HR for International Development

Africa is taking off. The world’s second-most populated continent also has the world’s fastest rate of growth. Booming technology and software industries, resource wealth, increasingly effective development programs, and widespread cellphone use are fueling the boom.

Earlier this year, the Journal of World Business published a special issue, highlighting issues and developments in human resources in Africa. Six peer-reviewed articles cover everything from conflicting corporate cultures in an African merger, to the development of female talent in African business schools.

Business and academia don’t spend much time talking about “the last economic and industrial frontier.” When we do, there’s a tendency to lump everyone into a homogenous group. The reality is that Africa has incredible diversity: One billion people speaking 2000 languages in 53 countries.

The creation of unique organizational structures and management styles, that reflect the realities of the pan-African economy while respecting local heritage and cultural norms, is key to the successful development of business in Africa. This is a challenging and fascinating task.

Innovative and flexible Western human resource managers have knowledge and skills that can be of tremendous use in the Global South. There's also much to be learned from African experiences, which can inform and improve your own HR practice. Unfortunately, with only a few exceptions, HR as a profession has failed to establish itself in much of the developing world.

Preview the special issue of Journal of World Business for free, access it through a subscription (perhaps from your company or your alma mater), or purchase individual articles here. You can buy a hard copy (at a better price, I should add) here, or find it in a local library.

I challenge you to get involved. What’s stopping you from investing in Africa? Money? Family? Fear? What would it take to change your mind?