Doin' business in an African country (business ethics and capitalism in a poor country)

The African business practice of ‘kalabuleism’, like capitalism, has at the basis of its business ethics, the belief that it is not wrong to maximise profits. Any system of distribution or marketing that permits businessmen and women to maximise profits in the sale or distribution of basic goods tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of business ethics
Main Author: Kwame, Safro (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Springer Science + Business Media B. V 1983
In: Journal of business ethics
Further subjects:B African Country
B Business Ethic
B Poor Country
B Economic Growth
B Marketing
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Summary:The African business practice of ‘kalabuleism’, like capitalism, has at the basis of its business ethics, the belief that it is not wrong to maximise profits. Any system of distribution or marketing that permits businessmen and women to maximise profits in the sale or distribution of basic goods that are in short supply is bound to aggravate the situation for an already starving people such as are to be found in Africa. The adoption of wholesale capitalism in conditions of acute shortage of basic (as well as non-basic) goods, is unconducive to the invention or practice of or belief in Akan-like or Christian-like ethics. Hence, central planning with respect to the necessities of life seems to me to be necessary in many parts of the Third World; and the African attempt to revolutionalize business ethics merely by means of coup d'etats, is likely to be counter-productive.
ISSN:1573-0697
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of business ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/BF00383183