ABSTRACT
Despite the change implications inherent in the external and internal forces shaping the African continent, there is a dearth of research on change management in African organizations. Although the continent evidences thriving organizations amid the turbulence, they are clearly in the minority, and the African continent has had its fair share of failed organizations. As the survival and growth of these organizations is critical to ensuring employment opportunities, and therefore the realization of the Africa growth pole narrative, it is imperative that research generates actionable knowledge that management of these organizations can leverage to effectively initiate and manage change interventions. The scarcity of research on turnarounds in Africa makes this undertaking particularly important, if only to minimize organizational decline and the consequent financial and human costs. This Handbook aims to fill this void by presenting, for the first time, a contextualized account of change management in Africa and, in the process, contributes to the wider scholarly literature on change management. It brings together what we know about change management in Africa today, identifies trends such as the role of business elites and responsible management education in bringing about change on the continent, and maps out some directions for future.
