Browsing by Author "Kasiyamhuru, Iris"

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The effects of ethical business practices on the profitability of firms
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Kasiyamhuru, Iris; Seely, Derek
In the last decade, many South African Corporates have been implicated in a series of scandals involving unethical behaviour. The resulting losses and loss of reputation that have occurred, have caused business ethics to gain prominence. This study aims to identify how ethical business practices influence company profitability, in an attempt to inspire organisation leaders to act ethically and in turn, preserve the long-term profitability of companies. A qualitative research methodology using semi-structured interviews was used. Data was collected from a convenience sample of 12 participants comprising C-suite employees and senior finance professionals in Corporates. The findings suggest that corporate leaders have a pivotal role to play in shaping ethics in an organisation. Furthermore, not only should leaders role model the desired ethical behaviours, but they should also see to the fact that necessary resources, systems and processes are put in place for ethics to prevail. Ethics is the responsibility of everyone within an organisation, with leaders leading from the front. The findings suggest that ethical business practices towards various company stakeholders safeguard the profitability and sustainability of a business in the long run