Responsible Management in Pre-colonial Africa: Insights from Ancient Egyptians and the Ndop Iron Industry of the 1800th Century in Cameroon

Abstract

Responsible management increasingly plays an important role in the sustainability of development initiatives in Africa. This chapter aims to explore indigenous pre-colonial African responsible management practices using ancient Egyptians and the Ndop Iron Industry of the eighteenth century in Cameroon. The management system of pre-colonial African societies was related to the production systems geared to the subsistence needs of the population. Management-related training was gender-based and sustainable. The modern understanding of responsible management is enlightened by investigating the past to see how the practice has evolved. The Egyptian pyramids were built to create an integrated human community. Previously man lived in small, isolated tribes or villages, but the increasing population required a different pattern of organisation and responsible management for optimisation of the Nile River’s resources to irrigate land for agriculture to feed the growing population. The Ndop Plain Iron Industry of the eighteenth century was well-equipped with smelting furnaces, fabricating assorted iron tools for use in agriculture, hunting and in households. The two case studies of historical evidence of indigenous African responsible management have been eroded with time due to disconnect with the past and the ravages of colonialism perpetuated by imperialist Europe. A paradigm shift to reconnect with the indigenous management practices in Africa is recommended as the way forward for responsible management on the continent.

Citation

Amungwa, F. (2022), "Responsible Management in Pre-colonial Africa: Insights from Ancient Egyptians and the Ndop Iron Industry of the 1800th Century in Cameroon", Ogunyemi, K., Ogunyemi, O. and Anozie, A. (Ed.) Responsible Management in Africa, Volume 1: Traditions of Principled Entrepreneurship, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 13-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-437-320221002