WIReDSpace

Welcome to WIReDSpace (Wits Institutional Repository on DSpace)

For queries relating to content and technical issues, please contact IR specialists via this email address : openscholarship.library@wits.ac.za,
Tel: 011 717 4652 or 011 717 1954

Photo by @inspiredimages

Communities in WIReDSpace

Select a community to browse its collections.

Now showing 1 - 5 of 19

Recent Submissions

  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type:Item,
    Exploring diversity in executive positions among JSE-Listed companies
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025) Chibi, Nicholus Loyd; Gobind, Jenika
    This research examined gender and racial diversity among executives who lead companies that are listed on the Johannesburg stock Exchange [JSE]. The executive leadership positions in South African companies show low representation of women and historically disadvantaged racial groups despite the country's progressive legislative framework that includes the Employment Equity Act [EEA] and the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment [B- BBEE] Act. The research evaluated executive diversity levels while identifying organisational barriers to progress and assessing current policies and organisational strategies. The research employed qualitative methods through senior executive interviews from different sectors while analysing corporate reports that are publicly available. The research based its findings on Social Identity Theory and Agency Theory to understand how identity and bias and governance structures affect diversity results. The study showed that organisations understand diversity's value better, yet they face ongoing challenges from unconscious bias and insufficient leadership development programs and inconsistent transformation policy execution. The research suggests that organisations should implement specific leadership development programs together with enhanced accountability systems and organisational cultural changes toward inclusive leadership approaches. The research adds to South African corporate transformation discussions while offering practical solutions to enhance executive leadership diversity and inclusion.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type:Item,
    The Role and Nature of Government Support in the Establishment and Sustainability of SMMEs in the Biodiversity Economy
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025) Bolani, Noma; Venter, Rob
    South Africa’s biodiversity economy presents a unique opportunity to advance inclusive economic growth, rural development, and environmental sustainability. Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) operating within this space, particularly in wildlife and bioprospecting, are positioned to drive conservation-compatible livelihoods. However, the extent to which these enterprises are supported by coordinated, accessible, and enabling institutional frameworks remains underexplored. This study investigates the forms of government support available to biodiversity-based SMMEs and critically evaluates entrepreneurs’ experiences of the regulatory and institutional landscape. Guided by Institutional Theory and the Triple Bottom Line framework, the study adopts a qualitative case study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine biodiversity entrepreneurs across several provinces. Thematic analysis of the interview data was complemented by comparative document and policy analysis to assess alignment between the policy intent and lived entrepreneurial experience. The research foregrounds the voices of entrepreneurs to explore how institutional systems enable or constrain their business viability, growth and contribution to environmental goals. Findings revealed that while various government departments, such as the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, and provincial conservation agencies, provide intermittent support in the form of grants, training, and infrastructure. This support is however fragmented, delayed or poorly aligned with business needs. Entrepreneurs reported difficulties accessing information, navigating overlapping mandates, and engaging with institutions whose actions were inconsistent across spheres of government. Institutional fragmentation, policy misalignment, and weak enforcement capacity were cited as key barriers. Despite these challenges, the study identified examples of successful institutional partnerships and highlighted entrepreneurship-driven recommendations for improving support eco-systems. These included calls for integrated funding, capacity-building, policy clarity, market facilitation and stronger interdepartmental coordination. The study concludes by recommending institutional reform, improved integrated government support strategies to better enable the growth of biodiversity-based SMMEs. To unlock the full potential of the biodiversity economy, reforms are required to strengthen governance, align support mechanisms and ensure that economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability are equally addressed.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type:Item,
    Factors influencing the advancement of women into executive management in Gauteng’s infrastructure sector
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025) Baijnath, Ramona; Gobind, Jenika
    This study critically investigates the persistent underrepresentation of women in executive management within the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (DID), a pivotal institution in South Africa’s male-dominated public infrastructure sector. Despite progressive policy frameworks, including the Employment Equity Act (1998) and national mandates for 50% female representation at all senior levels, systemic gender disparities remain deeply entrenched. Guided by African feminist epistemology and employing narrative inquiry, this qualitative study centres the lived experiences of five women senior managers; Mariah, Margaret, Mapholba, Kia and Nancy [pseudonyms] to interrogate the complex organisational, personal and intersectional factors influencing women’s advancement into executive roles at the DID. Findings reveal that organisational barriers, including political gatekeeping, pervasive surveillance and entrenched Boys’ Club networks, systematically obstruct participants progression. Participants describe confronting the dual burdens of the glass ceiling, which limits promotion and the glass cliff, where women are assigned high-risk, under- resourced portfolios intended to absorb institutional failure. This hostile environment denies women authority, recognition and support, resulting in widespread burnout and emotional exhaustion. On a personal level, caregiving responsibilities, lack of mentorship and absence of formal development pathways exacerbate these challenges, disproportionately impacting ethnic minority women and compounding systemic exclusion. The experiences of harassment, marginalisation and intellectual erasure further underscore gendered institutional violence as a deliberate mechanism to enforce women’s marginality. Importantly, the study refutes narratives that blame women for their stalled progression. Instead, it reveals how institutional complicity sustains inequality by rewarding conformity to masculinised leadership norms and punishing dissent. Participants exhibit agency through organisational resistance, subversion and redefining leadership beyond traditional frameworks. This research calls for bold systemic reforms, including transparent leadership pipelines, intersectional HR policies and trauma-informed trusted wellness initiatives. Genuine gender equity demands dismantling entrenched power structures and reconstructing institutions on the principles of care, accountability and justice.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type:Item,
    A Quest for Harmonised Sale Law for Africa: A Comparative Analysis of Existing Harmonised Laws of Sale
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025) Van Vreden, Trudie Helena
    The AU Constitutive Act establishes the foundation for Africa’s integration into the global economy, with the AU committed to accelerating the objectives of the AEC. A significant milestone in achieving this goal is the establishment of the AfCFTA. However, the effectiveness of increased cross-border trade under the AfCFTA is significantly threatened by fragmented sales law in Africa due to colonial influence. This analysis seeks to identify the most suitable harmonised sales law for Africa to enhance trade efficiency by examining existing instruments with a specific focus on its legislative history, provisions on the sale of goods, interpretational and institutional challenges. It examines key aspects and challenges of the CISG, draws lessons from the UCC and regional integration mechanisms, including OHADA and the EU. Findings suggest that while the CISG provides a globally recognised framework, its adoption in Africa remains limited due to political and economic considerations. The UCC presents a successful model for domestic legal harmonisation, offering key insights into how regional sales law in Africa could be structured and successfully adopted. The EU approach highlights the importance of balancing legal certainty with flexibility. The study further argues that a legal framework with direct effect could facilitate a more efficient harmonisation process. Due to significant resource constraints in Africa, it is argued that the existing framework of OHADA should be utilised whereby African nations join OHADA for the harmonisation of their business laws. It is proposed that Book VIII of the OUAGCL which is already influenced by the CISG, could serve as a foundation for a continental sales law framework. However, to be effectively applied across the AU, this act would require further development, including the incorporation of hardship provisions and a broader African perspective. The research also contends that existing scepticism surrounding OHADA— particularly its perceived francophone influence—could be mitigated through targeted amendments to the OHADA Treaty and Uniform Acts, thereby fostering broader continental acceptance. Revitalising OHADA as a pan-African legal project could secure the necessary funding to strengthen its institutions and promote legal certainty. Ultimately, this analysis advocates for a tailored African sales law framework, integrating international best practices with regional economic realities to create a Harmonised Sale Law for Africa and enhance trade efficiency under the AfCFTA.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item type:Item,
    An assessment of assurance of non-financial information among the Top 40 Global companies
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025) Sekome, Keitumetse
    This study investigates the assurance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports among the Top 40 global companies specifically for 2014, 2018 and 2022. The study aims to understand the patterns and drivers behind the development and implementation of third-party assurance practices. By way of a comprehensive content analysis of various CSR reports, the study measures the extent of compliance with recognised regulatory standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), and various other international assurance frameworks including ISAE 3000 and AA1000AS. The research examines whether proactive corporate behaviours characterised by early and voluntary adoption of sustainability practices correlate with higher levels of third-party CSR assurance. The findings indicate a variety of assurance-related practices, with differences in how companies approach assurance across industries, geographical regions and corporate risk profiles. Some internal and external factors such as regulatory pressure, organisational size, and industry-specific sustainability risks are often important determinants of assurance quality and coverage. The study also highlights the current limitations in reporting and assurance practices, including challenges concerning the voluntary nature of non-financial disclosures and the lack of uniform assurance protocols. By offering insights into the determinants and implications of CSR assurance, this research aims to inform the development of global assurance standards, support the work of assurance providers and guide corporate strategies toward greater transparency and stakeholder engagement.