Work and Employment Practices in an Intriguing Sub-Saharan Context: Unpacking Salient Endogenous Traits

Abstract

Although cultural beliefs and practices have been shown as essential drivers of organizational employment policies and practices, the role of endogenous traits in managing employees in organizations in Africa has received less attention in research. We address this gap by employing an exploratory qualitative study approach to ascertain how Sub-Saharan African cultural norms and values shape the design and implementation of human resource management (HRM) in local and foreign-owned organizations in Cameroon. Data were drawn from key stakeholders, including human resource (HR) managers, trade union officials, staff representatives, and top management performing HR and strategy duties. The evidence delineates four major endogenous (socioculturally anchored) organizational HRM phenomena and their relevance for the organizations, employees, and the local community. This paper argues that the observed endogenous work and employment practices serve as the “glue” between organizational stakeholders, beget immense reverence, enhance employees’ experience and well-being, and are appropriate caryatids of modern organizational HRM in Africa.