Abstract
The study utilises the legitimacy construct as a lens to attain insight into the appropriateness, propriety of different organisational forms in the African setting. The study gathers data through indepth, semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted with CEOs and managers directly reporting to the CEO (i.e., a member of an organisations top management team) in 24 different, diverse organisations. The data was gathered in the Southern African countries of Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Data is analysed thematically. The data is analysed and presented at a regional- as opposed to country- level.
The study distils, crystallises- from an initial 11 uncovered, emerging dimensions- the central dimensions, themes underlying, determining organisational legitimacy perception among African managers as being embodied in: presence, enforcement of policies, rules, regulations in the HRM arena; presence, activation of organisational vision, core values; domestication of top management. From the dimensions it is, subsequently, inferred that organisations originating from a focal country and having specified ownership have the ultimate legitimacy perception among African managers. Meanwhile, organisations from outside, external countries and having diffuse ownership are inferred to have diminutive legitimacy perception among African managers. Furthermore, the study illumines ways in which the primordial public acts as a source of legitimacy and validity cues in the African setting. Additionally, the study develops an internal legitimacy assessment tool.
Subsequently, from its findings the study offers the following key recommendations: Governments should statutorily regularise the HRM profession (this will help determine who- with what qualifications, experience etc.- can practice in the HRM field); organisations should develop, regularise, implement contextually relevant HRM policies, rules, regulations; membership Associations/Bodies should encourage member organisations to work towards developing and living up to a vision and set of values; managers should live by personal example a focal organisation’s touted vision, values; Governments, regulators must work towards avoiding the “unnecessary” deployment of expatriates by organisations operating in their jurisdiction; in organisational decision making, the impact on organisational legitimacy perception of deploying expatriate managers must be factored in; individual expatriate managers must realise that their behaviour, demeanor, actions in large
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measure determine local stakeholder’s perception of a focal organisation’s legitimacy and, additionally, the legitimacy perception of the expatriate manager herself/himself.