Abstract:
The Balanced Scorecard model was designed for Western countries
that operate within a capitalist system. Africa differs from such
Western countries with regard to dimensions such as infrastructure,
markets and customers, sources of capital, government intervention,
literacy levels and socio-cultural frameworks. Africa is more humanist
and socialist in nature than Western societies. The purpose of this
study was therefore to redesign the innovation perspective of the
Balanced Scorecard model to suggest a new management approach
for organisations based in Africa. In this study, exploratory factor
analysis and correlation analysis using SPSS Version 16.0 were
employed to identify four correlated principal components that
could constitute an African innovation perspective of the Balanced
Scorecard model, namely: (1) Africanisation values for general issues
surrounding African socio-cultural frameworks, (2) learning values
realised when employees gain indigenous culture and knowledge,
(3) customer values focused on Africanising customer care and
satisfaction, and (4) innovation values, clarifying values gained from
skilled and motivated employees. All four components add value to
improve productivity and corporate performance.
