Human Resource Development International

Human resources development: Focusing on SMEs in sub–Saharan Africa

Human resources development: Focusing on SMEs in sub–Saharan Africa

 Studies that focus on SMEs and human resources development (HRD) in the context of sub–Saharan Africa remain at the peripheries of mainstream research. But, with approximately one (1) in five (5) workers in the world predicted to be African by 2050 (International Monetary Fund [IMF], 2024), developing insights into human resources development practices in SMEs within a context predicted to have such global significance must be a research priority. Elevating research that heeds such a global phenomenon can be crucial for building an inclusive body of knowledge (see Kamoche, 2011). Indeed, existing research on human resources development tends to neglect this rich and unique context due to misunderstandings, resulting in a body of literature with a heavy bias towards human resources development in SMEs established in the West (e.g., Anderson et al., 2024; Kuchinke & Lee, 2024). Yet, in sub–Saharan Africa, SMEs that operate largely as informal entities absorb the continent's employment pressures and play a crucial role in alleviating poverty. Furthermore, the infusion of cultural, societal norms, and values in every walk of life, including the workplace environment, has the potential to advance research on human resources development to account for the unique hybrid of factors likely to be playing out in SMEs in sub–Saharan Africa. Moreover, research that aims to develop an understanding of the region’s informal yet powerful institutions exerting their influence across the business world can contribute new insights into issues surrounding human resources development in sub–Saharan Africa. Indeed, with religious and traditional practices seamlessly blended into the governance structures of the majority of SMEs across many parts of sub–Saharan Africa (cf., Baah et al., 2023), an understanding of the mechanisms that are part of the workplace environment and human resources development initiatives must be a research priority.

The current default in the literature on human resources development seems to be an overreliance on traditional theories derived from workplace activities in the West causing a narrow representation of human resource development practices engendered in varied contexts. Arguably, researchers who rely on Western theories are at risk of missing out on the richness and uniqueness of non–Western contexts (cf., Bruton et al., 2022; Simba, 2024; Wickert et al., 2024). Most importantly, and given the estimated global significance of Africa’s workforce (IMF, 2024), research focus must pivot. From this perspective, this online collection invites research that focuses on human resources development in the context of SMEs in sub–Saharan Africa. This new research, which can be empirical or conceptual, should aim to develop alternative theoretical explanations at the SME–HRD nexus with a focus on sub–Saharan Africa. Explained differently, this research should aim to develop new theorizations of HRD in sub–Saharan Africa’s SMEs. In a way, it should engage in a scholarly conversation within the context (Hamann et al., 2020). The following list of topics, which is by no means exhaustive, must be used as a guide. In cases where authors have related topics but are not sure of their fit for this online collection, they must contact the guest editor whose details are provided below

Research topics to consider focusing on:

•        Human resources development practices in sub–Saharan Africa’s SMEs
•      Entrepreneurial leadership and SMEs’ human resources development in sub–Saharan Africa.
•          The role/influence of religious and traditional practices in sub–Saharan Africa’s SMEs’ human resources development initiatives. 
•         The infusion of cultural, social norms, and values in human resources development within SMEs in sub–Saharan Africa.
•        Developments in the management of human resources in SMEs in sub–Saharan Africa 
•        Creating an environment for human resources development in sub–Saharan Africa’s SMEs
•        Conceptualization of human resources management in sub–Saharan Africa’s SMEs   

Deadline: The closing date for accepting papers for this online collection is June 22, 2025. For additional information about this research call, please use the following contact details: Prof. Dr. Amon Simba at amon.simba@ntu.ac.uk.

References:

Anderson, V., Poell, R., & Mohd Rasdi, R. (2024). Theorizing cultural HRD: an emancipatory structures approach. Human Resource Development International, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2024.2409611.

Baah, C., Afum, E., Agyabeng–Mensah, Y., Dacosta, E., Opoku-Agyeman, D., & Nyame, C. (2023). Environmental orientation, relational capital, and SMEs       performance: Do religious, cultural, and mimetic orientations matter in a sub–Saharan African economy?. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 30(1), 215–233.

Bruton, G. D., Zahra, S. A., Van de Ven, A. H. & Hitt, M. A. (2022). Indigenous theory uses, abuses, and future. Journal of Management Studies, 59(4), 1057–1073. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12755.

Hamann, R., Luiz, J., Ramaboa, K., Khan, F., Dhlamini, X., & Nilsson, W. (2020). Neither colony nor enclave: Calling for dialogical contextualism in management and organization studies. Organization Theory, 1(1), 2631787719879705.

IMF (2024). Regional Economic Outlook. sub–Saharan Africa: A tepid and pricey recovery. Washington, DC : International Monetary Fund, 2024. Available at:          https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/REO/SSA, Accessed on 8.10.2024.

Kamoche, K. (2011). Contemporary developments in the management of human resources in Africa. Journal of World Business, 46(1), 1–4.

Kuchinke, K. P., & Lee, M. M. (2024). Dynamics of transformation and change in actual practice: examples and insights for transforming HRD. Human Resource Development International, 1–15.   https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2024.2408031.

Simba, A. (2024). Reassessing Western Biases: An African perspective of entrepreneurship and innovation. In the International Encyclopedia of Business   Management, Elsevier.

Sydhagen, K., & Cunningham, P. (2007). Human resource development in sub–Saharan Africa. Human Resource Development International, 10(2), 121–135.

Wickert, C., Potocˇnik, K., Prashantham, S., Shi, W., & Snihur, Y., (2024). Embracing non–Western contexts in management scholarship. Journal of Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.13048.0:0.