Sustainability is one of the most important performance measurements in this fast changing business environment, as climate change and customer satisfaction is becoming real issues that managers have to face. Not only does it reflect the impact the company has on the economy, environment and society but also communicates corporate responsibility and smart business practices to the relevant shareholders. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited (JSE) is the first global stock exchange to compel listed companies to integrate sustainability reporting with their annual report in the form of an integrated report. This requirement came into effect on 1 March 2010. It will enable managers to assess their organisation’s ability to create and uphold sustainability over the short, medium and long terms. It also allows managers and stakeholders to evaluate their business from a holistic perspective to report on a wider context of how it creates value for their shareholders and customers. The GRI identified the global challenges regarding sustainability reporting and launched their first Sustainability Reporting Framework in 2000 to clearly and openly report on relevant sustainability issues. The GRI also provide Sector Supplements that focuses on sector specific performance measurements. The balanced scorecard which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2012, has been proven to be one of the most influential business management strategies of the last 20 years. Adjustments can be made to the traditional BSC by using an effective social responsibility framework, such as the GRI, to provide a sustainable balanced scorecard. It will express long-term organisational strategies, both financial and non-financial that is linked to sustainability. The oil and gas industry is a multifaceted, global industry and a key player in the South African economy, which has a fundamental impact on safety, health, environmental and social issues. The research was performed based on all the JSE listed companies in this industry based on an observational, ex post facto and descriptive research methodology. The integrated reports for both 2011 and 2012 were obtained and compared against the G3.1 Oil and Gas Sector Supplement indicators. It was found that selected oil and gas companies include sustainability issues in their integrated reports with a focus on social aspects. The contribution of the study was the development of a Sustainable Balanced Scorecard for the oil and gas industry. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Sustainability is one of the most important performance measurements in this fast changing business environment, as climate change and customer satisfaction is becoming real issues that managers have to face. Not only does it reflect the impact the company has on the economy, environment and society but also communicates corporate responsibility and smart business practices to the relevant shareholders. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited (JSE) is the first global stock exchange to compel listed companies to integrate sustainability reporting with their annual report in the form of an integrated report. This requirement came into effect on 1 March 2010. It will enable managers to assess their organisation’s ability to create and uphold sustainability over the short, medium and long terms. It also allows managers and stakeholders to evaluate their business from a holistic perspective to report on a wider context of how it creates value for their shareholders and customers. The GRI identified the global challenges regarding sustainability reporting and launched their first Sustainability Reporting Framework in 2000 to clearly and openly report on relevant sustainability issues. The GRI also provide Sector Supplements that focuses on sector specific performance measurements. The balanced scorecard which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2012, has been proven to be one of the most influential business management strategies of the last 20 years. Adjustments can be made to the traditional BSC by using an effective social responsibility framework, such as the GRI, to provide a sustainable balanced scorecard. It will express long-term organisational strategies, both financial and non-financial that is linked to sustainability. The oil and gas industry is a multifaceted, global industry and a key player in the South African economy, which has a fundamental impact on safety, health, environmental and social issues. The research was performed based on all the JSE listed companies in this industry based on an observational, ex post facto and descriptive research methodology. The integrated reports for both 2011 and 2012 were obtained and compared against the G3.1 Oil and Gas Sector Supplement indicators. It was found that selected oil and gas companies include sustainability issues in their integrated reports with a focus on social aspects. The contribution of the study was the development of a Sustainable Balanced Scorecard for the oil and gas industry. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In this day and age sustainability is gaining increasing importance seeing as this is of utmost importance to stakeholders. Yet, very few people are aware of the true meaning of sustainability. Stakeholders, also being the users of the annual report, need to be aware of the impact a company has on the environment and the society as well as their financial performance in order, among others, to make informed decisions regarding investments. For all financial years ending on or after 1 March 2010, all companies listed on the JSE have to report on sustainability (this is a JSE listing requirement). Yet, no statutory requirement for adherence to reporting standards relating to sustainability exists. This creates the risk that sustainability reports will omit negative impacts or be otherwise misleading, yet the company is still seen as adhering to listing and thus statutory requirements. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) developed their Sustainability Reporting Framework in order to serve as a benchmark for measuring sustainability. This Framework includes the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (including basic principles and standard disclosures that need to be included in the report), Sector Supplements (including sector specific issues) as well as the Technical Protocol (which guides the entity in defining the content of the report). This is currently the only formal guideline available and is widely used around the world. Given the importance of the mining industry in South Africa, this article considers the quality of integrated reporting of the South African mining industry. This is done by undertaking a quantitative, applied, descriptive methodology in order to answer the research questions. Thus compliance with the globally accepted GRI Sustainability Framework has been evaluated and analysed. Using a sample of 13 of the mining companies included in the JSE Top 40 companies, the results show that these companies use the GRI G3.1 Guidelines in producing their sustainability report and that adherence improves annually. Some companies, however, do not apply the Sector Supplements which was designed to include industry-specific impacts. / Thesis (MCom (Management Accountancy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Milton Friedman’s theory of free market corporate responsibility, which states that the maximizing of profits is the only social responsibility a law-abiding business has, is clearly a concept of the past. A concept that is very relevant today, is the concept of sustainable development, which may be defined as development that meets the needs of the present world without forfeiting the ability of future generations to meet their personal needs. This concept recognises that stakeholders and shareholders require forward-looking information to attend to the economic, environmental and social aspects of a business’s activities. Previous research has indicted that the financial performance of a business alone isn’t the sole reason for its success. This demonstrates the change from a single-bottom-line management and reporting approach to a triple-bottom-line management and reporting approach. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) developed a Sustainability Reporting Framework that is generally considered the most widely used framework in terms of social responsibility reporting. In this research project, the unique set of business principles and values of co-operatives were analyzed and evaluated, and congruence were found between sustainable development and co-operative governance. Co-operatives in their diverse forms support the fullest participation in the economic and social development of people since they put people at the centre of their business and not capital. The primary objective of this study was to determine the extent to which the GRI guidelines, as a reporting framework, are feasible or applicable to cooperatives as a business model. In this research project, the abovementioned GRI guidelines are applied on a selected cooperative’s activities. The empirical case study, based on the agricultural co-operative Agri- Com, illustrated that the Level C Reporting Framework as per the GRI, can be used very successfully in the co-operative business model. In the case of Agri-Com, it was found that even though it is a co-operative, its primary management and reporting focus remained primarily on the financial aspects. It can therefore be recommended that in this instance, the guidelines per the Level C Reporting Framework, be considered as a method to better embrace the principles of the co-operative business model. / Thesis (MCom (Management Accountancy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

In this day and age sustainability is gaining increasing importance seeing as this is of utmost importance to stakeholders. Yet, very few people are aware of the true meaning of sustainability. Stakeholders, also being the users of the annual report, need to be aware of the impact a company has on the environment and the society as well as their financial performance in order, among others, to make informed decisions regarding investments. For all financial years ending on or after 1 March 2010, all companies listed on the JSE have to report on sustainability (this is a JSE listing requirement). Yet, no statutory requirement for adherence to reporting standards relating to sustainability exists. This creates the risk that sustainability reports will omit negative impacts or be otherwise misleading, yet the company is still seen as adhering to listing and thus statutory requirements. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) developed their Sustainability Reporting Framework in order to serve as a benchmark for measuring sustainability. This Framework includes the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (including basic principles and standard disclosures that need to be included in the report), Sector Supplements (including sector specific issues) as well as the Technical Protocol (which guides the entity in defining the content of the report). This is currently the only formal guideline available and is widely used around the world. Given the importance of the mining industry in South Africa, this article considers the quality of integrated reporting of the South African mining industry. This is done by undertaking a quantitative, applied, descriptive methodology in order to answer the research questions. Thus compliance with the globally accepted GRI Sustainability Framework has been evaluated and analysed. Using a sample of 13 of the mining companies included in the JSE Top 40 companies, the results show that these companies use the GRI G3.1 Guidelines in producing their sustainability report and that adherence improves annually. Some companies, however, do not apply the Sector Supplements which was designed to include industry-specific impacts. / Thesis (MCom (Management Accountancy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Milton Friedman’s theory of free market corporate responsibility, which states that the maximizing of profits is the only social responsibility a law-abiding business has, is clearly a concept of the past. A concept that is very relevant today, is the concept of sustainable development, which may be defined as development that meets the needs of the present world without forfeiting the ability of future generations to meet their personal needs. This concept recognises that stakeholders and shareholders require forward-looking information to attend to the economic, environmental and social aspects of a business’s activities. Previous research has indicted that the financial performance of a business alone isn’t the sole reason for its success. This demonstrates the change from a single-bottom-line management and reporting approach to a triple-bottom-line management and reporting approach. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) developed a Sustainability Reporting Framework that is generally considered the most widely used framework in terms of social responsibility reporting. In this research project, the unique set of business principles and values of co-operatives were analyzed and evaluated, and congruence were found between sustainable development and co-operative governance. Co-operatives in their diverse forms support the fullest participation in the economic and social development of people since they put people at the centre of their business and not capital. The primary objective of this study was to determine the extent to which the GRI guidelines, as a reporting framework, are feasible or applicable to cooperatives as a business model. In this research project, the abovementioned GRI guidelines are applied on a selected cooperative’s activities. The empirical case study, based on the agricultural co-operative Agri- Com, illustrated that the Level C Reporting Framework as per the GRI, can be used very successfully in the co-operative business model. In the case of Agri-Com, it was found that even though it is a co-operative, its primary management and reporting focus remained primarily on the financial aspects. It can therefore be recommended that in this instance, the guidelines per the Level C Reporting Framework, be considered as a method to better embrace the principles of the co-operative business model. / Thesis (MCom (Management Accountancy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013