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Challenges in the Era of Globalization - iaabd

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Proceed<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 12th Annual Conference © 2011 IAABD<br />

Us<strong>in</strong>g focus groups to exam<strong>in</strong>e effective leadership and motivation <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> African Diaspora<br />

Abstract<br />

Terri Lituchy, terrilituchy@yahoo.com<br />

Concordia University, Canada<br />

Betty Jane Punnett, eureka@caribsurf.com<br />

University <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> West Indies, Barbados<br />

Ale<strong>the</strong>a Thomas, allieye1@yahoo.com<br />

University <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> West Indies, Barbados<br />

Amanda Cruickshank, amanda.cruickshank@yahoo.co.uk<br />

University <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> West Indies, Barbados<br />

Robert Oppenheimer, roberto@jmsb.concordia.ca<br />

Concordia University, Canada<br />

David Ford, mzad@utdallas.edu<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Texas at Dallas<br />

Bill Puplampu, bbpups@ug.edu.gh<br />

University <strong>of</strong> Ghana<br />

Sam Sejjaaka, Samuel_Sejjaaka@hotmail.com<br />

Makerere University, Uganda<br />

With <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternationalization <strong>of</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess, it is important to understand management issues <strong>in</strong> different cultural<br />

contexts. There is little research on management issues <strong>in</strong> less developed countries, especially on leadership and<br />

motivation <strong>in</strong> Africa or <strong>the</strong> African Diaspora. In order to avoid a ‘western’ bias, an emic approach was used <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

current research. This paper presents <strong>the</strong> results <strong>of</strong> focus group research <strong>of</strong> people <strong>of</strong> African descent liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />

Montreal. The f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs suggest that <strong>the</strong>re are differences between western and African views <strong>of</strong> effective leadership<br />

and motivation. For example <strong>the</strong> participants stated that <strong>the</strong> ‘heart <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> people’ and ‘passion’ motivated leaders;<br />

while money and fear as well as a need for security motivate employees. These results have implications for<br />

<strong>in</strong>ternational management <strong>the</strong>ory as well as practice.<br />

Introduction<br />

As globalization <strong>of</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess moves to less developed countries, it is important to understand management<br />

issues such as leadership and motivation <strong>in</strong> different cultural contexts. “…Very little empirical or<br />

<strong>the</strong>oretical work has addressed leadership and management <strong>in</strong> Africa…” (Journal <strong>of</strong> Occupational and<br />

Organizational Psychology June 2009, p.464). Bolden and Kirk (2009) have <strong>the</strong>refore called for grounded<br />

conceptualizations <strong>of</strong> leadership drawn from research with<strong>in</strong> Africa us<strong>in</strong>g a variety <strong>of</strong> methodological<br />

approaches. The current study uses an emic approach to exam<strong>in</strong>e leadership and motivation <strong>of</strong> people <strong>of</strong><br />

African descent <strong>in</strong> Canada.<br />

486

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