Leadership and motivation in the African Diaspora: The United States and Canada

• Author: David Ford,Tolulope Bewaji,Moses Acquaah,Bella L. Galperin,Terri R. Lituchy
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/cjas.1296
• Published date: 01 December 2014
• Date: 01 December 2014

Leadership and motivation in the African

Diaspora: The United States and Canada

Bella L. Galperin*

The University of Tampa

Terri R. Lituchy

McMaster University

Moses Acquaah

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Tolulope Bewaji

University of the West Indies, Mona

David Ford

The University of Texas at Dallas

Abstract

This study examines the similarities and differences in the

perceptions of effective leadership and motivation among the

African Diaspora in the United States and Canada (LEAD).

Ten focus groups with a total of 56 participants were conducted

in the US and Canada. Using NVivo, results show both similar-

ities and differences in these perceptions. The African Diaspora

in both countries described an effective leader as one who is wise

and knowledgeable. The African Diaspora in the US also

focused on charisma and humility, while those in Canada

stressed motivation and inspiration. Moreover, the US partici-

pants stated that support and nonmonetary rewards were the

major motivators for leaders, whereas Canadian participants in-

dicated task completion and monetary rewards as major motiva-

tors. Future directions and practical implications are discussed.

Copyright © 2014 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keywords: effective leadership, motivation, African Dias-

pora, USA and Canada, LEAD

Résumé

La présente étude examine les similarités et les différences dans

les perceptions que la diaspora africaine des États-Unis et du

Canada ont du leadership eff‌icace et de la motivation (LEAD).

Dix groupes de consultation comprenant au total 56 participants

étaient mis sur pied aux États-Unis et au Canada. L’analyse des

données avec le logiciel NVivo révèle l’existence des similarités

et des différences dans les perceptions. Pour la diaspora

africaine des deux pays, le leadership eff‌icace doit être sage et ér-

udite. Mais tandis que la diaspora africaine des États-Unis

insiste aussi sur le charisme et l’humilité, celle du Canada met

l’accent sur la motivation et l’inspiration. Par ailleurs, si les par-

ticipants américains estiment que le soutien et les récompenses

non pécuniaires sont les principaux motivateurs des leaders,

les participants canadiens par contre indiquent que

l’accomplissement de la tâche et les motivations pécuniaires sont

de grands motivateurs. L’article s’achève par un examen des im-

plications pratiques de l’étude et des pistes de recherche futures.

Mots-clés : leadership eff‌icace, motivation, diaspora africaine,

États-Unis et Canada, LEAD

At the 25th anniversary of the King’s Day celebration of the

Ausar Auset Society, an organization based in the United States

with chapters in Canada that provides spiritual training based on

cultural expressions indigenous to Africa, the invited guests were

described as “Kings, Queen Mothers, diplomats, members of the

entertainment world, business community and a host of interna-

tional community leaders from around the African Diasporan

World….”(Williams, 2003, p. 60). This concept of “kings and

queens”is based in the traditional African royal heritage and cul-

ture, and is ref‌lected in Afrocentric scholarly discourse related to

leadership on “New World soil”(Williams, 2003, p. 60).

Given the role of traditional African leadership and its

contemporary role in the African Diaspora as illustrated in

the example above, the literature has highlighted the role of

the African Diaspora in improving leadership and motivation

in Africa (e.g., Gramby-Sobukwe, 2005; Mohan & Zack-

Williams, 2002). Thepromise of opportunity has led to a f‌low

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the International Society of

the Study of Work and Organizational Values, June 2012, Goa, India. This

research was partially supported by grants from The University of Tampa

David Delo Research Professor Grant to Bella L. Galperin, grants from

SSHRC and JMSB, Concordia University to Terri R. Lituchy, and the Em-

erald ALCS African Management Award to Bella L. Galperin, Moses

Acquaah, Samuel Sejjaaka, and Thomas Senaji.

*Please address correspondence to: Bella L. Galperin, The University of Tampa,

401 W. Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606, USA.

Email: BGalperin@ut.edu

Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences

Revue canadienne des sciences de l’administration

31: 257–269 (2014)

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/CJAS.1296

Can J Adm Sci

31(4), 257–269 (2014)Copyright © 2014 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 257