Dr Madei Mangori on, Acknowledgement and Celebration of the Indigenous Intellectual Capital Pioneering Work in Africa by Professor Lovemore Mbigi No1
No recorded competitive, creative and Innovative African strategic leadership Intellectual Capital
Dr Madei Mangori has argued that no recorded African strategic leadership methods, techniques, procedures, routines and practices in the sense of creative i.e. original, imaginative, ingenious and innovative i.e. ground breaking, pioneering and novel African leadership systems that are globally competitive i.e. inclined towards wanting to achieve more than other societies world-wide, have been created. (Mangori 2015).
The Need for More Creativity and or Innovation in Africa
Creativity and or innovation give a society a competitive edge over other societies. Being creative is being, original, imaginative, and ingenious. An innovative spirit is ground breaking, pioneering and novel with an intention to want to achieve more than other societies worldwide. It is also understood that being creative might mean creating completely new ideas that are not found anywhere in the world and innovation could mean adaptation and producing something out of someone's ideas but producing an altered but better version of the original idea. Research in the process of creativity and innovation is critical. According to Professor Albert Einstein as quoted by Professor Lovemore Mbigi, “creativity is more important than knowledge and the requirements of creativity need a balance between chaos and order,” (Mbigi 2010:127).
The acknowledgement of the Indigenous Intellectual Capital Pioneering Work of Professor Lovemore Mbigi
“African leaders in public, private and NGO sectors, management and organisational development consultants and researchers seem to be at the level of rhetoric, as far as creation of culturally relevant and globally competitive leadership methods, techniques, procedures, routine and practices. What is needed is more creativity and innovativeness in relation to Leadership Systems in Africa. It is sad to say that no African Leadership theory was articulated and recorded from the 1920s to until early 1990s with the work of Christie, Lessem and Mbigi (1993) entitled African Management: Philosophies, Concepts and Applications followed by The African Dream in Management by Lovemore Mbigi in 1997 and the Spirit of African Leadership in 2010. Some start has been made.” (Mangori 2014:26)
Dr Madei Mangori argued, “the traditional leadership and governance systems were interrupted and distorted by colonialism. However, efforts are being made by those who are propagating the “Afro-centric” model as propounded by Professor Lovemore Mbigi to build a way forward. It should be rightly acknowledged. One creative and innovative African author Professor Lovemore Mbigi working under the umbrella of the philosophy of African renaissance as articulated by former South Africa President Mr Thabo Mbeki has attempted to go beyond the level of rhetoric as far as creation of culturally relevant leadership and governance systems. (Mangori 2015:50).
“Strategy formulation and implementation is a critical area in an organisation. African scholars, using African paradigms, must spearhead research in it. This is with a view to produce creative, innovative and globally competitive systems. This research is meant to add an “experience mile” to the very long road toward a fully-fledged practical and globally competitive Afrocentric leadership systems approach, tried and tested… It is sad to note that very little, if any, globally competitive strategy formulation and implementation frameworks/models have been developed and recorded by Africans even though there is acknowledgement of indigenous African leadership existence for millions of years in Africa before the advent of colonialism. (Mangori 2015:103-104).
“It is important to find new uses of the ancient indigenous African concepts for they have been tried and tested for millions of years and have served humanity very well. Professor Mbigi as stated before believes that it is the task of the African scholar to preserve, articulate, codify and document indigenous African management concepts as well as find new uses for them to meet modern strategic management challenges. He argues further that humanity is in danger of losing the intellectual capital embedded in the indigenous African knowledge systems which has been developed over millions of years because it is not documented, codified and captured by metaphors for it is tacit knowledge. He argues that For Asia, particularly China, India, Japan and Jews, it is codified and documented.” (Mangori 2015:104)
Pioneering Work of Professor Lovemore Mbigi on The Need of Indigenous Intellectual Capital In Africa.
It is argued by Professor Lovemore Mbigi that “Africa often regards itself as the poor relation in political, economic, social, religious, cultural and intellectual terms when compared to the rest of the world particularly Europe, the United States of America and Asia,” (Mbigi 2010: 64).
Professor Lovemore Mbigi argues that;
“In organisations and communities, the concept of servant leadership brings together service and meaning to express the fundamental interdependent values of Ubuntu...” Professor Lovemore Mbigi refers to the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “Africans have a thing called UBUNTU; it is about the essence of being human, it is part of the gift that Africa is going to give to the world. It embraces hospitality, caring about others, being willing to go the extra mile for the sake of another. We believe that a person is a person through other persons; that my humanity is caught up and bound up in yours. When I dehumanize you, I inexorably dehumanize myself. The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms and therefore you seek to work for the common good because your humanity comes into its own in community, in belonging, (Mbigi 2010:29).
Professor Lovemore Mbigi argues that:
“No society had ever met the challenge of development without harnessing elements of their cultures into scientific and technological breakthroughs. The United States culture is characterized by the gusto, dreaming and entrepreneurship of their lone “cowboy” heroes, which has created its material and technological wonders. The Asian cultures as represented by Japan harnessed their quest for inner perfection into competitive, world class manufacturing, which enabled them to leverage mature Western industry and technologies to meet their own development challenges. It will not be enough for Africans to state that their philosophical perspective is a social, communitarian one. The challenge lies in our ability as Africans to translate this perspective into an enviable, organized, disciplined and prosperous way of modern life characterized by justice and the establishment of sustainable, fair communities in which all ethnic groups and their aspirations can find a home. The current suffering of most African societies is not romantic and attractive; it is repulsive and unacceptable” (Mbigi 2010: 67).
Other Pioneering Work on The Need of Indigenous Intellectual Capital In Africa.
If you know of any pioneering work in Africa on the creation of African intellectual capital we would like to read their work and acknowledge their contribution towards creation of indigenous intellectual capital In Africa in the same way we are doing the work of Professor Lovemore Mbigi in this series.
Professor Lovemore Mbigi is a world renowned specialist in entrepreneurship and African Management, researcher, PhD supervisor, author of a number of books and global educator. He has developed a series of solutions applicable across all markets, sectors and age groups. He holds two masters degrees and a PhD degree in Business Administration.
He is an authority in Strategic Management, Strategic Teambuilding and Performance, Strategic Entrepreneurship, Economic Empowerment, African Spirit Hierarchy in Harnessing Organizational Diversity, Transformation Leadership, World-class Management, Spirit of African Management, and African Hunter’s Spirit in Modern Entrepreneurship and The Spirit of Innovation in Organizations. You can check out the writings of Professor Lovemore Mbigi at the end of this article, purchase his work, critique, comment and contribute to the need for intellectual capital creation in Africa.
Professor Lovemore Mbigi’s Pioneering Indigenous Intellectual Capital Creative Work
Mbigi, L & Maree, J. (1995) Ubuntu: The spirit of African transformation management. Knowledge
Resources, Randburg.
Mbigi L. (1997). The African Dream in Management. Randburg: Knowledge Resources Pty Ltd.
Mbigi, L (2007) the Spirit of African Leadership Knowres Publishing
Mbigi L (2010) The Spirit of African Transformation Management Knowres Publishing
Mbigi L (2015) In search of the African Renaissance: An African Cultural Perspective
Mbigi L & Chibayanzara S (2017) The Spirit of Creating Personal Wealth: Lessons From Africa Ancient
Wisdom
By
Dr Madei Mangori B.Sc., CM.; DMS.; M.B.A., Ph.D.
Regional Director Christ College in collaboration with Azteca University (Accredited in Mexico, Europe, UK, USA & Canada).
Chairperson Research Africa Network
Adjunct Associate Professor in Business Administration Azteca University. (Accredited in Mexico, Europe, UK, USA & Canada) and author of the book entitled Strategic Leadership: Traditional Structures in Modern Governance available on www.amazon.com and on www.morebooks.de
Strategy Managing Consultant Rolling Wheels Pty Ltd
Organisational Focus Pty Ltd Plot 39788 Corner Litabi Way and Kanyu Road Opposite Louiseville Estate, Block 6 P.O Box 80342 Gaborone, Botswana. Mobile +267-72620041mailto:[email protected] twitter address: @madeimangori Skype: madeimangori