Sustainability Reporting amongst corporates has been growing in prominence with, amongst others, the Principles for Responsible Investment outlined in 2005, the King III Report published in 2010 and International Integrated Reporting framework published in late 2011. The need for analysing the business case for sustainability reporting underpins the motivation for this research which undertook to ascertain the link between certain organisational attributes, sustainability reporting and financial performance. The literature review identified conflicting results in similar studies, and given that this is a fast evolving field of study, this study was deemed necessary. A quantitative research method was used utilising financial and operational data for 200 South African organisations, in an attempt to study the correlation between key organisational attributes, sustainability reporting frameworks, and financial performance. This research adds to the ongoing and dynamic ‘business case for sustainability’ discussion, by studying the links and correlations between the quality of sustainability reporting, specific organisational attributes and key financial performance ratios. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Please read the abstract (Synopsis) in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Marketing Management / MCom / Unrestricted

Textilindustrin en av nutidens smutsigaste industrier och inte minst fast fashion-industrin haren väldigt stor negativ påverkan på miljön. Trots det framhäver marknadsföringen hos många av de största fast fashion-företagen idag hållbara produkter. Till följd av den rådandeklimatkrisen har detta uppmärksammats och bidragit till en hållbar utveckling av samhället. Hållbar utveckling är en utveckling som tillgodoser dagens behov utan att äventyra kommandegenerationers möjlighet att tillgodose sina behov. När då fast fashion-industrin revolutionerade textilindustrin på bekostnad av miljön, är det rimligt att ifrågasätta denna påstådda hållbarhethos deras produkter. Tidigare forskning har visat att hållbarhet har en positiv påverkan på konsumenters köpintention och även till viss mån specifika attribut som bidrar till detta samband. Därmed undersöks detta samband vidare med förhoppningen att det blir tydligare vilka attribut som har en inverkan på konsumenten vid önskan om att vilja köpa fast fashionplaggmed hållbara egenskaper. Genom en kvantitativ undersökning i form av en enkätundersökning samt hypotesprövningar undersöker denna uppsats fast fashionkonsumenters inställning till följande attribut: återvunna material, biologisk nedbrytbarhet, återanvändbarhet/återvinningsbarhet, miljömärkningar, socialt hållbara märkningar, ekologiska material och närliggande produktion. Resultaten visades genom flertal regressionsanalyser som samtliga påvisade ett negativt samband mellan hållbarhetsattributen och köpintention. Varavfyra av dessa var signifikanta: återvunna material, biologisk nedbrytbarhet, miljömärkningar och ekologiska material. Detta betyder att en ökning av konsumentens köpintention mot fastfashion-plagg leder till att inställningen gentemot plagg med hållbarhetsattribut minskar. Slutsatsen som dras utifrån detta är att de konsumenter som har en låg intention att konsumerafast fashion-produkter värderar hållbarhet högt. / The textile industry is one of the present day’s dirtiest industries and not least the fast fashion industry has a very large negative impact on the environment. Despite this, the marketing of many of the largest fast fashion companies today highlights sustainable products. This has been observed as a result of the current climate crisis and contributed to the sustainable development of today’s society. Sustainable development is a development that meets today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. So, when the fast fashion industry revolutionized the textile industry at the expense of the environment, it is reasonable to question this alleged sustainability of their products. Previous research has shown that sustainability has a positive impact on consumers' purchase intention, and further, to some extent, specific attributes that contribute to this relationship. Thus, this connection is further studied with the hope that it will become clearer which attributes have an impact on the consumer's desire to buy fast fashion garments with sustainable characteristics. By using a quantitative study in the form of a survey, and implementation of hypothesis tests this essay examines fast fashion consumers' attitudes towards the following attributes: recycled materials, biodegradability, reusability/recyclability, eco-labels, socially sustainable labels, organic materials, and production nearby. The results were shown through several regression analyzes, all of which showed a negative relationship between the sustainability attributes and purchase intention. Four of which were significant: recycled materials, biodegradability, eco-label, and organic material. This means that an increase in the consumer's purchase intention towards fast fashion-products leads to a reduction in attitudes towards garments with sustainable attributes. The conclusion drawn from this is that consumers who have a low intention to consume fast fashion products value sustainability highly. The thesis is written in Swedish.

The SASII which is a measure of social axioms, a concept based on an understanding of the core construct of general beliefs, was investigated in this study. The objective was to determine whether the SASII model fits the data collected in a South African context and whether it measures the same social axiom constructs of the a priori five-factor model. Secondly, the study tested the SASII for configural, metric, scalar and full invariance. Thirdly, social axioms' nomological network was investigated by relying on personality factors to validate social axioms. This study also tested the linkages between social axioms and the Big-Five personality factors. Finally, social axioms' ability to predict personality across cultures was investigated. Beliefs are social in nature and are universally shared amongst individuals within cultures. Shared beliefs represent how people organise their world and make sense of and interpret social realities. Values are widely used in the conceptualisation of cultures as this allows comparisons of the value profiles of individuals socialised into different cultures. Personality represent self-views and is related to culture. Establishing the relationship between social axioms and the constructs of personality and values is an important area for research and intervention. The first article on generalised beliefs, often referred to as social axioms, was published in 2002. It described the axiomatic nature of beliefs based on truth assumptions, personal experience and socialisation. The article sparked a global research interest on social axioms designed to evaluate the universality and meaning of the structure of beliefs across cultures. This interest has resulted in an array of articles, chapters and even a book on the subject. South Africa is ideally positioned for cross-cultural research because of its 11 official languages, diversity in educational levels and unemployment rates, inequality and a divided society due to the historical legacy of apartheid. Language differences create specific environments, defined in terms of culture, race, ethnic grouping, values and attitudes. Globalisation has accelerated the rate of intercultural contact, guiding research attempts to comprehensively describe the emerging cross-cultural dynamics. Recent research findings indicate that South Africans exhibit extreme social axiom scores that are similar to trends in other developing countries. Social axioms research also seeks to assess overlap with other constructs such as values and personality. Efforts to refine social axioms and to expand their nomological network are therefore the main focus of this study. This study aims to contribute towards previous research efforts to improve the validity and expand the nomological network of social axioms through assessing the relationship between generalised beliefs, namely social axioms (labelled Social Cynicism, Reward for Application, Social Complexity, Fate Control and Religiosity) and personality factors (i.e., Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Intellect) in the South African context. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data regarding these constructs as experienced by students and their family members and friends. A convenience sample (N = 1567) of university students and their family members and friends participated in this study. The measuring instruments used were the Social Axioms Survey (SASII), Mini-International Personality Item Pool (Mini-IPIP) and a biographical questionnaire. The results of Study 1 indicated that the SASII five factor structure exhibited an unacceptable model fit within the South African context when conducting a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). However, as an exploratory step, and by creating a parsimonious model, the improved CFA of the SASII presented a fit that improved on previous research findings, suggesting a reasonable fit, taking into account the complexity of the SASII model. Study 2 assessed the measurement invariance (configural, metric, and scalar invariance) of the five factor structure of the SASII parsimonious model across male and female groups in a South African sample. Evidence was obtained through multi-group confirmatory factor analyses, which supported a baseline configural model. This finding indicated that the number of factors and factor structure of the SASII parsimonious model are considered equivalent across male and female groups. Proof for partial metric invariance was found and scalar invariance could not be achieved. Results thus indicated that male and female respondents did not exhibit the same understanding of certain latent constructs and that some items did not have the same meaning for both groups. Males and females also differed in terms of their levels of trust on the SASII's scales of Social Cynicism, Social Complexity and Religiosity. Because scalar invariance could not be achieved, comparisons of the SASII five factors' means across groups could not be computed. This study provided support for previous research findings and indicated that some items and latent factors of the SASII need refinement. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Human Resource Management / PhD / Unrestricted

AFRIKAANS: Gemeentelike aanbidding beleef huidiglik twee uiterste strome. Aan die een kant is daar 'n ou ortodoksie wat vir baie geen betekenis meer inhou nie. Aan die ander kant is daar die charismatiese beweging met die sogenaamde tekens-en-wonders-beweging aan die spits, wat weer die fokus weg van God af neem en dit op die individu se behoeftes plaas. Die probleem is aangewakker deur die feit dat daar 'n kloof tussen die sistematiese en praktiese teologie gekom het, waarin die sistematiese teologie nie meer vir die praktiese teologie dikteer nie. Nou is dit so dat wat 'n mens in verband met God glo, 'n uitwerking op die praktyk van sy aanbidding sal hê. Daarom moet 'n teologie van aanbidding by God begin sodat aanbidding 'n reaksie op God is. Aanbidding as reaksie op God word geï1lustreer deur die feit dat beide die Ou en Nuwe Testament aanbidding uitdruk as 'n aksie waarin die aanbidder laag voor God buig. Dit druk 'n gesindheid van se1fvemedering uit, waarin die aanbidder sy nietigheid voor God verklaar. Sonder hierdie gesindheid is geen ware aanbidding moontlik nie. AIle ander liggaamshoudings en liturgiese aksies is onderhewig aan 'n gesindheid, waarin die aanbidder laag voor God moet buig. Wanneer 'n mens in 'n teologie van aanbidding by God begin, moet aanbidding 'n reaksie op beide sy transendensie en immanensie wees. Onder hierdie twee wesenskenmerke van God, kan al sy attribute geplaas word. In sy transendensie is God heilig. In sy heiligheid is Hy beide verhewe en sondeloos. Sy heilige transendensie bevat dus beide verhoudings- en morele betrippe. Die gepaste reaksie van die gemeente op God se transendente heiligheid is dié van vrees en ontsag, wat uitloop op sondebelydenis. In sy immanente liefde is God naby aan sy skepping en staan Hy in sy immanensie in verskeie verbonde met sy skepping, in die Ou Testament met Israel en in die Nuwe Testament met sy kerk in Christus. In Christus het God nader as ooit gekom en in sy Seun het Hy onder sy mense kom woning maak en Hom oor die mens kom ontferm. Sy immanensie word nog duideliker in die immanente Heilige Gees. Beide die Vader en die Seun is immanent deur die Gees. Hierdie immanensie word in die erediens gevier en beleef. Die gemeente reageer deur God te loof, omdat Hy sy immanente liefde aan hulle in Christus bewys het, asook in die alledaagse lewe by hulle betrokke is. Met beide God se transendensie en immanensie stewig gevestig in die erediens, beleef die gemeente ‘n ontmoeting met God op sy terme, en nie volgens menslike smaak nie. Die balans wat daar in die erediens bestaan, sal ‘n opvoedkundige uitwerking op lidmate hê sodat hulle God ook in terme van sy immanensie en transendensie in die alledaagse lewe kan dien. Sodoende sal hulle leer om Hom beide life te hê en te vrees. ENGLISH: Church worship is currently experiencing two radical forms: On the one hand there is the old orthodox liturgies that for many hold no meaning anymore. On the other hand there is the charismatic movement with the so-called signs-and-wonders-movement leading it, which takes the focus away from God and places it on the individual and his needs. The problem is made worse by the fact that systematic and practical theology have become separated and that the practical theology is not being dictated anymore by the systematic theology. It is a fact that what one believes about God, will have a definite effect on one's practice in worship. Therefore a theology of worship must begin with God, in order that worship may be a reaction to God. Worship as a reaction to God is being illustrated by the fact that both Old and New Testaments show worship as an action in which the worshiper prostrates himself before God. It shows an attitude of self-humiliation, through which the worshiper acknowledges his own insignificance before God. No worship is possible without this attitude. All other bodily positions and liturgical actions are subject to this attitude in which prostration is at least the heart's intention. Whenever one begins in a theology of worship with God, worship must become a reaction to both God's transcendence and immanence, under which all his attributes can be listed. In his transcendence God is holy. In his holiness He is both exalted and without sin. His holy transcendence is therefore being described both in relational and moral terms. The congregation's proper reaction to God's transcendence IS that of fear and reverence, which results in the confession of sins. In his immanent love God is near his creation. In his immanence he made covenants with creation, in the Old Testament with Israel and in the New Testament with his church in Christ. In Christ God came nearer than ever before and in his Son he came to live among his people and mercifully took pity on them. His immanence is being intensified by the immanent Holy Spirit. Both Father and Son are immanent through the Spirit. This immanence is being celebrated and experienced in church worship. In reaction, the congregation praises God because He has proved his immanent love to them in Christ and He is still involved in the lives of his children. When both God's transcendence and immanence are being acknowledged in the worship service, the congregation can meet with God on his terms, and not according to human taste. A proper balance will have an educational effect on members, so that they will also serve God in terms of his immanence and transcendence in their daily lives. Thus they will learn to both love and fear Him. / Dissertation (MA (Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the section 06back of this document / Thesis (PhD (New Testament))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / New Testament Studies / unrestricted

The purpose of this qualitative research is to gain a deeper understanding of the knowledge attributes that influence how South African business leaders get things done. Knowledge is described as the social and emotional skills that allow leaders to enact behaviours. Therefore the components of the knowledge necessary for leaders to get things done are based on an understanding of their skills (learned capacity) and their abilities (the natural talents). The research assessed the relative importance of knowledge and the relationship with personal traits and leadership behaviour through fifteen indepth interviews. Knowledge was seen as relatively less important than personal traits and behaviours although it provides a crucial link between these leadership attributes. The importance of key knowledge attributes, including an awareness of the mechanisms to acquire knowledge, enable emerging leaders to be more effective and achieve sustained results. Therefore, the value of knowledge may be seen as the process of acquiring the body of information, concepts and principles required to lead and get things done. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Graduate students in the College of Education at the University of North Texas, Denton rated 57 teacher attributes on their relative importance in effective teaching. The data was analyzed across six demographic variables of department, sex, degree, nationality, teaching experience, and previous graduate school, using mean scores, one-way ANOVA, and t-tests for two independent samples.

Within the field of football fan loyalty there has been a desire to examine brand image’s effect on fan loyalty within different contexts. Given this, the aim of this study is to explain how brand image affects fan loyalty in a swedish football context. The study follows a quantitative approach where data was collected through a questionnaire distributed online, and then tested in a confirmatory factor analysis. The findings of the study revealed that brand image affects fan loyalty through the facets of brand image, non-product related attributes and brand benefits. Where non-product related attributes and brand benefits were shown to have the stronger perceived effect on fan loyalty.

The present study explores the use of interactions for a communicative purpose, when it comes to communicate banking brand values through a website. By establishing important banking values, trust, sincerity and transparency this study investigates how interaction can be used to communicate those values, through the theory of interaction attributes. Using interaction attributes to communicate emotions as well as brand values has been previously investigated. However, not in the setting of banking. Through designing and exploring interactions this study established some important qualities to consider when designing for banking, with the goal of communicating trust, sincerity and transparency. Attributes consistency, expectedness and apparent are favourable, whilst pliability is found to have a negative effect. In addition to these attributes established by previous work, the findings suggest the importance of a new quality, to design interactions that animate slowly over time, as a way to guide the user through the interaction.