Perspectives on the Practice of Management in Africa

This book contains a comprehensive exposition on the evolution and development of modern business enterprise in Nigeria, from the colonial period up to the present time. It highlights the challenges that top managers have faced within a rapidly changing business environment characteristic of such emerging economies. The book analyzes in detail how the mercantile trading houses that dominated the Nigerian economy during the colonial period transformed from import-export business into formidable conglomerates with business interests in manufacturing and modern service industries. To survive in a rapidly changing environment such as Nigeria, top managers had to be adaptive and innovative in coping with emerging realities. The book contains a synthesis of how business enterprises adapted their strategies and organizational structures to cope with the demands of the ever-changing business environment in Nigeria. It also contains a summary of the author’s research findings on the internal organization and management of large-scale business enterprises in Nigeria as well as the strengths and weaknesses of business enterprises in the country. In addition, the book presents the findings from a recent survey on emerging Nigerian-owned multinational corporations on the world stage. The growth and challenges facing indigenous management consulting firms are also examined in the book. The book serves as a valuable read for senior and top managers, policy makers, researchers, teachers, and students of business administration and general management throughout Africa.