Thesis (MComm) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the past the social dimension of business has often been neglected and regarded
as inferior to issues related to the financial sphere of business. The rise of
sustainable development and a growing awareness regarding the frailty of earth's
resources have placed renewed emphasis on the importance of the corporate social
dimension for sustained business success. Scrutiny of the literature revealed that
numerous misconceptions regarding the corporate social dimension still prevailed
and that the success of sustainable development is often jeopardised by a lack of
implementation. The triple bottom line (TBL), a concept that embraces corporate
economic, environmental and social elements, was identified as a most appropriate
way of elucidating the corporate social dimension and for operationalising
sustainable development, as it provides several philosophic and implementation
principles and guidelines.
The objective of this study was to contribute to an improved understanding of the
corporate social dimension and its implementation as one of the three parts of the
TBL, within the perspective of sustainable development. To achieve this objective it
was considered fundamental to analyse the importance and development of the
corporate social dimension, the concepts and terminology related to the social
dimension, and the current status of the corporate social dimension in both a South
African as well as a global context. The positive aspects and limitations of extant
approaches were subsequently delineated. Another important prerequisite for
achieving the objective of the study was the clarification of the importance, meaning
and implications of sustainable development, and the TBL approach as an
operationalisation method. The development, three drnensions, importance and
benefits of the TBL approach were analysed and several fundamental principles and
compulsory guidelines were identified as vital conditions (e.g. a stakeholder
approach, leadership support and involvement, equal consideration of all the
elements of the TBL, etc.) for apt TBL adoption and sustained business success. An analysis of the relevance of sustainable development and TBL principles and
guidelines for the corporate social dimension, and the interrelation between business,
government and the social dimension, contributed towards an improved
understanding of the social dimension of the corporate triple bottom line and its
implementation within the perspective of sustainable development, thereby facilitating
the achievement of the objective of the study.
The most salient conclusions of the study focused on the importance of addressing
the corporate social dimension in an integrated manner within the perspective of
sustainable development and by means of the TBL approach, despite the seemingly
elusive nature of the social dimension and numerous debates and viewpoints
regarding it.
Based on the conclusions of the study a number of recommendations were made
regarding the process of leveraging the context-specific and dynamic nature of
corporate social definitions and viewpoints, the advancement of business application,
and the advancement of theory. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die verlede is die sosiale dimensie van besigheid dikwels geïgnoreer en beskou as
ondergeskik teenoor kwessies verwant aan die finansiële sfeer van besigheid. Die
opkoms van volhoubare ontwikkeling en 'n groeiende bewuswording van die
beperktheid van die aarde se hulpbronne het hernieude aandag gevestig op die
belangrikheid van die korporatiewe sosiale dimensie vir volhoubare besigheidsukses.
'n Literatuur ondersoek het getoon dat verskeie wanbegrippe met betrekking tot die
korporatiewe sosiale dimensie steeds bestaan en dat die sukses van volhoubare
ontwikkeling dikwels op die spel geplaas word deur 'n gebrek aan implementering.
Die "triple bottom line" (TBL), 'n konsep wat die korporatiewe ekonomiese,
omgewings en sosiale elemente omhels, is geïdentifiseer as die mees geskikte
manier om die korporatiewe sosiale dimensie toe te lig en volhoubare ontwikkeling te
operasionaliseer, aangesien dit verskeie filosofiese en implementerings beginsels en
riglyne verskaf.
Die doelwit van hierdie studie was om 'n bydrae te lewer tot 'n verbeterde begrip van
die korporatiewe sosiale dimensie en die implementering daarvan as een van die drie
dele van die TBL, binne die perspektief van volhoubare ontwikkeling. Ter bereiking
van hierdie doelwit is dit as fundamenteel beskou om die belangrikheid en
ontwikkeling van die korporatiewe sosiale dimensie, die konsepte en terminologie
verwant aan die sosiale dimensie, en die huidige status van die korporatiewe sosiale
dimensie, beide in Suid-Afrika en in 'n globale konteks, te analiseer. Die positiewe
aspekte en beperkinge van bestaande benaderings is vervolgens ondersoek. Nog 'n
belangrike voorvereiste vir die bereiking van die doewit van die studie was die
uitklaring van die belangrikheid, betekenis, en implikasies van volhoubare
ontwikkeling, en die TBL benadering as 'n operasionaliserings metode. Die
ontwikkeling, drie dimensies, belangrikheid en die voordele van die TBL benadering
is geanaliseer en verskeie fundamentele beginsels en verpligtende riglyne is
geïdentifiseer as deurslaggewende vereistes (bv. 'n belanghebbende benadering,
leierskap ondersteuning en betrokkenheid, gelyke oorweging van al die elemente van
die TBL, ens.) vir gepaste TBL aanneming en volhoubare besigheidsukses. Die analisering van die relevansie van volhoubare ontwikkeling en TBL beginsels en
riglyne vir die korporatiewe sosiale dimensie, en die interverwantskap tussen
besigheid, die regering en die sosiale dimensie, het bygedra tot "n verbeterde begrip
van die sosiale dimensie van die korporatiewe TBL en die implementering daarvan
binne die perspektief van volhoubare ontwikkeling, en daardeur ook tot die fasilitering
van die bereiking van die doelwit van die studie.
Die mees uitstaande gevolgtrekkings van die studie fokus op die belangrikheid van
die aanspreek van die korporatiewe sosiale dimensie op "n geïntegreerde wyse binne
die perspektief van volhoubare ontwikkeling en deur middel van die TBL, ten spyte
van die skynbaar ontwykende aard van die sosiale dimensie en die vele debatte en
oogpunte met betrekking tot die konsep.
Gebaseer op die gevolgtrekkings van die studie is "n aantal aanbevelings gemaak
met betrekking tot die proses van die hefboming van die konteks-spesifieke en
dinamiese aard van korporatiewe sosiale definisies en oogpunte, die bevordering van
besigheidstoepassing, en die bevordering van teorie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50127 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Human, Debbie |
| Contributors | Leibold, M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 129 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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