Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2004 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This assignment is an ethical evaluation of the Second King Report on Corporate Governance. I focus on the relationships between the shareowners, the management and all stakeholders other than shareowners. The instrument used to assess the report is the concept of Integrative Economic Ethics shaped by Peter Ulrich. The Second King Report argues that a company should meet besides its economic needs as well as social and environmental objectives. Therefore, the company has to take responsibility for creating 'sustainable' value in all these three areas. Stakeholders have to be approached inclusively and pro-actively. These are new primary business imperatives due to the increasing social power of companies. However, the report is based upon a one dimensional approach in which the economic bottom line is decisive, and social and environmental interests are only considered if they serve the sustainability of business success. Likewise the inclusive stakeholder approach is a shortcoming, because stakeholder interests are not regarded as legitimate claims within a moral discourse in which all those citizens partake that are affected or involved by the company's activities. Not legitimacy but the stakeholders' relevance for the 'shareowner value' is the determining argument. Conflicting moral claims are not solved by good reasons, but are decided on a priori in favour of the company's overriding goal, which is to make profit. Profit orientation of a company, however, is not an empirical 'fact' but a normative choice, which is for or against specific interest groups and as such has to be legitimised in a moral discourse. Since the report does not subordinate profit orientation under the primacy of ethics, its whole corporate ethical concept is shaped by 'functionalism' even to the extent, that 'ethics' itself is viewed as an economic 'factor'. Yet, this contradicts the controversial and un-objective nature of ethics. In conclusion the report's entire argument is based upon pure strategic economic grounds and, thus, cannot be considered as ethical at all. Shifting the social and environmental corporate responsibility to the market system is based upon unfounded belief in the 'metaphysics of the market'. This, however, does not lie in the enlightened self-interest of a corporate citizen, as the market is merely ruled by power and counter-power - which is only beneficial for those specific societal groups with the sufficient monetary power to stay competitive. On the contrary, the equality of all citizens in a deliberative democracy must be safeguarded. The liberal idea of a just and well-ordered society implies the understanding of the company as a corporate citizen. As such its corporate ethics has to entail not only securing a company's integrity through business principles, but also a socio-political co-responsibility which obliges the company to shape the framework of market competition to enable life-conducive value creation. The general public of free and mature citizens is the locus where all claims, including corporate ones, have to be morally justified. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie werkstuk evalueer die tweede King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa, wat op die verhouding tussen die aandeelhouers (shareowners), die bestuur (management), en aIle deelhebbers (stakeholders) buiten die aandeelhouers fokus. Die Integrative Economic Ethics-konsep, ontwikkel deur Peter Ulrich, is die instrument wat gebruik is om die verslag te beoordeel. Die tweede King-verslag vereis dat 'n maatskappy nie aIleen aan sy ekonomiese behoeftes voldoen nie, maar ook dat hy sy sosiale en omgewingsmikpunte haal. Daarom moet die maatskappy verantwoordelikheid neem om volhoubare waarde in elk van hierdie drie areas te skep. Deelhebbers moet inklusief en proaktief genader word. Hierdie is nuwe prirnere sake-imperatiewe, as gevolg van die toenemende sosiale mag van maatskappye. Die verslag is egter op 'n eendimensionele benadering gegrond, naamlik dat ekonomiese kwessies beslissend is (economic bottom line) en sosiale en omgewingsbelange slegs in ag geneem word wanneer hulle volhoubare sakesukses bevorder. Die 'inklusiewe deelhebber benadering' (inclusives stakeholder approach) skiet eweneens te kort, aangesien deelhebbers se belange nie erken word as regmatige eise binne 'n morele diskoers waaraan alle burgers deelneem wat geraak word deur, of betrokke is by, die maatskappy se aktiwiteite nie. Die deurslaggewende argument is nie regmatigheid nie, maar eerder die relevansie van die deelhebber se waarde vir die aandeelhouer. Strydige morele eise word nie deur goeie redenasie opgelos nie - daar word eerder a priori ten gunste van die maatskappy se oorheersende doel besluit, wat is om wins te maak. Winsorientasie van 'n maatskappy is egter nie 'n empiriese feit nie, maar 'n normatiewe keuse, wat vir of teen gegewe belangegroepe is, en as sodanig in 'n morele diskoers geregverdig moet word. Aangesien die verslag nie bereid is om winsorientasie ondergeskik aan etiese voorrang te stel nie, word die hele korporatiewe etiese konsep gevorm deur "funksionalisrne", selfs tot die mate dat etiek self as 'n ekonomiese faktor gesien word. Tog is dit strydig met die kontroversiele en nieobjektiewe aard van etiek. Ten slotte is die verslag se hele argument gebaseer op 'n suiwer strategies-ekonomiese grondslag, en kan dit dus glad nie as eties beskou word rue. Die keuse om sosiaal- en orngewingsgerigte korporatiewe verantwoordelikheid na die markstelsel te oor te skuif, is gebaseer op 'n ongegronde geloof in die "rnetafisika van die mark" (metaphysics of the market). Dit is egter nie in die ingeligte selfbelang van 'n korporatiewe burger nie, siende dat die mark deur mag en teen mag regeer word - wat slegs voordelig is vir die spesifieke groepe in die gemeenskap wat genoegsame rnonitere mag het om te kompeteer. In teenstelling daarmee, moet die gelykheid van alle burgers in 'n oorleggende demokrasie beskerm word. Die liberale konsep van 'n juiste en goedgeordende gemeenskap impliseer 'n begrip van 'n maatskappy as 'n korporatiewe burger. Korporatiewe etiek as sulks moet nie alleen 'n maatskappy se integriteit deur maatskappybeginsels verseker nie, maar ook 'n sosio-politiese medeverantwoordelikheid meebring, wat die maatskappy verplig om die raamwerk van markmededinging te vorm om sodoende lewensbevorderlike waardeskepping moontlik te maak. Die algemene publiek van vrye en volwasse burgers is die lokus waar alle eise, insluitend korporatiewe eise, moreel geregverdig moet word.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study arose from a high need to determine the factors contributing to leader effectiveness in South African organisations by identifying the determinants thereof. The purpose of the study furthermore was to identify the determinants of unethical and counterproductive behaviours in the workplace. There is a belief that leaders should set aside ethical standards to succeed in the rough-and-tumble world of business. In contrast, evidence has revealed that ethical leaders can frequently be seen as more effective in organisations. Since the purpose of this study was to examine factors contributing to perceived leader effectiveness within South African organisations, the relationship between perceived effective leadership, ethical climate, organisational justice, ethical leadership and core ethical values was investigated. The aim was to provide further theoretical and empirical evidence that effective ethical leadership can be realised through instilling an ethical organisational climate in which integrity, altruism and fairness are exhibited and encouraged. A theoretical model was developed to explain the structural relationships between the latent variables and effective leadership within organisations. Substantive hypotheses were formulated in order to determine the validity of the propositions made in the literature review, with the objective of testing the proposed ethical climate structural model. The sample was selected from of employees of a large retail company mainly situated in the Western Cape but with branches all over South Africa and in the rest of Africa. The selection consisted of 224 first-line and middle management employees. Each of the respondents completed the Leader Effectiveness Questionnaire (LEQ), the Ethical Climate Scale (ECS), the Justice Scale, the Leadership of Ethics Scale (LES), the Revised Behavioural Integrity Scale (BIS-R) and Langley’s Value Scale. The hypotheses and the structural model were empirically tested using various statistical methods. Reliability analysis was completed on all the measurement scales and satisfactory reliability was found. The content and structure of the measured constructs were examined by means of confirmatory factor analysis and the results indicated that good fit was achieved for all the refined measurement models. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was subsequently used to determine the extent to which the conceptual model fitted the data obtained from the sample and to test the relationships between the constructs. The results revealed that integrity and altruism have a direct and positive influence on ethical leadership. Support furthermore was found for the influence of ethical climate on leader effectiveness. The results however indicated that support could not be found for the relationship between organisational justice and leader effectiveness. Conversely, it was found that ethical leadership has a direct and positive influence on leader effectiveness. In addition, organisational justice also exhibited a positive influence on ethical climate. On the other hand, ethical leadership did not have a positive influence on ethical climate. Finally, support was found for the influence of ethical leadership on organisational justice. Final conclusions were drawn from the results obtained and recommendations for future research are made. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het ontstaan uit ‘n dringende behoefte om die faktore wat bydra tot leier-doeltreffendheid in Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies te bepaal, deur die determinante daarvan te identifiseer. Verder was die doel van die studie om die determinante van onetiese en teenproduktiewe gedrag in die werkplek te identifiseer. Daar is ʼn bewering dat leiers hul etiese standaarde eenkant toe moet skuif om in die hedendaagse besigheidswêreld suksesvol te wees. In teendeel is dit egter bewys dat etiese leiers in organisasies dikwels as meer effektief beskou kan word. Met die doel van hierdie studie om die faktore te bestudeer wat bydra tot waargenome leier doeltreffendheid in Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies, is die verwantskap tussen waargenome leier doeltreffendheid, etiese klimaat, organisatoriese geregtigheid, etiese leierskap en kern etiese waardes in hierdie studie ondersoek. Die studie het gepoog om addisionele teoretiese en empiriese bewyse te lewer dat etiese leiers die persepsie van doeltreffende leierskap indirek kan beïnvloed deur die skep van ‘n etiese organisasieklimaat waarin integriteit, altruisme en billikheid ten toon gestel en bevorder word. ‘n Teoretiese model is ontwikkel om die strukturele verwantskappe tussen die latente veranderlikes en doeltreffende leierskap in organisasies te verklaar. Substantiewe hypotheses is geformuleer om sodoende die geldigheid van die voorspellings uit die literatuurstudie te bepaal. Die doel hiervan was om die voorgestelde etiese klimaat strukturele model te toets. Die steekproef het bestaan uit werknemers van ‘n groot kleinhandel maatskappy wat hoofsaaklik in die Wes-Kaap geleë is, maar takke regoor Suid-Afrika en in die res van Afrika het. Die steekproef is saamgestel uit 224 eerste-vlak en middel-bestuur werknemers. Elke respondent het die Leader Effectiveness Questionnaire (LEQ), die Ethical Climate Scale (ECS), die Organisational Justice Scale, die Leader of Ethics Scale (LES), die Revised Behavioural Integrity Survey (BIS-R) en die Altruism Scale ingevul. Die hipoteses en die strukturele model is empiries getoets met behulp van verskeie statistiese metodes. Betroubaarheidanalise is op al die metingskale uitgevoer en bevredigende betroubaarheid is gevind. Die inhoud en struktuur van die gemete konstrukte is deur middel van bevestigende faktor-ontledings ondersoek en die resultate het aangedui dat integriteit en altruisme ‘n direkte en positiewe invloed op etiese leierskap het. Ondersteuning is ook gevind vir die invloed van etiese klimaat op leier doeltreffendheid. Die resultate het egter aangedui dat ondersteuning nie vir die verband tussen organisatoriese geregtigheid en leier doeltreffendheid nie gevind kon word. Daarteenoor is daar gevind dat etiese leierskap ‘n direkte en positiewe invloed op leier doeltreffendheid het. Boonop het organisatoriese geregtigheid ook ‘n positiewe invloed op etiese klimaat getoon. Daarteenoor het etiese leierskap nie ‘n positiewe invloed op etiese klimaat gehad nie. Laastens is ondersteuning gevind vir die invloed wat etiese leierskap op organisatoriese geregtigheid het. Finale gevolgtrekkings is afgelei van die resultate wat verkry is en aanbevelings is vir toekomstige navorsing gemaak.

Social responsibility (SR) is a business management concept that originated in the early 1930s after the Wall Street crash of 1929 exposed corporate irresponsibility in large organizations. Whilst the initial interpretation of SR has been modified and refined since it was first used, the significance of this multidimensional concept for the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector has continued to be overshadowed by its application to large and multinational organizations. The knowledge of social activities in the SME sector, particularly in South Africa, has remained unexplored due to relatively little attention being given until recent years. In cognizance of the above mentioned, this study wishes to expand the body of knowledge in respect of the social responsibility of small businesses. This study presented a qualitative content analysis of annual reports from 2008 to 2012 of companies listed on the JSE ALT exchange to explore small business social responsibility practices using NVIVO to analyze data. Findings from this study support the view that small businesses are not always profit driven and that they are therefore fundamentally distinct from large organizations. South African small businesses are however not yet strategic about SR. Creating and maintaining their reputation as good corporate citizens through relationships with stakeholders is their primary motivation for participating in social activities. The study results show that SR in small businesses is still evolving and that year after year there is an increase in involvement and interest in SR issues. The findings of this study, and confirmation of the new knowledge gained will assist policy makers and practitioners in designing plans and policies that will increase socially responsible behaviour of small businesses and develop a comprehensive theory of SR in small businesses in South Africa. This can potentially enhance inclusive economic growth while simultaneously dealing with the country’s socio economic problems. Future studies can be extended to include other SMEs in South Africa, specifically micro enterprises and comparisons formed by a larger population may demonstrate and explain trends more clearly. The results of this study can also be compared with large companies listed on the JSE and to other African economies. A longitudinal study investigating SMEs’ participation in SR in different economic conditions could test the fact that a change has occurred in the attitudes of small businesses from 2008 to 2012 towards social responsibility / Business Management / D.B.L

Ethics is more than an abstract body of theories, principles and ideas. It is a way of thinking through difficult situations before deciding how to act (Manning & Stroud, 2008). This study takes this conception of ethics into the realm of the business decision and business schools’ responsibility to ensure that their MBA graduates are empowered and comfortable to reason and act ethically in the difficult business situations they will face and decisions they will be expected to take in their career. / Business Management / D. B. L.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / ENGLISH SUMMARY: During the period of change in South Africa in the year of the first democratic elections, 1994, the first King Report on Corporate Governance appeared. For the first time in South Africa, companies had a good reference for corporate practice and conduct. A second King report, commonly referred to as King II, appeared in March 2002 and expanded on the earlier Code to produce, what was considered at the time to be, a world-class code of corporate governance. In addition to the acceptance and incorporation of King II into corporate governance practice, the JSE included compliance with the King Code as part of its listing requirements. The code itself is not an enforceable set of rules, but rather guidelines to assist companies in implementing principles of good governance. In similar vein, the JSE has given companies the flexibility to justify non-compliance. This underscores the socalled comply or explain philosophy to which corporate governance in South Africa subscribes. Studies have found the level of corporate governance in South Africa to be high, especially for an emerging market. Compliance with corporate governance principles and transparency go hand in hand. In a comply or explain regime, where the regulation is considered to be done by the market, disclosure of compliance is especially important. The goal of this research project was to conduct a survey of the top listed South African companies to ascertain what the level of disclosure of corporate governance was, with specific reference to the recommendations contained in the King Code. For the purposes of this study, the top companies were defined as the FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index companies. The supposition was that most companies, having been confronted with the King Code for almost six years, would be compliant to a large degree and will disclose their compliance. This was expected to be more evident amongst top companies who have the resources and influence to effect changes sooner and take the lead on high profile issues. The study confirmed the supposition that companies, at least in the sample, were highly compliant. There were however some areas where improvements can be made to be more in line with global best practices. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die periode van vernuwing in Suid-Afrika en die jaar van die eerste demokratiese verkiesing, 1994, het die eerste King verslag op korporatiewe bestuur verskyn. Vir die eerste keer het maatskappye in Suid-Afrika ‘n goeie verwysing gehad in die bepaling van hul korporatiewe bestuurspraktyke en gedrag. ‘n Tweede King verslag, alombekend as King II, het in Maart 2002 verskyn en op die eerste verslag uitgebou om ‘n kode te voorskyn te bring wat ten tyde van publisering as wêreldklas bestempel is. Bo en behalwe die aanvaarding en toepassing van King II in die korporatiewe bestuurspraktyk, het die JSE ook nakoming van die Kode as deel van die noterings vereistes ingesluit. Die King Kode opsigself is nie ‘n afdwingbare stel reëls nie, maar eerder riglyne wat maatskappy bystaan in die implementering van beginsels van goeie bestuur. In ‘n soortgelyke manier gee die JSE ook aan maatskappye die buigsaamheid om gevalle van nie-nakoming te regverdig en verdedig. Dit onderskryf die sogenaamde voldoen of verduidelik filosofie wat korporatiewe bestuur in Suid Afrika aan gehoor gee. Studies het gevind dat die vlak van korporatiewe bestuursgedrag in Suid-Afrika hoog is, veral vir ‘n ontluikende mark. Nakoming met korporatiewe bestuurgedragskodes en deursigtigheid gaan hand aan hand. In ‘n voldoen of verduidelik regime, waar die mark geag word om te reguleer, is openbaarmaking van korporatiewe bestuursgedrag van kardinale belang. Die doel van hierdie navorsingsprojek was om ‘n peiling te maak van die voorste Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye om te bepaal wat die vlak van openbaarmaking in terme van korporatiewe bestuursgedrag was, met spesifieke verwysing na die King Kode. Vir die doeleindes van die studie is die voorste maatskappye gedefiniëer as die FTSE/JSE Top 40 Indeks. Die veronderstelling was dat meeste maatskappye, gegewe die feit dat die Kode al ses jaar in omgang is, tot ‘n groot mate aan die Kode sal voldoen en inligting rakende die voldoening openbaar maak. Dit is ook verwag dat dit veral die geval onder die voorste maatskappye sou wees aangesien hulle oor die hulpbronne en invloed beskik om veranderinge vroeër teweeg te bring en leierskap te neem met hoë profiel kwesssies. Die studie het die veronderstelling korrek bewys dat maatskappye, ten minste in die geval van die ingeslote groep, ‘n hoë vlak van voldoening en openbaarmaking ten toon stel. Daar is egter nogtans areas waar verbeterings gedoen kan word om meer in lyn met internasionale beste praktyke te kom.

This thesis formulates and argues for a composite conceptual framework of ethics for strategic and sustainable corporate benevolence as a means of addressing HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The template consists of the following theoretical elements: modern virtue ethics, contemporary Western communitarian ethics, the African philosophy of Ubuntu and a feminist ethic of care. This template is applied to relevant pragmatic ends through the proposition that the King I I Report - as it explicitly advocates a universally communitarian and essentially African code of ethics for a business response to HIV/AIDS - offers a viable and valuable model to both understand and transcend the tensions between profits and caring in the post-apartheid era of the South African experience of the pandemic. Specific features of the thesis include contextual perspectives on the ethical variances of HIV/AIDS stigma and behaviour change, cached as the thought-form of " I and We" as opposed to "Us and Them", and the psycho-social linguistics of re-interpreting "the wounded other" as "the wounded us". This is drawn together conceptually in discussion around the individual in and of, rather than as opposed to, the community, stressing how the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is compelling our society to integrate this reverence into our disposition and conduct. In the spirit of this Afro-European communitarian ethic, and to apply this postulated theory for a concrete social morality in the wake of HIV/AIDS, the thesis argues that there is an ethical role for businesses in restoring the balance between nurturing and selfinterest - an equilibrium that is essential for both human expression and human survival. This involves underscoring the elderly and young women, as well as children, who head households and care for orphans of AIDS in circumstances of great vulnerability, (particularly the nation-wide body of informally organised volunteer home-based caregivers), as target beneficiaries for a gravely urgent and massive empowerment effort by the business sector. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

Social responsibility (SR) is a business management concept that originated in the early 1930s after the Wall Street crash of 1929 exposed corporate irresponsibility in large organizations. Whilst the initial interpretation of SR has been modified and refined since it was first used, the significance of this multidimensional concept for the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector has continued to be overshadowed by its application to large and multinational organizations. The knowledge of social activities in the SME sector, particularly in South Africa, has remained unexplored due to relatively little attention being given until recent years. In cognizance of the above mentioned, this study wishes to expand the body of knowledge in respect of the social responsibility of small businesses. This study presented a qualitative content analysis of annual reports from 2008 to 2012 of companies listed on the JSE ALT exchange to explore small business social responsibility practices using NVIVO to analyze data. Findings from this study support the view that small businesses are not always profit driven and that they are therefore fundamentally distinct from large organizations. South African small businesses are however not yet strategic about SR. Creating and maintaining their reputation as good corporate citizens through relationships with stakeholders is their primary motivation for participating in social activities. The study results show that SR in small businesses is still evolving and that year after year there is an increase in involvement and interest in SR issues. The findings of this study, and confirmation of the new knowledge gained will assist policy makers and practitioners in designing plans and policies that will increase socially responsible behaviour of small businesses and develop a comprehensive theory of SR in small businesses in South Africa. This can potentially enhance inclusive economic growth while simultaneously dealing with the country’s socio economic problems. Future studies can be extended to include other SMEs in South Africa, specifically micro enterprises and comparisons formed by a larger population may demonstrate and explain trends more clearly. The results of this study can also be compared with large companies listed on the JSE and to other African economies. A longitudinal study investigating SMEs’ participation in SR in different economic conditions could test the fact that a change has occurred in the attitudes of small businesses from 2008 to 2012 towards social responsibility / Business Management / D.B.L

Submitted in compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Human Resources, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been recognised as a weapon to survive in global competitive environment. This research paper evaluated the impact of Richards Bay Mineral’s (RBM) corporate social responsibility on communities in the northern region of KwaZulu-Natal. The factors that influence and those that hinders the implementation of CSR initiatives were identified. Strategies that can be applied by CSR managers at RBM in improving stakeholder engagement and communication have been suggested. A quantitative research method was applied in the study. The research sample was selected randomly, using a cluster sampling method and consisted of 250 participants required to complete a Likert scale questionnaire. The questionnaire we distributed to the participants and were collected after two weeks by the researcher. The data was analysed using the statistics package SPSS version 21.0, with the results presented by figures developed in Microsoft Excel and cross tabulation tables. The results of the findings identified factors that influenced CSR initiatives as lack of feedback, communication and stakeholder engagement. Commitment from senior management must be demonstrated at a local level to facilitate community engagement, feedback and monitoring, because the logic of CSR is towards seeing its impact in community socially, environmentally and economically. / M

Business Management / D. B. L.

The general objective of this research was to do a comparative study of the Trust Audit results - obtained during 2000 - of three Business Units of a South African Company in order to determine whether there are any significant differences between them regarding the ”Big Five” personality dimensions and the ”Managerial Practices” dimensions. Trust has been found to be an essential ingredient in all organisations, providing the impetus for employers to gain a better understanding of the building blocks of organisational trust and to restore eroded trust. The intensity of any trust relationship will depend on certain facilitators of trustworthiness which may facilitate or impede the flow of trust. Research studies indicate that organisations with high levels of trust will be more successful, adaptive, and innovative than organisations with low levels of trust or pervasive mistrust. Positive results were indicated for all Business Units regarding the personality aspects. The most positive ”Big Five” dimensions were conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness while the lowest dimension was resourcefulness. Overall results regarding managerial practices indicated that not enough information sharing took place and that this had a negative effect within the work environment. The credibility dimension, being lower than the others, indicated that better credibility of persons that are reported to, could improve trust and optimal functioning within the working environment. Team management, work support and trust relationship were viewed positively by all Business Units. One of the main conclusions of this research was that managers/leaders have a pivotal role to play in creating high-trust organisations and engendering trusting relationships. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Comm. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)