ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we review recent empirical studies of implicit and explicit concepts of leadership in sub-Saharan African business organizations, with a focus on the concept of ubuntu, defined below, and explore whether or not ubuntu is actually practiced by managerial leaders. We will present the ubuntu concept and debates about it as found in literature, followed by evidence from our selected studies. From our review, our general conclusions are that the ubuntu movement may be an inspirational goal promulgated by African government and social elites to encourage a more humane and community-oriented set of values for sub-Saharan African businesspeople. There is little evidence of support for behaviors specified by ubuntu in the practice of managerial business leadership in the samples of employed businesspeople, and we find general acceptance of what are termed “Western” attitudes toward business by sub-Saharan African managerial leaders. The studies found few gender differences amongst preferred leader behavior for employed businesspeople in sub-Saharan Africa.
