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The Palgrave Handbook of Management History pp 1–30Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Managing Africa’s Strongest Economy. The History of Management in South Africa, 1920–2018

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Abstract

Business development follows successful entrepreneurs and managers. This chapter explains the trajectory of management development in South Africa as it supported the growth of the only modern industrial economy in Africa. Education in commerce and accounting branched out to dedicated management education after the Second World War. The symbiosis between business and institutions of education developed along the domestic sociopolitical contours of racial segregation. The basis of management development was and still is grounded in sustained alignment with European and American scientific models of best practice in management. The history of management in South Africa is explored to account for the distinct position of internationally recognised leadership of the locally trained management corps and executive leadership.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Grietjie Verhoef

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  1. Grietjie Verhoef
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Correspondence to Grietjie Verhoef .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Emporia State University, Emporia, USA

    Jeffrey Muldoon

  2. Faculté des Sciences Sociales, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada

    Anthony Gould

  3. College of Business, RMIT University, School of Management, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Adela McMurray

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Verhoef, G. (2020). Managing Africa’s Strongest Economy. The History of Management in South Africa, 1920–2018. In: Muldoon, J., Gould, A., McMurray, A. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Management History. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62348-1_115-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62348-1_115-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62348-1

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