Doing Business In Ghana
Ghana is strongly collectivist. It is not the individual that matters; it is the well-being of the community that is of importance.
The bond between members of an extended family is very strong. These members in turn identify themselves as part of an ethnic group.
The individual’s obligations to his family or tribe are great and always take precedence even over instructions from the boss. For example, when setting up departments or teams within a company, it must always be taken into account what affiliations the team members belong to already. Anyone who overlooks the fact that the members of a newly founded team belong to tribal families that are rather hostile to one another will be confronted with various inexplicable problems in day-to-day business.
African Leadership Qualities
The extended family is controlled by the head of the family, the tribe by the head of the tribe and the company by the head of the company.
Hierarchies and associated rules of conduct play an important role in Ghana and must not be ignored by foreign business partners or leaders.
The boss in Ghana is not just the boss, but also fulfills a father role by taking care of many of the concerns of his employees, including personal concerns. In return, employees show unlimited loyalty to their boss and rarely question anything.
Duty Of Care
Those who have more authority in Ghana, be it in the family, in the tribe or in the company, must also fulfill their duty of care. This is referred to as the seniority principle. Leadership roles can also extend from urban, economic areas to rural, family areas. For example, it is not uncommon for highly qualified managers to work in the capital Accra during the week and take over their duties as rulers of their tribe at weekends.
Learn more about the business culture in Ghana. The more you know how things work overthere, the smoother your business is going!
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