By means of a case study of a small, socially mixed, and ecologically oriented community in South Africa, known as the Lynedoch Eco-Village, this thesis sets out to identify motivations of people from different socio-economic backgrounds for joining such a community, and as a result live a more sustainable life. The case was studied during a minor field study (MFS) in the South African spring of 2015, during which sixteen eco-villagers were interviewed. The study discovers a wide range of motives reported by the respondents; some motives stemming from materialistic concerns and others being of a more idealistic nature. The socio-economic comparison of the respondents´ accounts is analysed using post-material theory and, interestingly, some accounts directly contradict the accounts that this influential theory would predict, with respondents from a lower socio-economic background reporting highly idealistic motives and views.

South Africa is facing a water crisis in terms of the scarcity and the quality of its water. Considering this water-constrained future it is evident that companies in South Africa should pay attention to the pristine management of this scarce resource. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reporting and disclosure requirements of water of Socially Responsible Investment-indexed (SRI) JSE-listed companies. The disclosure requirements of the integrated report, King III, the Global Reporting Initiative and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, provided the theoretical background to develop a water disclosure index. Content analysis was used as the research method to analyse the integrated and sustainability reports of a selected group of SRI indexed JSE-listed companies. The results were analysed in terms of the disclosure on items such as materiality, governance, corporate policies, environmental management systems, risk assessments and key performance indicators. The findings of the study include that most of the companies illustrate commitment towards water stewardship by reporting on water-related aspects. The mining sector rated the highest on disclosure and reporting of water-related aspects by providing the most detailed descriptions by indicating that they clearly understand the context of their operations and the associated risks. In the process of analysing the integrated and sustainability reports with specific reference to the key performance indicators, it was evident that companies lack comparability and consistency in their disclosure. It is recommended that companies improve the relevance, depth and clarity of their disclosure on water. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Industrial and organisational (I-O) psychology is a profession which entails a broad spectrum of working activities. One of these activities is workplace counselling which forms a significant part of the internship programme. However, interns often lack the necessary skills to provide counselling. In order to function in a counselling role, the I-O psychologist should have the necessary training to be equipped with counselling skills. It is evident from previous studies that I-O psychology practitioners often feel they lack the ability to counsel individuals sufficiently. Therefore it is important for I-O psychology students to focus on their development to become effective counsellors by focussing on their inter- and intrapersonal skills as part of the skills package as a counsellor. Personal Growth Initiative (PGI) is one way of measuring a person’s intrapersonal skills in terms of the individual’s intention to change and grow. The main aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of PGI among I-O psychology students. Participation in this study was limited to I-O psychology students (N = 568). The students differed in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, and language. The results provided the researcher with an indication of what the students’ intention to grow and develop as an individual entails in order to provide a basis for further research, namely to develop a training programme for I-O psychology students as workplace counsellors.. The PGI of the students were measured by means of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS). This is a nine-item instrument with a six-point Likert type scale ranging from 0 (definitely disagree) to 6 (definitely agree). The results indicated that PGI is prevalent among the I-O psychology students. Furthermore, the study showed that PGI is relevant to all gender and ethnic groups amongst I-O psychology students. Significant differences were found for the different ages and languages. From the results it is recommended that higher education institutions adapt training programmes to foster personal growth initiative amongst I-O psychology students. Future research can also make use of the PGIS-II to measure PGI as this is the latest version of the construct. In terms of the organisation it is recommended that I-O practitioners should be more growth focussed. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Climate change is undoubtedly a serious challenge facing the world today, and as a result the preservation of the environment is at the top of the agenda for the international community and national governments. Integrated reporting is a global phenomenon driven by the necessity for better information for shareholders and stakeholders. Sustainability reports in South Africa have gained momentum since King III was released in 2009. The purpose of this study is to determine if Ferroalloy manufacturers disclose their carbon emissions in their integrated reports. A literature study was done and content analysis was used to analyse the integrated reports of Ferroalloy manufacturers. On average the integrated reports of Ferroalloy manufacturers comply 41% according to GRI requirements. Governance related points measured complied on average 51%, while internal standards measured 71%. 86% of organisations make use of external standards to report their emissions on. Direct emissions obtained on average 42% as per GRI G4 requirements, while indirect emissions obtained a score of 50%. Emissions that may occur as a result of the usage of organisations products were reported on at only 11% according to the GRI G4 requirements. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In the past, activities of business were motivated exclusively by the desire to maximize their financial returns and the aim of corporate reports was to provide information about the cash flow, financial position and financial performance of an entity. However, over the past decade, increased awareness of developing accounting-style metrics for nonfinancial business influences has led companies from being profit-driven to taking the triple bottom line approach of incorporating economic, environmental and social values into corporate measures of success. Sustainable enterprises should have honest and full accounting of the impact of its actions and start with a vision that goes beyond producing profits for investors to creating social, economic and cultural value for a wider community of stakeholders. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has published guidelines for sustainability reporting (entitled 'Sustainability Reporting Guidelines') and is seen as the leading standard for voluntary corporate reporting of environmental and social performance by companies and other organizations worldwide. The Sustainability Reporting Guidelines includes Reporting Principles, Standard Disclosures and an Implementation Manual for the preparation of sustainability reports. Given the significance of the financial-services industry in South Africa, this dissertation reflects on the quality of integrated reporting of the financial-services industry by determining the extent to which sustainability reports of financial companies adhere to the GRI Guidelines and the Sector Supplements for Financial Services. An applied, quantitative and descriptive methodology was used to answer the research questions. Using a sample of 10 of the financial-services companies included in the JSE Top 40 companies, the results show that these companies use the GRI Guidelines in producing their sustainability report and that adherence improves annually. Some companies, however, do not apply the Sector Supplements which were designed to include industry-specific influences. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

South Africa is facing a water crisis in terms of the scarcity and the quality of its water. Considering this water-constrained future it is evident that companies in South Africa should pay attention to the pristine management of this scarce resource. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reporting and disclosure requirements of water of Socially Responsible Investment-indexed (SRI) JSE-listed companies. The disclosure requirements of the integrated report, King III, the Global Reporting Initiative and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, provided the theoretical background to develop a water disclosure index. Content analysis was used as the research method to analyse the integrated and sustainability reports of a selected group of SRI indexed JSE-listed companies. The results were analysed in terms of the disclosure on items such as materiality, governance, corporate policies, environmental management systems, risk assessments and key performance indicators. The findings of the study include that most of the companies illustrate commitment towards water stewardship by reporting on water-related aspects. The mining sector rated the highest on disclosure and reporting of water-related aspects by providing the most detailed descriptions by indicating that they clearly understand the context of their operations and the associated risks. In the process of analysing the integrated and sustainability reports with specific reference to the key performance indicators, it was evident that companies lack comparability and consistency in their disclosure. It is recommended that companies improve the relevance, depth and clarity of their disclosure on water. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Industrial and organisational (I-O) psychology is a profession which entails a broad spectrum of working activities. One of these activities is workplace counselling which forms a significant part of the internship programme. However, interns often lack the necessary skills to provide counselling. In order to function in a counselling role, the I-O psychologist should have the necessary training to be equipped with counselling skills. It is evident from previous studies that I-O psychology practitioners often feel they lack the ability to counsel individuals sufficiently. Therefore it is important for I-O psychology students to focus on their development to become effective counsellors by focussing on their inter- and intrapersonal skills as part of the skills package as a counsellor. Personal Growth Initiative (PGI) is one way of measuring a person’s intrapersonal skills in terms of the individual’s intention to change and grow. The main aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of PGI among I-O psychology students. Participation in this study was limited to I-O psychology students (N = 568). The students differed in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, and language. The results provided the researcher with an indication of what the students’ intention to grow and develop as an individual entails in order to provide a basis for further research, namely to develop a training programme for I-O psychology students as workplace counsellors.. The PGI of the students were measured by means of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS). This is a nine-item instrument with a six-point Likert type scale ranging from 0 (definitely disagree) to 6 (definitely agree). The results indicated that PGI is prevalent among the I-O psychology students. Furthermore, the study showed that PGI is relevant to all gender and ethnic groups amongst I-O psychology students. Significant differences were found for the different ages and languages. From the results it is recommended that higher education institutions adapt training programmes to foster personal growth initiative amongst I-O psychology students. Future research can also make use of the PGIS-II to measure PGI as this is the latest version of the construct. In terms of the organisation it is recommended that I-O practitioners should be more growth focussed. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Climate change is undoubtedly a serious challenge facing the world today, and as a result the preservation of the environment is at the top of the agenda for the international community and national governments. Integrated reporting is a global phenomenon driven by the necessity for better information for shareholders and stakeholders. Sustainability reports in South Africa have gained momentum since King III was released in 2009. The purpose of this study is to determine if Ferroalloy manufacturers disclose their carbon emissions in their integrated reports. A literature study was done and content analysis was used to analyse the integrated reports of Ferroalloy manufacturers. On average the integrated reports of Ferroalloy manufacturers comply 41% according to GRI requirements. Governance related points measured complied on average 51%, while internal standards measured 71%. 86% of organisations make use of external standards to report their emissions on. Direct emissions obtained on average 42% as per GRI G4 requirements, while indirect emissions obtained a score of 50%. Emissions that may occur as a result of the usage of organisations products were reported on at only 11% according to the GRI G4 requirements. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In the past, activities of business were motivated exclusively by the desire to maximize their financial returns and the aim of corporate reports was to provide information about the cash flow, financial position and financial performance of an entity. However, over the past decade, increased awareness of developing accounting-style metrics for nonfinancial business influences has led companies from being profit-driven to taking the triple bottom line approach of incorporating economic, environmental and social values into corporate measures of success. Sustainable enterprises should have honest and full accounting of the impact of its actions and start with a vision that goes beyond producing profits for investors to creating social, economic and cultural value for a wider community of stakeholders. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has published guidelines for sustainability reporting (entitled 'Sustainability Reporting Guidelines') and is seen as the leading standard for voluntary corporate reporting of environmental and social performance by companies and other organizations worldwide. The Sustainability Reporting Guidelines includes Reporting Principles, Standard Disclosures and an Implementation Manual for the preparation of sustainability reports. Given the significance of the financial-services industry in South Africa, this dissertation reflects on the quality of integrated reporting of the financial-services industry by determining the extent to which sustainability reports of financial companies adhere to the GRI Guidelines and the Sector Supplements for Financial Services. An applied, quantitative and descriptive methodology was used to answer the research questions. Using a sample of 10 of the financial-services companies included in the JSE Top 40 companies, the results show that these companies use the GRI Guidelines in producing their sustainability report and that adherence improves annually. Some companies, however, do not apply the Sector Supplements which were designed to include industry-specific influences. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Published Article / The current debate within the ASGISA and NEPAD policy structures of the South African Government is to enhance E-service delivery via Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for all citizens. This paper deals with the problem how ICT in governance may be constructed to facilitate greater accountability, transparency and reducing corruption through better financial, public information management, procurement and administrative systems. South Africans especially in rural areas have a limited access to ICT. The main barriers to ICT access relate to high cost of Internet access, connectivity problems, lack of technical skills to support maintenance and low number of computers with Internet connectivity at schools, libraries and other public places.