Indigenising organisational change: localisation in Tanzania and Malawi

In a supposedly “globalising” world, we offer a “localisation” counterbalance from Tanzania and Malawi. Our perspective is purposely anchored in the socio‐cultural perceptions of indigenous employees working within organisations in these two African nations. From these Afrocentric perspectives, as reflected in adages and complementary data, need for achievement, need hierarchies, and expatriate acceptability are heavily influenced by local, social norms. The latter may accord priority to social achievement, social identity, and social need. The article ends with a new technique for gauging the influence of these social factors, with applications to improving the degree of fit between organisational change and community context.