Joint Chair 'Doing Business in Europe - Doing Business in Southern Africa'

[Workshop Business & Europe: announcement and call for cases]

On 19 September, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School launched the Joint Chairs 'Doing Business in Europe - Doing Business in Southern Africa. It’s a unique alliance between Vlerick and the University of Stellenbosch Business School. The chairs will perform research and arrange exchange of information, networks and students.

‘Doing Business in Southern Africa’ Chair

“This project is a first for both institutions. What we really want to do is to whet people’s appetite for studying management in Africa”

Dr Elias ‘Eltie’ Links, incumbent ‘Doing Business in Southern Africa’ Chair

What are the main challenges for future managers in Southern Africa? 

Dr Elias ‘Eltie’ Links: “Over the past five to ten years, the Southern African economy has been growing at a tremendous rate and there are now a lot of new business opportunities. We want to identify those opportunities and help students to deepen their knowledge of Africa. Although they’re African, we find that our students don’t know as much about Africa and its economy as they should do. We want to teach them the critical success factors for building a successful business in Africa.”

What’s the Chair’s target group?

Dr Links: “The courses offered within the scope of the ‘Doing Business in Southern Africa’ Chair are optional. They are intended to whet the students’ appetite for studying management in Africa and cover a whole range of subjects. The first two sessions were really successful. We welcomed 30 students, more than we expected. There’s also a lot of interest on the part of international students. Not only is it important to teach Africans how to do business in Africa; we also need to give European students insight into the principles and aspects that are peculiar to Africa and that differ from the western approach.”

“As we move forward, we also want to explore the possibility of attracting executives who are planning to do business in Africa or who are already working here. There are a lot of large companies, banks, construction firms and telecom businesses that have taken the plunge and started up in business in Africa. We want to teach them what business here is like. Companies that have been operating here for a while can also offer us a lot of practical experience and case studies. That definitely enriches our courses.”  

How does management and doing business in Africa differ from practices in western countries?

Dr Links: “It’s not really the management topics that differ a lot from Africa to Europe, but the way they are approached. Marketing, for instance, is not so very different here but you have to take into account institutions and cultural aspects peculiar to Africa. When you talk about human resources, you have to ask questions about how business relates to society. When you consider the old chestnuts sustainability and governance, you find that these issues are addressed in European courses; we look at them from an African point of view.”

The ‘Doing Business in Southern Africa’ Chair is linked with the ‘Doing Business in Europe’ Chair. What’s your view on this exchange?

Dr Links: “The Chair in South Africa will benefit European students at Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School who would like to find out more about the African economy and how it works. Africa is made up of 54 countries. We will help students to understand how the various aspects of business work over there. There has been a massive increase in European interest in Africa. For European companies that want to enter the African market and are transferring personnel to our continent, it’s important to have a deeper understanding. There is huge potential for Europe in Africa, and the European Union - apart from its important developmental role - is playing an important part as a business partner. We want to teach European students about all the issues they will come up against that are very different.”

Apart from teaching, research is another important feature of the Chair, isn’t it?

Dr Links: “It’s certainly our aim to conduct a lot of research into doing business in Africa and Europe. We hope to see a lot of papers by students and professors on specific topics. One idea is to build a large library of case studies of companies working in Africa. Complementary to our teaching and research remit, we hope to include a more active element in the shape of a field trip to Europe and Africa so that students can see the situation for themselves. It’s good to read and study, but meeting people and seeing things in context enhances understanding as well. This project is a first for both institutions and what we really want to do is to whet people’s appetite.”

‘Doing Business in Europe’ Chair

“The Chair enables Vlerick to fulfil a pioneering role in exploring the interface between business and the EU”

Prof. Jacques Pelkmans, incumbent ‘Doing Business Europe’ Chair

Is the “Doing Business in Europe” Chair a response to a specific market need?

Prof. Jacques Pelkmans: “Definitely. It’s remarkable how little attention business schools devote to the importance of the EU for businesses and various business sectors. This Chair is a first attempt to fill that gap. Nor do companies really consider the impact of the EU on business practice, except perhaps competition policy as it relates to acquisitions and mergers. Companies are, of course, well represented in EU circles thanks to lobby groups, but these activities are far removed from day-to-day management problems and strategic developments. Businesses do not need to be experts on EU matters, but all too often, as a result of gaps in their knowledge, they let opportunities slip or fail to recognise a potential threat, or else see it too late to make an appropriate strategic response. The Chair enables Vlerick to fulfil a pioneering role in exploring the interface between business and the EU, while drawing the attention of companies to the importance of EU legislation, liberalisation and areas such as competition policy, trade policy and environmental policy via pertinent case studies, research, publications and training.”

What are the objectives of the Chair?

Prof. Pelkmans: “In the short term we want to make MBA and Masters’ students aware of the importance of the EU for anyone wishing to do business in Europe. We also want to develop business cases that show the specific impact that interaction – successful or otherwise – between companies and EU policy can have. These will also be useful for executive courses and in-company training programmes. Our longer term aim is to build on Vlerick’s growing reputation in this field, with both companies and employers’ organisations. I’m also hoping to research a few key aspects of the interface between business and the EU, for example the true impact of EU legislation on companies’ cost effectiveness. Many claims are made in this area, but there’s been remarkably little in the way of solid research.”

An international business school attracts both European and non-European students and companies. How does Vlerick respond to this diversity?

Prof. Pelkmans: “The demands and needs of the two groups are substantially different. Every so often Vlerick organises a ‘familiarisation with business in Europe’ workshop for non-European companies. We now want to position this type of training more firmly in the market. European companies are usually quite familiar with the market environment and with the concept of cultural diversity. In their case, the emphasis will be more on gaining a deeper understanding of the importance of the EU for business practice in general, and for their sector or core activities in particular. Vlerick has the opportunity to acquire an unparalleled reputation in this area.”

The “Doing Business in Europe” Chair is linked to another Chair, “Doing Business in Southern Africa”. How do you see the interaction between the two developing?

Prof. Pelkmans: “One aspect of the Joint Chair arrangement is that both Prof. Eltie Links, the incumbent in South Africa, and myself will visit each other’s campus and give seminars. Other colleagues will also make exchange visits in order to teach specialised classes. Africa - specifically Southern Africa – is of particular interest to my fellow Vlerick colleagues and our MBA students as a promising 'emerging market‘. They view the South African business community as exciting, because it leads the way in opening up Africa as a continental market. We can learn a lot from that. It would be an excellent idea to encourage PhD research on each campus in areas where this will deliver added value. Both incumbents are also expected to be active in the public domain, in the European Union and in Southern Africa respectively. Lastly, we’re looking at the possibility of organising joint conferences and, if possible, issuing joint publications.