Abstract

The concept of corporate management has a very long history. In fact, it may be traced back to a plethora of major firms that were launched back in the 16th and 17th centuries. Management is there to essentially cater to the needs and interests of shareholders. As a result, share ownership patterns often prioritise profit maximisation, and this creates tension between a firm’s financial objectives and its broader responsibility to stakeholders, which may require additional expenditures. This qualitative paper seeks to demonstrate how the adoption of ubuntu ethics can help to address the challenge which management faces in how to blend dual responsibilities in a way that is beneficial to a firm’s shareholders and fair to all concerned stakeholders by ensuring inclusiveness. Ubuntu ethics, as an African moral theory, is the framework of choice because it advocates the pursuit of collective good as opposed to individualistic goals, which often have dire consequences for the collective. The basis for morality in ubuntu is how people relate in a way that furthers the interests of the whole community. The paper argues that adopting ubuntu ethics in corporate management can transform the way firms conduct business and enable them to serve humanity more effectively.

Publication status

Published - 2026