Managing people in the twenty-first century : integrative public human resource management in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The past decades have witnessed dramatic social and political changes on the African continent. These changes have been evident in many countries, ranging from the end of apartheid in South Africa to presidential and parliamentary elections in countries such as Algeria, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Ghana and Mozambique. It is not the purpose of this article to analyse these changes. Unfortunately, the tendency has been to transfer Western management theories and techniques to the public sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Going beyond the traditional approach, this article therefore proposes a conceptual framework for the integration of institutional cultural values (indigenous knowledge) and modern management techniques and practices. The framework advocates an integrative process designed to show the diverse and integrated activities associated with public human resource management.