Towards Increased Understanding of Leadership in the African Context: Data From Seven Countries

Abstract

A call in the international management literature asks scholars to follow inclusivity and national representation for the field to move forward (Arikan and Shenkar, 2021). Despite the increased interest in doing business on the African continent, research on leadership in Africa is still in its infancy. To fill this gap, this study reports the results from a large-scale sample (N = 699) in seven African countries on the perceptions of leadership effectiveness and its relationship to cultural factors. The findings identified both similarities and differences in preferences regarding leadership effectiveness across the African countries. Respondents described effective leaders in similar terms to those found in Western literature (e.g. visionary and charismatic) and they also placed importance on Africa-centric variables (e.g. communal and ubuntu). Different cultural dimensions were also found to relate to certain leadership preferences. For example, individuals from African cultures high on uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, paternalism, and femininity were more likely to view an ubuntu leadership style as effective. The results provide a basis for further research and practical guidance for managers in African countries, where investment in African countries is growing and the importance of effective leadership is seen as critical to sustainable development.