5.0 The African Entrepreneur Social Status/Relations: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
5.0 The African Entrepreneur Social Status/Relations: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
Studies show that entrepreneurs enjoy higher social status and wider social relationships in their respective communities than non-entrepreneurs do. It has not been empirically established whether these rich and extended social and family relations are associated with entrepreneurial success. While the entrepreneurs perform various community leadership roles (Jorgensen, Hafsi & Kiggundu, 1986; Dia, 1996; Kiggundu, 2001), the business suffers as a result of neglect, extended social and family obligations and extra-firm demands. Buame (1996) and Kallon (1990) concluded that social and family relations disadvantaged entrepreneurs in West Africa. A Ghanaian entrepreneur had to relocate his business away from his hometown at great expense in order to protect his business interests because, as he put it "it is your closest people who seek your downfall through superstitious means, Obeyifuo, you know" (Buame, 1996, p. 166). Kallon reported that over one half (56.3%) of the entrepreneurs thought that social relations were harmful to the business and less than one quarter (23.4%) thought social attitudes were helpful. Yet, more than 70 percent of them reported that they enjoyed higher social status than their fathers had achieved. Sam (1998) reported that three previously successful Nigerian family firms had to close because when the owner died, the siblings, from polygamous families, could not agree among themselves on how to settle the estate without dissolving the businesses.
Dia (1996) provides a positive interpretation of the effects of social status, social relations and social transfers for African entrepreneurship. Because Dia explains African institutional failures in terms of institutional disconnect, he logically provides solutions in terms of institutional reconnect: reconciliation, twinning, linkages, and capacity building. Accordingly, he sees social relations, social capital and social transfers as the building blocks for reconnecting Africans and their institutions, including indigenous firms. The African entrepreneur provides a critical link in the process of institutional reconnect and reconciliation. Kennedy (1988), in a study of capitalism in the Sudan, supports Dia's conclusions. These entrepreneurs consolidate social relations and social status through intermarriages between wealthy families, business partnerships between immigrants and local entrepreneurs, political contributions to business-friendly political parties or regimes, and maintaining close business and personal ties. African entrepreneurs need to enhance their social skills (e.g. negotiations) to navigate through complex, dynamic, and often interrelated family and social relations so as to advance the commercial interests of their businesses.
50 The African Entrepreneur Social StatusRelations Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa - To learn more about this author, visit Journal of Development Entrepreneurship's Website.
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(Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, Oct 2002 by Kiggundu, Moses N)
Studies show that entrepreneurs enjoy higher social status and wider social relationships in their respective communities than non-entrepreneurs do. It has not been empirically established whether these rich and extended social and family relations are associated with entrepreneurial success. While the entrepreneurs perform various community leadership roles (Jorgensen, Hafsi & Kiggundu, 1986; Dia, 1996; Kiggundu, 2001), the business suffers as a result of neglect, extended social and family obligations and extra-firm demands. Buame (1996) and Kallon (1990) concluded that social and family relations disadvantaged entrepreneurs in West Africa. A Ghanaian entrepreneur had to relocate his business away from his hometown at great expense in order to protect his business interests because, as he put it "it is your closest people who seek your downfall through superstitious means, Obeyifuo, you know" (Buame, 1996, p. 166). Kallon reported that over one half (56.3%) of the entrepreneurs thought that social relations were harmful to the business and less than one quarter (23.4%) thought social attitudes were helpful. Yet, more than 70 percent of them reported that they enjoyed higher social status than their fathers had achieved. Sam (1998) reported that three previously successful Nigerian family firms had to close because when the owner died, the siblings, from polygamous families, could not agree among themselves on how to settle the estate without dissolving the businesses.
Dia (1996) provides a positive interpretation of the effects of social status, social relations and social transfers for African entrepreneurship. Because Dia explains African institutional failures in terms of institutional disconnect, he logically provides solutions in terms of institutional reconnect: reconciliation, twinning, linkages, and capacity building. Accordingly, he sees social relations, social capital and social transfers as the building blocks for reconnecting Africans and their institutions, including indigenous firms. The African entrepreneur provides a critical link in the process of institutional reconnect and reconciliation. Kennedy (1988), in a study of capitalism in the Sudan, supports Dia's conclusions. These entrepreneurs consolidate social relations and social status through intermarriages between wealthy families, business partnerships between immigrants and local entrepreneurs, political contributions to business-friendly political parties or regimes, and maintaining close business and personal ties. African entrepreneurs need to enhance their social skills (e.g. negotiations) to navigate through complex, dynamic, and often interrelated family and social relations so as to advance the commercial interests of their businesses.
50 The African Entrepreneur Social StatusRelations Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa - To learn more about this author, visit Journal of Development Entrepreneurship's Website.
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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