The profit motive

The notion of profit is certainly not absent, but it is situated in a very definite set of priorities. Community, subsistence, and profit, this is the order of priorities (F.R. Mahieu). Relationships and security outweigh profit considerations but do not exclude profit. Thus, in this sense, the homo-socialis precedes the homo-economicus. Similarly, social obligations come before productivity.

The principle of respect for communal interest precedes the utilitarian self-interest. As a consequence, the utilitarian calculus may well develop in the enterprise but nonetheless remains subordinate to the communitarian imperative and the security needs.

If the enterprise does not play this role, it risks becoming the object of a predatory economy : "on vise non pas à entreprendre mais à prendre" (H. Zaoual). Avoiding responsibility, squandering time, resources and talents then results in a lack of entrepreneurial spirit among the personnel. Even in private enterprises the "functionary spirit" prevails when "African Welfarism" (H. Zaoual) is not respected.

Redistribution limits capital accumulation. This system of rights and obligations, if it ensures a minimal security, also paralyses the spirit of initiative and accumulation. It does so by redistributing the wealth through innumerable transfers, either in terms of money, service or time, and through the stifling of risk-taking and of making use of opportunities such as the capitalistic logic demands.

In order to understand African approaches to profit, one has to bear in mind what has been observed and examined above on the primacy of the relational over the financial, and of the "hybrid" nature of the new African culture where individualistic and communitarian reflexes, modern and traditional traits intertwine.
In Africa, a business enterprise is not considered, at first, a profit-making establishment. Instead, employees consider their enterprise as an entity that must offer its employees a social environment combining conviviality, cohesion and security.

"Africans want an economy at the service of society, not the other way round" (H. Zaoual).

Market

According to the Western culture of prevision, the market is to be carefully analysed. A good manager attempts to foresee the behaviour of consumers so as to organize his production programme accordingly. Inputs and outputs are calculated over a long period of time. Marketing is an important discipline. Not so in Africa. "Market" is above all a place to enjoy social relations. And these relations are related to prestige and to power. These contacts should therefore be kept rather secret. What pertains to the market should not be disclosed. Whereas the marketing expert is in favour of a good market study, the African merchant is not.

Work

The relaxed approach to time associated to the vital importance given to the group explains, for example, the important proportion of time given to celebrations, rites and funeral ceremonies which require the presence of the entire lineage. What is considered leisure in the eye of a Westerner often takes precedence over labor. For the African, time is invested in social relations. Time is distributed evenly between social affairs and economic productivity. The remarks on profit enable us to focus with greater clarity on labor. There is no direct relation between labor and enrichment.

Routine work which does not allow for pleasure and which is done in generalized indifference or disrespect, is resented by the African who is attached to his sense of honor and, therefore, to rewards (I. Sidibe, A. Henry).

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Personnel management

Intense social relations characterize the life of the enterprise. The economy of affection described by G. Hyden when speaking of Tanzania is present not only in the village but also in the city and in the enterprise. Mutual confidence, respect of the dignity of each person are essential for sustaining a successful enterprise. The enterprise must serve its employees and not the other way around.

The senior staff avoid giving orders because the motivation of the workers is supposed to be, above all, relational, psychological, moral. The management must show understanding through a dialogue with the workers about his problems, one has to convince and encourage.

The obstacles to this goal are numerous. To African workers and employees, control measures on work are annoying and irritating because they seem to imply a lack of confidence. "Tradition tends to banish each action which could be construed as inquisitive or imposing" (Djoliba). Philippe d'Iribarne observes that he who wants to use his authority to correct abuse of power is putting himself in a difficult spot. In order to be effective, sanctions must enjoy the consensus of the group. In decision-making, rashness should be avoided altogether. Thus it would not be wise to judge the productivity of the worker. A judgement is only acceptable if it relates to the intention and not to the result.
As in the other aspects of life in Africa, there is a rejection of impersonal relationship, neutrality, cold rationality and anonymity.

STOP MIMICKING WESTERN MANAGEMENT !

Adapt support to the type of unit at hand

To deal with African culture in the enterprise, we have deliberately set aside the distinction between the enterprise in the formal and so-called informal sector which we feel is irrelevant. But we must reintroduce this distinction dealing with support strategies and projects to the enterprise. Towards this end, we could introduce the criterion of Magnitude : production/commercial units employing more or less than 15 persons. Both the need and potentiality of a factory employing more than 50 workers call for other strategies than a workshop with 4 carpenters and 5 apprentices. This criteria of size, however, is not perfect - there exist micro-enterprises which are very modern. Another criteria could be that of the presence or absence of the "C factor" in the enterprise. When labor is the principal organization factor and is embedded in collective values.

Let us start with the enterprise in the first category (middle to large-size businesses and without "factor C").

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