Teamwork for Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Titilayo Seriki has developed a new theoretical approach to explain the success of teams operating within the complex societal context of sub-Saharan Africa. While prior literature often suggests that organisational and national contexts are highly significant to team process and outcomes, these factors are seldom specified and their possible influence seldom studied. The cross-level character of this research framework (analysis of interrelationships between societal, organisational, and team levels) is a novel and necessary contribution to the research on teamwork and project management. The author focuses on sub-Saharan Africa as a region of increasing economic importance. International organisations consider Africa as a market for expansion due especially to its wealth of natural resources as well as its immense growth opp- tunities. A deeper knowledge of the cultural and institutional environments is needed to design appropriate business strategies and internal processes within the organi- tion. Based on existing literature, Dr. Seriki logically hypothesises chains of influence from the societal context to the innovation team, via the organisation as a mediator. The identification of common societal forces across sub-Saharan Africa and the analysis of consequences for organisations and teams provide a valuable contri- tion to the management literature, especially given the recent interest in the region by countries such as China.