Determinants of quality corporate governance in Sub-Saharan Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 455-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Waweru
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Sub Saharan

Purpose – This study aims to examine the factors influencing the quality of corporate governance in South Africa (SA) and Kenya. Firm-level variables including performance, firm size, leverage, investment opportunities and audit quality were identified from the corporate governance literature. Design/methodology/approach – The study used panel data of 247-firm years obtained from the annual reports of the 50 largest companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) of SA and 234-firm years obtained from the 49 companies listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). The author then used content analysis to extract the study variables from the annual reports and multiple regression analysis to determine their relationship. Findings – The study found audit quality and firm performance as the main factors influencing the quality of corporate governance in Kenya and SA. There are also differences in the quality of corporate governance between the two countries. Research limitations/implications – First the study sample consists of the 50 largest firms listed in the JSE of SA and another 49 companies listed in the NSE of Kenya. Since these are large companies, the results may not be generalized to other smaller firms operating in both SA and Kenya. Second, this study is constrained to SA and Kenya. Firms in other developing countries may differ from their SA and Kenyan counterparts. Originality/value – The results of this study are important to the King Committee and other corporate governance regulators in Sub-Saharan Africa, in their effort to improve corporate governance practices, minimize corporate failure and protect the well-being of the minority shareholders. Furthermore, the study contributes to the understanding of the variables affecting the quality of corporate governance in developing economies of Africa.

Factors influencing quality corporate governance in Sub Saharan Africa: an empirical study

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Waweru
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Size ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Investment Opportunities ◽  
Sub Saharan

Purpose – This study aims to examine the factors influencing the quality of corporate governance in South Africa (SA). Firm-level variables including performance, firm size, leverage, investment opportunities and audit quality were identified from the corporate governance literature. Design/methodology/approach – The study used ordinary least squares regression on firm-specific and corporate governance variables obtained from panel data of 247-firm years obtained from the annual reports of the 50 largest companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Securities Exchange of SA. Findings – This study found leverage, firm size and investment opportunities as the main factors influencing the quality of corporate governance in SA. Research limitations/implications – The research findings should be interpreted in the light of the following limitations. First, the study sample consists of the 50 largest firms listed in the JSE of SA. Because these are large companies, the results may not be generalized to other smaller firms operating in SA. Second, this study is constrained to SA. Firms in other developing countries may differ from their SA counterparts. Originality/value – The results of this study are important to the King Committee and other corporate governance regulators in Sub-Saharan Africa, in their effort to improve corporate governance practices and probably minimize corporate failure and protect the well-being of the minority shareholders. Furthermore, the study contributes to our understanding of the variables affecting the quality of corporate governance in developing economies of Africa.

“It’s better I’m dead”: oppression and suicidal ideation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Reber
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Context ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Temporary Migrant ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
First Time

Purpose Anecdotal accounts of suicide among temporary low-wage migrant workers in the UAE are numerous, but unofficial and qualitative accounts remain unexplored. This study aims to examine how the socio-environmental context can lead some low-wage migrants, irrespective of their nationality or culture, to contemplate suicide for the first time after arriving in the host country. Design/methodology/approach The findings draw from ten months of qualitative fieldwork (2015–2016) and in-depth interviews conducted with 44 temporary migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, earning in the lowest wage bracket in Dubai. The study used a non-probabilistic, purposive sampling approach to select participants. Three criteria drove eligibility: participants had to reside in the UAE, be non-national and earn Dh1500 (US$408) or less a month. Otherwise, diversity was sought in regard to nationality, occupation and employer. Findings Eight (18%) of the 44 study participants interviewed admitted to engaging in suicidal thoughts for the first time after arriving in the UAE. The findings suggest that for low-wage migrants working in certain socio-environmental contexts, the religious, gendered or other cultural or group characteristics or patterns that may be predictors of suicide in migrants’ country of origin may become secondary or possibly even irrelevant when one is forced to survive under conditions that by most objective standards would be deemed not only oppressive but extremely exploitative and abusive. Originality/value This study contributes to understandings of how the emotional and psychological well-being of temporary foreign low-wage migrant workers can be impacted by the socio-environmental context of the host country. It is a first step in understanding the intimate thoughts of low-wage migrant workers on the topic of suicidality, furthering our understanding of suicidal ideation and the factors that can contribute to it.

Financial well-being of customer-to-customer co-creation experience: a comparative qualitative focus group study of savings/credit groups

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkosinathi Sithole ◽  
Gillian Sullivan Mort ◽  
Clare D'Souza
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Financial Capability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Sub Saharan

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the effects of the customer-to-customer co-creation experiences of savings/credit groups in the African context and how savings/credit groups influence financial capability and enhance financial well-being.Design/methodology/approachUsing purposive sampling, a study of a total of 18 focus groups was conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. Nine urban-based savings/credit groups were drawn from across South Africa and additional nine, rural-based savings/credit groups were studied in the Monduli district of Tanzania.FindingsFindings demonstrate that the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which promotes customer-to-customer interaction, is the cornerstone of the customer-to-customer co-creation experience. Ubuntu philosophical principles were found to influence the dialogue, access, risk and transparency model of co-creation and customer-dominant logic. The results show further that customer-to-customer co-creation experience positively influences the cognitive, financial, personal and social experiences of members. Specifically, it was found that cognitive and financial experiences positively influence financial satisfaction, financial self-esteem, financial self-efficacy and financial capability, all of which enhance financial well-being. In addition, personal and social experiences positively influence equality, self-confidence, entrepreneurial skills and motivation that in turn enhance social well-being.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has implications for many different stakeholders concerned with the financial inclusion of low-income consumers, particularly in the southern part of Africa.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the effects of customer-to-customer co-creation experiences in traditional financial services settings in order to understand how these indigenous financial services influence the financial capability and financial well-being of co-creation members.

Innovation, institutions and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa – an IV estimation of a panel threshold model

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Ato Forson ◽  
Rosemary Afrakomah Opoku ◽  
Michael Owusu Appiah ◽  
Evans Kyeremeh ◽  
Ibrahim Anyass Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Innovation Policy ◽  
Threshold Model ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Panel Regressions ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe significant impact of innovation in stimulating economic growth cannot be overemphasized, more importantly from policy perspective. For this reason, the relationship between innovation and economic growth in developing economies such as the ones in Africa has remained topical. Yet, innovation as a concept is multi-dimensional and cannot be measured by just one single variable. With hindsight of the traditional measures of innovation in literature, we augment it with the number of scientific journals published in the region to enrich this discourse.Design/methodology/approachWe focus on an approach that explores innovation policy qualitatively from various policy documents of selected countries in the region from three policy perspectives (i.e. institutional framework, financing and diffusion and interaction). We further investigate whether innovation as perceived differently is important for economic growth in 25 economies in sub-Saharan Africa over the period 1990–2016. Instrumental variable estimation of a threshold regression is used to capture the contributions of innovation as a multi-dimensional concept on economic growth, while dealing with endogeneity between the regressors and error term.FindingsThe results from both traditional panel regressions and IV panel threshold regressions show a positive relationship between innovation and economic growth, although the impact seems negligible. Institutional quality dampens innovation among low-regime economies, and the relation is persistent regardless of when the focus is on aggregate or decomposed institutional factors. The impact of innovation on economic growth in most regressions is robust to different dimensions of innovation. Yet, the coefficients of the innovation variables in the two regimes are quite dissimilar. While most countries in the region have offered financial support in the form of budgetary allocations to strengthen institutions, barriers to the design and implementation of innovation policies may be responsible for the sluggish contribution of innovation to the growth pattern of the region.Originality/valueSegregating economies of Africa into two distinct regimes based on a threshold of investment in education as a share of GDP in order to understand the relationship between innovation and economic growth is quite novel. This lends credence to the fact that innovation as a multifaceted concept does not take place by chance – it is carefully planned. We have enriched the discourse of innovation and thus helped in deepening understanding on this contentious subject.

The association between disclosure of forward-looking information and corporate governance mechanisms

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 578-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Basil Al-Najjar ◽  
Suzan Abed
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Computerized Content Analysis ◽  
Forward Looking

Purpose – This paper aims to witness the importance of corporate governance mechanisms and investigates the relationship between the quality of disclosure of forward-looking information in the narrative sections of annual reports and the governance mechanisms for non-financial UK companies. Design/methodology/approach – Computerized content analysis using QSR NVivo 8 is used to measure the extent of forward-looking information in the narratives of the annual reports for 238 companies listed in the London Stock Exchange. Cross-sectional regression analysis is used to examine the impact of the corporate governance mechanisms on forward-looking information. Findings – The results show that board size and the independence of the audit committee are associated with the level of voluntary disclosure of forward-looking information. Research limitations/implication – One limitation of this study is that in controls for the effect of the financial crisis period, by selecting a representative year for a five-year period, 2006. The authors argument in using this year is based on the fact that the main variables of interest do not vary significantly with time, the cross-sectional analysis of the selected period will provide a fair view of the last five year-period. Practical implications – The authors report the importance of some governance practices in the UK, such as the role of the board members as well as the importance of audit committee independence. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the literature by using computerized content analysis to examine the relation between corporate governance mechanism and disclosure quality of forward-looking information using sample of companies before financial crisis period. The authors also examine governance mechanisms that are under-researched in the field of forward-looking disclosure.

scholarly journals Managing university records in the world of governance

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathews J. Phiri ◽  
Alistair George Tough
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collective Case Study ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate governance and records management in the context of higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative research taking the form of a collective case study of six institutions. Findings That good records management can and does contribute to effective corporate governance and accountability. However, this relationship is not necessarily present in all circumstances. Research limitations/implications That further corporatisation in higher education is likely to be supported by, and result in, better records management. Originality/value The paper proposes governance record keeping as an approach to managing records and documents in the world of governance, audit and risk.

scholarly journals Corporate governance and the value of the firm: An empirical analysis of companies listed in the JSE securities exchange of South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson M Waweru
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Executive Directors ◽  
Minority Shareholders ◽  
Corporate Failure ◽  
Governance Practices

This study examines the corporate governance characteristics influencing the value of the value of the firm in South Africa (SA). Corporate governance variables including Block shareholding, Dispensed shareholding, Board size, Proportion of non-executive directors and Audit quality were identified from the corporate governance literature. Using panel data of 247-firm years obtained from the annual reports of the 50 largest companies listed on the JSE Securities Exchange of SA, this study found that block shareholding and the proportion of NEDS as the main corporate governance characteristics influencing the value of the firm in SA. The results of this study are important to the King Committee and other corporate governance regulators in SA, in their effort to improve corporate governance practices and probably minimize corporate failure and protect the wellbeing of the minority shareholders. Furthermore, the study contributes to our understanding of the corporate governance variables affecting firm value in developing economies, especially SA.

Audit committee versus other governance mechanisms and the effect of investment opportunities: evidence from Palestine

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Islam Abdeljawad ◽  
Ghassan A.I. Oweidat ◽  
Norman Mohd Saleh
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Investment Opportunities ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to explore how the presence of an audit committee is associated with other corporate governance mechanisms, i.e. board structure, ownership structure and quality of external audit. The present study evaluated whether the presence of the audit committee complements or substitutes other governance mechanisms in Palestinian companies. Moreover, the effect of investment opportunities on the relationship between the formation of the audit committee and the quality of the auditor was addressed. Design/methodology/approach The association between the formation of the audit committee and other governance variables was modelled as a binary logistic model. The sample comprising 44 firms listed on Palestine exchange for the period between 2013 and 2017, amounting to 220 firm-year observations. Findings Based on the investigation, the results have indicated that board independence, the distinction between the chairman and chief executive officer function, ownership concentration and audit quality enhance the chance of audit committee formation, implying complementary effect. Contrastingly, board size and board ownership serve as a substitute to audit committee formation. It has also been found that investment opportunities act as an effective moderating factor that strengthens the relationship between audit quality and the formation of the audit committee. Originality/value The study provides valuable insight into the interaction between multiple corporate governance mechanisms within the economy of Palestine where the external uncertainty is high and investment opportunities are constrained by the decisions of the occupying authority. The findings may help regulators and policymakers in Palestine alongside those of other countries with similar environmental features to revise and update their corporate governance codes to ensure that the best control can be achieved, subsequently attracting more foreign and domestic investments.

scholarly journals What do we know about maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity audits in sub-Saharan Africa? A scoping literature review

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adelaide Lusambili ◽  
Joyline Jepkosgei ◽  
Jacinta Nzinga ◽  
Mike English
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Aggregated Data ◽  
Organizational Barriers ◽  
Scoping Literature Review ◽  
Sub Saharan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a situational overview of the facility-based maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality audits (MPMMAs) in SSA, their current efficacy at reducing mortality and morbidity rates related to childbirth.Design/methodology/approachThis is a scoping literature review based on the synthesis of secondary literature.FindingsNot all countries in SSA conduct MPMMAs. Countries where MPMMAs are conducted have not instituted standard practice, MPMMAs are not done on a national scale, and there is no clear best practice for MPMMAs. In addition, auditing process of pediatrics and maternal deaths is flawed by human and organizational barriers. Thus, the aggregated data collected from MPMMAs are not adequate enough to identify and correct systemic flaws in SSA childbirth-related health care.Research limitations/implicationsThere are a few published literature on the topic in sub-Saharan Africa.Practical implicationsThis review exposes serious gaps in literature and practice. It provides a platform upon which practitioners and policy makers must begin to discuss ways of embedding mortality audits in SSA in their health systems as well as health strategies.Social implicationsThe findings of this paper can inform policy in sub-Saharan Africa that could lead toward better outcomes in health and well-being.Originality/valueThe paper is original.

Integrated reporting disclosure alignment levels in annual reports by listed firms in Vietnam and influencing factors

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huu Cuong Nguyen ◽  
Phan Minh Hoa Nguyen ◽  
Bich Hiep Tran ◽  
Thi Thien Nga Nguyen ◽  
Le Thanh Thuy Hoang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Government Ownership ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression

Purpose This paper aims to examine the levels of integrated reporting disclosure alignment in annual reports by listed firms in Vietnam and the factors influencing these disclosure levels. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a sample of 200 listed firms in Vietnam in 2017, the authors constructed a disclosure index based on the content of the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC) Framework. Using this index, the study measures the extent to which Vietnamese listed firms’ annual reports include the content elements required by the integrated reporting (IR) Framework. The study performs ordinary least square regression to investigate the influencing factors. Findings The study documents that, on average, Vietnamese listed firms disclose about 43% of the information required by the IIRC Framework. The disclosure levels are positively associated with manufacturing firms, board independence, foreign ownership, government ownership, audit quality and firm size. Originality/value Integrated reports have been widely adopted in many countries, but it is still a new issue in Vietnam. This is the first paper providing some insights into the inclusion of the content elements required by the IR Framework by listed firms in Vietnam. It also contributes to the disclosure literature by providing empirical evidence on the factors influencing these disclosure levels. Deriving from the findings, the authors offer recommendations for policymakers on the issue of regulating and implementing IR in Vietnam.

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