Is the west ready for a new organizational philosophy?

by Sylvia Tallam

There is no doubt that the world face of the economy is changing. Cultural norms, values, priorities and context have changed. The mainstream organizational models we have today were designed at a time when the world was a very different place. The traditional 3-tied economy, with the public, private and social sectors, is being proven ineffective and becoming obsolete.

Most of the western countries way of doing business has been characterized by objective mechanisms and individualism. The organisation is different from its employees; some fight for his/her own interests. The objective frameworks might have compromised responsibility, integrity and accountability.

All these occurrences could be the core cause of the crisis we are facing in the west today. However, there is great need to come up with a new philosophy that will lift us out of this trap. A way of doing business that will bring corporation in organisations, justice to everyone and a sense of belonging. 

Leontine Van Hooft CEO of GreenDreamCompany and organizational anthropologist won the Woman of the Year Award because of her zeal for new distinctive way of doing business; Ubuntu is one of the aspects.

Ubuntu has its origin in the Bantu language of southern Africa. It is a Zulu word “Umuntu ngumutu nga Bantu” which means ‘a person is a person through other people’.  A Zulu concept that means ‘personhood’. The term is also found in many other African ethnic groups; in Shona it is unhu, and in both Tswana and Sotho it is botho.

Ubuntu is an African philosophy that brings out clearly the fact that you can’t exist by yourself, you probably need someone to keep you moving! It defines what it means to be truly human. We affirm our humanity when we acknowledge that of others.

The philosophy found its way into the companies after apartheid when the black people got a chance for leading positions in organisations. Through Ubuntu concept, a company and its stakeholders becomes a family characterized by mutual goal, understanding and a sense of belonging.

Time is ripe for change in organizational structure. There is relentless call for change.

Is this not what we want?

                                                                                                                          

GreenDreamCompany organises a Together-4-Better Theme Expedition: Ubuntu & Leadership. Have a look at our website and find out more about this inspiring expedition. Join us @ 20 april for an Inspirational Event concerning Together-4-Better Expedition.