The Book: Business and Social Etiquette in Africa: A Guide to Understanding Culture and Business Practices (forthcoming April 2010, Tsehai Publishers of Loyola Marymount University) 

Foreword by Dr. Olufemi Babarinde, Ph.D. 

Academic Director for MBA & Associate Professor, Global Studies

Thunderbird School of Global Management

Book features include:

15 chapters that zero in on culture as the crucial dimension to forging strong social, economic, and diplomatic ties between Africa and the Western world. This work confronts head-on the critical and common challenges that arise out of cultural differences between African and Western executives while using a holistic, multifaceted approach to provide cross-cultural insights for anyone interested in doing business, volunteering or simply vacationing in sub-Saharan Africa. More than a compendium of cultural do’s and don’ts, discussions include: contemporary African management theories, social customs, organizational behavior, etiquette, and protocol against the backdrop of African history, geography, language and literature.

Contents at a Glance

Part 1:  Building Bridges, Fostering Understanding

1                    Why Culture Matters

Define culture. Learn why many corporations and entrepreneurs entering the global market fail miserably. Explore why cultural knowledge matters for the successful traveler. Discover why Africa is worthy of close focus.

2          Three Steps to Successful Globalization

For the Western traveler, there are few destinations on earth that present more cultural differences than sub-Saharan Africa. Avoid common Western pitfalls. Explore unique ways to learn about your African destination. Use a simple three-step guideline to ensure mutually rewarding cross-cultural interactions. Discover helpful online research options. Learn essential tips for smart travel.

3             A Primer on African Culture

This chapter is a user-friendly primer to help you recognize, respect, and effectively manage cultural differences. Learn to use simple, practical frameworks for understanding African cultural orientations, preferences and styles. Identify key differences between African and Western values. Gain insight on how culture affects African business practices.

Part 2:  My Personal Journey

          4          From Corporate America to Corporate Africa: A Personal                           Transition

In a society with gender-prescribed professions, my initial concern was how people would receive me as a female in a male-dominated profession, but to my surprise, this was not my biggest challenge. Learn my first culturally shocking experience on the job in Africa. Discover my biggest challenges as an American expatriate and how they impacted my career in Ghana.

            5          A Case Study: Using Diversity to Facilitate Globalization

Uncover the secrets to how some corporations dealing globally are successfully using cultural diversity as a competitive advantage. Drawing from my experience, understand specific factors that made me a strategic hire for expatriate work in Africa. Explore useful tips on how to develop a tailored and well-informed approach to entering the African marketplace.

Part 3:  A Portrait of the Continent: Past and Present

            6          Africa’s Diversity: The Land, the People, the History

During this combined geography and history lesson, you’ll learn more about the languages and varied landscapes of the world’s second largest continent. Gain perspective of Africa’s complex past. See how European colonialism inflicted unspeakable confusion against cohesive African societies, often in the name of ‘divide and conquer’, and left a lingering legacy of ethnic and political strife among contemporary African societies.

7                    Africa’s “-isms”: Tribalism, Nationalism and Nepotism

Gain insight into the diversity and multi-ethnic nature of African people. Understand the significance of “ethnicity”, the implications of the word ‘tribe,’ and learn why “ethnic identity” is valued above “national identity” throughout most of Africa.

Part 4: Shared Value Systems

8                    The Fundamentals of African Culture

Traditional family is still the foundation of African society. Learn common beliefs and core cultural values – consensus, community, and collectivism – shared among Africans that transcend languages and ethnicities and form a fundamental cultural unit

9                    Greeting Etiquette, Non-Verbal Communication and Other Tips for Public Conduct

Learn greeting protocols for either social or commercial settings. Discover a variety of cultural handshakes that exists between African ethnic groups. Understand what is culturally expected of you when addressing members of your African host community. Recognize and interpret diverse nonverbal communication styles and become sensitive to the subtle gestures, body language, and other non-verbal cues of your African host community.

10        Africans in America: How Culture Affects First and Second                            Generations

Africans transport vital parts of their culture to their countries of immigration. Explore the waves of African immigration to America. Learn more about the African communities in America and how cultural expectations impact them both socially and professionally.

Part 5: Business Cultures: A Comparative Study of African and American Practices

          11        Management Styles

Rooted in their own traditions and ideals, Africans have their own distinct systems of commercial management. Here, I present eight principles of modern African management. Explore how African core cultural values and social customs carry over from the home to the office and strongly impact social interaction, management practices, trade and overall corporate governance.

12      Organizational Behavior: Contrasting African and American Corporate Cultures

For the successful expatriate manager, it’s important to understand that cultural patterns at work reflect cultural patterns in the wider society. So how does a Western business manager of an African-based firm learn to effectively deal across culture lines? Learn how to respect and reconcile cultural differences in the workplace. Explore major issues in cross-cultural management. Grasp practical strategies to apply in real work situations when dealing with people of African culture.

PART 6: African Voices: Writers, Thinkers, Activists: From Prose to Politics

13               African Writers and Literature: A Reader’s Guide

Learn about the legends of African literature – Achebe, Soyinka, Farrah – and how their works and others have paved the way for a new generation of African authors. Explore the monumental contributions of select African writers, Nobel Laureates, and activists. Discover Africa’s 100 Best Books of the 20^th Century.

14               Notable Firsts – African Pioneers

The chapter celebrates the pioneering achievements of many notable Africans. Explore the lives and contributions of select leaders, entrepreneurs, media innovators, activists and Nobel Prize winners – all of whom have played prominent roles in the development of modern Africa.

Part 7: Quick Reference Guide: Business Practices and Social Interaction

15        Do’s and Don’ts in African Business and Social Settings

Treat this section as a quick reference tool for points of etiquette and useful behavioral guidelines for such things as telephone etiquette, setting appointments, business dress, terms to avoid, appropriate introductory topics, negotiating and much more. This chapter is an easy-to-follow guide that both summarizes and expands on the social etiquettes and protocols of conducting business in African cultural environments.