Ubuntu a competetive advantage

Before start talking about the benefits that this theory can give to managers, I think it’s important for you to know what it is.

Ubuntu is a theory created in South Africa, which argues that when a manager takes into account how people think and behave between each other, will have a competitive advantage and will avoid many problems that have relationship to employees like strikes, low production, attitude of the workers and others.

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Unbuntu theory tries to understand the culture, values, norms, and beliefs held by the largest segment of the population, the philosophical thought system itself is a product of various factors including history, folklore, mythology, culture, norms, values, and religious beliefs, and this way know how to manage the employees.

I think the benefits of this theory can be huge for a company because when you understand the culture of your employees, you would be able to know in what situations they feel comfortable in which not, what to do to make them work harder, what to do to avoid conflicts in the organization, how to improve the efficiency etc.

Here I will put some of the competitive advantages that ubuntu theory can give in the different areas of the company:

- Relationships with others: People are intrinsically motivated to contribute more when they are valued

- Language and communication: Shared understanding of deeper meaning supports complex consensus. Ubuntu communication means concerted action that is adaptable.

- Time: Punctuality is a virtue, but time's healing dimension is a hidden competitive advantage for ubuntu.

- Productivity: Sustainable competitive advantage comes from strong loyalty to group goals in ubuntu.

Reeferences:

document Building competitive advantage from ubuntu: Management lessons from South Africa