Out of (and Into) Africa Conference – Third Edition

The changes implemented in 2021 have now become permanent. The 2023 edition will, therefore, also be characterized by the following:

1. Online conference format: This manages travel issues and also dramatically lowers costs for attendees. Hybrid plenary sessions across venues may be warranted if conditions allow.
2. Multi-HBCU involvement: Following the initiative led by the Graves School of Business & Management at Morgan State University, we wish to expand engagement across the HBCU community in enhancing leadership of business and marketing scholarship regarding Africa. The Morgan/Howard scholarly partnership continues strong.
3. Three “divisions” or programs to the conference: In addition to the Firm Strategy (firm-level research) and Consumer Marketing (consumer-level research), we also have a third division/program of Society & Institutions to capture macro-level research that addresses public policy and institutions intertwined with business and entrepreneurship development.

Online delivery of the last conference generated greater scholarly participation from the African continent and other parts of the world – and we will continue this format. Indeed, the 236 attendees at our 2021 conference were testament to this. The pan-HBCU scope in conference preparation further enhances reach and attractiveness of this conference. To be clear, though, submissions are invited from ALL academic institutions across the world, provided that the scholarship has an African focus.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic (starting 2020), African consumer and business spending was expected to grow beyond $4 trillion, with a striking demographic dividend indicated by a massive, expected working-age population larger than either China or India by 2034, abundant resources, and fast-paced growth.  While the recent pandemic caused a recessionary environment across the continent, it also created opportunities (and challenges) for entrepreneurship and small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Innovative solutions including products/services have been introduced in various countries across the continent - which may have far-reaching implications, in the long run, in Africa and across the globe.

The past decade has witnessed cross-fertilization of African-born entrepreneurship and innovation into other parts of the world, along with growth opportunities for MNCs and SMEs into Africa. The time is ripe for an updated showcase, biennially, of scholarly insights regarding international business in this still under-studied continent - including, and especially, insights and strategy/tactics that originated from Africa. This conference series marks a significant step toward creating a sustained effort among HBCUs - with Morgan leadership - to connect with Africa in business-related research at both the micro and macro level.    

The term “Africapitalism”, coined by Tony Elumelu and the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), is meant to evoke economic transformation of Africa through African private sector and entrepreneurship. It is a conceptualization that is essentially and unapologetically Africa-centric, and fits well as the theme of a conference which is, in fact, Africa-centric. The interests of Africa, Africans and the entrepreneurial processes/innovations/paradigms created in Africa are at the very core of this 2023 conference, which aims to extend the perspective to successful, sustainable African international business – from one African country/location to the rest of Africa, or from Africa to the rest of the world.

Despite promising social economic development in Africa and foreign marketers' enthusiasm toward its future growth, there remains limited firm or consumer research for marketing practitioners. Extant literature shows knowledge/application on African firm strategy and consumer behavior is fragmented.

We set following three goals for the conference:

1. Reviewing current knowledge on African consumers, marketing, firm strategy, and societal policies - highlighting gaps in our knowledge and understanding of international business with an African focus.
2. Bringing to light contributions/paradigms originating from Africa, and developing an agenda for future research
3. Fostering collaborations among firm strategy, consumer marketing and public policy researchers with similar interests.

The conference intends to provide opportunities for brainstorming and dialogues among researchers and marketing practitioners. We especially encourage collaboration between academia and businesses across Africa and other parts of the world.  The conference is open to any and all scholars who have research work related to the conference theme and African business. Such scholars can include: academic faculty, doctoral students, policy makers, bureaucrats, think tank researchers, NGO experts, and senior corporate managers. We encourage scholars from Africa and worldwide to submit work.

CONFERENCE CHAIR:

Dr. Omar J. Khan   |   omar.khan@morgan.edu
Graves School of Business and Management, Morgan State University

PROGRAM CHAIRS:

Program Chair for Firm Strategies and Tactics:
Dr. Omar J. Khan   |   omar.khan@morgan.edu
Graves School of Business and Management, Morgan State University

Program Chair for African Consumer Marketing:
Dr. Haiyan Hu   |   haiyan.hu@morgan.edu 
Graves School of Business and Management, Morgan State University

Program Co-Chairs for Society and Public Policy:
Dr. Wheeler R. Winstead   |   wheeler.r.winstead@howard.edu
Center for African Studies, Howard University
Prof. Jean T. Wells, Esq., CPA   |   jean.wells@howard.edu
School of Business, Howard University

Note: Papers in this track to be submitted to jean.wells@howard.edu

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1. Full Paper Submission Guidelines: Each paper is to have a separate cover page with each author’s name, affiliation, and email. Multiple authorships should indicate the contact person. Authors should avoid revealing their identities in the body of the paper. The title of the paper should appear on the first page of the manuscript, followed by a 150-word abstract, single spaced. The body of the paper follows right after on the first page using double spacing and adhering to APA style. 
2. Working Paper or Extended Abstracts: Working papers or extended abstracts, which focus on research in its early stages, should not be less than three pages and should not exceed seven double-spaced pages including references, tables and figures using 12-point font. Please follow the formatting guidelines specified for competitive refereed papers.  Include a separate cover page with the name, affiliation, and email address of each presenter.  Each accepted working paper will be published as an extended abstract.
3. Panel, Special Session, & Workshops: Proposals should not exceed 2 double-spaced pages. Include a separate cover page with the name, affiliation, and email of each presenter. Include description of the panel, along with themes and presentation approach/focus. Each person listed on a panel, special session, or workshop proposal must register for and attend the conference.

Research paper suggested topic areas for submissions include, but are not limited to, the following (any other areas are invited as long an African focus is emphasized and/or leveraged):

THE FIRM STRATEGIES AND TACTICS DIVISION/PROGRAM

The Firm Strategies and Tactics division/program invites submissions exploring the creation and development of firm-level strategy, advantages/disadvantages, solutions/innovations, and international business management implications for multinational corporations (MNCs) or small/medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Topics in this program include, but are not limited to, the following areas: 

1. African paradigms in developing business
2. Small business development strategies and tactics
3. MNC strategies and tactics in Africa
4. Family-owned firms and internationalization
5. B2B marketing and supply chain management
6. International entrepreneurship and born globals

THE CONSUMER MARKETING DIVISION/PROGRAM

The Consumer Marketing program advocates for research efforts from diverse perspectives to address important theoretical and substantive issues faced by African consumers and marketing practitioners today, ranging from the continuing concern of pandemic and regional conflicts to economic volatility. We encourage multi-method/multi-paradigmatic approaches to tackle, but are not limited to, the following topic areas:

1. Arts, culture and consumption
2. Consumer psychology and behavior
3. Services, retailing, and customer experiences
4. Consumer well-being and pandemic effects
5. Social media and digital marketing
6. Emerging middle-class and Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) consumers

SOCIETY AND PUBLIC POLICY DIVISION/PROGRAM

The Society and Public Policy division/program seeks to interrogate public policy and societal institutions’ role, effect and changes that are intertwined with business and entrepreneurship development in building sustainable African International Businesses. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Environmental, Social, Governance Issues
2. Public and private enabling institutions
3. Governmental supports and barriers
4. Sociological shifts

Use the Paper Submission Form to submit competitive refereed papers, working papers, extended abstracts and/or proposals by the deadline. At least one author for competitive submissions that are accepted must register and attend the Conference. Any general questions should be emailed to the conference chair (omar.khan@morgan.edu)

Submission Deadline: June 30, 2023

All submissions will go through a double-blind review process. Reviewers will evaluate each submission on the basis of 

• quality of the research,
• contribution to the field,
• interest and relevance of the topic to the conference,
• coherence and readability.

To volunteer to serve as a paper reviewer, please contact the conference chair (omar.khan@morgan.edu) Please include “Reviewer Volunteer” in the subject line.

Thank you and we look forward to a most productive 2023 “Out of (and Into) Africa” Conference!

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