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Business Ethics in Africa: The Role of Institutional Context, Social Relevance, and Development Challenges

Author

Listed:
  • Ifedapo Adeleye

    (Georgetown University)

  • John Luiz

    (University of Sussex
    University of Cape Town)

  • Judy Muthuri

    (Nottingham University Business School)

  • Kenneth Amaeshi

    (University of Edinburgh)

Abstract

Business ethics in Africa, as a field of research, practice, and teaching, has grown rapidly over the last two decades or so, covering a wide variety of topical issues, including corporate social responsibility, governance, and social entrepreneurship. Building on this progress, and to further advance the field, this special issue addresses four broad areas that cover important, under-researched or newly emerging phenomena in Africa: culture, ethics and leadership; business, society and institutions; corruption, anti-corruption and governance; and philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and impact investing. In addition to advancing research by addressing some of the imbalances and gaps in the extant literature, this special issue draws attention to indigenous African theories, models and firms. Some challenges facing business ethics, as a field of practice and teaching in Africa, are also highlighted. The paper concludes with a summary of the eight articles in this special issue.

Suggested Citation

  • Ifedapo Adeleye & John Luiz & Judy Muthuri & Kenneth Amaeshi, 2020. "Business Ethics in Africa: The Role of Institutional Context, Social Relevance, and Development Challenges," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(4), pages 717-729, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:161:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-019-04338-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-019-04338-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    17. Anna Höchstädter & Barbara Scheck, 2015. "What’s in a Name: An Analysis of Impact Investing Understandings by Academics and Practitioners," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 449-475, December.
    18. Daniel Agbiboa, 2012. "Between Corruption and Development: The Political Economy of State Robbery in Nigeria," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 108(3), pages 325-345, July.
    19. Minka Woermann & Schalk Engelbrecht, 2019. "The Ubuntu Challenge to Business: From Stakeholders to Relationholders," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(1), pages 27-44, June.
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    21. Kellie Liket & Ana Simaens, 2015. "Battling the Devolution in the Research on Corporate Philanthropy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(2), pages 285-308, January.
    22. John M Luiz, 2015. "The impact of ethno-linguistic fractionalization on cultural measures: Dynamics, endogeneity and modernization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(9), pages 1080-1098, December.
    23. Kenneth Amaeshi & Emmanuel Adegbite & Tazeeb Rajwani, 2016. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Challenging and Non-enabling Institutional Contexts: Do Institutional Voids matter?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 135-153, March.
    24. Graham, David & Woods, Ngaire, 2006. "Making corporate self-regulation effective in developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 868-883, May.
    25. Frederick Ahen & Joseph Amankwah-Amoah, 2018. "Institutional Voids and the Philanthropization of CSR Practices: Insights from Developing Economies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-27, July.
    26. Andrew West, 2014. "Ubuntu and Business Ethics: Problems, Perspectives and Prospects," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(1), pages 47-61, April.
    27. Elizabeth Chell & Laura J. Spence & Francesco Perrini & Jared D. Harris, 2016. "Social Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics: Does Social Equal Ethical?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 133(4), pages 619-625, February.
    28. Robert Strand & R. Freeman, 2015. "Erratum to: Scandinavian Cooperative Advantage: The Theory and Practice of Stakeholder Engagement in Scandinavia," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(1), pages 87-87, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Onyango, Gedion, 2024. "How managers respond to fraud, waste and mismanagement: ethics management survey in Uganda and Kenya," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 122254, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. repec:thr:techub:10017:y:2021:i:1:p:212-221 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Obaa Akua Konadu-Osei & Smaranda Boroş & Anita Bosch, 2023. "Methodological Decolonisation and Local Epistemologies in Business Ethics Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(1), pages 1-12, August.
    4. Tendai Makwara & Dennis Yao Dzansi & Crispen Chipunza, 2023. "Contested Notions of Ubuntu as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Theory in Africa: An Exploratory Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-11, April.
    5. 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.
    6. Bruno Noisette, 2024. "To Whom Do Business Owner-Managers Feel Responsible? Weighting conflicting social responsibilities in Rwanda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 190(3), pages 531-552, March.
    7. Laura Maria Ferri & Matteo Pedrini & Marco Minciullo, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility and stakeholder dialogue under institutional voids: decoupling the role of corporate motives, ethics, and resources," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 26(1), pages 159-188, March.
    8. Eduardo Ordonez-Ponce, 2021. "The Role of Institutional Context for Sustainability Cross-Sector Partnerships. An Exploratory Analysis of European Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-21, August.
    9. Ken Kamoche & Geoffrey Wood, 2023. "International business and Africa: Theoretical and applied challenges, and future directions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(5), pages 956-967, July.
    10. Deimante Teresiene & Daiva Budriene, 2021. "Business ethics and ethical investing: from historical, ethical approach to real investments," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 17(1), pages 212-221, March.
    11. Luiz, John M. & Barnard, Helena, 2022. "Home country (in)stability and the locational portfolio construction of emerging market multinational enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 17-32.

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