Interview with Professor Strickland

On 27 July 2009, the British Council Management Express hosted Professor A.J (Lonnie)Strickland at a local Harare hotel under the monthly Management Forum series. Professor Lonnie Strickland is the co-author of the number one selling Strategic Management textbook in the world Strategic Management: Quest for Competitive Advantage. With sales of over two million copies the book is used at 950 Universities worldwide and is published in five languages. A Miller Strategic Management Professor at the University of Alabama in the USA, Professor Strickland has been a very popular speaker on the subject of strategy and implementation. I had an opportunity to chat with the renowned strategic management guru on the sidelines of this event and the following are some of the excerpts from that interview:

Shereni Jongwe (SJ): I feel extremely honoured to have you for this interview Professor. I must admit that I have used one of your books, Crafting and Executing Strategy during my MBA studies and found the cases extremely useful in applying theory. Looking back, what appears to be the milestones that have shaped the discipline of strategic management over the years?

Professor A J Strickland (Lonnie): The field of Strategic Management is a relatively new field. The first book on the discipline was by Christian Andrews. Prior to that, strategy was commonly associated with the military. It must be pointed out that there were not much tools of strategy since 1971. Later on, Michael Porter and Henry Mintzberg (as well as others) did exceptional work in terms of developing new tools. So looking back, I can say that Strategic Management as a body of knowledge has grown from 14 pages to over 1000 pages and it continues to grow. Another milestone can be observed in accounting. There was a paradigmatic shift from compliance accounting to management accounting, with the latter being heavily relied on by strategists in decision-making.

SJ: How do you characterize the discipline of strategic management today, and could you proffer some insights into the possible growth trajectory of the discipline, going forward?

Lonnie: One can observe three key characteristics shaping the discipline today and in the future. First, there has been a big change in the volume of data available for use in strategic planning. The advent of search engines e.g. Google means that anyone now can do strategic analysis. Looking at the information systems involved with strategy, one can also track the increasing reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool in strategic decision-making. Over the years, I have observed that the time horizon has changed from the traditional 10 years to 3 years. This is particularly true for the developed countries where technological changes have spawned new businesses and altered consumer behaviour and trends. For a country undergoing change like Zimbabwe, it means the time horizon is as small as 3 months! The growth in online shopping has given birth to businesses such as Amazon and eBay that have gone on to do well in setting new markets that never existed. The advent of wireless technology, particularly the use of cell phones, has opened new opportunities in banking. In Zimbabwe, the introduction of 3G technology will create scope for cell phone banking. It must be noted that there has been exponential growth in the use of cell phones in Africa over the last few years and the trend is set to continue in future. Globally, internet banking is now larger that traditional banking based on branch networks.

SJ: It appears that you have consistently relied on the case-study approach in illuminating the discipline of strategic management yet there has been criticism of the case-study approach by other management gurus, notably Henry Mintzberg. What are your own reactions to such criticism?

Lonnie: It should be noted that the teaching of Strategic Management has also changed. The case method has been successful because it gives students the opportunity to practice through role-playing. Going forward, there is need to come up with exciting and highly interactive cases. I have observed the growth in the use of management simulations and these have proven to be very stimulating for students.

SJ: Still on the subject of case studies, it appears that there has been greater reliance in your books on cases originating mostly from Europe and the United States of America. What appears to be the constraints to the evolution of good cases from, say, Africa or Asia? What can be done to promote the development of such cases, going forward?

Lonnie: Europe and the United States of America constitute the largest market. I have been a strong advocate of cases written in the Zimbabwean market. In our new book (16th Edition of Crafting and Executing Strategy), we feature two new cases on Zimbabwe i.e. Econet Wireless and Shearwater. I must point out that for the past 20 years, I have been pushing local academics to write local cases. It is imperative that local academics develop this habit. There are great stories about Zimbabwe e.g. mining history of Zimbabwe, tobacco industry and tourism. Cases are designed to teach and local cases assist students to identify more with local issues. To promote relevance of some of our cases to diverse markets such as Africa and India, we have identified locals to adapt the cases to suit the local context. In South Africa, we are working with staff at the University of Stellenbosch along these lines.

SJ: In recent times, you have made numerous visits to Zimbabwe, and hopefully other parts of Africa. How do you characterise the state of the discipline of strategic management?

Lonnie: I have been to most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa e.g Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. In all my travels, I have concluded that Strategic Management is alive and well in Zimbabwe! I have been impressed with the quality of Zimbabwean managers, especially how they have stayed abreast with the field. Clearly, the Internet has facilitated learning and the grasp of Strategic Management is very good. Significantly, Zimbabwean managers have rewritten a portion of Strategic Management under uncertainty- there is no book on that!

SJ: Looking specifically at Zimbabwe today, what can you identify as the key strategic issues facing both executives and corporate managers?

Lonnie: I would say local managers now need to learn how to manage businesses under normalcy. In the past, the tendency has been on managing for survival where the key strategic issues were fuel, raw materials, foreign currency etc. Change entails that focus should now be on managing businesses for strategic global competitiveness. Zimbabwe needs to produce world-class products if it can compete globally.

Shereni (Anthony) Jongwe wrote this article in his capacity as Secretary General of the British Council Management Express Steering Committee. To get a copy of the full interview, send an e-mail to: consultgws@gmail.com or phone on 0913 002 275

New Constitution must protect workers

I have been following the debates surrounding the constitution-making process with keen interest. This isn’t surprising. As a consummate graduate of political science, I have been fortunate enough to have passed through the hands of such eminent thought leaders as distinguished political scientist and fellow Financial Gazette columnist, the late Professor Masipula Sithole, Professor Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, Dr John Makumbe, Joyce Kazembe, Eldred Masunungure and Professor Jonathan Nathaniel Moyo, to name but a few.

There is no doubt in surmising the centrality of a constitution or bill of rights in Zimbabwe’s unfolding economic, social and political landscape. Indeed, there is a strong school of thought that the political crisis that Zimbabwe endured for close to a decade was largely a result of a dysfunctional and badly mutilated Lancaster House constitution. Another school of thought posits that a new democratic constitution is the sine qua non for Zimbabwe’s full reintegration into the global community of nations. Here, there is guarded optimism that it is only through a new democratic constitution that Zimbabwe will be able to address the outstanding issues/benchmarks of rule of law, respect for property rights, and good democratic governance critical in this rapprochement with the Western world.

I have read and heard arguments about why the Kariba Draft constitution should be used and equally strong arguments of why this process should be confined to Parliament alone, perhaps through some kind of ‘Constitutional Commission’ as was the case in year 2000.

Surely, the idea of constitution-making is never the preserve of a few individuals or political parties. The words of former United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr James D. McGee are instructive here. Commenting on the need for the constitution-making process to be inclusive, Ambassador McGee said: “The U.S. Constitution begins ―’We the people…’ for a reason; because the Constitution creates a government of the people. It is not- ‘We the major political parties’ or- ‘We the chief negotiators because it’s not their constitution. It is everyone’s. No constitution will succeed if it isn’t supported by the people”

Listening to the various arguments advanced so far e.g. by Professor Jonathan Moyo, ZANU PF and the two MDC formations, one is persuaded by Dr Lovemore Madhuku, who has been at the forefront of the ‘people-driven’ process. I have had opportunity to track the National Constitutional Assembly's (NCA) strong arguments (as contained in their detailed document released on 15/04/2009) against the Kariba Draft Constitution and am fully convinced that, going forward, Zimbabwe needs an inclusive constitution-making process that wins the support of the people of Zimbabwe.

For all intents and purposes, ‘people-driven’ means involving all key stakeholders in determining the content of the draft constitution. There is no better reflection of this ‘people-driven’ mantra than the just-ended All-Stakeholders Constitutional Conference and the resultant agreement on the 16 thematic areas, which essentially, are the sections of the envisaged constitution. This process will assume greater relevance when the thematic sub-committees traverse the length and breath of Zimbabwe, gathering the wishes and aspirations of every Zimbabwean without fear or favour. To put the cherry on the cake, the people of Zimbabwe will have the opportunity to participate in a referendum. To me, that is what ‘people-driven’ is all about. I do not, however, agree with the NCA and ZINASU on their preferred strategy of having a parallel constitution-making process outside the one currently taking shape under the control of the Parliamentary Select Committee. That would not only be wasteful of resources but also border on selfish intransigence on their part.

Having said this, it is imperative that I devote the remainder of this article to an articulation of a human resources (HR) viewpoint on the constitution-making process. It is hoped that this treatise will serve as a reference guide to employers, employees and trade unions alike in understanding how the envisaged constitution will impact on their rights and responsibilities within the ambit of labour relations. It is also hoped that the Zimbabwe Institute of Personnel Management of Zimbabwe (IPMZ) will play its role, as the professional custodian of human resource practice in the country, in the constitution-making process now underway.

The one good thing about Zimbabwe to date has been its commitment to improving the country’s labour laws. This, it has done through a raft of progressive interventions namely, ratification of key International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, ratification of allied United Nations conventions such as CEDAW, and progressive reform of the various pieces of labour legislation, principally, the Labour Relations Act. To a large extent, Zimbabwe can be regarded as one of those few countries in Africa with dynamic labour laws that really protect the rights of the workers. Going forward, there is need to safeguard these gains by ensuring that the envisaged constitution has a clear section devoted to Labour Relations.

The South African Bill of Rights/Constitution is widely regarded as one of the most progressive in the world. It may therefore serve as a guide to employers, employees and trade unions as they contribute towards the constitution-making process underway. Section 23 of the South African Constitution is devoted to Labour Relations and outlines the specific workers' rights that must be contained in the new constitution. This section guarantees workers the right to fair labour practices, to form and join trade unions, and to participate in union activities and strikes. Likewise, employers have the right to form and join employers' organisations and to take part in their activities. These groups have the right to organise, form federations and engage in collective bargaining. The right to strike is written into the Constitution, but the right of employers to lock out their workers is not expressly included. However, the Labour Relations Act grants employers this right in certain situations. Other rights e.g. freedom from slavery, servitude and forced labour; freedom of assembly, picket, demonstration and petition; and freedom of trade, occupation and profession are also adequately covered under other sections of the constitution.

In conclusion, it is important that the envisaged constitution protects the rights of workers, employers and unions alike in such a way that they reflect tripartism, which is the cornerstone of modern-day labour relations.

ZIMBABWE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The Zimbabwe Youth Development Programme for Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Social Action



Facilitated by



Global Workforce Solutions (Pvt) Ltd
‘Specialists in innovative workforce management and migration advisory solutions’

P.O Box HD 56
Harare
Zimbabwe

E-mail: consultgws@gmail.com

Tel: +263 913 002 275 (Zimbabwe)
Tel: +27835 508 748 (South Africa)

Objective

The objective of the programme is to broaden leadership, entrepreneurial skills and economic opportunities for disadvantaged youth in Zimbabwe through targeted initiatives for young people that contribute to their development as individuals and to the development of their communities.

Context

The creation of the inclusive government by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC and President Robert Mugabe of ZANU-PF early this year has created tremendous potential for economic and social development. The protracted political and economic crisis witnessed between 1999 and 2008 had unleashed significant suffering amongst the vulnerable groups in society such as the youth, women and children. The economic meltdown saw the deepening in the incidence of poverty and unemployment. This made the possibility of achieving any of the relevant Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) for Zimbabwe (particularly MDG 1 relating to the eradication of poverty) remote. Today, Zimbabwe’s work is cut out. Not only has the country to restore civil and other constitutional liberties as a basis for full re-engagement with the international community, but the country must also come up with viable policy interventions to deal with myriad economic and social challenges. A key socio-economic challenge is that of deepening youth unemployment in Zimbabwe. Young people need support and guidance in facing the many challenges of today as well as emerging ones. Youths of Zimbabwe should be encouraged and empowered to participate actively in addressing societal problems. This calls for a multi-sectoral approach involving business, donors, government and educationists aimed at mainstreaming youth development in the policy-making process. It is against this backdrop that Global Workforce Solutions has designed the Zimbabwe Youth Development Programme for Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Social Action aimed at broadening leadership, entrepreneurial skills and economic opportunities for disadvantaged youth in Zimbabwe through targeted initiatives for young people that contribute to their development as individuals and to the development of their communities.

Programme Goals

1. To equip Zimbabwean youths with leadership skills and technical competencies critical in assisting them to grow as individuals and prime-movers in the development of their communities
2. To recognise excellence in youth leadership, entrepreneurship and social action through the award of the prestigious ‘Leadership Champion’
3. To work closely with other key stakeholders in the crafting of a holistic, non-partisan and dynamic Youth Development Strategy for Zimbabwe
4. To facilitate the sharing of knowledge in the area of best-practice youth development approaches locally, regionally and internationally and to build upon these.

Programme Content

The Zimbabwe Youth Development Programme for Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Social Action curriculum is structured around Character Development, Skills Development, and Competency-Based Outcomes. Run twice a year, this unique programme equips about 40 youth interns with vital leadership skills and technical competencies that contribute to their development as individuals and to the development of their communities. Please send an e-mail to: consultgws@gmail.com to request detailed programme curriculum.

Programme Facilitator

The Zimbabwe Youth Development for Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Social Action is the brainchild of Shereni Itayi Jongwe- the Principal Consultant and Founder of Global Workforce Solutions who is also the Principal Facilitator of the programme. Anthony has worked as Deputy Dean and acting Dean of Students at the University of Zimbabwe where he has come to appreciate the dynamics of youth issues and challenges in Zimbabwe.

The programme relies on the expertise of other facilitators currently on its database but also welcomes other experts who are interested in working with Global Workforce Solutions under this programme. To join our dedicated team of facilitators, please send your detailed CV highlighting areas of strength and at least three names of contactable referees to: consultgws@gmail.com

Programme Focus

The success of this programme hinges on sound and fruitful collaborations amongst various stakeholders. To that extent, interested stakeholders are strongly urged to contact Global Workforce Solutions with specific suggestions/advice on how best the Zimbabwe Youth Development Programme on Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Social Action can be strengthened in support of its broader objectives. Typically, this programme involves significant funding and this calls for strategic partnerships between Global Workforce Solutions and others stakeholders. Global Workforce Solutions therefore encourages interested stakeholders to contact it in ensuring that their concerns are incorporated under the aegis of this programme.

Contact Details

Shereni Jongwe l Principal Consultant l +263 913 002 275 l consultgws@gmail.com

The recent launch of the Decent Work Programme in Zimbabwe by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is a welcome development particularly as it relates to the achievement of specific Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and poverty reduction in Zimbabwe.

The protracted economic crisis of the past decade had dampened prospects for meaningful progress in the realisation of the MDGs. Importantly; the economic crisis had spawned serious inequalities in income distribution in the country resulting in a high gini co-efficient for Zimbabwe. Consequently, poverty had become entrenched against a backdrop of reduced social spending from the fiscus. The deindustrialisation that accompanied this economic crisis meant that many workers were retrenched and joined the swelling ranks of the unemployed. Many people were driven into the informal economy to make ends meet. Now we all know that the informal economy is essentially ‘uncaptured’, to borrow Goran Hyden’s term in ‘The uncaptured peasantry’, and is characterised by practices that do not conform to national standards. On the other hand, the protracted political crisis resulted in a polarised environment which made social dialogue impossible. In fact, there was such marked mistrust between government and business on one hand, and labour on the other. Attempts at forging a tangible social contract, the essence of tripartism, were in vain.

These conditions make the ILO Decent Work Initiative particularly relevant to Zimbabwe in these times of transition and national healing as dictated by the Global Political Agreement. It is without doubt that post-independent Zimbabwe, relative to its peers in Sub-Saharan Africa, had made significant strides in reforming its labour laws. The country is signatory to most ILO Conventions. However, the events of the past few years had put a damper on such notable successes requiring that the country refocuses itself on this trailblazing agenda.

The Decent Work Country Programme provides the necessary platform for such a course of action.According to the ILO website, the organization’s primary goal today is ‘to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity’.

This overarching philosophy is buttressed by four strategic objectives: the promotion of rights at work; employment; social protection; and social dialogue. On the other hand, the United Nations Millennium Summit of September 2000 came up with eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world's main development challenges:
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education; Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women; Goal 4: Reduce child mortality; Goal 5: Improve maternal health; Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability. It is thus clear from the foregoing that the ILO Decent Work programme seeks to compliment focused government actions aimed at achieving goals 1 and 3. There is general consensus that there is a nexus between success in goal 3 and the attainment of goals 4, 5 and 6.

The Decent Work initiative is predicated on tripartism whereby government, business and organised labour are required to initiate policies and programmatic interventions aimed at achieving decent work. The cornerstone of decent work is the creation of robust socio-economic policies which guarantee basic security and employment whilst taking into account the dynamics of the external environment. Here, there is general acknowledgement that globalisation has spawned a number of opportunities and threats for various national economies.One of the key aspects of the Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme is the reformation of the country’s labour policies to make them more responsive to regional and international trends. This is critical in attracting foreign direct investment and also ensuring meaningful employment creation for citizens of this country.

Looked at from this context, one of the key roles of the inclusive government within the framework of the decent work initiative would be to craft sound economic and industrial policies. On its part, business would be expected to create jobs. The current business environment in which foreign products are flooding the local markets is antithetical to the decent work initiative. This makes the argument for increased capacity utilisation in our industries all the more plausible. As far as labour is concerned, there are several initiatives that it can take within the framework of the Decent Work Initiative but there are significant hurdles going forward. For once, trade unions need to acknowledge the reality that they have lost a significant portion of their power base to the informal economy. This therefore calls for a paradigmatic shift in terms of their focus. Trade Unions would need to continue advocating for ‘a living wage’ but they also need to advocate for other issues such as unemployment benefits and the provision of training to those in the informal economy so that they can be ‘captured’ in the formal economy.

A key role of organised labour within the framework of STERP would be to foster social dialogue through workplace democracy.In conclusion, it is thus clear from the foregoing that the Decent Work Initiative requires tripartism to succeed. It is also clear that developing countries cannot expect to eradicate poverty without emphasis on the importance of decent work insofar as it links with the MDGs.