scholarly journals Compliance with Best Practice Governance Principles by State Owned Enterprises in Botswana

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tebogo Israel Magang ◽  
Koketso Bafana Kube

This paper investigates the extent of compliance by 16 state owned enterprises (SOE)/parastatal corporations in Botswana with international best practice corporate governance principles. In particular the study examines the extent of compliance by SOEs with best practice corporate governance principles as recommended under the King Code of South Africa. The King Code (2002) of Corporate Governance is generally considered as a benchmark for best practice corporate governance not only in the Southern African region but also across the African continent.Using a compliance checklist of 53 provisions from the Code, the study finds that 68.7% of Botswana SOEs have a compliance score of 51% and above while the remaining 31.3% applied less than 50% of the provisions in the King Code checklist. The study also finds that compliance with the Code increased from an average of 57% in 2009 to 60% in 2012. Further the study finds that SOEs tended to comply more with provisions on risk management and less on provisions on integrated sustainability reporting.The results of this study have implications on governance practices of SOEs in Botswana in general. For instance, the results may possibly indicate that, even though governance structures of SOEs in Botswana are crafted through Acts of parliament, on the whole they adhere to international best practice corporate governance principles. The results could also be a signal to local and international investors that Botswana SOEs are not lagging behind in terms of compliance with good governance practices.

Author(s):  
Suhaimi Ishak Et.al

This study outlines the role of internal audit in the governance of zakat institutions in Malaysia. Aspects of internal audit are detailed in this study as well as risk management. Internal audit is closely linked to risk management where both of these aspects are an important element of an organisation's governance. In addition, legislative matters such as the Federal Constitution and the State Administration of Islamic Religious Enactments were also discussed in this research. Researchers are also talking about the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG), which can be used as a guide and best practice for Islamic religious states and zakat institutions in Malaysia. Although the Islamic religious councils of the states and the zakat institutions are not a company but with the trust as administrators and managers of large zakat funds, the need for good governance is essential.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie dela Rama ◽  
Alex Kostyuk

The articles in this issue share the commonality that they are showing the structural adjustments being made in each country to adapt Anglo-American corporate governance concepts in largely non-Anglo-American environments (with the exception of the last article on South Africa). Corporate governance is here to stay though the local perspectives on them are yielding varying results. Good governance is an important function in a modern, functional society. Corporations, companies and organizations have a role to play in ensuring their governance practices not only meets community standards, but exceeds them.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-214
Author(s):  
Shame Mugova

Financial sector development is an influential force that outlines the financing and governance of firms in emerging economies. Suppliers and bankers represent alternative governance structures to a firm because of their trade credit and loan requirements, respectively. The continuous monitoring of investment by banks and suppliers impacts on corporate disclosure and practices. The study compares a sample of Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) firms listed on the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) index which measures corporate governance and those not listed on the index. A Generalized Least Squares (GLS) random effect regression of banking sector development and trade credit of firms listed on the JSE SRI and non-SRI listed firms was done to ascertain whether trade credit gives firms a preferred governance system and structure. The findings affirm that good corporate governance practices improve access to bank loans for working capital financing and good governance practices do not consequently result in more bank loan as a preferred governance structure for working capital financing compared to use of trade credit.


Author(s):  
Chitra De Silva ◽  
Anona Armstrong

Governance has emerged as a major concern in the higher education sector. Although evaluation of performance of governance is widely used in the private and public sectors, little attention has been given to the assessment of good governance practices in university contexts. The purpose of this paper was to describe the changes in government policy associated with the introduction of Governance Protocols that have impacted on the higher education sector and to answer the research question: do Australian Universities apply the best practice corporate governance measures?. Data for the study were compiled from annual reports and the Web pages of 37 publically funded universities in Australia and Selected Higher Education Statistics Collection. The assessment criteria were derived from the National Governance Protocols. Findings revealed that Australian universities as independent corporations apply the universal best practice corporate governance indicators as governance measures.


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 649-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkoko Blessy Sekome ◽  
Tesfaye Taddesse Lemma

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine the nexus between firm-specific attributes and a company’s decision to setup a separate risk management committee (RMC) as a sub-committee of the board within the context of an emerging economy, South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – The authors analyse data extracted from audited annual financial reports of 181 non-financial firms listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) by using logistic regression technique. Findings – The results show a strong positive relationship between the existence of a separate RMC and board independence, board size, firm size and industry type. However, the authors fail to find support for the hypotheses that independent board chairman, auditor reputation, reporting risk and financial leverage have an influence on a firm’s decision to establish RMC as a separately standing committee in the board structure. The findings signify the role of costs associated with information asymmetry, agency, upkeep of a standalone RMC, damage to the reputation of directors and industry-specific idiosyncrasies on a firm’s decision to form a separate RMC. Research limitations/implications – As in most empirical studies, this study focuses on listed firms. Nonetheless, future studies that focus on non-listed firms could add additional insights to the literature. Investigating the role of firm-specific governance attributes other than those considered in the present study (e.g. gender of directors, ownership structure, etc.) could further enhance the understanding of antecedents of risk-management practices. Practical implications – The findings have practical implications for the investment community in assessing the quality of risk management practices of companies listed on the JSE. Furthermore, the results provide insights that are potentially useful to the King Committee and other corporate governance regulators in South Africa in their effort to improve corporate governance practices. Originality/value – The present study focuses on firms drawn from an emerging economy which has profound economic, institutional, political and cultural differences compared to advanced economies, which have received a disproportionately higher share of attention in prior studies. Thus, the study contributes additional insights to the literature on corporate risk management from the perspective of an emerging economy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Tom Mark Brown

This paper investigates the governance practices embedded within governance structures at the disposal of students at a public tertiary education institution, and student unrest as a mechanism to sway decision-making and reform policy at the case study institution of higher learning. In particular, the study is guided by a qualitative research paradigm using a structured interview tool to gather primary data using the University of the Western Cape (UWC) situated in Cape Town, South Africa, as a bounded case study, against the backdrop of the 2015-2016 #FeesMustFall (FMF) protests. It is suggested in this paper that student unrest is not the main reason, but rather a symptom of the broader inadequacies of the current participatory mechanisms available in university governance structures in general, and at the UWC. Employing a Path Dependency Theoretical (PDT) Approach. The article concludes by analyzing the findings of the empirical research, by identifying several themes and sub-themes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Rubeena Tashfeen ◽  
Saud Hayat ◽  
Afreen Mallik

This study examines the effectiveness of the corporate governance structure when coping with any potentially unexpected events. For the purpose of this research, an event study has been conducted in order to investigate the market responses of various firms through the Cumulative Average Abnormal Return (CAAR) of the stocks listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). The stocks data under consideration is that which was presented after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007. The overall results indicate that firms that are governed conventionally do not perform well in the markets during a crisis situation. In our comparison of conventionally, and non-conventionally governed firms, the overall pooled results show that the former record a lower CAAR. This, in short, indicates that conventional corporate governance structures may not be equipped to take timely and dynamic actions that are deemed necessary in the face of a crisis. Moreover, our results suggest that firms which have less diversified ownership, and governance mechanisms are less vulnerable to such unanticipated events. There are two reasons that support our hypotheses: first, strict governance mechanisms, and a resultant cautious/conservative approach may not allow firms to take timely and proactive decisions during these situations and second, there is a lower chance of existing agency problems, as family owners would be working for the protection of their own wealth during these events. Therefore, our findings ultimately reveal that the conventional corporate governance structures that work during normal time period, may become ineffective during a crisis. This study, aims to fill a gap in the literature in order to provide fresh insights into the stock market dynamic, and corporate governance risk management. Furthermore, it also highlights the benefits of family owned structures, and unconventional corporate governance systems, that may outperform conventional governance structure in some situations. This, however, raises the question whether one governance framework could be the correct fit in all the situations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 1310-1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neha Saini ◽  
Monica Singhania

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine relationship between corporate governance (CG) and firm performance for a set of 255 foreign-funded firms in the form of foreign direct investment (FDI) and private equity (PE). The authors employ a wide range of CG measures including board size, meetings, board gender and foreign ownership which are used as the proxy of globalisation and control variables like firm age, leverage, firm size and capital expenditure to arrive at a conclusion.Design/methodology/approachPanel data set of 255 (187 companies funded by foreign capital in the form of FDI, and 68 companies having foreign capital in the form PE) companies listed on Bombay Stock Exchange, for the period of eight years (2008–2015) are analysed by using static (fixed and random effects) and dynamic (generalised method of moments (GMM)) panel data specifications to examine the relationship among CG, globalisation and firm performance.FindingsThe empirical results of static model indicate the relationship between CG and performance of foreign firms, which are not very strong in India. This is due to the fact that most of the firms are not following the guidelines and regulations strictly in the initial period of sample years. Diversity in board is found as an important variable in accessing firm performance. And the authors also found that foreign firms are very particular about the implementation of CG norms. The results of GMM model highlight the interaction term of foreign ownership with governance indicators. CG is having a positive and significant impact over performance, inferring that higher foreign ownership (in the form of FDI and PE) in firm leading to positive effect on profitability.Practical implicationsThe investor’s preference of financing a unit is guided by the performance of a firm. Investors are more inclined towards high-performing firms, and hence higher profitability leads to higher inflow of capital. The result indicates that higher accounting and market performance may be achieved by good governance practices, in turn, leading to reduced agency costs. Countries with high governance scores attract more of foreign capital. Similar to the best governed countries, the companies having good governance practices attract more foreign inflows in the form of capital.Originality/valueWhile previous literature considered a single measurement framework in the form of a CG index, the authors tried to incorporate a range of CG indicators to study the effect of globalisation and CG on firm performance. The authors segregated foreign-owned funds into two parts, especially FDI and PE. This paper examined heterogeneity in the form of FDI-funded and PE-funded firms, as no prior literature is available which has evaluated different sets of foreign funds simultaneously on CG.


Author(s):  
Paola Ferretti ◽  
Cristina Gonnella

This chapter analyzes the connection between CEO hubris and corporate governance contingencies, including a case study of an Italian bank for which the state of financial distress shall be linkable also to bad governance. The main objective is to verify whether, in presence of hubristic CEO, the internal control mechanisms, set to ensure the board vigilance and limit the overconfidence of the leader, are implemented, and if so, whether such mechanisms, even when formally respected, may be not so appropriate to guarantee a good governance. Particularly, the existence of a CEO hubris could neutralize their positive expected balancing effects on the power dynamics between CEO and board, such as to give prevalence to substance over form. Therefore, it may occur that some governance mechanisms (e.g., independence, non-duality), even if formally implemented, are unable to stem the managerial entrenchment of the CEO, who succeeds in enhancing immoderately his substantial power in the decision-making process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1236-1252
Author(s):  
Guilherme Cardoso ◽  
Dannie Delanoy Carr ◽  
Pablo Rogers

Purpose This paper aims to examine the Brazilian stock market behavior and volatility term structure of two portfolios that, theoretically, the companies that comprise them have different degrees of idiosyncratic risk: one portfolio consists of firms with good corporate governance and the other comprises firms with poor corporate governance. Design/methodology/approach The sample comprises corporate firms listed in the Brazilian stock market during the period from January 2008 to December 2017. Generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity models were applied. Findings The results show that the portfolio of firms with good corporate governance practices presents fluctuations that are more often temporary and reactive, with trends’ persistence of shorter durations, when considering the punctual volatility of the parameters estimated. This opposed expectation that the portfolio comprised of companies with good governance practices are better protected from short-term movements. However, over time and with standard error measures in consideration, both portfolios’ volatilities behave in similar ways. These findings may be related to Brazilian market characteristics, such as ownership concentration, ineffective corporate boards and the ever-developing nature of the stock market in Brazil. Any one of these characteristics present challenges to effective enforcement of the corporate governance practices in the Brazilian context. Originality/value The findings are potentially to the interest of researchers and practitioners for several reasons. First, this paper contributes to the growing literature on the relationship between corporate governance and market volatility. Second, it informs that volatility in the Brazilian context is likely only partially, if at all, influenced by corporate governance practices. Third, longitudinally, both indices follow the same pattern and converge to the same place.


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