A Handbook of Strategies and Innovations in Africa

The handbook will be published as part of the World Scientific Series in Management Strategies, Policies and Implementation. Series Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Gideon Markman

Book Description:

Africa is a fascinating and increasingly relevant context for management research and practice.  Recent estimates indicate that Africa has the youngest and fastest-growing population, with the overall population expected to increase to 2.5 billion by 2050. Recent forecasts also show that Africa’s youth population will rise as a share of the world’s youth population from 19 percent to 33 percent between 2015 and 2050 (Dews, 2019). Consequently, the workforce in Africa is expected to grow by nearly 450 million people between 2010 and 2035 (George, Corbishley, Khayesi, Haas & Tihanyi, 2016). This population boom has the potential to unlock more than $3 trillion in consumer spending, according to a McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) report (2023). In addition to this vast human capital potential, the increasing proliferation of information and communication technologies (George et al., 2016) and surge in global value chains in Africa implies significant opportunities for firms participating in growing, global sectors such as agriculture, energy, financial services, and information technology. These factors in the environment along with the human capital potential in Africa implies that African countries are uniquely positioned to be hubs for innovation and global business. Thus, businesses that misunderstand Africa run the risk of missing one of the 21st century’s great growth opportunities. 

Despite the impending growth unfolding on the continent, the existing management literature often suggests that Africa’s businesses have tended to focus on short-term operational issues at the expense of long-term strategic imperatives and opportunities (e.g., Mellahi & Mol, 2015). Similarly, the literature points to underdevelopment in the inputs and outputs of the innovation process among organizations in Africa (e.g. Allard & Williams, 2020). These are fair criticisms considering limited evidence to the contrary. Indeed, the management literature on strategies (e.g., Pierce & Snyder, 2020; Uzuegbunam & Uzuegbunam, 2018) and innovations (e.g., Allard & Williams, 2020) in Africa is nascent. This limited perspective on the strategic and innovative activities of African based organizations overlooks the rich nuance and eclecticism of strategic and innovative activity on the continent. Africa’s 54 countries present a rich, complex but underexamined background for management scholars (Nachum et al., 2023; Pierce & Snyder, 2020).

This handbook calls for a cross-sectoral and cross-national collection of perspectives and evidence regarding strategic initiatives and innovations that are stimulating and supporting businesses as they seek to grow and capitalize on opportunities in Africa in the 21st century.   The book will focus on strategies and innovations across different types of organizations, including, but not limited to small, medium, or large firms, family firms, professional service firms, entrepreneurial start-ups, social enterprises, multinational enterprises, and public-private partnerships.  We are open to strategies and innovations across a myriad of industries and sectors, such as agriculture, sports, film, finance, technology, manufacturing, retail, etc.  

We are seeking chapter submissions that include, but are not limited to the following topics:

• What resource combinations and orchestration strategies are African firms employing to capitalize on human, financial or natural resources on the continent?           
• What forms of intellectual property strategies are employed to protect firms’ assets in Africa?
• What alliance and merger and acquisition strategies between African firms and international firms are being used to stimulate organizational growth and opportunity? 
• What innovative interorganizational partnerships/collaborations (e.g., public-private partnerships) are being developed or used to capitalize on the continent’s resources or geography?
• How do business accelerator/incubator programs on the continent shape strategy in entrepreneurial firms?
• What business model strategies and innovations support the birth and growth of African firms?
• What are the ecosystem strategies and innovations that foster entrepreneurial activity and success in Africa?
• How do African firms leverage or deploy platform strategies?
• What are the effects of frugal innovations and strategies in new or established African firms?
• What are the approaches and effects of value innovations and blue ocean strategies in Africa?
• What strategies and innovations contribute to the formation, survival, and growth of social enterprises in Africa?
• How do formal or informal institutional forces affect strategies and innovations on the continent?
• Comparative analysis related to firm strategies and innovations: Within and across African countries, cities, and rural areas. Between firms in Africa and firms in other parts of the African diaspora (i.e., the Caribbean; Afro-Latino sectors and markets). Between firms in Africa and firms in other parts of the world.
• What are the economic geography dimensions of strategy in Africa?
• How does national or organizational culture inhibit or encourage strategic and innovative activities in Africa?
• How do African firms construe performance and success (e.g., social performance, environmental performance)?

Chapter submissions should be uploaded to the online submission system by September 1, 2024. Contributions must be original, unpublished work. Though contributions may be empirical or conceptual, conceptual works (such as essays, etc.) should strive to leverage anecdotal or practical evidence to substantiate critical claims in the chapter. We welcome different empirical approaches including qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods.  We especially encourage submissions from African scholars. 

All chapter submissions should include a concrete analysis of implications for practice or / and public policy. Manuscripts should be submitted either in Microsoft Word or PDF formats with a maximum length of 30 pages (double-spaced). Authors are encouraged to follow the Academy of Management Journal Style Guide in preparing their submissions Academy of Management Journal STYLE GUIDE FOR AUTHORS.

Important Dates:

Deadline for chapter submissions – September 1, 2024

1st round reviews of papers completed – November 30, 2024

2nd round reviews of selected papers – May 31, 2025 

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Dykes (bdykes@su.edu) or Dr. Uzuegbunam (ikenna.uzuegbunam@howard.edu).