3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item The relationship between corporate social responsibility and firm performance: a study of South African listed companies(2016-04-06) Mukoki, Paul ShepherdA growing number of institutional investors that are adopting corporate social responsibility (CSR) philosophy are playing a crucial role in influencing listed companies to adopt and address CSR issues. CSR is defined as “…a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations…” (European Commission, 2010). CSR is now widely accepted as a way of doing business in the contemporary environment. It is evident in companies that are spending large sums of money, time and effort on satisfying various stakeholders’ requirements for responsible behaviour. Despite the growing pressure on companies to become socially responsible, the direct benefits of CSR contribution to firm performance remain questionable. From existing literature the relationship between CSR and firm performance have pointed to mixed results (Gladysek & Chipeta, 2012; Aggarwal, 2013). This study examines the relationship between CSR performance and firm performance using the CSRHub sustainability indexes as proxy for CSR performance. The firm performance measures of firm value (Tobin’s Q) and financial accounting performance (return on assets) were used. Annual data of firms from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) from year 2009 to 2012 was analysed using the Multiple Regression Analysis techniques. The study revealed that significant and positive relationship exists between CSR/environmental performance and firm value of listed South African companies. The study concluded that there is no significant relationship between firm performance and the other components of CSR such as community relations, employment relations, and governance. The relatively small sample size of the listed companies, some missing values on the sample data and the shorter time period on the study are the main limitations acknowledged in this report. In the overall, the study provides important insights for understanding the contribution of CSR and its disaggregated components to firm performance.Item The relationship between board composition and firm performance: A study of South African public companies(2014-08-06) Muchemwa, Munyaradzi RaymondAcademic and commercial interest in the corporate governance practices of publicly listed companies has increased significantly in recent years (Rossouw, 2005). With high-profile corporate failures such as Enron and WorldCom heightening the interest in corporate governance practices (Rashid, 2011). It has become evident that the performance of well governed firms is superior to that of less well governed firms (Kyereboah-Coleman & Biekpe, 2005). Despite the fact that corporate governance is multi-dimensional (Kyereboah-Coleman & Biekpe, 2005), this study focused on the impact of board composition (defined by the percentage representation of independent non-executive directors on the board) and board size on the firm performance measures namely; Tobin’s Q (TOB), return on assets (ROA), and return on equity (ROE) of firms listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE). Annual data, from the period 2006 to 2012 was used while the analysis of data was done using the Multiple Regression Analysis Model. After having analysed the research results, it was found that no significant relationship exists between the proportion of independent non-executive directors on the board and board size, and firm performance measures. Thus, this research study suggests that performance of South African companies listed on the JSE Securities Exchange is not influenced by board composition and board size.Item The impact of IT governance capabilities on firm performance: a case study(2013-07-17) Pritz, Richard JohnUsing the resource based view of the firm theory, a research model is proposed that explains how IT governance capability results in improved firm performance by improving a firm’s IT Infrastructure capabilities and business processes. The research model is explored by means of case study where a survey is undertaken with the key stakeholders of a global Corporate and Investment Bank. Data was collected and analysed from 140 respondents using an online survey. The model hypotheses were not tested. The respondents’ characteristics (role, region, business area and length of experience) were explored providing greater insight and confirmation of the general relationship between the variables. The case study confirmed the general relationships of the model except the training capability - firm performance relationship. The IT governance process formality moderator provided results that were in contradiction to expectations. The IT intensity moderator confirmed the general relationship. The strength or weaknesses of the relationships when analysing the respondent characteristics are insightful and would not normally have been available if a multi-site survey had been performed.