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Using the Critical Management Studies Tenet of Denaturalisation as a Vehicle to Decolonise the Management Discourse in South Africa African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2020-12-01 Geoff Goldman
It has been roughly five years since the #FeesMustFall student protests shook the foundations of higher education in South Africa. However, in the aftermath of these protests, the students’ demand for decolonization of the curriculum, despite initial energy, has seemingly lost momentum. Within the discipline of management and organization studies, the situation is even more exacerbated, with efforts
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Risk and Asymmetry in Development Ethics African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2020-12-01 Julian Jonker
Risk is implicit in economic development. When does a course of economic development ethically balance risk and likely benefit? This paper examines the view of risk we find in Amartya Sen’s work on development. It shows that Sen’s capabilities approach leads to a more sensitive understanding of risk than traditional utility theory. Sen’s approach also supplies the basis of an argument for risk aversion
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Contribution of integrity and vulnerability to perceived moral character and a leader’s behavioural profile attractiveness African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2020-12-01 Jantes Prinsloo,Jeremias Jesaja De Klerk
Integrity is often regarded as cardinal to moral character and thus a desirable leadership attribute. However, integrity that is not moderated through an adjunctive virtue such as vulnerability can produce leaders who are self-righteous. Through a vignette experiment, the contribution of integrity and vulnerability towards the perception of moral character and the attractiveness of a leader’s behavioural
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“Un”trepreneurship Undoing the Myth of Entrepreneurship as a Development Apparatus African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2020-12-01 Maria Smit,Marius Pretorius
The current theoretical framing of entrepreneurship includes several diverse phenomena under the same conceptual umbrella, yet the terms are often conflated and used interchangeably. Based on the assumption that anything included under this conceptual umbrella contributes to economic development and job creation, entrepreneurship has become appropriated as a development tool in the Global South, where
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Perceptions of governance in the animal welfare sector African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2019-12-01 Chantelle Murray, Adèle Thomas
The purpose of the study was to gather information on perceptions of the current governance practices in shelters in South Africa and put forward recommendations to professionalise the sector at board/committee level. Through semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study sought out the views of 16 participants, both at board/committee and at operational levels, at companion animal shelters. The
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They can be choosers: Aid, Levinas and Unconditional Cash Transfers African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2019-12-01 Andrade Julio
In this paper I seek to critically examine UCT’s and CCT’s and consider how a Levinasian ethics might offer normative guidelines to evaluate such aid programmes. Such an analysis will serve to both critique and supplement the traditional utilitarian analyses of such programmes. In so doing, this paper also hopes to contribute to the business ethics literature in which a Levinasian ethics may be brought
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Academic dishonesty and whistleblowing in a higher education institution: A sociological analysis African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2019-12-01 Ugljesa Radulovic, Tina Uys
High rates of academic dishonesty are a concern, and whistleblowing is a mechanism that can curb the incidence thereof. This study attempted to identify the variables associated with the reporting of academic dishonesty, framing itself within the reasoned action approach. It entailed a survey with a sample of 405 undergraduate sociology students. Data was collected by means of self-administered structured
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VALIDITY OF THE CORPORATE ETHICAL VIRTUE MODEL (CEV) IN A SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT: A CASE STUDY African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2019-07-01 Ireze van Wyk
Ethics is reflected in the culture of an organisation. If necessary, the status of the ethical culture in an organisation can be measured. The purpose of this study was to identify an instrument that can measure ethical culture, and to establish its validity and reliability in a South African context. The Corporate Ethical Virtue Model was identified, as its validity had been subjected to reliability
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Reducing Carbon Emissions: Strathmore University Contributions Towards Sustainable Development in Kenya African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2019-07-01 Lilian Njeri Munene
Strathmore University is the first educational institution in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve a zero-carbon footprint. With 2,400 panels located on the roofs of six buildings, it is the largest rooftop solar installation in the region. Kenya sits on the equator and enjoys year-round insulation. Taking advantage of a green line of financial support created by the French Government, Strathmore embarked
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Perceptions regarding distributive justice in the South African financial service industry African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2019-07-01 Elroy Eugene Smith, Noxolo Eileen Mazibuko, Viwe Mrwebi
Distributive justice is associated with the perceptions of an individual to the presence of equity and fairness in an organisation. The primary objective of this study is to critically assess distributive justice within the South African financial services industry. A quantitative research design was employed. Non-probability sampling was used and 436 usable questionnaires were returned. The empirical
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Consider the following scenario: “A politically connected White Western European businessman offers to smooth the way for your company to sell in his country … for a fee.” African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2019-07-01 Neil Stuart Eccles, Busisiwe Magagula
In 2014, Birtch et al published a paper that contained unnecessary negative cultural/racial stereotyping in a vignette presented in the paper’s introduction. Given the potentially harmful consequences of negative stereotyping, and the relatively frequent use of vignettes in the business ethics literature, this prompted us to wonder whether this was an isolated instance or a more widespread occurrence
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Restorying the Purpose of Business: An Interpretation of the Agenda of the UN Global Compact African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-11-16 Oliver Williams
The article argues that there is a paradirm shift in our understanding of the role of business in society and that this move is best understood as a "restorying" of the purpose of business. The term "story" is used here to refer to a pattern of meaning. The organization leading this movement is the United Nations Global Compact with its ten principles and 17 Sustainable Development Goals designed to
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A typology for the categorisation of ethical leadership research African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-11-16 Charlotte Pietersen
The paper introduces an expanded typology of research approaches applicable to the field of ethical leadership, namely: theoretical-integrative, systematic-analytical, narrative-interpretive, and action-advocacy. An illustrative review identified clear examples of this framework for categorising types of research on ethical leadership. It is concluded that the investigation shows the applicability
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Overcoming constraints imposed by fiduciary duties in terms of justice as a “Leadership Challenge that Matters” African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-11-16 Neil Stuart Eccles
This paper focuses on the issue of justice as a challenge facing business and society. I advance a simple deductive argument based on two premises. The first emerges out of theories of justice and holds that fairness, as a foundational basis for justice, demands impartiality or the avoidance of bias. The second emerges out of fiduciary law and holds that the duty of loyalty owed by managers to serve
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An African Theory of Good Leadership African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-11-16 Thaddeus Metz
This article draws on the indigenous African tradition of philosophy to ground a moral-philosophical theory of leadership that is intended to rival accounts in the East Asian and Western traditions. After providing an interpretation of the characteristically sub-Saharan value of communion, the article advances a philosophical account of a good leader as one who creates, sustains, and enriches communal
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Corporate Social Responsibility and Employer Attractiveness: Perspectives of Students on the African continent African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-11-16 Ebo Hinson, Selorm Agbleze, John Kuada
This paper explores the importance that potential employees attach to CSR practices of firms and how their perceptions of CSR may translate into their willingness to work for CSR practicing firms. The paper sought to investigate the effect of students’ CSR perception on their perception of the attractiveness of CSR practicing firms as prospective employers and also explore the possible moderating effects
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Some ethical considerations for South Africa's climate change mitigation approach in light of the Paris Agreement African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-11-16 Lee-Anne Steenkamp, Piet Naude
South Africa ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016 and thereby committed to reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) concentration levels as part of its self-determined goals in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). This articleviewed the targets in the NDC through an ethical lens. It was demonstrated that the commitment below the ‘business-asusual’ (BAU) level allowed for large increases in South Africa’s
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From Capacity to Capability? Rethinking the PRME agenda for inclusive development in management education African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-07-01 Jill Millar, Juliette Koning
Building on Sen’s capabilities approach this paper focuses on the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) to assess whether current developments in management education have the capacity to contribute to the promulgation of an inclusive development that moves beyond the discourse of ‘growth’ and ‘income’. Arguing that PRME in its current form reproduces a dominant market
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Toward Deliberative Democracy: The Institutional Forum as an Innovative Shared Governance Mechanism in South African Higher Education African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-07-01 Anne-Marea Griffin
The aim of this article is to explore the effects of the Istitutional Forum, a recent governance innovation legislated in South Africa in 1997, as a mechanism that contributes toward the democratisation of university governance. Forums were established to confront the legacy of structured disadvantage and to reorient the educational experience towards greater horizontal accountability. The article
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“The great unspoken shame of UK Higher Education”: addressing inequalities of attainment African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-07-01 Fiona Mary Ross, John Christian Tatam, Annie Livingston Hughes, Owen Paul Beacock, Nona McDuff
UK universities are achieving some success in attracting increasingly diverse undergraduate cohorts, although distributed unevenly across different types of institutions. It is therefore a concern that once at universities, overall students from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds perform less well in their final degree classifications, even when entry qualifications, subject of study and student
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Using transformative transition coaching to support leaders during career transitions African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-07-01 Nicky Terblanche, Dr Ruth Albertyn, Salomé Van Coller-Peter
Senior leadership transitions present daunting challenges. To promote inclusive development and comply with equal opportunity legislation, South African companies often fast-track careers of high-potential previously disadvantaged individuals. Organisations typically do not sufficiently support transitioning leaders, possibly acting unethically. The rate of failure is high with devastating effects
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Market Driven Global Directives and Social Responsibility in Higher Education African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-07-01 Frederick J Veldman
Liberation from human suffering is a noble achievement, but without freedom from the constraints of poverty, liberty is partial. The South African Constitution commits us to the establishment of a society based on "democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights." All Higher Education (HE) Institutions, therefore, should be founded on "the will of the people." Within the context, we
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World University Rankings: Reflections on Teaching and Learning as the Cinderella function in the South African Higher Education System African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-07-01 Raazia Moosa
Within universities, a tension exists between research and teaching and learning, where research is often accorded a higher status creating a Cinderella effect by rendering teaching and learning of lesser importance. World university rankings, also referred to as global rankings, are contentious although they have become a permanent feature of the higher education (HE) system internationally (Rauhvargers
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Corporate social responsibility reporting of banks operating in Ghana African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-03-01 Kwamena Minta Nyarku
This study seeks to track corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting of local and foreign banks in Ghana from 2010-2014 financial year ends. Employing a qualitative approach, data used were only annual reports sourced from selected banks’ websites. We found that all selected banks reported more external than internal disclosures. Concerning internal disclosures, only one foreign bank reported
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Can we overcome the anthropocentrism bias in sustainability discourse? African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-03-01 Piet Naudé
Based on a turn to the rational human subject in Descartes, Kant and Feuerbach, this paper critically examines four efforts at shaping sustainability discourse: the definition of sustainability in Our common future; stewardship Christian theology; forms of partisan justice; and GDP as measure of economic growth. These efforts made certain advances, but because they share the underlying anthropocentric
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Economic growth and progress: a paradigmatic conflation African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-03-01 John Myburgh Morrison
This paper uses a paradigmatic lens to conceptually explore the global sustainability crisis. To anchor what would otherwise be an abstract thought experiment, the discussion focuses on GDP, economic growth and progress measurement. By reviewing the extensive debate around GDP through a paradigmatic lens, the paper explores why the prevailing growth-centric paradigm is “in crisis”. More importantly
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Communicating Progress on Meeting the United Nations Global Compact Goals – an analysis of the South African experience African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2018-03-01 Daniel Malan
The purpose of business has been a consistent focus area in the field of corporate responsibility (CR). This article examines public disclosures on CR made by South African signatories to the United Nations Global Compact, with reference to recent contributions on the purpose of business. Over time, the focus of CR has shifted from an internal corporate to a broader systemic perspective, reflecting
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Responsible business practices: Aspects influencing decision-making in small, medium and micro-sized enterprises African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2017-11-01 Lynette Cronje, Edmund John Ferreira, Sumei van Antwerpen
Abstract Society demands responsible actions from both large and small medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs). This study sought to identify the aspects that influence decision-makers of SMMEs to utilise business resources for responsible business practices (RBP) and the different demographic variables that impact on these influencing aspects. After multi-stage sampling, results from a self-administered
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An evaluation of the reporting on ethics and integrity of selected listed motor vehicle companies African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2017-11-01 Anet Magdalena Smit, Elizabeth J Bierman
Transparency in reporting has become very important and various stakeholders expect companies to disclose sensitive information, such as ethical aspects, integrity and anti-corruption information. Any indication of corruption can be detrimental when trying to attract foreign investors to invest in a country. These disclosure practices could place remarkable pressure on a company that needs to portray
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Faculty reluctance to report student plagiarism: A case study African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2017-11-01 Adèle Thomas
Internationally, student plagiarism is on the rise despite measures introduced by universities to detect its occurrence and to institute actions to prevent and address this practice. One of the reasons that contributes to this problem is the reluctance of faculty to report student plagiarism. Through the medium of a disguised South African case study, this paper advances reasons to explain this oversight
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Business practices influencing ethical conduct of small and medium-sized enterprises in Uganda African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2017-11-01 Jamiah Mayanja, Sandra Perks
Although small- and medium businesses (SMEs) significant economic contributions are globally acknowledged, many SMEs in Uganda have not fully adopted and integrated ethics into their business strategies. This study explores the business practices that influence SME’s ethical conduct in Uganda. Primary data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. A sample of 384 SME owner/managers was
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A framework for managing and assessing ethics in Namibia: An internal audit perspective African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2017-11-01 Nolan Angermund, Kato Plant
The Namibian Governance Code was implemented in 2014 and calls for organisations to manage ethics effectively. This study proposes an ethics framework that can be used by management to build an ethical culture and used by internal auditors to assess the effectiveness of an organisation’s ethical culture. Data was collected from managers and senior internal auditors in the financial services industry
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Inculcating ethics in small and mediumsized business enterprises: A South African leadership perspective African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2017-11-01 Bryan Michael Robinson, Jacobus Albertus Jonker
This research provides a much needed and deeper insight into the management of ethics by leaders of medium-sized business enterprises in the South African context. Utilising a mixed methodological approach of qualitative and quantitative analyses, the research describes the unique ethical risks faced by leaders of medium-sized businesses, and how these leaders attempt to mitigate such risks through
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An adapted measure of ethical climate in organisations – a South African study African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2017-09-01 Anton Grobler
A study was conducted to analyse the ethical climate typology of the Ethical Climate Questionnaire empirically, in order to develop a unique South African typology. This typology was tested for the equivalence of the construct between the private and public sector. A three ethical climate type solution was found (in contrast with the initial nine, and later five type typology). The results suggest
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Bank customers’ preferences and responses to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Ghana African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2016-10-01 Ebo Hinson, Anne Renner, Helena van Zyl
The study seeks to investigate Ghanaian bank customers’ ranked preference for corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and determine which initiative has the greatest effect on attitude and behaviour toward banks. A sample of 384 retail bank customers is employed in the study. Applying a one-way MANOVA and two uni-variate ANOVAs, the study finds that customers have the highest preference for
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Mutuality: A root principle for marketing ethics African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2016-10-01 Juan M Elegido
This paper seeks to identify a mid-level unifying ethical principle that may help clarify and articulate the ethical responsibilities of business firms in the field of marketing ethics. The paper examines critically the main principles which have been proposed to date in the literature, namely consumer sovereignty, preserving the conditions of an acceptable exchange, paternalism, and the perfect competition
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The stakeholder theory of corporate control and the place of ethics in OHADA: The case of Cameroon African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2016-10-01 Irene Sama-Lang, Njonguo Abel Zesung
The rapid increase in globalization in the last two and a half decades has caused businesses to easily transcend national boundaries. States respond to such flexibility by harmonising their laws to easily adapt to such changes in order to attract investments. This is the case with the OHADA jurisdiction where its architects foresaw an economic spur through integration of business laws. Though expected
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A construct of code effectiveness: empirical findings and measurement properties African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2016-10-01 Mornay Roberts-Lombard, Mercy Mpinganjira, Greg Wood, Göran Svensson Svensson
The purpose of the study is to examine and describe the use of codes of ethics in companies operating South Africa. The population included the company secretaries of the top 500 companies operating in the South African corporate sector. The findings stipulate that South African companies need to understand that their employees are diverse in beliefs and opinions and as a result do not all have a similar
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Perceived ethical leadership in relation to employees’ organisational commitment in an organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo African Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2016-10-01 Jeremy Mitonga-Monga, Frans Cilliers
The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between ethical leadership and organisational commitment. A cross-sectional quantitative survey approach was used, with a non-probability purposive sample of 839 employees from a railway organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The results indicate that ethical leadership perceptions have a significant influence on the level of organisational