Organizational Theory From an Afrocentric Perspective

Abstract

Although possessing widely differing assumptions about organizational and human nature, organizational theories all have one thing in common: They reflect the conceptual frameworks of Western social science, which are derivatives of Western ideology and thought. By exclusively reflecting the values and notions of Western society, these theories are circumscribable and biased and omit different conceptualizations of human beings and society found in other cultures. To this extent-and because Western social science has negated the worldview of African people (Akbar, 1984; Asante, 1987; Carruthers, 1989; Karenga, 1982)-some have argued for development of an alternative social science model reflective of the cultural background and cultural reality of African people (Akbar, 1984, 1985; Asante, 1980a, 1988; Baldwin, 1986; Baldwin & Bell, 1985; Dixon, 1976; Nobles, 1978, 1980; Semmes, 1981; Williams, 1981). This alternative model is known as the Afrocentric model. To date, most work along these lines has applied the Afrocentric model to individual and group behavior, but its application to organizational theory has been neglected. The purpose of this article is to reconceptualize organizational theory by employing the Afrocentric paradigm. Drawing from some of the tenets of the Afrocentric paradigm, this article will identify and discuss some of the characteristics of an Afrocentric organization and the extent to which these characteristics are congruent or incongruent with Western theories of organizations. Hence this article will offer an alternative conceptual paradigm for the study of formal organizations in general, but human service organizations in specific.'

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