Preparing East African managers for the twenty‐first century

Contrary to what one might expect, some of the least economically advanced regions of the world enjoy well established management development systems. This paper explores management development in parts of Eastern Africa and shows that, although the per capita income there is only one‐hundredth of that in industrialized countries, the region’s MDIs (management development institutions) benefit from a wide variety of influences. The paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the MDI offerings in the region, past attempts to overcome the weaknesses, and challenges yet to be met. It suggests how international donor agencies could work more closely with government agencies and the management community in the region to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of management development there.