Decolonizing Management: An Elusive Quest?

Sustainable tourism management seldom addresses the basis upon which knowledge on the environment is constructed. Rather, a Western-centric epistemological order prevails that positions Indigenous knowledge as the “Other.” Such an approach limits the capacity to instil a desire for and belief in organizational change. Based on a growing body of knowledge on African management philosophies, this research explores the values and norms characterising Indigenous management approaches in an African-country context. This knowledge is leveraged to build a foundation for sustainable capacity development. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Tanzania, this study explores the diverse approaches to environmental practices adopted or aspired to by hotels operating in Zanzibar. This allows capturing how sustainability knowledge is institutionalized and (re)produced across different levels. Contradictions and tensions abound when speaking about “African” management and conceptions of sustainability therein. At the core of these tensions lies the often-limited recognition of cultural heterogeneity and prevailing socio-economic realities, which are superseded by the imposition of Western knowledge in management development. By integrating Indigenous voices with a critical management perspective, this study challenges and further extends dominant notions of organizing sustainably in tourism.