Sixty years of research on leadership in Africa: A review of the literature

Abstract

This paper reviews peer-reviewed research on leadership in Africa published from 1950 to 2009. The review has a dual purpose. On the one hand, it provides scholars with an entry point to the relatively large body of historical literature by means of a descriptive diachronic analysis of the literature. On the other hand, it also applies a synchronic analysis, and concludes with four interpretative statements on the scholarship on leadership in Africa. These statements are: (i) Scholarship on leadership in Africa has changed, and the change is lopsided; (ii) Female scholars are increasing, and they work on different themes from male scholars; (iii) Legitimacy remains a key issue, and continues to evolve; (iv) Authenticity has become a key issue and is now closely related to reclaiming African values.