Several macroeconomic indicators point to high consumer financial vulnerability in South Africa. These include, inter alia, a relatively high household debt-to-disposable income ratio, household consumption expenditure outstripping household disposable income and a declining real household net wealth-to-disposable income ratio. 12In a 2009 study, the first level of possible predictors of consumer financial vulnerability was identified. However, no study has been conducted in South Africa to establish the transmission path of consumer financial vulnerability. This paper attempts to identify such a transmission path by determining the order in which the four aspects of the consumer financial vulnerability index, namely consumer income, expenditure, savings and debt servicing vulnerability, impact on one another, making consumers more vulnerable. This was done by means of an econometric modelling technique called Vector Auto regression (VAR) using consumer financial vulnerability data series covering the period Q2 2009 to Q2 2012. 13The VAR results show that expenditure vulnerability received the highest coefficient of determination score. This indicates that expenditure problems are the Achilles’ heel of South African households, which activates the postulated consumer financial vulnerability index (CFVI) transmission path. To determine the extent to which other macroeconomic variables impact on the postulated CFVI transmission path, a consumer price index (CPI) time series was entered exogenously into the existing VAR equation. It appears from the results obtained that the exogenous 113 Consumer financial vulnerability inclusion of CPI in the model made a dramatic difference with respect to income and expenditure vulnerability. By including the prime lending rate variable exogenously in the CFVI transmission path, the strong impact of the prime rate on expenditure vulnerability became evident. Finally, by adding the expanded unemployment variable exogenously to the CFVI transmission path in addition to the CPI and prime rate variables, debt servicing vulnerability was strongly impacted. From the CFVI transmission path findings, it became evident that consumers are not able to afford their required necessities, which leads to their becoming expenditure vulnerable. If consumers cannot generate more income to compensate, they become income vulnerable. They draw on their savings to finance the excess expenditure and become savings vulnerable, and if they cannot afford the necessary credit they require to finance their expenditure and have no savings left, they become debt servicing vulnerable
{"title":"Consumer financial vulnerability: identifying transmission linkages that could give rise to higher levels of consumer financial vulnerability","authors":"B. D. Clercq, J. V. Tonder, C. V. Aardt","doi":"10.25159/1998-8125/5836","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5836","url":null,"abstract":"Several macroeconomic indicators point to high consumer financial vulnerability in South Africa. These include, inter alia, a relatively high household debt-to-disposable income ratio, household consumption expenditure outstripping household disposable income and a declining real household net wealth-to-disposable income ratio. 12In a 2009 study, the first level of possible predictors of consumer financial vulnerability was identified. However, no study has been conducted in South Africa to establish the transmission path of consumer financial vulnerability. This paper attempts to identify such a transmission path by determining the order in which the four aspects of the consumer financial vulnerability index, namely consumer income, expenditure, savings and debt servicing vulnerability, impact on one another, making consumers more vulnerable. This was done by means of an econometric modelling technique called Vector Auto regression (VAR) using consumer financial vulnerability data series covering the period Q2 2009 to Q2 2012. 13The VAR results show that expenditure vulnerability received the highest coefficient of determination score. This indicates that expenditure problems are the Achilles’ heel of South African households, which activates the postulated consumer financial vulnerability index (CFVI) transmission path. To determine the extent to which other macroeconomic variables impact on the postulated CFVI transmission path, a consumer price index (CPI) time series was entered exogenously into the existing VAR equation. It appears from the results obtained that the exogenous 113 Consumer financial vulnerability inclusion of CPI in the model made a dramatic difference with respect to income and expenditure vulnerability. By including the prime lending rate variable exogenously in the CFVI transmission path, the strong impact of the prime rate on expenditure vulnerability became evident. Finally, by adding the expanded unemployment variable exogenously to the CFVI transmission path in addition to the CPI and prime rate variables, debt servicing vulnerability was strongly impacted. From the CFVI transmission path findings, it became evident that consumers are not able to afford their required necessities, which leads to their becoming expenditure vulnerable. If consumers cannot generate more income to compensate, they become income vulnerable. They draw on their savings to finance the excess expenditure and become savings vulnerable, and if they cannot afford the necessary credit they require to finance their expenditure and have no savings left, they become debt servicing vulnerable","PeriodicalId":44582,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Business Review","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76657813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The purpose of this paper is to examine the macroeconomic environment of the poorest areas in Namibia, the Caprivi and Kavango regions, and to empirically investigate the problems experienced in developing an own business, specifically in the two largest towns Katima Mulilo and Rundu. First, a macroeconomic analysis of the Caprivi and Kavango regions was conducted to determine the potential for SME growth. It was found that there was no database of businesses in the two largest towns. Subsequently, a census of all the businesses (972) was conducted, from which a random sample of 176 businesses was drawn. The Mann- Whitney, Goodman and Kruskal’s tau and Kendall’s tau-b tests were used to test for differences in problems between the two towns. The major problems encountered in developing businesses were a lack of technical training, a lack of management training, a lack of credit for working capital, low demand and a lack of customers. Significant differences were found between the two towns with regard to major problems encountered. This is the first paper exploring problems experienced by SMEs in the remote regions of Namibia. Interventions such as a training centre for small business management training should be established in the two towns.
{"title":"Business problems encountered when developing an own business in a financially constrained environment: The north-eastern regions of Namibia","authors":"C. Mukata, E. Swanepoel","doi":"10.25159/1998-8125/5906","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5906","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this paper is to examine the macroeconomic environment of the poorest areas in Namibia, the Caprivi and Kavango regions, and to empirically investigate the problems experienced in developing an own business, specifically in the two largest towns Katima Mulilo and Rundu. First, a macroeconomic analysis of the Caprivi and Kavango regions was conducted to determine the potential for SME growth. It was found that there was no database of businesses in the two largest towns. Subsequently, a census of all the businesses (972) was conducted, from which a random sample of 176 businesses was drawn. The Mann- Whitney, Goodman and Kruskal’s tau and Kendall’s tau-b tests were used to test for differences in problems between the two towns. The major problems encountered in developing businesses were a lack of technical training, a lack of management training, a lack of credit for working capital, low demand and a lack of customers. Significant differences were found between the two towns with regard to major problems encountered. This is the first paper exploring problems experienced by SMEs in the remote regions of Namibia. Interventions such as a training centre for small business management training should be established in the two towns.","PeriodicalId":44582,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Business Review","volume":"73 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80573733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Executive directors’ remuneration of leading South African companies often attracts the attention of the press, shareholders and unions. The research on which this article is based investigated whether executive directors’ remuneration of the Top 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) is influenced by the implementation of certain corrective corporate governance measures. The remuneration of executive directors was regressed on a number of firm and corporate governance characteristics to determine whether these characteristics have an influence on executive directors ’remuneration. It was found that corporate governance reforms relating to institutional ownership, the number of non-executive directors on the remuneration committee, shareholder voting on the remuneration policy and the number of remuneration committee meetings act as an effective governance tool to protect shareholders’ interests with regard to some of the elements of executive directors’ remuneration.
{"title":"The effect of remuneration committees, directors’ shareholding and institutional ownership on the remuneration of directors in the top 100 companies in South Africa","authors":"H. Scholtz, W. Engelbrecht","doi":"10.25159/1998-8125/5803","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5803","url":null,"abstract":"Executive directors’ remuneration of leading South African companies often attracts the attention of the press, shareholders and unions. The research on which this article is based investigated whether executive directors’ remuneration of the Top 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) is influenced by the implementation of certain corrective corporate governance measures. The remuneration of executive directors was regressed on a number of firm and corporate governance characteristics to determine whether these characteristics have an influence on executive directors ’remuneration. It was found that corporate governance reforms relating to institutional ownership, the number of non-executive directors on the remuneration committee, shareholder voting on the remuneration policy and the number of remuneration committee meetings act as an effective governance tool to protect shareholders’ interests with regard to some of the elements of executive directors’ remuneration.","PeriodicalId":44582,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Business Review","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88580086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) programme is the formal globally recognised test of competence for internal auditors. However, the question is raised whether this assessment of competence has kept up with the changing demands of modern internal auditing, taking into account the fact that demands may differ from one country or region to the next. The fact that Australia, the UK & Ireland and South Africa require qualifications in addition to those of the CIA programme may be attributed to a need for a different level of competence in comparison with the Rest of the World. The objective of the study was to determine whether differences exist between the respective competency level needs for internal auditors from South Africa, the UK and Ireland, Australia and the Rest of the World. Data from the Institute of Internal Auditors’ (IIA’s) latest global Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) study was used to determine and statistically analyse the perceived levels of importance of general competencies, technical skills and behavioural skills needed by internal auditors. The results indicated that globally internal auditors have similar perceptions of what competencies are most important for internal auditors, but the levels of importance differ among the regions. South Africa demanded a higher level of competence and aligned closely with the UK and Ireland, which could explain why South Africa now needs a customised competency assessment. Australia consistently indicated different perceptions of the levels of importance of competencies, which could explain Australia’s need for a country-specific internal audit competency assessment. Hence one size may not fit all.
{"title":"Global assessment of internal audit competence: Does one size fit all?","authors":"Philna Coetzee, L. Erasmus, K. Plant","doi":"10.25159/1998-8125/5802","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5802","url":null,"abstract":"The Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) programme is the formal globally recognised test of competence for internal auditors. However, the question is raised whether this assessment of competence has kept up with the changing demands of modern internal auditing, taking into account the fact that demands may differ from one country or region to the next. The fact that Australia, the UK & Ireland and South Africa require qualifications in addition to those of the CIA programme may be attributed to a need for a different level of competence in comparison with the Rest of the World. The objective of the study was to determine whether differences exist between the respective competency level needs for internal auditors from South Africa, the UK and Ireland, Australia and the Rest of the World. Data from the Institute of Internal Auditors’ (IIA’s) latest global Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) study was used to determine and statistically analyse the perceived levels of importance of general competencies, technical skills and behavioural skills needed by internal auditors. The results indicated that globally internal auditors have similar perceptions of what competencies are most important for internal auditors, but the levels of importance differ among the regions. South Africa demanded a higher level of competence and aligned closely with the UK and Ireland, which could explain why South Africa now needs a customised competency assessment. Australia consistently indicated different perceptions of the levels of importance of competencies, which could explain Australia’s need for a country-specific internal audit competency assessment. Hence one size may not fit all.","PeriodicalId":44582,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Business Review","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73460307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper explores the ethical awareness of the leadership of South African business schools. A questionnaire was distributed electronically to the top leadership of these business schools. The biographical characteristics of respondents were analysed to develop an ethical awareness score for each respondent. This score was used to determine whether respondents’ ethical awareness was above average and whether ethical awareness was affected by level of qualification or teaching experience. The results indicate that the leadership of South African business schools seem not to be sufficiently ethically aware to ensure that their business schools contribute to improved business ethics education and ethical business practices.
{"title":"The ethical awareness of the leadership of South African business schools: Do they set the tone?","authors":"T. Louw","doi":"10.25159/1998-8125/5909","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5909","url":null,"abstract":"This paper explores the ethical awareness of the leadership of South African business schools. A questionnaire was distributed electronically to the top leadership of these business schools. The biographical characteristics of respondents were analysed to develop an ethical awareness score for each respondent. This score was used to determine whether respondents’ ethical awareness was above average and whether ethical awareness was affected by level of qualification or teaching experience. The results indicate that the leadership of South African business schools seem not to be sufficiently ethically aware to ensure that their business schools contribute to improved business ethics education and ethical business practices.","PeriodicalId":44582,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Business Review","volume":"459 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77727280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
3Knowledge of a region’s comparative advantage may dictate its industrial development agenda and realistic export opportunities. Through the effective targeting of specific sectors and industries within the South African provinces, provincial government entities can determine which sector or industry could gain the most from effective targeting for industrial development, development planning and export promotion. This study determined the comparative advantage of South Africa’s Mpumalanga province by estimating the Revealed Comparative Advantage Index (RCA). The study revealed that the products with the highest comparative advantage (RCA) and realistic export opportunities (REO) are manganese products, salted meat (beef), frozen fish, chewing gum, tomatoes, soups and broths. In addition, the results of the RCA analysis were matched to the export opportunities identified by the decision support model (TRADE-DSM) to determine which of the comparative advantage products have realistic export opportunities. Eight of the top 15 comparative advantage products were found to have realistic export opportunities according to the TRADE-DSM.
{"title":"Identifying the comparative advantage of products and industries of South Africa’s Mpumalanga province","authors":"M. Visser, N. Pisa, E. Kleynhans, Requier Wait","doi":"10.25159/1998-8125/5904","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5904","url":null,"abstract":"3Knowledge of a region’s comparative advantage may dictate its industrial development agenda and realistic export opportunities. Through the effective targeting of specific sectors and industries within the South African provinces, provincial government entities can determine which sector or industry could gain the most from effective targeting for industrial development, development planning and export promotion. This study determined the comparative advantage of South Africa’s Mpumalanga province by estimating the Revealed Comparative Advantage Index (RCA). The study revealed that the products with the highest comparative advantage (RCA) and realistic export opportunities (REO) are manganese products, salted meat (beef), frozen fish, chewing gum, tomatoes, soups and broths. In addition, the results of the RCA analysis were matched to the export opportunities identified by the decision support model (TRADE-DSM) to determine which of the comparative advantage products have realistic export opportunities. Eight of the top 15 comparative advantage products were found to have realistic export opportunities according to the TRADE-DSM.","PeriodicalId":44582,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Business Review","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74774674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Management in a client-centred industry faces complex interaction within the company structures as well as with several client-related communications. Such interactions span a broad range of skills that extend beyond industry knowledge and require communication abilities such as persuasion, negotiation and presentation, among others. It is argued that one of the core competencies for effective communication is to be found in emotional intelligence (EQ). Enhanced EQ, therefore, evidences enhanced communication skills. This article reports on an exploratory study regarding the development of EQ (leading to enhanced communication skills) within the hospitality industry. As theatre is a form of heightened communication, theatre strategies and transactional analysis (as embedded in the theatre strategies) were used as a means to develop communication skills among managers. Emotional intelligence was used as the basis for measuring the potential efficacy of the skills. Based on the comparison of pre- and post-intervention EQ assessments (as an indirect measure of enhanced communication skills), the study concluded that it is highly possible that the use of theatre strategies in training to develop business communication among managers has the potential to contribute significantly to better EQ.
{"title":"Theatre strategies to develop emotional intelligence skills in business communication: An exploratory study","authors":"M. Munro, A. Munro, Karina Lemmer, M. Pretorius","doi":"10.25159/1998-8125/5838","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5838","url":null,"abstract":"Management in a client-centred industry faces complex interaction within the company structures as well as with several client-related communications. Such interactions span a broad range of skills that extend beyond industry knowledge and require communication abilities such as persuasion, negotiation and presentation, among others. It is argued that one of the core competencies for effective communication is to be found in emotional intelligence (EQ). Enhanced EQ, therefore, evidences enhanced communication skills. This article reports on an exploratory study regarding the development of EQ (leading to enhanced communication skills) within the hospitality industry. As theatre is a form of heightened communication, theatre strategies and transactional analysis (as embedded in the theatre strategies) were used as a means to develop communication skills among managers. Emotional intelligence was used as the basis for measuring the potential efficacy of the skills. Based on the comparison of pre- and post-intervention EQ assessments (as an indirect measure of enhanced communication skills), the study concluded that it is highly possible that the use of theatre strategies in training to develop business communication among managers has the potential to contribute significantly to better EQ.","PeriodicalId":44582,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Business Review","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85996313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The “tax stories”","authors":"E. M. Stack","doi":"10.25159/1998-8125/5778","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5778","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract","PeriodicalId":44582,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Business Review","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73531397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. M. Stack, D. Grenville, R. Poole, H. Harnett, E. Horn
Lever Brothers, the South African tax case that formed the basis of this research, was concerned with determining the source of interest income. In its time, this was one of the landmark cases and established tax principles that were valid for 54 years, until superseded by changes to legislation20The research presented a critical analysis of the three judgments in the case, exposing weaknesses in each. It also provided a condensed account of the history of the company, the historical era in which the transactions giving rise to the case took place, a glimpse into the lives of the judges, as well as a discussion of the development in South Africa of the rules for determining source. The most important focus of the research was the discussion of the use and validity of the practical man principle, and it was concluded that this principle should be applied, not in lieu of legal theory, but to restrain its unbridled use when unjust results would ensue.
{"title":"Commissioner for Inland Revenue v Lever Brothers and Unilever Ltd: A practical problem of source","authors":"E. M. Stack, D. Grenville, R. Poole, H. Harnett, E. Horn","doi":"10.25159/1998-8125/5795","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/5795","url":null,"abstract":"Lever Brothers, the South African tax case that formed the basis of this research, was concerned with determining the source of interest income. In its time, this was one of the landmark cases and established tax principles that were valid for 54 years, until superseded by changes to legislation20The research presented a critical analysis of the three judgments in the case, exposing weaknesses in each. It also provided a condensed account of the history of the company, the historical era in which the transactions giving rise to the case took place, a glimpse into the lives of the judges, as well as a discussion of the development in South Africa of the rules for determining source. The most important focus of the research was the discussion of the use and validity of the practical man principle, and it was concluded that this principle should be applied, not in lieu of legal theory, but to restrain its unbridled use when unjust results would ensue.","PeriodicalId":44582,"journal":{"name":"Southern African Business Review","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2019-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90536280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：