Leadership for high performance in local councils in Cameroon and Nigeria: Examining deviant and concordant practices to the philosophy of Ubuntu

Abstract

Emerging from indigenous communities in South Africa, Ubuntu has been heralded as a context-resonant approach to leadership practice befitting the African socio-cultural and institutional environment. Ubuntu privileges moral and humanistic consideration premised on collective endeavor and people-oriented preferences. These are much sought after aspects of leadership that should enable growth and expansion in Africa. Elusive, though, are empirical studies that explore the manifestation of Ubuntu in Africa and models that encapsulate key dimensions for managerial application. A question for the curious scholar is: if Ubuntu aligns to the African socio-economic and psycho-social work environment, why do African organizations continue to underperform? To address this dilemma, this study explores how Ubuntu leadership is practiced in a public service organization. Using interviewing and group discussion and exploring discursively from a constructionist perspective, the study analyses data from 12 council authorities in Cameroon and Nigeria. Contradiction, deviation and paradox are highlighted. The “seven-dimension” model of Ubuntu leadership embedding deviant and vital omissions for high performance is proposed.