Tribe and Village in African Organizations and Business

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show that organizational behaviour and business relations in African countries reflect preindustrial social norms typical of kinship based, rural communities such as in-group/out-group differentiation, reliance on kinship and the use of gift-exchange to create and strengthen social bonds.
Design/methodology/approach – Two books on African management are interpreted using anthropological and sociological theory as the analytical perspective.
Findings – The analysis of the two works suggests that the preindustrial patterns described in the anthropological literature play a central role in African management and business.
Practical implications – The paper concludes that manager should recognize the negative effects that may follow from a rejection of these socio-cultural patterns of behaviour.
Originality/value – It introduces Marshall Sahlins’ theory of social distance and reciprocity showing how this theory explains behaviours in and between African organizations.