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Untangling African indigenous management: Multiple influences on the success of SMEs in Kenya

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  • Jackson, Terence
  • Amaeshi, Kenneth
  • Yavuz, Serap

Abstract

This article examines the nature of indigenous management in relation to the success of SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa, taking Kenya and six SMEs under the management of Kenyan Africans, Kenyan Asians and Kenyan British as examples. It proposes that management systems, styles and practices, when appropriate to the local cultural contexts, will give rise to successful organizations. By formulating tentative hypotheses about this relation after reviewing the literature, the data from these case studies are interrogated first by using a 'template' derived from theories of management control to investigate the inter-continental cultural influences on local management, and then inductively to modify and develop the original hypotheses in view of possible intra-country influences. Paternalism, emerges as a common theme in the way cultural influences are combined, suggesting different types of paternalism for in-group and out-group organizational members. This is a possible success factor for local SMEs. Implications for future research in these areas and management practice are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Jackson, Terence & Amaeshi, Kenneth & Yavuz, Serap, 2008. "Untangling African indigenous management: Multiple influences on the success of SMEs in Kenya," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 400-416, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:worbus:v:43:y:2008:i:4:p:400-416
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    Cited by:

    1. Dirk Holtbrügge, 2013. "Indigenous Management Research," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 1-11, February.
    2. Croucher, Richard & Rizov, Marian & Goolaup, Ram, 2014. "The antecedents of direct management communication to employees in Mauritius," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 25(17), pages 2420-2437.
    3. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2014. "Coming of age, seeking legitimacy: The historical trajectory of African management research," MPRA Paper 63625, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Wood, Geoffrey & Dibben, Pauline & Stride, Chris & Webster, Edward, 2011. "HRM in Mozambique: Homogenization, path dependence or segmented business system?," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 31-41, January.
    5. Hee‐Yong Lee & Dong‐Wook Kwak & Jeong‐Yang Park, 2017. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Supply Chains of Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(6), pages 634-647, November.
    6. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2017. "Cultivating greater self-confidence in African management research," MPRA Paper 79751, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2017.
    7. Blankson, Charles & Iyer, Pramod & Owusu-Frimpong, Nana & Nwankwo, Sonny & Hinson, Robert, 2020. "Positioning strategies of foreign and indigenous firms in an African cultural milieu," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 627-638.
    8. Croucher, Richard & Rizov, Marian, 2015. "MNEs and flexible working practices in Mauritius," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 26(21), pages 2701-2717.
    9. Ibeh, Kevin & Makhmadshoev, Dilshod, 2018. "Post-acquisition integration behavior of nascent African multinational enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 255-267.
    10. Oluseyi Moses Ajayi & Susan C. Morton, 2015. "Exploring the Enablers of Organizational and Marketing Innovations in SMEs," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(1), pages 21582440155, February.
    11. Atinuke Chineme & Getachew Assefa & Irene M. Herremans & Barry Wylant & Marwa Shumo, 2022. "African Indigenous Female Entrepreneurs (IFÉs): A Closed-Looped Social Circular Economy Waste Management Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
    12. Debmalya Mukherjee & Saumyaranjan Sahoo & Satish Kumar, 2023. "Two Decades of International Business and International Management Scholarship on Africa: A Review and Future Directions," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 63(6), pages 863-909, December.
    13. Otto Kroesen & David J. Ndegwah, 2017. "Culture and value trade-offs for successful entrepreneurship in Africa," Proceedings Paper, in: Munyoki, Justus & Bode, Jürgen (ed.), Universities, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Africa - Conference Proceedings 2017, volume 6, pages 101-118, Universities Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Africa International Conference.
    14. Abdelnour, Samer & Branzei, Oana, 2010. "Fuel-efficient stoves for Darfur: The social construction of subsistence marketplaces in post-conflict settings," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(6), pages 617-629, June.
    15. Kamoche, Ken, 2011. "Contemporary developments in the management of human resources in Africa," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 1-4, January.
    16. Terence Jackson, 2013. "Reconstructing the Indigenous in African Management Research," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 13-38, February.
    17. David S. A. Guttormsen & Fiona Moore, 2023. "‘Thinking About How We Think’: Using Bourdieu’s Epistemic Reflexivity to Reduce Bias in International Business Research," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 63(4), pages 531-559, August.
    18. Beamond, Maria Teresa & Farndale, Elaine & Härtel, Charmine E.J., 2016. "MNE translation of corporate talent management strategies to subsidiaries in emerging economies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(4), pages 499-510.
    19. Koehne, Florian & Woodward, Richard & Honig, Benson, 2022. "The potentials and perils of prosocial power: Transnational social entrepreneurship dynamics in vulnerable places," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(4).

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