The De Montfort University (DMU) African Management Research Conference organised by the People, Organisation and Work Institute (POWI), in association with the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) at Leicester Castle Business School, DMU will take place virtually on Friday 27 November 2020, 9am-4.30pm.
Theme: Advancing Leadership, Management and Entrepreneurship Research in Africa
In the face of growing global competition, the need to advance knowledge in the areas of leadership, management, HRM and entrepreneurship has emerged as a means to transform African economies through empirical research. The African Development Bank (ADB) recently concluded that significant development in human capital is required to increase Africa’s global trade volume. Yet, research to advance knowledge remains a major challenge with only limited active research activity compared to the EU, USA, Asia and South America.
In considering opportunities to advance management research and practice in the African context, we have invited leading scholars conducting or supporting research in Africa from six UK Universities in the areas of leadership, strategy, management, HRM and entrepreneurship for an online Professoriate Conference. We hope to scope out conversations from the experiences, expertise and research works of the selected distinguished academics and establish academic networks, generate future research ideas and identify pipelines for grant application. Academics, research practitioners, Doctoral students, and faculty colleagues from UK and beyond are encouraged to attend.
Programme
09:00 – 09:05 Introduction, Dr Joseph Eyong (Head Leadership and Culture POWI, DMU)
09:05 – 09:10 Welcome note, Professor Jonathan Payne (Director POWI, DMU)
09:10 – 10:00 Professor Jackie Ford, University of Durham
How could critical leadership and management approaches enhance research in non-western contexts and what opportunities and challenges do western concepts present for African scholarship and organisations?
10:00 – 11:00 Professor Ken Kamoche, University of Nottingham
New research directions in the management of people: leadership and talent management in the African context.
11:00– 12:00 Professor Peter Case, University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol
What approaches to organisational change can be used to improve public service delivery in resource-poor contexts? Experiences of malaria control and HIV prevention interventions in Southern Africa.
12:00 – 12:45 Lunch Break
12:45 – 13:45 Professor Kenneth Amaeshi, University of Edinburgh
To what extent would the development and application of Africa-inspired Management concepts like Africapitalism impact leadership, management and entrepreneurship in Africa?
13:45 – 14:45 Professor Cornelius Nelarine, Queen Mary University, London
If ‘things are falling apart’ and ‘the centre cannot hold’ Achebe (1959), what is the rationale for management research in Africa and how should researchers engage this context?
14:45 – 15:45 Associate Professor Tahiru Liedong, University of Bath
How does the institutional, political and cultural context inhibit/facilitate the development of organisational strategy, enterprise growth and management/leadership effectiveness in the African context?
15:45 – 16:30 General discussion, Q&A and closing remarks.
This is a free event.