds\/"},"modified":"2017-03-23T04:53:15","modified_gmt":"2017-03-23T02:53:15","slug":"blend-of-western-and-african-leadership-approaches-key-to-business-success-in-african-markets-new-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/blend-of-western-and-african-leadership-approaches-key-to-business-success-in-african-markets-new-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Blend of Western and African leadership approaches key to business success in African markets \u2013 new study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blend of Western and African leadership approaches key to business success in African markets \u2013 new study finds<\/a>: <\/p>\n

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Blend of Western and African leadership approaches key to business success in African markets \u2013 new study finds<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 22 March 2017 — A new study (download full study) by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Business School provides businesses who are keen to succeed in African and emerging markets with a leadership framework.<\/p>\n

By examining the leadership approaches of senior leaders and executives operating in multinational corporations in four Sub-Saharan African countries, the study found that despite their significant differences, Western and African business leadership styles can be blended to form an entirely new construct.<\/p>\n

This hybrid approach, which combines Western pragmatism and African humanism, recognises the importance of fact, logic and the nature of reality, but also promotes the recognition of human-focused and collectivist forms of leadership.<\/p>\n

While African leadership approaches have often been criticised for being poorly adaptive to increasingly complex globalised economies, empirical data in this study presents an entirely different picture \u2013 one of confident, self-assured African leaders effectively heading businesses that are part of Western multinational corporations operating in emerging markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe findings of this research point to the fact that senior executives and leaders have moved towards a more humanistic culture without compromising their drive for results,\u201d Paul Poisat, Professor and researcher at the NMMU Business School said.<\/p>\n

Commenting on the leadership approaches of the senior executives and leaders, Professor Poisat described the new leadership style as a crossvergence of Western and African culture and as the African way of Western leadership practices.<\/p>\n

Crossvergence refers to an individual\u2019s ability to merge national culture with economic ideology in a way that allows for the creation of a unique value system that is based on harmonious interactions between the two, he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt requires the adoption of certain African leadership characteristics which are used together with Western leadership approaches. The Western approach informs the \u2018what\u2019 needs to be done while the African approach informs the \u2018how\u2019 to do it,\u201d Poisat said.<\/p>\n

Using the experiences of senior executives and leaders, the study presents a leadership framework that promotes a hybrid approach to leadership, and highlights some of the core competencies and leadership styles that are needed to facilitate effective and successful leadership in complex emerging market environments.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is important about the business leadership framework is that it provides a guide to businesses which are either operating in emerging markets or are thinking about going into emerging markets, regarding the selection and or development of their senior executives,\u201d Poisat said.<\/p>\n

This Framework for Leading in Africa\/Emerging Markets highlights several elements that businesses need to consider when recruiting candidates for leadership positions.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirstly, it looks at the context. This includes the risks and challenges related to the business environment that need to be considered. For example, political and economic risk, weak currencies, bureaucracy, culture and language limitations, and performance, resource and infrastructure issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe leadership profile and style also have a key role to play. Operating in the African or emerging market context requires certain biographical details, experience and cultural exposure as well as leadership style. The five leadership styles found to be particularly effective in this context included, charismatic, community centred, entrepreneurial, servant leader, and transformational styles.<\/p>\n

\u201cSkill sets or core competencies emerged as important factors to consider when selecting or developing leaders in these environments. In particular, competencies related to communication, commercial acumen, decision making, development, and strategic thinking, among others, were highlighted as important.<\/p>\n

In addition to this, the framework looks at how candidates\u2019 attachments to Western market culture, African clan culture, and Western and African traits and characteristics can be combined to create the crossvergence approach to leadership that African markets increasingly require.
\u201cThe framework will benefit both employers and employees alike as it not only provides a profile for recruitment but also a competence model for skills development,\u201d Poisat said.<\/p>\n

This leadership framework is set to assist organisations who are looking to extend their reach into African and other emerging economies as well as broaden the scope of their influence in these oftentimes challenging markets.<\/p>\n

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