Constant D. Beugré

Transformational leadership in organizations: an environment‐induced model

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of the external environment on the emergence of particular forms of transformational leadership.Design/methodology/approach – To develop a conceptual model, the extant literature on environment and transformational leadership was used. Specifically, the focus was on the constructs of volatility of the external environment, environmental uncertainty, and existing models of transformational leadership.Findings – In this article, an environment‐induced model of transformational leadership was developed, which identifies three types of transformational leaders – revolutionary, evolutionary and transgressor. Revolutionary transformational leaders are likely to emerge in organizations operating in volatile environments and whose members show either a high or a low degree of receptivity. However, evolutionary‐transformational leaders are likely to emerge in less volatile environments whose members show a high degree of receptivity, and transgressor‐t...

The Challenge of Management Scholarship in Africa

In her speech marking the opening of the second biannual meeting of the Africa Academy of Management (AFAM) in Gabarone, Bostwana, in January 2014, the Honorable Linah K. Mohohlo, Governor of the Bank of Bostwana, raised three important issues that caught the attention of scholars focusing on management research and practice in Africa. The three issues were: (1) How can we make management theories relevant to the African context? (2) How can management contribute to sustainable development in Africa? And (3) how can management help promote a business environment conducive to the creation and sustainability of small and medium-size businesses in Africa? The aim of this article is to explore the extent to which management scholarship in Africa could indeed address these challenges.

Exploring the motivation to create social ventures: a model of moral engagement

This paper develops a model of moral engagement to explain the motivation underlying the creation of social ventures. The fundamental premise of the model is that moral engagement is an important determinant of peoples intention to start social ventures. The paper concludes with a discussion of the research implications of the model of moral engagement.

The Need for Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Sub-Saharan Africa

This chapter presents and discusses the Quintuple Helix Model of entrepreneurial ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. Before presenting the model, the chapter defines the concepts of ecosystem and entrepreneurial ecosystems. It also discusses the measurement of the effectiveness of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Finally, the chapter presents the five pillars of the Quintuple Helix Model (government, institutions of higher education, private sector, citizenry, and international organizations). The chapter concludes with a focus on the interplay among these five pillars.

Role of Government

This chapter focuses on the role of government in the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. Governments can positively contribute to the creation of entrepreneurial ecosystems by providing financial support to promote entrepreneurship education and research. Governments can also enact laws and regulations that create a favorable climate for startups. In addition, governments can facilitate entrepreneurship by fighting corruptions and red tapes and using public media to create awareness of entrepreneurial success.

Role of International Organizations

This chapter explores the role of international organizations in supporting the creation of entrepreneurial ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. The term “international organizations” is broadly used and includes foreign government development agencies, such as USAID, international nongovernmental organizations, and development agencies, such as the World Bank, the international private sector, and international universities. Such organizations can provide support in form of financial resources, expertise, training, and benchmarking opportunities. Examples of international programs that could support the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa include the GET (Global Entrepreneurship Training) program funded by the government of South Korea and sponsored by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and the YALI (Young African Leadership Initiative) program supported by the White House.

Role of Institutions of Higher Education

This chapter explores the role of institutions of higher education in the creation of entrepreneurial ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. It contends that universities and colleges can play a catalyst role in fostering entrepreneurship. They can do so through entrepreneurship education, research, and in establishing proof-of-concept centers, business incubators, and accelerators. Universities and colleges can also partner with the private sector to facilitate technology transfer and commercialization. The chapter contends that universities must play an important role in the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Role of the Private Sector

This chapter emphasizes the role of the private sector in the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. The private sector is loosely defined and includes companies owned by locals, companies owned by foreigners, and subsidiaries of multinational corporations. The private sector can provide financial support to universities and to business incubators. It can also collaborate with universities on joint research programs that could lead to the development of new products or services. The private sector can also support startups by providing financial resources or becoming suppliers or clients.

Role of Citizens

This chapter discusses the role of citizens in the creation of entrepreneurial ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. Very often, citizens blame their governments for what goes wrong. This chapter acknowledges that citizens are part of the problem as well as the solution. Whether a country is entrepreneurial or not depends on its citizens. It is the people, their capacity to tolerate risk and embrace uncertainty that determine whether entrepreneurship will take root in their community or not. Hence, to make a positive impact, citizens must change their value system, attitudes, and actual behaviors. For example, in the context of sub-Saharan Africa, citizens must reevaluate their attitudes toward entrepreneurship and failure, encourage family entrepreneurship, and reduce the forced solidarity tax.

The Business Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa

This chapter briefly presents an overview of the sub-Saharan African region. An understanding of the challenges and potential of this region could help to have a better grasp of the importance of this book and its call for a framework to spur economic development and growth. The chapter uses the PEST model to underline the importance of the institutional environment (economic, political, social, and technological) in the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. The chapter also uses the rankings of the Ease of Doing Business Report and the Economic Freedom Index to assess the business environment of sub-Saharan African countries. Before discussing the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems, I briefly present an overview of the sub-Saharan African region.