Envy and jealousy are killing businesses in Ghana - Agyekum Addo

Ghanaians do not manage emotions properly - Entrepreneur

Controlling envy and jealousy is the most powerful way to thrive in business - Dr. Addo

Feedbacks are not well taken by businesses due to emotions - Kama Group founder

Founder of the Kama Group of Companies, Dr. Michael Agyekum Addo, has said Ghanaian businesses have been hindered by envy and jealousy.

He attributed the non-performance of indigenous businesses and their inability to last to this canker.

Speaking with Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (5 January), Dr Agyekum Addo said, “At the age of 60 to 65, I was still confronted with the question: why do companies collapse in spite of all the training that we give to staff, all the incentives, improvements in working conditions?”

He lamented how important it is for Ghana to address the issue “because it is affecting our politics, our businesses and the country."

“I see doctors going on strike, companies going on demonstrations, all for [better] working conditions. Why?”

“So, at 65, I enrolled in University of Ghana Business School for them to tell me why, in spite of these management trainings, companies collapse. And I took a topic … What do we do with our emotions?”

The pharmaceutical pioneer said: “… hatred, anger, joy, sadness – all these are emotions, and they affect our business lives."

To answer all these questions, Dr. Agyekum noted that envy and jealousy are innate characteristics that may need a lot of emotional intelligence to deal with. He however believes that good control over them will help Ghanaian businesses grow.

“Having gone through all that, I realized that some of them you can address. But envy and jealousy are untouchable. You cannot see [them], it’s innate. And that is where companies collapse from the manpower … [It] is so important. This is the biggest factor in your business: meanwhile, he is envious, jealous.”

Dr Agyekum Addo added, “You cannot tell him; if you tell him that, ‘I see you are envious of me,’ he’ll tell you: ‘How can I be envious of you?’ We doubt, argue, defend and yet it is real.” Read Full Story