INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE: Preliminary investigations into the COVID-19 pandemic and management in Africa

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns and restrictions taken by African governments to mitigate the spread of the virus have adversely affected the lives of people, health systems, organizations, society, and national economies. In this special issue, we take the initial steps in providing a broad overview of the effects of the pandemic and the management implications for Africa. We further present six studies that provide preliminary investigations into the impact and responses of individuals, organizations, and nations. The studies focus on the effects of the lockdowns in making sense of societal inequality through social class and race, how cultural orientation and strategic responses affect pandemic outcomes, how the pandemic engenders innovation and entrepreneurship, strategic responses of firms and performance, experiences of and prospects for management education post-COVID-19, and how the pandemic has affected artisanal small-scale miners and mining communities. The Special Issue invites management scholars to undertake further research to improve our understanding and management of the pandemic for the benefit of all Africans.