This diploma thesis deals with research in global microfinance sector. Currently the paper is focused at techniques of audit used by microfinance investment vehicles to control or to check the transparency or reliability of microfinance institutions. Also, this audit techniques could be used to check achievement of the social goals of microfinance institutions. The analyzed data are from last decade (between 2005 and 2015) provided by microfinance institutions to microfinance web based platform Microfinance Institution Exchange Market. The audit techniques examined in this thesis are the following: due diligence, rating and social performance. This paper insists on objective assessment of all data and information provided freely which relate to audit of microfinance institutions. These data and information are progressively investigated through the whole thesis in two main areas, i.e. quantitative and qualitative. The main objective of this paper is to find the most effective way how to do audit in microfinance or to find out the combination of the available methods.

This study adopts a comparative institutional approach to address the question of why corporate social performance (CSP) tends to vary cross-nationally. Using a sample of 1551 firms from 20 different countries, I test the relationships between key institutional variables suggested in the varieties of capitalism literature (see Hall & Soskice, 2001) and corporate social performance. Specifically, I test the relationships between coordination in corporate governance and labour relations and CSP. To provide a comprehensive measure of CSP, I separately measure different dimensions of CSP (social and environmental) and categories of CSP(processes and outcomes). The results indicated that the market economy firms are embedded within produces differences in how they perform on social and environmental dimensions. In particular, national level coordination in corporate governance was found to produce differences in both the processes firms adopt to address social and environmental issues and the outcomes and impacts of firm actions on social and environmental dimensions. These institutional factors were found to be stronger predictors of CSP than both cultural differences and differences in industry composition. The results of this study lend support to the argument that CSP is driven by institutions at the national-level. I discuss the implications of these findings and chart out a course for futureresearch in the area.

This study adopts a comparative institutional approach to address the question of why corporate social performance (CSP) tends to vary cross-nationally. Using a sample of 1551 firms from 20 different countries, I test the relationships between key institutional variables suggested in the varieties of capitalism literature (see Hall & Soskice, 2001) and corporate social performance. Specifically, I test the relationships between coordination in corporate governance and labour relations and CSP. To provide a comprehensive measure of CSP, I separately measure different dimensions of CSP (social and environmental) and categories of CSP(processes and outcomes). The results indicated that the market economy firms are embedded within produces differences in how they perform on social and environmental dimensions. In particular, national level coordination in corporate governance was found to produce differences in both the processes firms adopt to address social and environmental issues and the outcomes and impacts of firm actions on social and environmental dimensions. These institutional factors were found to be stronger predictors of CSP than both cultural differences and differences in industry composition. The results of this study lend support to the argument that CSP is driven by institutions at the national-level. I discuss the implications of these findings and chart out a course for futureresearch in the area.

Purpose: The study aims to investigate whether female representation on corporate boards impacts company financial and non-financial performance. Existing studies show conflicting results regarding the impact that female representation on the boards of directors may have on financial and non-financial performance, namely social and environmental performance. Studies suggest that critical mass may influence the impact that a woman on the board may have on company performance. Existing studies have observed behavioural changes in female directors when there are three or more women on the board compared to when there are less than three women on the board. The study will explore the effects of critical mass on the impact of board female representation on firm performance. Furthermore, studies posit that singlecountry studies contribute to conflicting results due to the influence of country-level factors. Country-level factors (including cultural norms, gender parity in terms of educational attainment, economic employment and opportunity) may influence the level of impact that female representation on the boards of directors have on company performance. Thus, this study explores whether country-level factors influence the impact of board female representation on company performance. Design: Using a linear mixed regression, an analysis of female representation (as measured by the percentage of women on the board and critical mass) of the top 100 listed companies from Australia, Japan and South Africa between financial and nonfinancial performance during 2016 to 2018 is performed. Both accounting and market measures are used to determine a holistic measure of financial performance. Nonfinancial performance is measured using a social and environmental performance score. To determine the influence of country level factors, interaction terms are used to compare the level of impact that female representation on the boards of directors have on company performance between Australia, Japan and South Africa. In addition, an analysis of the mean female representation by country is conducted to understand the existing level of female representation per country. Findings: The descriptive statistics show that female representation was highest in Australia with an average of 29% over the three-year period; South Africa was at 22% and Japan at only 7%, demonstrating that each country in the study has varying levels of female representation on the boards of directors. The regression results show that female representation on boards of directors, as measured by the percentage of women on the board, is shown to have a positive and significant relationship with accounting performance, market performance and social performance. Critical mass of female representation on corporate boards is shown to positively and significantly influence financial performance but has little impact on non-financial performance. Conversely, country-level factors do not significantly influence the level of impact of female representation on performance measures. However, the descriptive statistics suggest that country-level factors are shown to influence the number of women on the boards of directors. Originality and Value: This study is relevant to shareholders and stakeholders when considering board composition and the value of gender diversity on corporate boards for both financial and non-financial performance. In addition, this study aids the understanding of the current status of female representation on boards of directors. The study adds to the existing body of research by exploring the influence of critical mass and country-level factors on the impact of board gender diversity on company performance. Lastly, the study is relevant to regulators and policy-makers as it highlights factors which contribute to increased female representation on corporate boards.

Although organization design to bring about corporate social performance (CSP) is a critical issue in the business and society field, little research has been conducted. This study is an empirical test of the general model of the just organization presented by Stephens and colleagues (1991; Stephens, et al., 1997). The theoretical development describes organizational design principles from John Rawls' (1971) Theory of Justice, chosen for its emphasis on economic organizations and structure, its emphasis on efficiency as well as justice, and its affinity with Max Weber's wertrational (or value rationality) social action category from Economy and Society (1978/1910). From the general model of the just organization and characteristic organizational design features (structural and processual) consistent with the general model, an ideal type of just organization is developed. The primary hypothesis is that the more an organization emulates the ideal type of the just organization, the better its social performance will be as measured by higher CSP ratings. The degree of similarity of design with the ideal-type profile of the just organization is measured by the Euclidean distance, or summary distance metric, of the sample organization's profile to the ideal-type profile. The methodology utilizes surveys of corporations for organizational design features and the CSP ratings from the Kinder, Lydenberg, and Domini, Inc., social ratings database. The results indicate that there is no correlation between organization design and social performance when CSP is taken as an aggregate of all the stakeholder-firm relationships. However, when the specific stakeholder relationship is analyzed, there is an association between the presence of stakeholder-specific design features and higher CSP ratings along the stakeholder-specific social rating dimension. / Ph. D.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a relação entre o desempenho financeiro e o desempenho social de instituições de microfinanças que atuam na América Latina. Dessa forma, o trabalho propõe, por meio da aplicação de métodos quantitativos como testes de correlação e de regressão, uma investigação acerca da relação entre variáveis representativas do desempenho social e do desempenho financeiro dessas organizações. Além disso, as variáveis de controle forma legal da organização (com ou sem fins lucrativos) e tamanho (ativo total) foram incluídas no modelo. A amostra foi constituída por instituições de microfinanças da América Latina que publicaram seus resultados financeiros e seus dados sociais na plataforma MIX Market entre os anos de 2008 e 2009. A necessidade de publicação dessas informações revelou-se a principal limitação do tamanho amostral da pesquisa. Os resultados alcançados revelam a importância da variável tamanho da instituição para que a organização alcance resultados financeiros e sociais superiores, o que indicaria a provável presença de economias de escala. Também se evidencia a preponderância da não rejeição da hipótese nula, ou seja, de que não é possível estabelecer uma relação entre desempenho financeiro e desempenho social das instituições de microfinanças. Para pesquisas futuras, aconselha-se a utilização de uma maior série temporal de dados e o aprimoramento do indicador social, a fim de que se torne mais abrangente e preciso. / The present thesis aims to analyze the relationship between financial and social performances of microfinance institutions that operate in Latin America. Thus, the paper proposes, through the application of quantitative methods as tests of correlation and regression, an investigation about the relationship between variables related to social performance and financial performance of these organizations. Furthermore, control variables as legal form of the organization (for profit or nonprofit) and size (total assets) were included in the model. The sample consisted of microfinance institutions in Latin America that published their financial results and their social data on the platform MIX Market between the years 2008 and 2009. The necessity of publication of this information proved to be the main limitation of the survey sample size. The results reveal the importance of the variable size of the institution for the organization to achieve higher social and financial results, which indicate the probable presence of economies of scale. The results also reveal the preponderance of evidence that does not reject the null hypothesis, i.e. that it is not possible to establish a relationship between financial and social performances of microfinance institutions. For future research, we recommend the use of a larger series of data and improvement of social indicator, so that it becomes more comprehensive and accurate.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a relação entre o desempenho financeiro e o desempenho social de instituições de microfinanças que atuam na América Latina. Dessa forma, o trabalho propõe, por meio da aplicação de métodos quantitativos como testes de correlação e de regressão, uma investigação acerca da relação entre variáveis representativas do desempenho social e do desempenho financeiro dessas organizações. Além disso, as variáveis de controle forma legal da organização (com ou sem fins lucrativos) e tamanho (ativo total) foram incluídas no modelo. A amostra foi constituída por instituições de microfinanças da América Latina que publicaram seus resultados financeiros e seus dados sociais na plataforma MIX Market entre os anos de 2008 e 2009. A necessidade de publicação dessas informações revelou-se a principal limitação do tamanho amostral da pesquisa. Os resultados alcançados revelam a importância da variável tamanho da instituição para que a organização alcance resultados financeiros e sociais superiores, o que indicaria a provável presença de economias de escala. Também se evidencia a preponderância da não rejeição da hipótese nula, ou seja, de que não é possível estabelecer uma relação entre desempenho financeiro e desempenho social das instituições de microfinanças. Para pesquisas futuras, aconselha-se a utilização de uma maior série temporal de dados e o aprimoramento do indicador social, a fim de que se torne mais abrangente e preciso. / The present thesis aims to analyze the relationship between financial and social performances of microfinance institutions that operate in Latin America. Thus, the paper proposes, through the application of quantitative methods as tests of correlation and regression, an investigation about the relationship between variables related to social performance and financial performance of these organizations. Furthermore, control variables as legal form of the organization (for profit or nonprofit) and size (total assets) were included in the model. The sample consisted of microfinance institutions in Latin America that published their financial results and their social data on the platform MIX Market between the years 2008 and 2009. The necessity of publication of this information proved to be the main limitation of the survey sample size. The results reveal the importance of the variable size of the institution for the organization to achieve higher social and financial results, which indicate the probable presence of economies of scale. The results also reveal the preponderance of evidence that does not reject the null hypothesis, i.e. that it is not possible to establish a relationship between financial and social performances of microfinance institutions. For future research, we recommend the use of a larger series of data and improvement of social indicator, so that it becomes more comprehensive and accurate.

Microfinance was rapidly hailed as a poverty alleviation tool by development agencies, researchers and practitioners. Despite the increasing capacity of MFIs to manage their financial sustainability, impact studies available report disappointingly low social achievements. Social performance assessment tools available struggle to combat a narrow MFI-centric approach which often overlooks contextual issues and institutional characteristics which can influence MFIs’ poverty reduction potential. This research’s main objective is to identify which and explain how organisational structures and management systems impact on MFIs’ social performance. This work uses a bottom-up research strategy, based on a 10-month extensive fieldwork in Bangladesh, a 490 household data-set, an ethnographic community study in Modhupur and institutional analyses of ASA and PDBF. It analyses the livelihoods, capitals and strategies of rural households in Bangladesh, explores their perceptions and experiences of microfinance and examines the management of socio-financial trade-offs within MFIs at different hierarchical levels. The research’s main findings seriously question the poverty reducing potential of standardised commercialised microfinance in settings characterised by vulnerability, shocks and seasonality, such as rural Bangladesh. It finds that although most MFIs have similar poverty reduction missions it is the way in which their organisational structures, managementsystems and working cultures are arranged that shapes their financial and social achievements. There is strong evidence that commercial MFIs can experience a silent practice drift at the field level in Bangladesh and that the commercialisation of MFIs provides strong incentives for the field staff to prioritise the achievement of their financial targets to the detriment of social performance, discouraging them from reporting low social performance. There are therefore few reasons why MFI senior managers should question their model and policies. This drift can manifest itself through malpractices hard-selling of loans, poor client selection and follow-up procedures, forcing clients into borrowing more and larger loans, using extreme forms of pressure through abusive language and behaviours and micro-collateral. This process usually has longer-term negative impacts on clients, especially the very poor who adopt successive short-term coping tactics to meet inflexible repayment schedules. This thesis concludes that commercial microfinance should not be targeted to the poorest and that more consideration should be given to clientselection and follow-up procedures. This thesis argues that the commercialisation of the global microfinance industry serves the interests of diverse stakeholders who contribute to maintaining the industry’s reputation though the media. This can be deemed an iceberg industry (that shows little of its actual workings and impacts to the public) which is sustained through considerable support from an increasing number of private investors for whom MFIs’ commercial expansion (regardless of its social achievements) serves their financial and political interests.

Globally institutional investors are taking an increased interest in companies' environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure and their corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. Although the relationship between a company's Corporate Social Performance (CSP) and its institutional shareholding has been studied in a number of developed economies, this study fills a gap in the literature by investigating this link for JSE listed companies. Using Bloomberg's ESG and individual environmental, social, and governance disclosure scores as proxies for CSP, panel data regression methodologies are applied to a sample of 98 companies (254 company years) listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange from 2013 to 2016 to investigate the link between the different forms of CSP and institutional shareholding in South Africa. The study fails to establish a relationship between institutional shareholding and environmental and social based CSP, but finds a statistically significant positive relationship for governance based CSP. The results imply that, of the three CSP components, South African institutional shareholders in the studied sample mainly consider the governance component in their investment decisions, possibly because good corporate governance is associated with improved financial performance and the adoption of sustainability policies by the company.

Yes / A major challenge for supply chain managers is how to manage sourcing relationships to ensure reliable and predictable actions of distant suppliers. The extant research into sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has traditionally focused on the transactional and collaboration approaches through which buyers encourage suppliers to act responsibly. However, little effort has been devoted to investigating the factors that underpin and enable effective implementation of these two approaches, or to exploring alternative approaches to help sustain an acceptable level of social performance from suppliers. Building on organisational justice theory, we developed a framework in which we propose that buyers’ justice (i.e. distributive, procedural and interactional) as perceived by suppliers can serve as an alternative and complementary vehicle to the conventional sustainability governance approaches for driving the social justice exhibited by suppliers. The paper sheds new light on an alternative relational approach to help to restrain potentially harmful acts of suppliers. It provides a foundation for new research avenues in the SSCM context and supports more informed decision making by practitioners.