UBUNTU

Reading Building Competitive Advantage from Ubuntu Management lessons from South Africa; confirmed my thoughts of how amazing is the African culture, something totally different from the Western culture.

Now days adopting viewpoints, philosophies and processes from several parts of the world make companies and people more complete and competitive in the work field.

Africa offers to the world the philosphy Ubuntu, " it can be defined as the humaneness, a pervasive spirit of caring and community, harmony and hospitality, respect and responsiveness that individuals and groups display for one another"(Mangaliso, P. Mzamo, (2001) Building competitive advantage from ubuntu: Management lessons from South Africa, Academy of Management Executive, vol 15 no 3, pag 24)

This philosophy is very well grounded, because it not only speaks about culture, norms and values; but also takes into account beliefs, mythology; and all little details that in some countries and even organizations are forgotten.

In the African sulture there is a motto "umnu tungumntu ngabanye", that means a person is a person trhough others( Mangaliso, P. Mzamo, (2001) Builgind competitive advantage from ubuntu: Management lessons froms South Africa, Academy of Management Executive, vol 15 no 3, pag 24), through this phrase i will resume how important is that managers use this philosophy, ¿ why?, just because employees in organizations want to be part of it, feel like they are importasnt for superiors and for the development of the company.

When people learn about others background, behavior, thoughts and culture, everything works more easier and environment more harmonic.

The knowledge of people within a company and relationships between them not only has impact inside the company also on the outside, this philopsphy will help managers to make emplyees love their job, productivity and efficiency, synergy iin the organizations structure, hermonic work environment, better profits, etc.

Taking little pieces of other cultures and adopting to your thought and behavior, will make a better world.

Nelson Mandela the men, thath changed Africa talks about waht is ubuntu, and one thing that i really like is that ubuntu is a life style.

Image: Ubuntu festival (taken from www.growsouthafrica.com)

Video The ubuntu experience Nelson Mandela interview ( taken from www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODQ4WIDsEBQ)