HISTORICIZING MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION IN AFRICA.

The growth of management scholarship in Africa and the increasing role of history in management and organization (MO) education across the globe necessitate examination of historical events that inform MO in Africa. In this paper, I trace the historical trajectory of MO education from the traditional era, wherein ancient civilizations, empires, and kingdoms rife with commerce, education, and epistemologies were displaced, during the modern era, by colonialism and European domination, which contributed to the adoption and focus on Western education (management practice and knowledge systems). In the post-modern era, I propose reconfiguration of MO education based on greater societal embeddedness and a circular structure--integration of formal, nonformal, and informal education--consistent with the traditional principles and values of Africa on business conduct and education. I contend that the knowledge arising fromthe reconfiguration ismore likely to be relevant and meaningful to themultiple constituents of Africa. It will also enable MO scholarship in the future to help rebalance the extant epistemic tilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]