Osigwe Development Philosophy - Volume 3 Chapter-2
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Transcript of Osigwe Development Philosophy - Volume 3 Chapter-2
2120
The Mindset Factor in Economic Development J. A. Aigbodioh
Anyiam-Osigwe, the degree of economic development that prevails in a
given society is directly related, as a matter of consequence, to the people’s
mental disposition towards their environment; or, in other words, a people’s
mindset determines what they do and get in their economic environment.2
In Anyiam-Osigwe’s view, the traditionally recognized motivating factors
of economic development are secondary to the mindset factor. Hence, he
says,
… macro or micro economics, the leadership question,
democracy, gender sensitivity, inventions and innovations
in science and technology, while providing indices for
assessing the pace and trend of development, remain
ephemeral and superficial as they do not constitute the
primary factor which determine(s) development3.
Rather, according to him, ‘they constitute attributes to a supra-
determinant which is the fulcrum of all development processes and
initiatives’4. He calls the supra-determinant the ‘mindset’5. How realistic
and pragmatically justifiable is Anyiam-Osigwe’s philosophy of a mindset-
driven economic development?
The purpose of this paper is to examine critically the idea of an
appropriate mindset in Anyiam-Osigwe’s philosophy of development, and
how it can promote and sustain economic development in a community or
nation.
What is Mindset?
Mindset is a way of thinking or a set of beliefs that determines somebody’s
behaviour and outlook. It is associated with such intentional postures as
attitude, mentality, predisposition, behavioural approach, frame of mind,
conviction and belief. It is also a habitual way of thinking or viewing things.
According to Anyiam-Osigwe, it is “a conditioned thought form of the
phenomena(l) mind on which man’s realities is (sic., are) largely premised”6.
Mindset is either individual or shared, that is, it could either pertain to an
individual or a group of individuals with a shared goal or vision. It is an
essential determinant of how an individual or a group views life in general,
and significantly affects the decision-making processes of the individual or
2
J. A. Aigbodioh
The Mindset Factor in Economic Development
Introduction
Economic development generally refers to a condition of intensification and
advancement of economic activities owing to increased education, more
available financing, improved methods and techniques of production and
provision of social services, all of which result in better transportation
facilities, creation of new businesses, improvement of existing ones and the
pacification of human existence. Traditionally, it is associated with such
expressions as industrialization, mass production, business diversification,
capitalization, increased volume of international trade, and technological
advancement. The usual expectation is that when the factors and means
needed for economic development are in place, e.g., adequate transportation
services, electricity, stable and good leadership, business-friendly environment,
natural resources, and enviable educational system, then substantial
advancement would be recorded in the society concerned.
Given this background to the traditional discourse of economic
development, to assert, as implied in the title of this paper, that a people’s
mindset could be a necessary factor in their economic development is, first,
to suggest that there could be a group mind, contrary to the view of a contra
ethnophilosophy school of thought in African philosophy, notably represented
by Paul Hountondji, that such a notion is a myth.1 Secondly, the suggestion
of a mindset–driven economy is reminiscent of the elusive metaphysical
problem of Descartes’ mind-body interactionism, the thesis that the radically
different phenomena of the mind and the body have a causal effect of
action and reaction on each other. These suggestions, because of their
metaphysical undertone, would seem to becloud, and rule out from the onset,
any possible defence of the subject of this paper. Yet, according to Osigwe
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The Mindset Factor in Economic Development J. A. Aigbodioh
Economic Development in Its Traditional Context
The relevance of economic development to a people, nation or region cannot
be overemphasized. However, it is commonly thought to depend on the
sheer application of professionally accredited economic theories. This is
obvious, for example, in the views expressed by S.K. Koorus and L.M.
Badeaux thus:
Economic development, distinguished from economic
growth, results from an assessment of the economic
development objectives with the available resources, core
competencies, and the infusion of greater productivity,
technology and innovation as well as improvement in human
capital, resources, and access to large market. Economic
development transforms a traditional dual-system society into
a productive framework in which everyone contributes and
from which everyone receives benefits accordingly.
Economic development occurs when all segments of society
benefit from the fruits of economic growth through
economic efficiency and equity.10
What this means is that, irrespective of any geographical condition and
a people’s inner yearnings and aspirations, economic development is a
process by which an economy is transformed from one that is dominantly
traditional and rural to one that is dominantly urban, industrial and service-
providing. If this were true, the contents of development in Europe, for
example, would have to be the same and equally suitable in Asia and Africa.
Hence, according to Koorus and Badeaux, economic development is all
about higher standard of living and welfare to a nation and a win-win strategy
without negative externalities.11 Economic development is thus perceived
as contingent on some objective and empirical indicators so that if the obvious
indicators are present then there is economic development.
Again, according to the California Association for Local Economic
Development, economic development is a concerted effort on the part of
the responsible governing body in a city or country to influence the direction
of private sector investment towards opportunities that can lead to sustained
economic growth. From the public perspective, it involves the allocation of
group. Hence, it could be seen as a philosophy of life that has a powerful
influence on the general development of those who share it.
Carol Dweck, in her Mindset: The New Psychology of Sucess7,
distinguishes between a Fixed and a Growth mindset. According to her,
persons who believe that their basic qualities, such as intelligence, outlook,
or talent, are simply fixed traits and that they alone determine success are
said to have a fixed mindset that cannot further be developed. On the other
hand, persons who believe that their most basic abilities, outlook and
predisposition can be developed through dedication and handwork have a
growth mindset. Such persons believe that brains and talents constitute just
the starting point which is needed to be developed and are essential for
greater accomplishments.8 In this later context, mindset occurs as the simple
idea of mood, inclination or disposition which creates motivation and
potentiality in the world of business, economics, education, etc. It, therefore,
plays an essential role in contributing to personal and group growth and
success. Such a mental attitude or inclination is better developed, rather
than fixed or inherent, to meet with current demands and challenges of
social living. This is perhaps why Anyiam-Osigwe refers to the mindset as
a supra-determinant of growth and development in all ramifications.
According to him, the mindset determines the basis on which man nurtures
and advances his ideas and inventions. The mindset of the individual is
reflected in his/her pattern of speech, mode of dressing, eating habits, choice
of subject on which thought and attention are devoted, ranking of priorities,
responses to given situations, perception and interpretation of the
environment. It is man’s tool for engaging his existence, to use Heideggerian
expressions, as a being-in-the-world and a being-with-others9.
The above analysis of the concept of mindset embodies the idea that
the mindset is an essential factor in the development of individual persons
and groups, and that if it is not given its proper place, or if one has the wrong
mindset, the result could be hazardous. In the section that follows, we shall
examine how economic development without an appropriate mindset is a
mere technocratic exercise without focus because it relies on makeshift
economic planning and blueprints.
2524
The Mindset Factor in Economic Development J. A. Aigbodioh
development. This is because different economies have different market
strategies for attaining economic development. Still, economic strategies
are often open to adjustments in content and focus, betraying them as ad
hoc decisions, and as founded on shifting grounds. For these reasons it is
our view that the ultimate considerations for decisions in the pursuit of
economic development cannot be explained solely in sheer professional and
empirical terms. To explain them accurately, we must resort to some
underlying principle which embraces the yearnings, aspirations and disposition
of the people concerned. Hence, there is always the need to formulate the
nation’s priorities, and the manner by which its objective can be met.
What the argument above amounts to is that besides the dynamic forces
of market strategies, good governance, comprehensive education,
enhancement of science and technology, industrialization, etc. something
more fundamental seems needed to provide the driving force for the
actualization, of a real economic development. It is what Anyiam-Osigwe
has referred to as the shared and appropriate mindset. We shall argue below,
as he does, that it is what seems to have fast-tracked the Chinese economy
to its enviable heights and successes even in these days of global economic
recession.14
Anyiam-Osigwe’s Philosophical Addition
By ‘addition’ we mean what Anyiam-Osigwe adds to the context of the
traditional discourse of economic development. As earlier mentioned, he
holds that as essential as the traditionally accredited factors of economic
development are, they remain ephemeral or superficial because they do not
constitute the primary determinants of real development. The supra-
determinant or primary factor, he says, is the mindset, albeit the appropriate
mindset. For this purpose, he distinguishes an inappropriate mindset from
that which is appropriate. We shall presently outline what he takes to be the
essential features of an inappropriate mindset and thereafter discuss
argumentatively how the philosopher justifies the pivotal role of the
appropriate mindset in economic development.
limited resources, — land, labour, capital, and entrepreneurship — in a way
that impacts positively on the level of business activity, income distribution
pattern, and fiscal solvency. It implies the progressive changes in the socio-
economic structures of a country, and an increase in industrialization, trade,
banking, construction, social services and the like. It is measured in terms
of social well-being, and GDP as well as in terms of education, access to
health, social justice, good governance, and so on12.
The preceding views clearly spell out the importance of economic
development to governments and the governed alike, as well as indicate
that what constitute economic development could vary, as it actually often
does, from person to person and group to group. At the same time, the
views point to the common practice of measuring economic development in
terms which are impersonal, and independent of individual or group
disposition. The assumption here is that what is good for some persons or
nations is good for all; and that there are absolute standards for measuring
a condition of economic development. The problem that arises from these
traditional perceptions of economic development is that they suggest the
incompatible views that the perception of the content of economic
development varies from group to group, on the one hand, and that its
measurement is independent of any group perception of it, on the other.
For example, it is common knowledge that most nations usually lay out
elaborate economic blueprint or plan so as to meet international standards
for the pursuit of economic development- a practice which presumes that
there could be an objective route to economic development. At the same
time, those nations would admit that there is usually a local content in every
development plan. For example, many developing economics often resort
to converting their foreign debt into foreign debt investment by the
privatization of economic activities, trade regionalization, conversion of import
substitute investments into export expansion investment, technology transfer,
co-production strategies and other clearly peculiar economic decisions and
practices, rather than adopt standard theories of economic development.13
Such practices imply that apart from the traditional perception that there
are perhaps only absolute and impersonal standards for adjudging economic
development, there are also local indigenous or cultural inputs to economic
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The Mindset Factor in Economic Development J. A. Aigbodioh
unproductive.16 The major problem with a fixed mindset as well as with the
self-centred mindset, is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to re-orientate it
even in the face of increasing challenges. It, therefore, hinders development,
economic or otherwise.
Finally, a mindset could be inappropriate simply because it is misplaced,
or inclined towards wrong objectives. For example, an economic
development plan is expected to take into considerations the yearnings and
aspirations of the people who would be affected by its implementation and
is supposed to foster the general well-being of society. It follows that any
disposition which promotes goals that hinder, in the short or long run, such
well-being is inappropriate. That some set objectives tally with some popular
or established models of, say, economic planning and development does not
make the objectives right insofar as they are not truly born of an appropriate
mindset.
(ii)An Appropriate Mindset for Economic Development: What does an
appropriate mindset consist in? According to Anyiam-Osigwe, with the
appropriate mindset … man does not seek to better his personal life but
embeds his well-being within the development and well-being of his
community.17 He adds,
… when a number of individuals within the context of their
personal lives attain the appropriate mindset, the communality
of values arising from their status as embodiments of the
appropriate mindset engenders a synthesis from which
evolves an apposite mindset complex – a natural meeting of
minds.18
Anyiam-Osigwe thus urges the metaphysical view that an appropriate
social mindset is developed when the individuals in a community (or nation)
are mentally attuned to one another in such a way that each recognizes his/
her own values in relation to those of others. When this happens, a
coalescence of individual mindsets is attained, forming a complex social
mindset. He further contends that the individual’s inner energies and inherent
abilities, which manifest in their respective skills and talents, are better and
(i) An Inappropriate Mindset:- An inappropriate mindset is one that hinders
development even when all other factors needed for economic development
are present. Its characteristics are identifiable as follows.
First, a mindset could be inappropriate because it is radically
individualistic or self–centred. It occurs as a defect of character or a false
orientation. It is often exhibited by some persons in businesses and
governments when they manifest traits of selfish disposition, or individualistic
mindset, rather than an inclination towards the common good of all
stakeholders. Hence, he says,
the lack of honesty and probity in the managing of public
affairs and assets, the disposition to unlawful acquisition,
falsehood, hatred, envy, jealously and lust are all
manifestations of spiritual impairment which adversely
affects the appropriate configuration of the mindset.15
In such a situation, according to Anyiam-Osigwe, real development is
impossible even when all other traditionally acclaimed indices of development
are in place. This is the case, for example, in most African nations today
where, in spite of the presence of abundant natural resources, clement
weather for agriculture and democratic systems of governance, the nations
are bedevilled by myriads of socio-political and economic problems, such as
corruption, political and religious violence, wars, unemployment, lack of
qualitative education, dearth of social infrastructural facilities and lack of
good governance. These evils, Anyiam-Osigwe would say, are the inevitable
consequences of the absence of an appropriate mindset in a nation.
Secondly, an inappropriate mindset could be identified in a situation
where persons in leadership positions suffer from fixation of ideas, or hold
certain beliefs and principles dogmatically even when such ideas, beliefs
and principles have proven to be anachronistic and impracticable. For
example, according to C.J. Brown and D. Proudlove, it is a common
characteristic of some senior or top government functionaries and business
managers/employees to continue to entertain outmoded mindsets on issues
like administrative procedures, marketing strategies, and business and
customer values even when it has become obvious that the old ways are
2928
The Mindset Factor in Economic Development J. A. Aigbodioh
responsibilities and he/she is therefore propelled to strive to maintain peace
and order in the community. Each member of the community is made
conscious that his action, inaction or attitude contributes either to growth in
the life of the entire community or to a loss or reduction of its life depending
on whether his/her motives are good or evil.21 This group consciousness
ensures that things are done for the common good. This, however, does not
imply that there are no individual goals or projections. For even in the context
of community and friendship, one’s individuality or personal identity is still
maintained and preserved, although not to the detriment of the entire
community.22 The basic idea is that one does not destroy the community in
the pursuit of individual goals essentially because one is nothing without the
community. Thus, an individual’s mindset should be attuned towards personal
fulfilment, while being alert to the responsibility of promoting the common
good. This attitude is no doubt vital in our current capitalist economic system.
The need for a mindset–driven cooperation for development is re-echoed
and emphasized by David W. Wang in his work on the forces which underlie
China’s rapid development.23 According to him, although macro-economic
factors and foreign investments are apparently a key to China’s development
they do not really explain her overall success. Rather, he argues, the basic
and primary factor which underlies her development is the Chinese cultural
mindset: the rich thoughts and ways of life of the five thousand year-old
Eastern civilization that are now being effectively adapted to the demands
of the twenty –first century modern conditions.24 The heritage of the past
and the vision for the future, he says, are creating unique dynamics that are
inevitably moving China forward today. This cultural mindset, Wang calls
“The Dragon Hexagon”, meaning a complex and cross-cultural system made
of philosophy, communalism, military strategy, history, folklore and literature
and the Dar and Zen tips.25 The Hexagon represents an integrated model
of the finest Chinese ideas, values, and wisdom that have helped to bring
the country to the status of a superpower in the modern world, having
sustained China’s survival in the early modern time.
Wang’s idea of China’s “Dragon Hexagon” brings to mind the importance
of a context –based or cultural mindset that works within the context of
pragmatic need and use rather than simply borrowing alien ideas for
optimally utilized when they achieve mental peace, harmony and happiness
in relation to their selves, with each other and their environment. To this
extent, an appropriate mindset consists in the attunement of the individual’s
disposition towards the common good even while pursuing his/her own
personal goals and aspirations.
Group consciousness and common good are, therefore, vital ingredients
of an appropriate mindset. Group consciousness, according to Anyiam-
Osigwe,
….refers to an expansive resource, a well-spring of ideas
and thought processes that is created when people of a
particular group or society intermingle their ideas, questions,
perspectives, aspiration, knowledge and experience in relation
to specific goals or issues. As the sum total of everyone’s
positions and concerns, the Group Mind is a synthesis in
which the defining elements of the fundamental interest of
the respective participant are preserved in the resultant
Commonweal whose legitimacy are mutuality and
subscribed to by all.19
Common good, on the other hand, is the sum total of social conditions
which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfilment
more easily and more fully. Economic development is one of such conditions
needed for the fulfilment of individuals or groups in a society. Thus, an
appropriate mindset is an inclination towards teamwork where all hands are
on deck and all minds are at work such that every individual irrespective of
gender, race, physical or psychological circumstances, is positioned to explore,
appraise and apply his/her ability and energy in building opportunities as
well as advancing the well-being of society towards living a wholesome and
fulfilled life.20
There is much to learn from African traditional cultures in this regard.
An individual in an African community is from the very beginning in a
network of relationships that constitute his inalienable dignity. The fact that
he is a being who is intrinsically intertwined with his clan or his community
and with others makes him/her conscious of his/her social status and
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The Mindset Factor in Economic Development J. A. Aigbodioh
complex of the community.31 When people are marginalized in a society,
the sum total of the production and contribution to (economic) development
process will be greatly reduced.
Also, for an appropriate mindset that fosters economic development in
any community or society, there must be adequate remuneration and
incentives by the state for individual efforts. This would inspire the individual’s
total commitment to the community through constructive and valuable
contribution and production. With the appropriate mindset, the individual is
enthusiastic about the community, and contributes his/her optimum
capabilities in providing for, and advancing the interest of the community
with the hope and faith that his/her essence and being are acknowledged
and preserved in the context of the overall interest of the community.32
Concluding Remarks
In examining the seemingly impossible, metaphysical concept of a mindset
–driven economic development in this paper, we have argued, with
justification and in accordance with Anyiam-Osigwe’s philosophy of
development, that real economic development does not depend so much on
how theoretically valid or internationally accredited the models and strategies
used are, but on the development and application of an appropriate mindset,
as evidenced in the case of China. An appropriate mindset or a Group Mind
can be developed at the communal, national and cosmopolitan levels.
According to Anyiam-Osigwe, when it is developed at the cosmopolitan,
communal or national level, the group mind operates in accordance with a
principle of nature. In his words,
this principle states that the resulting force generated from
the combining of like minds, is geometrically greater than
the sum of its parts. In other words, minds that are focused
together upon a common theme create a mutual force, which
is not merely additive, but vastly more powerful than that of
any individual or group of individuals. To that effect, man’s
creative propensity is enlarged when there is a synergy of
the diverse attributes of various individuals who agree to
come together and function as a group that is inspired by a
common objective and guided by a common vision33
development. By “cultural mindset”, Wang means that “every society, culture,
or nation carries its own set of attitudes, values, spirit and role model, thinking
and action habits, determining how people think, perform, communicate,
interpret information and react to given situations, and so on”.26 A cultural
mindset, thus, embodies the outlook, values and judgement of a people.
Closely related to the above features of an appropriate mindset –viz.,
cooperation and context–based outlook, values and judgement-is the idea
of a shared mindset. This involves, especially in large business organisations,
having common goals and visions the lack of which is a perennial reason for
business failure or disintegration. A shared mindset or vision enhances
productivity and development.27 At the national level, it is simply patriotism
which is the unconditional commitment to the well-being of one’s country.28
Developing an appropriate mindset also involves averting a fixed or
dogmatic outlook to things. According to Prof. Muhammad Yunus, in his
keynote address at the conference on “Bangladesh and Singapore:
Developing a Development Mindset”, “the importance of a mindset is in
making changes happen”.29 For example, business enterprises and national
economies are confronted with ever-changing, ever increasing challenges,
regarding market-place uncertainties. They face competitive pressures from
local and international sources as their competitors are constantly modifying
products and services to push ahead of them. Customers and citizens expect
from them responsiveness and innovativeness. The success and survival of
such enterprises and economics depend on their ability to change and modify
their outlook and strategies to meet those challenges, which cannot be gotten
from dogmatic adherence to a fixed mindset30.
One essential factor, which Anyiam-Osigwe identifies as very essential
in creating an appropriate mindset, is the avoidance of discriminative
tendencies against the so-called weaker sex (women) and the physically
and mentally challenged in the pursuit of holistic development in society.
Besides the inclusion of women in the development process, he also
advocates an all-inclusive approach that would ensure the integration of all
members of the society as effective participants in the development process,
irrespective of their circumstances or stations in life. This, he says, helps to
ensure that each and every individual imbibes the appropriate mindset
3332
The Mindset Factor in Economic Development J. A. Aigbodioh
10. S.K. Koorus L.M. Badeaux, “Economic Development Models: A Comparative
Assessment”, International Research Journal of Finance and Economics 7
(2007) p.120.
11. Ibid
12. See “What is Economic Development?”, California Association for Local
Economic Development, http://www.caled.org/resources/what-economic-
development .Accessed December 3, 2009.
13. S.K. Koruus, et. al., op. cit., p.121.
14. See, The Cosmopolitan Expression of the Group Mind Principle, op. cit., pp.
16ff
15. The Mindset Factor in Creative Transformation, op. cit, p.20.
16. C.J. Brown & D. Proudlove, “Business Entrepreneurs” Mindset on Their
Enterprises’ Business Model”, in P. Daly & D. Gijbels (eds) Real Learning
Opportunities at Business School and Beyond (New York: Springer Publishing,
2009) P.109.
17. The Mindset Factor in Creative Transformation, op. cit, p7.
18. Ibid, p.8
19. The Cosmopolitan Expression of the Group Mind Principle, op. cit.,
20. Ibid. pp.13ff.
21. See Benezet Bujo, Foundations of an African Ethic: Beyond the Universal
Claims of Western Morality, Trans. By Brian McNeil (Nairobi: Paulines
Publications Africa, 2003) pp. 116 – 127.
22. Ibid., pp. 118 – 119.
23. David W. Wang, Decoding the Dragon’s Mindset: Inside China’s Destiny
and Its Hint to the World (New York: Seaburn Publishing Group, 2009).
24. Ibid., pp. 6 -7
25. Ibid., p.7
26. Ibid.
27. See, for example, Tara Rangarajan, Jeremy Prepscius, Ayesha Khan, Cody
Sisco and Joyce Wong, “Shared Mindset and Supplier Ownership: A Beyond
Monitoring Trends Report”, Business for Social Responsibility (Oct. 2008)
pp. 1 – 17.
28. See, The Cosmopolitan Expression of the Group Mind Principle, op. cit
29. Prof. Muhammad Yunus, “Bangladesh and Singapore: Developing a
Development Mindset”, The Daily Star Dec. 3, 2007.
Although the preceding principle of the Group Mind force raises the
intractable problem of holism and individualism in the social sciences, its
validity in the context of our discussion is obvious. It merely reinforces the
commonplace saying that “united we stand, divided we fall”. The appropriate
mindset is not individualistic or selfish. Rather, it is poised for the common
good of society, and when it is all-inclusive of all segments of society, the
sum total of economic production is maximized. Hence, according to Anyiam-
Osigwe, “the journey to economic and socio-political transformation of any
society begins with the attainment of appropriate mindset by the citizenry”.34
Given the parlous state of African economic conditions today — conditions
which are due mainly to the syndrome of groping searches for appropriate
theoretical models and strategies for development — Anyiam-Osigwe’s
proposal is obviously apposite. The problem is how to develop an appropriate
mindset in multi-cultural settings like Africa and African nations.
References
1. See. P. Hountondji, African Philosophy: Myth and Reality (Bloomington:
Indiana University Press, 1983).
2. This, in my view, is the overall thrust of Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe’s metaphysical
theory of economic and socio-political development. See, for example, Osigwe
Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation, The Mindset Factor in Creative Transformation:
A Philosophical Understanding for Human Development (Lagos: Osigwe
Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation, 2005) and The Cosmopolitan Expression of the
Group Mind Principle: Patriotism & Group Mind; Spirit of the Team, Spur
of the Nation (Lagos: Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation, 2002).
3. The Mindset Factor in Creative Transformation, Ibid, p.2.
4. Ibid., p.3.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (New York: Random
House, 2006).
8. Ibid., Ch.2.
9. See The Mindset Factor in Creative Transformation, op cit, pp. 3-4
34
The Mindset Factor in Economic Development
30. C.J. Brown, et al., op. cit, p.109.
31. The Mindset Factor in Creative Transformation, op. cit, p.14
32. Ibid., p.9
33. The Cosmopolitan Expression of the Group Mind Principle, op. cit, p.8
34. The Mindset Factor in Creative Transformation, op. cit, p.8.