Igwe E. Udeh Boeken

Like other societies around the world, Africans depend on market forces for the production and distribution of goods and services in their communities. Over the course of time, Africans have evolved unique systems of commercial interaction, some of which are readily obvious, while others could only be understood after a closer examination of their systems. Unfortunately, however, specific African business practices are not adequately documented and discussed in business and academic circles. This is due in part to limited research and publication on the subject by scholars in general and African-born business scholars in particular. This book is an attempt to bridge some of this information gap by providing an insider's view of the strategy, organization, and operation of business enterprises in a specific African community. The book begins with an overview of the commercial activities of various ethnic groups and communities living in Eastern Nigeria. A closer attention was then paid to the unique commercial practices of the Abiriba business class, especially as they relate to human resource management, conflict management, marketing, venture capital, and management of productivity.