Prelims

Half Title Page

Contextualising African Studies

Endorsement Page

In this exceptional literary work, the authors delve into overlooked narratives within specific contexts. The book extensively explores uncharted territories that have only been touched upon by a select few. It provides numerous profound perspectives on the dynamic interaction between African actors and unique cultural establishments.

—Olatunde Akande, CBCA, Credit Access Wealth, West Africa

Prepare to embark on an extraordinary journey as these authors fearlessly delve into the uncharted depths of forgotten narratives within specific contexts. This volume fearlessly navigates unexplored contexts that have remained elusive and thus allows one to gain unparalleled insights into the intricate interplay between theory, policy and practice. It is an exciting read that challenges preconceptions and leaves an indelible mark on one’s intellectual understanding.

—Patrick Enin, Co-Founder MoneySave and Senior Director Marcel Advisory

Series Page

NEW FRONTIERS IN AFRICAN BUSINESS AND SOCIETY

Series Editors:

Christian Harrison – Professor of Leadership and Enterprise at the University of Bolton

Kingsley Obi Omeihe – Associate Professor of Marketing and Small Business at the University of the West of Scotland

The New Frontiers in African Business and Society series provides innovative reflections on the nature of business and society across parts of Africa. Here, distinguished scholars formulate important answers to problems within the continent, with the idea of consolidating and probing conventional knowledge.

Previous Title

The African Context of Business and Society edited by Kingsley Obi Omeihe and Christian Harrison

Title Page

Contextualising African Studies: Challenges and the Way Forward

EDITED BY

CHRISTIAN HARRISON

University of Bolton, UK

AND

KINGSLEY OBI OMEIHE

University of the West of Scotland, UK

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Emerald Publishing, Floor 5, Northspring, 21-23 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL.

First edition 2024

Editorial matter and selection © 2024 Christian Harrison and Kingsley Obi Omeihe.

Individual chapters © 2024 The authors.

Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited

Reprints and permissions service

Contact: www.copyright.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-80455-339-8 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-80455-338-1 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-80455-340-4 (Epub)

Dedication Page

The book is dedicated to the great people of Africa.

Contents

List of Figures and Tables

Figures

Tables

List of Abbreviations

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

About the Editors

Christian Harrison is a Professor of Leadership and Enterprise in the University of Bolton. Prior to joining University of Bolton, he was a Reader in Leadership in the University of the West of Scotland, UK. He graduated with a first-class degree in Pharmacy and practised as a Pharmacist, assuming managerial positions before moving into the field of Management. He has an MBA and was the Valedictorian of the University of Aberdeen Business School MBA class with a Distinction. In addition, he also possesses a PhD in Leadership and other postgraduate research and teaching qualifications in his repertoire.

Christian is a well-known and recognised scholar in the field of leadership and works across the globe on research projects. He is a Recognised Expert on Leadership and provides Regular Expert Media Commentary on Scottish Television News (STV), Scotland Tonight, the Herald, the Conversation and Sunday Post. Furthermore, he is an Active Member of several learned organisations. Within the British Academy of Management, he is the Chair of the Leadership and Leadership Development Special Interest Group and Chair of the African Studies Track and serves on the Council. He is also the Chair of the Academy for African Studies, a Fellow of the Institute of Business Administration and Knowledge Management (FIBAKM) and an External Examiner to other UK universities such as Heriot-Watt University, De Montfort University and University of Aberdeen. He is an Active Member of the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE), International Council for Small Business (ICSB), Institute of Business Administration and Knowledge Management (IBAKM), Centre for African Research on Enterprise and Economic Development (CAREED), Higher Education Academy (HEA), Protracted Crisis Research Centre (PCRC), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and National Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), and serves on several review panels and committees. He is the Editor of New Frontiers in African Business and Society by Emerald Publishing. He is also the Editor of Routledge Studies in Leadership and Leadership Development, Associate Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Business Research and Management (IJBRM), Associate Editor of the Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (HSS), and Review Editor of Organisational Psychology, and serves on several journal editorial boards.

Christian is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), a Certified Management and Business Educator of the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CMBE) and has supervised numerous doctoral students to completion. He works extensively as a Consultant, Speaker and Trainer on Leadership Skills Development within organisations. He is the Founder of the NGO; The Leadership Mould Initiative International. The NGO supports students and moulds future leaders. Christian is the Author of the bestselling book entitled Leadership Theory and Research: A Critical Approach to New and Existing Paradigms, which is published by Palgrave MacMillan. He has also authored several video publications on leadership, namely, Traditional Paradigms of Leadership: A Critical Insight into Established Theories and Concepts; Modern Paradigms of Leadership: A Critical Insight into Contemporary Theories and Concepts; Emerging Paradigms of Leadership: A Critical Insight into Developing Theories; and Making Sense of Leadership: A Critical Insight into Leadership and Management Research.

Kingsley Obi Omeihe is well-known for his work on trust, African studies and the emergence of alternative institutions in response to dysfunctional formal systems. He currently holds positions at the University of West of Scotland (Paisley) as Co-head of Postgraduate Research, Managing Editor of African Development Policy and Insights and Associate Professor of Marketing and Small Business.

Previously, King served as the Head of the Business Management Department at the University of Aberdeen Business School. During his tenure, he achieved significant improvements in league table rankings and the NSS Survey, while also nurturing student enterprise. He played a key role as the Founding Director of the MSc Entrepreneurship Programme and Director of the Global MBA Online at the University of Aberdeen. Before that, King held appointments at Edinburgh Napier University, where he led the Apprenticeship Programme, as well as the University of Glasgow and the University of Birmingham.

He holds fellowship positions at the West African Transitional Justice Centre and the Centre for Research on African Digital Policy and Innovation. He actively contributes to Advisory Boards of various businesses, mentors start-ups and Chairs the Ethnic Minority Groups at the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. He currently serves as the President of the Academy for African Studies and Chair of African Studies at the British Academy of Management.

King pursued his studies in development studies, economics and business at the University of Cambridge (UK), Lagos State University (Nigeria) and the University of Aberdeen (UK). He obtained his PhD in Development Studies from the University of the West of Scotland. Additionally, he has valuable experience in the private sector, having worked at Zenith Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Access Bank and Standard Bank. Presently, he holds the role of Senior Economic Advisor at Marcel.

About the Contributors

Ayodele Adetuyi is a Lecturer of Enterprise in the School of Business and Creative Industries at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). Before joining UWS in 2019, he had worked with BBC Professionals as Partner in charge of Taxation and Assurance. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Isaac Oduro Amoako is an Associate Professor at the Coventry University, UK. He heads the Teaching and Project Directorate of the International Transformational Entrepreneurship at the International Centre for Transformational Entrepreneurship. His research interests include entrepreneurship and small business management, African business and entrepreneurship education, and social and diaspora entrepreneurship.

Kwame Oduro Amoako holds a PhD in Accounting from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. He is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Accountancy and Heads the Department of Communications Studies at the Sunyani Technical University, Ghana. His research interests include corporate sustainability practices, CSR and audit quality.

James Cunningham is Associate Professor within the Department of Business and Management at the Robert Gordon University. He has been involved in the design and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching since 2009. He has worked for a number of universities in both Scotland and Germany. He is also External Examiner at Lancaster University. He is an Active Researcher in the field of entrepreneurship and is an Internationally Invited Speaker on a number of topics.

Bassey Ekanem holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree from Teesside University International Business School. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). He has been working in the hospitality and tourism industry since 2007. His area of specialisation is hospitality and tourism. He currently works as Lecturer, Business & Tourism, at Global Banking School, Leeds, England, UK

Laura Galloway is Professor of Business and Enterprise at Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University. She has a research background in entrepreneurship, small firms, self-employment and leadership, and is Author of the textbook Leadership: Perspectives from Practice (Sage). She is the Joint Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Entrepreneurship & Innovation and sits on the Editorial Boards of several journals.

Elizabeth Gammie is Professor of Accounting at the Robert Gordon University where she is Dean of the Aberdeen Business School. Over the years she has developed her career by undertaking a part-time PhD, developing a very successful Accounting and Finance undergraduate degree, building a research portfolio, heading up the Department of Accounting and Finance and from 2016 taking on the role as Dean of School. Her research interests have focussed on gender issues within the profession and professional accounting education.

Gilbert Zana Naab holds a PhD in Development Economics with over 10 years of practical experience in international development, banking, academia, Monitoring & Evaluation and development finance. He is currently a Lecturer in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Business and Law at Coventry University, UK. He is currently the Policy Director for Inclusive Finance at the North Center for Development Alternatives.

Donovan Nadison is the Managing Director of New Africa Consulting. Prior to this appointment he worked for Deloitte Consulting, was Chief Executive of the South Africa Weather Service and served in the United Nations at the World Meteorological Organisation. He is a Witwatersrand University undergraduate and master’s degree graduate and was a Fulbright Scholar in the USA. He is currently a Doctor of Business Administration Candidate at Teesside University International Business School England.

Esinath Ndiweni is Associate Professor of Accounting and Finance at Heriot-Watt University’s Dubai Campus. She is the Global Director of Postgraduate Accountancy Programmes, and the undergraduate and postgraduate Director of Accountancy, as well as the Head of Accountancy. Her research focuses on management of change in organisations and the role played by accounting.

Ijeoma Jacklyn Okpanum is a Lecturer in the Business School on the Aberdeen-South China Normal University (SCNU) Joint Institute programme. She received her master’s degree from the University of Dundee (CEPMLP) and a PhD from the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow. Her research interests are institutional logics, leadership and organisational trust.

Obafemi Olekanma, PhD, is Senior Lecturer, Business Strategy and Climate Action at Teesside University International Business School, UK. He is Academic Lead for DBA, Sustainability Service Innovation and PG Business Studies. He is an Alumnus of the University of Strathclyde Business School, UK. His research interest is Business Strategy and Climate Action, biased toward sub-Saharan Africa. He is author of books, book chapters, conference papers, and journal articles that includes ‘Stepping into the Participants’ Shoes’. Before academia, he had a brilliant career in the financial industry spanning over a decade and held management and executive positions.

Ibiyemi Omeihe is a Lecturer of Entrepreneurship at the University of the West of Scotland. Her research brings a leadership-informed perspective to a variety of topics, including social problems, small businesses and economic institutions. She is currently researching, using phenomenological analysis, the meanings and consequences of authentic leadership. She has taught MBA and executive education classes. And before joining the UWS Faculty, she held several appointments with companies across other emerging markets. She is a Senior Fellow at the Marcel House.

Chioma Onoshakpor is a Lecturer in Management and Entrepreneurship, an experienced entrepreneur and an accomplished Non-profit Female Advocate Leader with 10 years of experience in helping female entrepreneurs scale their businesses in Africa. As a Lecturer at the Aberdeen Business School of Robert Gordon University, she teaches both entrepreneurship and core management modules. Her core research interest is in the field of entrepreneurship, with a specific interest in the areas of gender, access to finance and entrepreneurial motivation.

Kofi Owiredu-Ghorman is currently a PhD candidate in Accounting at Valley View University, Ghana and holds Master’s degrees in Microfinance and Accounting from the University of Cape Coast and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, respectively. He has served on the Faculty of Business and Management Studies’ Board from 2015 to 2017. He has been the Examination Officer from 2019 to date at the Department of Accountancy of Sunyani Technical University, Ghana.

Rebecca Stirzaker is Associate Professor in the Department of Business, Strategy and Political Sciences at the University of South-Eastern Norway. She teaches business, entrepreneurship and innovation courses and her research interests include entrepreneurship and innovation in context, entrepreneurship in peripheral circumstances and social entrepreneurship.

Heather Tarbert is Professor of Financial Management in the University of the West of Scotland. Her areas of expertise include energy economics and finance, valuation (including the real estate sector), equality and diversity issues within the accounting profession, and cross-disciplinary work where statistical or econometric analysis is featured.

James Tuffour is a Fellow of the ACCA-UK and has about two decades industry/academic experience from Ghana and the UK. His research interests cover Sustainability Accounting, Natural Resources Policy and Business History. He doubles as a Lecturer (Accounting/Taxation) and Small Enterprises Consultant at the University of East London.

Foreword

In recent times, there have been intense debates surrounding the decolonisation of the African literature. This movement goes beyond eradicating the remnants of colonialism from the knowledge production and dissemination process. It aims to foster the development of organic content and teaching methodologies that generate African solutions to the political, economic and sociocultural challenges faced by the continent. The New Frontier of African Business and Society is an exceptional addition to the field of African Studies, particularly this current edition with its theme focused on solution-driven approaches. Rather than simply identifying existing challenges, this publication offers practical solutions to address them.

A notable example of such challenges is the decolonisation of trade within Africa, which has gained significant attention through the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The African Union has designated the year 2023 as the year of accelerating its implementation. While it may be oversimplifying the continent’s economic challenges to attribute them solely to one cause, it is undeniable that shifting economic power dynamics and achieving balanced, fair trade transactions are crucial for Africa’s economic prosperity. This necessitates concerted efforts at the national, regional and continental levels to prioritise production over the current consumption-oriented approach, which heavily relies on finished products from outside the continent. However, it is vital to emphasise that the context of production should not be rooted in an idealised past where the West sustained its economies through Africa’s raw materials and labour. Instead, it should be grounded in Africa’s assertion of economic prowess through competitive products suitable for global consumption.

The relevance of this volume becomes immediately apparent in its title: ‘Contextualising African Studies: Challenges and the Way Forward’. It effectively addresses a significant gap that exists between teaching and research, on the one hand, and policy making and implementation, on the other. It is not sufficient to uncritically replicate success stories from other parts of the world. Instead, we need introspection to identify and unpack the challenges unique to Africa and subsequently devise context-specific solutions. This volume accomplishes precisely that through empirical research and case studies from various countries. By aligning with the African Union’s theme for 2023, which focuses on enabling the free movement of people, goods and services within a single African market, this publication aims to bridge gender gaps, promote inclusion and drive socioeconomic development. Achieving financial inclusion for marginalised groups is of utmost importance to eradicate poverty and foster stable socioeconomic conditions. To institutionalise these efforts, collaboration between state and non-state actors is essential, requiring a thorough understanding of the operational logic that guides trade interactions within the African context.

Considering the growing advocacy for sustainable development in Africa, it is imperative to initiate economic growth and development by examining existing production practices. This examination should specifically address the exploration of fossil fuels and other raw materials, taking into account indicators such as environmental pollution, conflict, gentrification, impoverishment and exploitation. By doing so, Africa can adopt sustainable industrialisation guided by ethical principles derived from its traditional practices of nature preservation. Furthermore, it is essential to affirm African agency at the micro level, especially in the informal sector. This approach highlights the often-neglected dimension of people-to-people exchanges, which form the foundation of inter-state relations. Understanding local contexts at the individual and communal levels provides a sociocultural infrastructure for sustainable trade interventions.

One of the book’s fascinating aspects is its emphasis on the nexus between policy making, inclusive of regulatory frameworks, and trade and entrepreneurship. It advocates for a bottom-up approach that promotes economic diversification as a blueprint for sustainable growth.

There is an undeniable truth that the future economic prosperity of Africa relies heavily on developing African solutions to African problems. This sentiment was emphasised by Her Excellency Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union, during her opening speech at the April 2023 AfCTA Business Forum in South Africa. It is high time for the African business community to take ownership of initiatives that foster economic growth. This ownership entails forging partnerships among individuals and groups from various sectors, ensuring equal opportunities for marginalized groups and leaving no one behind. As echoed by His Excellency Paul Mashatile, the South African Deputy President, in his closing remarks at the forum, such comprehensive continental progress can only be achieved through African unity and solidarity.

Thus, the true value of this text lies in the engagement of scholars and practitioners who establish clear connections between the theory and practice of context from an African perspective. If we are to succeed in the various efforts to decolonise the African academy, we must adopt methodological approaches like the ones presented here. It is essential to bridge the gap between academia and practical application, uniting both the academic and business communities to foster sustainable economic, political and sociocultural development across the African continent.

This is the gift this text offers.

Philip A. Ọláyọku PhD

Chair, West African Transitional Justice Centre (WATJ Centre)

Director Centre for Research on African Digital Policy and Innovations (CRADPI)

Acknowledgements

This book is a result of the imagination and contributions of a great number of people. We take this opportunity to appreciate, all too briefly, everyone who have made the development possible. We acknowledge our major debt to Anu, Yemi, Christian, Jose, Lily, Zara, Tiffany and Neriah, who have helped us persevere to see the beauty and grace in the pursuit of this book. Our dreams will not have been achieved without their support.

Indeed, no list of acknowledgements can be complete. So many people have assisted in this project. Our colleagues from the University of Bolton and the University of the West of Scotland cannot go without mention. Your support and ideas made this project possible and we owe you all our biggest thanks.

Our sincere gratitude also goes to all the authors who have contributed chapters to this publication. We would like to record our thanks to Ayodele Adetuyi, Kwame Oduro Amoako, Isaac Oduro Amoako, Bassey Ekanem, James Cunningham, Laura Galloway, Elizabeth Gammie, Kofi Owiredu-Ghorman, Gilbert Zana Naab, Donovan Nadison, Esinath Ndiweni, Ijeoma Jacklyn Okpanum, Obafemi O. Olekanma, Chioma Onoshakpor, Ibiyemi Omeihe, Rebecca Stirzaker, Heather Tarbert and James Tuffour.

We also acknowledge our significant debt to the institutions where we work, the University of Bolton and University of the West of Scotland. We are appreciative of the contributions of many senior colleagues including Professor George Holmes, Neil Shaw of the University of Bolton, Professor Milan Radosavljevic, Professor James Miller of the University of West of Scotland, and other colleagues too numerous to mention.

From the wider academic scene, we are particularly indebted to colleagues who have read our manuscripts in a very constructive way. Their numerous instructive comments have proven useful to the design of this work.

Finally, we would like to thank the people of Emerald who helped make this project possible. Special thanks go to Fiona and Lydia. They provided tremendous support through the writing and production phase of the book.