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Africa: Ethics and Sustainability Within SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa: Enabling, Constraining and Contaminating Relationships

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Ethics in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the role ethics plays in African SMEs. We looked specifically at the role that relationships between SMEs and their stakeholders play in enabling or foreclosing the possibility of ethical business practices. We argue that certain relationships, such as those between SMEs, suppliers, employees and local communities, can be described as enabling. Other relationships, such as those with corrupt governments, are contaminating. What seems to be needed is to expand on and strengthen certain constraining relationships, such as those that exist between peers within a certain industry, professional associations, and civil society.

The majority of African SMEs seem to fall in the smaller end of the spectrum, which includes businesses with fewer than ten employees. These are often referred to as ‘Micro enterprises’, but form a definite part of this study.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the research assistance of Ms Hanrie Greebe of the Centre for Business and Professional Ethics in setting up and conducting many of the interviews, and for her language editing, and of Mr Michael Röthel for literature sourcing.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa

    Mollie Painter-Morland

  2. Organisational Ethics Development, Ethics Institute of South Africa, Brooklyn Square, 0075, South African

    Kris Dobie

Authors
  1. Mollie Painter-Morland
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  2. Kris Dobie
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mollie Painter-Morland .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of London, School of Management, Royal Holloway, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, United Kingdom

    Laura Spence

  2. Dept. Philosophy, DePaul University, N. Clifton Ave. 2352, Chicago, 60614, Illinois, USA

    Mollie Painter-Morland

Appendices

Appendix 1: Country Representation

Country

Intermediary

SME

Total

South Africa

1

2

3

Nigeria

2

1

3

Ethiopia

1

 

1

Ghana

2

 

2

Uganda

5

 

5

Kenya

2

 

2

Cameroon

1

 

1

Tanzania

2

 

2

Democratic Republic of Congo

2

 

2

Mauritius

 

1

1

Zambia

1

1

2

Across countries

2

 

2

 

21

5

26

Appendix 2: SME Owners/Managers Telephonic Questionnaire

Ethics in Small and Medium Enterprises on the African Continent

For all of the questions that we will be asking, could you please refer to your own experiences within your company as well as your wider knowledge of other SMEs in your country?

I will be referring to small and medium enterprises as SMEs throughout the interview.

(Ask all of Questions 1–4.)

  1. 1.

    How do you define SMEs / What are SMEs?

  2. 2.

    Please tell me a bit about your company – what does it do, how many employees do you have?

  3. 3.

    What is your position in your company and how long have you been there?

  4. 4.

    What do you understand under the concept of ethics?

    (If they are totally off the mark or don’t know at all, clarify briefly that we are talking about right and wrong conduct.)

  5. 5.

    If I speak of ethics in SMEs, what comes to mind?

    (From here on, use discretion in asking questions to probe further / get information on areas not covered by the respondent.)

  6. 6.

    What would you say is the impact of SMEs in society (both positive and negative)?

    1. a.

      Do you think other SME owners/managers see it the same way?

    2. b.

      Do you know of any social responsibility projects that your own organisation or other SMEs are involved in?

  7. 7.

    What are the most important ethical problems/issues for SMEs?

  8. 8.

    Why are some SMEs ethical and others not?

    1. a.

      What are the most important factors in establishing a culture of ethics in SMEs? (Skip if already covered.)

    2. b.

      What could make it difficult for an SME to be ethical? What factors either within the organisation or outside the organisation?

  9. 9.

    What factors facilitate or hinder long-term business relationships for SMEs, for example with suppliers or clients?

  10. 10.

    What background or resources do SME owners and managers have on ethics?

  11. 11.

    Do you have anything further you would like to say about ethics in SMEs in the country/area in which you operate?

    (If nothing is mentioned on corruption ask:)

  12. 12.

    Is corruption a problem for SMEs in your country?

Appendix 3: Intermediary Organisations – Telephonic Questionnaire Ethics in Small and Medium Enterprises on the African Continent

Which African Country’s SMEs would you say you have the most experience with?

For all of the questions that we will be asking, could you please focus your answers to your experiences of the SMEs in that country.

(Ask all of Questions 1–4.)

  1. 1.

    How do you define SMEs / What are SMEs?

  2. 2.

    What is your involvement with SMEs?

  3. 3.

    What do you understand under the concept of ethics?

    (If they are totally off the mark or don’t know at all, clarify briefly that we are talking about right and wrong conduct.)

  4. 4.

    If I speak of ethics in SMEs, what comes to mind?

    (From here on, use discretion in asking questions to probe further / get information on areas not covered by the respondent.)

  5. 5.

    In (country X), what would you say is the impact of SMEs in society (both positive and negative)?

    1. a.

      Do you know of any social responsibility projects that SMEs in your country are involved in?

  6. 6.

    What are the most important ethical problems/issues for SMEs?

  7. 7.

    Why are some SMEs ethical and others not?

    1. a.

      What are the most important factors in establishing a culture of ethics in SMEs? (Skip if already covered.)

    2. b.

      What could make it difficult for an SME to be ethical? What factors either within the organisation or outside the organisation?

  8. 8.

    What factors facilitate or hinder long-term business relationships for SMEs, for example with suppliers or clients?

  9. 9.

    What background or resources do SME owners and managers have on ethics?

  10. 10.

    Do you have anything further you would like to say about ethics in SMEs in the country/area in which you operate?

    (If nothing mentioned on corruption ask:)

  11. 11.

    Is corruption a problem for SMEs in your country?

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Painter-Morland, M., Dobie, K. (2010). Africa: Ethics and Sustainability Within SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa: Enabling, Constraining and Contaminating Relationships. In: Spence, L., Painter-Morland, M. (eds) Ethics in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. The International Society of Business, Economics, and Ethics Book Series, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9331-8_2

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