Constitution

1. The organization, originally designated as the International Academy of African Business and Development (IAABD), shall be renamed the Academy of African Business and Development (AABD).
2. AABD shall operate as an independent, non-profit, international professional and educational organization.
3. AABD shall have proprietary rights over its registered or unregistered names, publications, titles, trade and service marks, logos, designs, and other identifications, which shall inure only to AABD’s benefit, and whose use by any other organization shall be prohibited, unless specifically authorized in writing by the Executive Committee of AABD.

The offices of AABD shall be located at the address of the Executive Secretary or at such other address as may be designated by the Executive Committee.

The purpose of AABD is to serve as a distinct forum for intellectuals of all persuasions to discuss, analyze, and advance solutions to Africa’s business and development challenges, resulting in a better understanding of the policy and strategic alternatives necessary to sustain Africa’s business and economic development within the global framework.

The objectives of AABD are to: (a) foster functional education, (b) broaden and deepen global understanding of the various challenges facing African business and development leaders, and (c) advance alternative solutions to Africa’s business and economic challenges. This will be achieved by, among other things, the following.

1. Facilitating the international exchange of information and ideas among educators, business organizations, government and quasi-government agencies, academic institutions, and international organizations for—and with particular reference to—Africa.
2. Encouraging, assisting, and enhancing research activities that advance knowledge of African business operations and development, and increase the available body of teaching materials.
3. Cooperating, whenever possible, with legitimate governments, and international business and development organizations, as well as academic institutions for the furtherance of AABD’s objectives.
4. Providing publishing opportunities, and publication outlets for members of AABD, and enhancing their other scholarly activities and intellectual contributions.
5. Organizing conferences and seminars in different locations to enable members and other stakeholders to present their research work, thereby creating an interactive environment for members and other participants to share, network, and exchange relevant information with each other.
6. Promoting beneficial relationships with book and journal publishers as well as editors throughout the world for the furtherance of members’ ideas.
7. Promoting and enhancing, where appropriate and whenever possible, the professional career and placement needs of AABD members.
8. Seeking means and opportunities for academic scholarships and endowments for scholars in and from the African continent.
9. Collaborating with organizations with similar missions, objectives, and philosophy, as well as adopting a non-partisan position on any matter involving particular interests, either private or public.

1. Membership in AABD shall be open to scholars, professionals, and students of any nationality who are interested or actively engaged in the teaching, research, performance, or administration of business and economic development issues as they relate to Africa. Ordinary membership will consist of three types: academic, professional, and student. Academic and professional members will pay full annual dues and students will pay lesser dues, as specified in the AABD Bylaws.
2. Student membership status is limited to the duration of the student member’s studies. A letter from an advisor at the learning institution is required as proof.
3. All types of membership will have full voting rights and are similar in all respects, except dues and limit to the length of student status.
4. Members whose dues are in arrears shall not have the right to vote or hold office in AABD until all delinquent dues have been paid.
5. Institutional membership shall be open to any educational institution, firm, or supranational organization with an interest in the field of African business and development. Institutional members will pay annual dues, as specified in the Bylaws.
6. Representatives of member institutions may not hold elected office, and each institution shall have only one vote in all operations of AABD. The number of institutional memberships may be limited by the Executive Committee to a small fraction of the total membership.
7. Honorary memberships will be made in special cases (e.g., annual banquet speakers). The Executive Committee will appoint such members.
8. Any AABD member who knowingly uses AABD’s name, logos, or marks for unauthorized purposes shall be expelled from AABD and may be reinstated only after two years, upon favorable response by the Executive Committee to a written petition from the expelled individual.

1. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) of AABD shall be held at such time and place as determined by the Executive Committee, preferably during the annual conference.
2. AABD shall hold a business meeting during the AGM.
3. Special meetings of AABD may be called in either of two ways: (a) by the Executive committee, or (b) by petition of 20 AABD members.

The governance of AABD shall be the responsibility of a six-member elected Executive Committee consisting of the following officers: President, Vice President, Executive Secretary, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, Vice President for Membership, and Vice President for Communications, Public Relations, and Corporate Liaison.

1. The Executive Committee shall determine AABD policies, consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws. A majority of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum at official Executive Committee meetings.
2. Executive Committee’s Responsibilities:

The President shall be the executive head of the organization, and with the Executive Committee shall have responsibility, authority, and accountability for initiating and carrying out AABD policies and functions. He/She shall set up ad hoc committees as needed. In the event of absence, resignation, or death of the President, the duties of the office shall devolve successively upon the Vice President, Executive Secretary, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, and the elected members of the Executive Committee in the order of their election. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for filling any vacancy beyond those described.

The Vice President shall be responsible for assisting the President in any way deemed appropriate by the President. H/She shall act for the President in his/her absence.

The Executive Secretary shall handle correspondence related to the organization. He/She shall serve as the secretary for the Executive Committee, record the minutes at the AGM and all other meetings, and send the minutes to the membership within 30 days.

The Vice President for Finance and Treasurer (aka Treasurer) shall have oversight responsibility for AABD’s financial affairs. H/She shall maintain AABD’s financial records and handle the annual conference correspondence related to the organization’s finances. He/She shall be responsible for conference registrations, and prepare a financial report for the Executive Committee at the end of the annual conference. He/She shall work with the Conference Program Chair to maintain an adequate record of membership and conference registration fees. He/She shall be a co-signer of all cheques written and funds disbursed. The Treasurer shall prepare AABD’s accounts and report the findings to the Executive Committee, general members, and the auditor if applicable. The Treasurer shall present a written financial report to the Executive Committee and AABD membership at each annual AABD conference. The Vice President for Finance and Treasurer shall be responsible for billing and collecting membership dues.

The Vice President for Membership shall be responsible for coordinating the country representatives to attain membership goals. He/She shall work closely with the Vice President for Communications, Public Relations, and Corporate Liaison and with the Vice President for Finance and Treasurer to carry out his/her duties, and to ensure membership benefits are maintained. He/She shall be responsible for directing country representatives, as well as developing, maintaining, and growing AABD’s database of current and potential members.

The Vice President for Communications, Public Relations, and Corporate Liaison shall be responsible for publicizing the activities and public position of AABD. He/She shall develop relationships with institutions of higher learning within and outside the African continent, including libraries, governmental agencies, and other non-business units. He/She shall be responsible for maintaining and updating AABD’s website and shall collaborate, as needed, with the Vice President for Membership.

3. The term of office of elected officers shall be three years. No person shall hold the same elective office for more than two consecutive terms. Student and institutional members are not eligible to hold elective office.
4. In the event of absence, non-performance, resignation, or death of an elected officer other than the President, the Executive Committee shall ask members during the AGM to vote for a replacement of that officer. The term of the such an officer shall end at the next general election.
5. Country representatives shall be appointed, as needed, by the Executive Committee to help grow AABD membership and facilitate communication between AABD and locally-based organizations. They shall work closely with the Vice President Membership and the Vice President Communications, Public Relations, and Corporate Liaison.

1. The Executive Committee shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast in response to ballots or e-ballots sent to eligible members.
2. A three-member Nominating and Elections Committee (NEC) shall be appointed by the current Executive Committee (by the end of their second year) to conduct the elections for the Executive Committee positions.
3. Elections for the Executive Committee shall be conducted by the NEC in the third year of the Executive Committee term. The slate of the Executive Committee (Elect) shall be publicized before and sworn in at the next annual conference or AGM.
4.  The NEC shall solicit nominations from members at the AGM as well as through other AABD publications, email, and other forms of communication.
5. The NEC shall put forward one or more names as candidates for each of the six positions (i.e., President, Executive Secretary, and the four Vice Presidents) based on the candidates’ professional and scholarly standing. The candidates for the position of Vice President for Finance and Treasurer shall be based in the United States of America.
6. Candidates who receive the largest number of votes out of the votes cast for a particular office shall be deemed elected. In the event of a tie, the Executive Committee will decide the winner.

1. The Executive Committee shall create standing committees as needed and identify their specific functions.
2. Each standing committee chair will send an annual report of the committee’s activities to the President and Executive Committee.
3. The President may appoint ad hoc committees as deemed necessary for carrying out the functions of AABD.

AABD shall issue, and cause to be issued, publications and publication outlets for its members’ scholarly activity and other intellectual contributions. At least two of these shall be official publications of AABD, namely the following.

1. The Journal of African Business (JAB). This shall be the official, peer-reviewed journal of AABD. JAB shall publish articles of the highest scholarly quality. Other provisions concerning JAB include the following.
2. The Editor-in-Chief of JAB shall be appointed or reappointed by the Executive Committee for a period of three years. The Editor-in-Chief shall be in overall charge of the quality, content, and appearance of JAB. The Executive Committee may also make additional appointments for JAB co-editors, and/or associate editors if deemed necessary. Such appointments shall also be for a period of three years. Such a group, if appointed, shall represent the JAB Editorial Team.
3. Nominations for each of the position(s) in Article 10, Item (a) above can be made by any member of the Executive Committee and be sent to the President of AABD at least two months before the Executive Committee meeting.
4. Each member of the Editorial Team shall be entitled to hold other elective positions in AABD simultaneously.
5. The members of the Editorial Team shall be responsible for identifying persons of high academic standing who will constitute members of the JAB Editorial Review Board. The Editorial Review Board shall be expected to assist the Editorial Team to develop directions for JAB for consideration and ratification by the Executive Committee.
6. The Editorial Team, led by the Editor-in-Chief and with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall carry out changes and modifications to the editorial policy as well as changes in editorial staff and the Editorial Review Board.
7. The regular day-to-day management of JAB shall be the responsibility of the Editor, assisted by the Editorial Team
8. The AABD Conference Proceedings shall be the official publication outlet for peer/blind-reviewed manuscripts for AABD annual conferences. Unless decided otherwise by the Executive Committee, AABD Conference Proceedings will publish only fully conceptualized and complete papers, not abstracts or works-in-progress. At their own discretion, and funds permitting, the Conference Chair and/or Program Chair shall choose to publish abstracts, working papers, and other types of intellectual contributions not otherwise covered by either the Journal of African Business or AABD Conference Proceedings.
9. The Proceedings Editor, who may or may not be an elected official in AABD, shall be appointed by the Executive Committee to perform the following functions.
   1. Edit AABD Conference Proceedings and book of abstracts and—in coordination with the Conference Chair, the AABD Treasurer, and the Program Chair—cause the conference proceedings to be published.
   2. Coordinate the flow of final manuscripts with the Program Chair, to ensure that all manuscripts that have been accepted—and submitted by respective authors by specified deadlines along with the necessary fees—are duly published in the proceedings or/and a book of abstracts, and scheduled for presentation at the annual conference.
10. Conference Program Chair shall be appointed by the Executive Committee to serve as the overall manager of the annual conference program. He/She shall be responsible for developing conference tracks and appointing track chairs, ensuring adequate flow of papers for the various tracks, and managing timely registrations by participants whose papers have been accepted by track chairs. The Conference Program Chair shall work closely with the Conference Chair to develop the final conference program including keynote speakers, number of sessions, session chairs, and discussants.
    1. The Program Chair shall manage the timely submission of accepted papers and abstracts to the Proceedings Editor for final processing. He/She shall provide a timely report of the overall assessment of the conference to the Conference Chair and the Executive Committee after the conference. He/She may also be an elected official in AABD.
11. A Conference Chair shall be appointed by the host institution of the annual conference. He/She is responsible for all local arrangements related to the conference. In consultation with the AABD President, the Conference Chair shall be responsible for selecting the conference theme. The Conference Chair shall work with the Vice President for Finance and Treasurer to set the conference budget and collect registration fees on site. He/She shall collaborate with the Vice President for Communications, Public Relations, and Corporate Liaison to market and publicize the conference, and to seek financial contributions to offset part of the conference costs through sponsorships. The Conference Chair shall be responsible, in consultation with the AABD President, for inviting keynote speakers and other stakeholders who can enhance the standing of the conference.
12. A Newsletter Editor shall be appointed by the Executive Committee to produce three to six issues of the AABD newsletter per year. He/She shall solicit newsworthy items from members, as well as seek relevant information items elsewhere. While carrying out these responsibilities, he/she shall work closely with the Vice President for Membership and the Vice President for Communications, Public Relations, and Corporate Liaison.
13. Other Publication Outlets. AABD shall develop, encourage, and maintain relationships with publishers of other paper and non-paper publication outlets for the purpose of supporting the scholarly activities of its members.
14. The Executive Committee shall determine all basic policy decisions as to content and manner of all publications from (and for) AABD.

1. AABD shall elect a Board of Governors (the “Board”) to advise the Executive Committee on matters relating to AABD policies, plans, and programs.
2. The Board of Governors shall consist of nine members—four individuals nominated and elected by the members of AABD, and five officers, including Immediate Past President, President, Vice President, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, and the Executive Secretary. The President, Vice President, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer and Executive Secretary shall be ex-officio members without voting rights. The Immediate Past President shall serve as a voting member of the Board for three years following his/her term as President and subsequently, shall be eligible to run for one of the four elected positions on the Board of Governors. The Board shall guide the activities of the Executive Committee.
3. For the four elected positions on the Board of Governors, each member shall be elected to serve a three-year term with only one reappointment if sought. To seek election to the Board, the individual shall be an AABD member in good standing and an eligible voter.
4. The Board of Governors shall play an advisory role and work closely with the Executive Committee to market and promote AABD and its activities, as well AABD’s reputation and integrity.
5. The Chairperson of the Board of Governors shall be appointed from among the duly-elected members of the Board.
6. Elections for the Board of Governors shall be conducted by the Nominating and Elections Committee (NEC) in the third year of the current Board. The Board of Governors (Elect) shall be publicized before and sworn in at the next annual conference or AGM.
7. A member of the Board of Governors can be removed from office for probable cause by a simple majority of the Board.

1. Robert’s Rule of Order shall guide the conduct of AABD business meetings. The President may if deemed necessary, appoint a Parliamentarian from the membership.
2. Terms of office for officers, other elected officials, and committee members shall begin at the business meeting held during the AABD Annual General Meeting.
3. The Executive Committee shall appoint an independent auditor to audit all accounts before publishing an annual report if the financial situation is conducive to such an audit. Otherwise, the Executive Committee shall ask one or two qualified AABD members to audit all accounts pro bono.
4. A quorum of AABD shall consist of 25 members or 25% of the membership, whichever is smaller.
5. The AABD Constitution will take effect upon ratification by a majority affirmative vote of the membership in person, by mail, or by e-mail.
6. From time to time, the Executive Committee in consultation with the Board of Governors shall set annual dues for the different classes of membership (i.e., academic, professional, institutional, student).
7. AABD’s fiscal year shall run from January 1 through December 31. Each payment of annual dues entitles a member to active membership for 12 consecutive months from the receipt of their dues.

1. Amendment of the AABD Constitution shall be effected by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the membership in response to a distributed ballot.
2. For voting purposes, membership shall be judged to include the members in good standing 90 days prior to the date of mailing or e-mailing the ballot. Individuals who registered as attendees for either or both of the prior two conferences or paid their membership dues for the said period shall be eligible voters. The Vice President for Finance and Treasurer and Vice President for Membership shall verify eligibility.
3. Proposals to amend the Constitution will be sent to the membership when (a) endorsed in writing by at least 25 members, or (b) endorsed by a majority of the members in attendance at the AGM, or (c) endorsed by a majority of the Executive Committee.