Understanding Organizational Sustainability Through African Proverbs Insights for Leaders and Facilitators

About this book

African cultural heritage, passed on from generation to generation has been the source of guidance for African communities in times of peace, uncertainty, birth, life and death. In Understanding Organizational Sustainability Through African Proverbs the power of traditional wisdom contained in African proverbs is directed at organizational development and change.

The result is a fresh new perspective on organizational management with important lessons for leaders, consultants, volunteers and expatriates working or preparing to work in Africa. Rooted in proven practice, Understanding Organizational Sustainability Through African Proverbs specifically addresses the needs of leaders and consultants in African organizations seeking to implement performance improvement and organizational change, and contains proverb-driven assessment templates for use in workshop situations.

Contents

Foreword
Preface

1 INTRODUCTION: African Proverbs as Tools for Organizational Improvement; Proverbs and Their Use; Proverbs for Communicating Organizational Issues; The Audience for This Book

CHAPTER 1: Understanding Organizational Growth; Phases of Organizational Growth. Ubuntu: The Spirit of a Sustainable Organization; Growth Phases Viewed Globally
CHAPTER 2: Strengthening Organizational Sustainability Conventional Understanding of Organizational Sustainability; Organizational Development Understanding of Sustainability; Complementarity of the Two Approaches
CHAPTER 3: Organizational Culture as the Foundation for Sustainability; What is Organizational Culture? Organizational Identity; Types of Culture; Creating an Empowering Organizational Culture
CHAPTER 4: Improving Leaders' Effectiveness; Leadership and Leadership Styles; Developing Leadership Effectiveness; Leadership Succession
CHAPTER 5: Improving Consultants' Effectiveness; Role of the Consultant; Lessons for Consultants
CHAPTER 6: Organizational Assessment Using Proverbs; What is an Organizational Assessment? The Purpose of an Organizational Assessmen; The Benefits of a Self-Assessment; The Organizational Self-Assessment Process; Factors Hindering Effective Use of Organizational Assessments

APPENDIX: Sample Diagnostic Instruments; Proverbs Self-Assessment Tool for Organizations; Self-Reflection Tool for Leaders; Self-Reflection Tool for Consultants

References

Customer Reviews

Biography

Chiku Malunga is a Malawain consultant with long experience of organizational development work amongst African NGOs now working with the organization CADECO to promote African-centred organizational improvement models.