Lunch seminar: Towards a Theory of the Endogenous African Firm

This lunch seminar is organised by the Collaborative Research Group 'Governance, entrepreneurship and inclusive development'.

This seminar will discuss on-going work that is based on a variety of projects that lead to new insights in African firms. The current transitions in Africa generate business development towards unprecedented economic and technological specialization. In the process, new endogenous African firms start to emerge. These are firms that wear a unique African signature because they tap into the resources that make the African business environment typically different from business environments in other parts of the world, namely the diversity of natural resources and the social, economic and cultural systems that build on them. At the same time these businesses have access to knowledge on how to manage businesses in the formal sector of the economy, enabling them to create value from such resources that can stand in the global competitive marketplaces. The seminar will address the questions why Africa needs its own theory of the firm, how the endogenous firm is different from other firms in Africa and why we need a deeper understanding of such firms.

You are all welcome to attend this lunch seminar. Please bring your own lunch.