| The business world is known to be changing very rapidly due to the effects of globalization, liberalization, technological changes and advancement. This has given rise to market changes that is also transforming the business environment in which organizations operate. Going by Hammel and Prahlad’s (1994) argumentation, an organizational environment is stochastic in nature and as such, might not always remain stable in the midst of such rapid changes. In this regard, the future outlook of an organization’s productivity and performance might need to be situated in the intersection of changes professed by technology, organizational life style, organizational diversity and geopolitics (Hammel and Prahalad, 1994) of globalization and economic liberalization. Thus, it imperative for managers of businesses to develop future-oriented survival strategies, which can help them manage the challenges emanating from changes in their organizations’ operating environments toward enhance organizational productivities (Hammel and Prahalad, 1994). This is because, managing the consequence of these changes is deemed the single most difficult task for managers, especially those in organizations operating in the African business environment. Underlined by the general view among management scholars that organizations are embedded in social, cultural, economic and political contexts (see Kuada, 2012), This perception is informed by the notion that: management and leadership styles in African firms are mostly shaped by cultural issues, such as collectivism, embeddedness and power distance. As such, there is the need for the development of the requisite leadership and management models, as well as organizational structures and systems, for the efficient and effective management of transformational developments in organizations. This is based on the notion that for a manager to have the ability to lead an organization efficiently and effectively in a world of technological change, globalization, competition and social responsibility, she/he might need to be a person who possess the following competencies: ability to work effectively as a self-aware and reflective change leader, ability to understand organizational dynamics and how to improve efficiency and effectiveness, and ability to use sound leadership and organizational development practices to manage the organization successfully. In the African context, there is the perception that institutions are characterized by cultural tensions, manifested in the form of dichotomies, such as, individualistic vs collectivist world visions, local vs global cultures, and formal vs informal relationships (Bolden and Kirk, 2009). Thus, in order for African organizations to be able to face the momentous challenges emanating from changes in the global market environment, they might need visions of the future, which when made so attractive, inspiring and compelling will shift the mindset (Bina, 1997) of their managers from not only focusing on managing crises, but also anticipating the future (Bina, 1997). However, there appears to be a dearth of empirical studies that explain the nature, as well as confirm the existence of a relationship between leadership style and organizational development in the African context. For example, what empirical or conceptual answers do we have on how business managers in Africa lead in today’s ever-changing work environment? Also, going by the argument that effective leadership does not always translate from one situation to the next, what contemporary tools do managers of businesses in Africa use or require in tackling today’s organizational development challenges? |