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This paper assesses the level of corporate sustainability disclosures in an environmentally-sensitive industry in Nigeria - the oil and gas industry. The paper aims to evaluate the extent of sustainability disclosure in the annual report’s oil and gas industries. The study retrieves secondary data on sustainability disclosure for 10 years (2010 - 2019) from eight oil and gas industries listed in the Nigerian stock exchange through a desktop approach and content analysis methodology. Content analysis of the sustainability disclosure is to identify items of sustainability disclosed in the annual reports. The paper assesses the extent of disclosure by adopting the global reporting initiative’s scoring index. Findings from the analysis indicate a very low-level climate change and environmental pollution disclosure. Only 13.8% of the companies disclosed their impact on climate change and environmental pollution. On the contrary, all the companies revealed their community investment, which this paper regards as legitimizing smokescreen ecological pollution. The paper contributes to the literature by connecting the legitimacy theory to the decoying sustainability disclosure of oil and gas companies in Nigeria. In conclusion, the study recommends more stringent sustainability disclosure policies for the oil and gas to provide more information for environmental and climate change advocates and investors in censuring the companies, which might instill improved environmental compliance.Keywords: Climate Change, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Governance Indicators, Oil and Gas, Renewable Materials, Social Indicators, Sustainability DisclosuresJEL Classifications: M4, M14, M140, Q53, Q54, Q56, Q57DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.11095

This paper examines the relationship between municipal governance quality and assurance quality. The paper’s pertinence lies in the deteriorating state of municipal service delivery and the Auditor General South Africa’s (2016) recurring reporting of poor financial management in the vast majority South Africa’s municipalities. Hence, the objective of the paper is to analyse the relationship between municipal governance quality (with quality of performance reports as the proxy) and the municipal assurance quality (with financial statement quality as a proxy). Data was collected from the archives of the Auditor General’s consolidated municipal audit reports for the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 fiscal years. The data was subjected to quantitative analysis using the fixed and random effects panel data regression methods. Findings from the statistical analysis in both models show that the quality of performance reports is significantly related to the quality of assurance, with a p value of less than 0.05. The findings suggest that real improvement in municipalities’ public service delivery and financial management depends on the level of improvement in governance quality, and the latter requires that bureaucrats tackle the now perennial issue of poor governance quality. This paper offers practical and researchbased recommendations, most important of which is the need to implement quarterly quality-of-governance and assurance checks in the municipalities, thus avoiding the extended delays associated with the annual audit cycle. The second recommendation is for further research to examine the relationship between governance quality and assurance quality in the national government sphere, to determine the degree to which the challenges experienced are similar to those at the municipal level.

The main aim of this paper is to empirically assess the relationship between macroeconomic indicators, political regime, and corporate responsibility reporting in African countries. Using ex post facto research design, the paper stands out from previous analyses by including other independent variables, such as regulatory quality, rule of law and government effectiveness in assessing the relationship between corporate responsibility reporting, macroeconomic indicators, and political regime. The population comprises 58 African countries, and the sample is based on 48 African countries. Secondary data was employed to gather information on the variables. The study used a multiple regression model to examine the relationship between foreign direct investment, gross domestic product, inflation, political regime, and corporate responsibility reporting in African countries. The study found an insignificant positive relationship between the number of corporate responsibility reports, political regime, foreign direct investment, gross domestic product, and inflation after applying controls for government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and rule of law. The paper assists in understanding the relationship between political regime, macroeconomic indicators, and corporate responsibility reporting in Africa. Also, an understanding of how institutional factors influence corporate responsibility reporting in African countries could help enforcement institutions, such as the stock exchange, industry regulators and key players that monitor corporate, social, and environmental responsibility issues, to take the necessary steps to improve responsibility reporting provided by organizations in Africa. To conclude, the paper makes a unique contribution to the assessment of the relationship between macroeconomic indicators, political regime, and corporate responsibility reporting.

Previous researchers have found conflicting results between CSI and firm financial performance. This paper moves this debate further by examining the extent to which corporate social investment (CSI) relates with corporate financial performance (CFP) from a developing country perspective. The main aim of the paper was to determine the relationship between CSI, stock price, sales turnover and return on equity (ROE) amongst the socially responsible investing (SRI) companies in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. CSI data on the SRI companies were collected from companies’ integrated reports from 2011 to 2015. Therefore, a cross-sectional panel data arrangement was applied and the analysis was conducted using the ordinary least square (OLS). Tested at an alpha level of 0.05, the regression result produced a probability level of P < 0.01 for share price and sales turnover; and P = 10 for return on equity. Therefore, the findings revealed a strong positive and significant linkage between the SRI companies’ social investment, share price and sales turnover and no significant linkage with return on equity. These findings are consistent with previous literature findings reviewed in the paper on similar research conducted in developed countries, which showed positive and negative relationships. Findings from the literature indicate that various factors may account for conflicting results, which includes inter alia, time coverage, size of data, location, market sustainability awareness and culture. The paper contributes by revealing that whilst CSI may trigger improvement in stock price and sales turnover of SRI companies, the sales turnover might not necessarily result in boost in profit level that could engender enough return on equity within a short period time. The conflicting results from the literature is indicative of the inclusiveness in research between CSI and firm performance. Hence, the paper recommends further research to examine the relationship within a longer period of time using new sample of companies and other methods of analysis.

Quality assurance in service organisations such as the universities is a vital component of the audit process. Therefore, this paper evaluates the quality assurance audit and corporate governance issues in higher degrees. The paper became necessary given rising concern over apparent external assurers’ subjectivity and domination of the higher degree assurance process. The paper inclined on three main objectives, namely to determine how external assurers’ objectivity relate with assurance outcome on higher degrees, to know how the clarity of institutional assurance rubric relate with external assurance outcome and to determine how supervisors’ neutrality relate with external audit assurance outcome on higher degrees. The paper adopted a mixed methodology of qualitative and quantitative approaches, which firstly reviewed the literature on the impugned issues in higher degree quality assurance and thereafter proceeded to use Chi-square statistics to conduct a quantitative analysis of questionnaire responses on higher degree assurance process. Findings suggest that existing quality assurance of higher degrees is asymmetrically inclined more on the external assurer, which thus dominate internal corporate governance process of quality assurance, leaving only a mere ratifying role to the institutional corporate governance process. The Chi-Square statistical finding on all the three objectives showed a P value less than the alpha of 0.05 (P

This paper evaluated the relationship between chief executive officers’ gender and firm performance. Therefore, the specific objectives of the paper were: 1) to evaluate the relationship between the CEO’s gender and company turnover; 2) to assess the relationship, the CEO’s gender and share price; 3) to examine the relationship between the CEO’s gender and net profit. The paper applied the positivist research method, which is a quantitative approach as it sought to measure the relationship between variables. Secondary Data on CEO gender, turnover, share price and net profit were collected from the archives of integrated report of 16 JSE SRI Companies that had a complete disclosure of the research variables. The paper used the Chi-square statistics (Phi and Cramer’s V tests) to test the relationship between CEO gender, turnover, share price and net profit. Findings from the statistical results showed that the Phi and Cramer’s V test gave a P value greater than 0.05 (P>0.05), which shows that within the sample of companies, there is no significant relationship between CEO’s gender, net profit, share price and turnover. The research concludes and recommends that gender might not necessarily affect performance, at least within the sample of companies, therefore, there should be no gender discrimination on CEO’s position. Women should, therefore, receive support to assume the position of CEO. This finding provides an agenda for further research to use broader sample across industry sectors to examine this relationship further, as gender is an important component of sustainable development goals.

This research examined whether an improved participation of women in the board of directors has any relationship with sustainability disclosure. Accordingly, the objective of this research was to examine the relationship between the number of women on the board of directors and social investment disclosure and energy disclosure in the sample of companies. The paper used a quantitative approach and data were collected from the archives of sustainability reports of five companies that formed the sample. The panel-data regression analysis was used in data arrangement. Five sample of companies over five years produced a (5 x 5) panel resulting in 25 observations. Data was tested at an alpha of 0.05. Results from all the analysis showed a P value below the research alpha (P < 0,05) indicating a significant relationship. Therefore, findings from the panel-data regression analysis disclosed a positive relationship between the number of women on the board of directors and corporate disclosure on social investment and energy consumption. Further analysis also disclosed that women on the board of directors are related with the overall number of women employees in the company. The paper concludes that within the sample of companies, women on the board of directors may influence sustainability disclosure such as energy and social investment. Women on the board of directors might also assist the companies to achieve gender equity employment goals. The research recommends that given the unique social and environmental proclivity of women, the corporate should recruit more women in the boards to enhance accelerated corporate sustainability performance. Further research using expanded number of companies is recommended.

This paper engages in a review and discussion of some problems confronting accounting research and the implication for management. It is motivated by seeming doubt regarding the functionality of accounting research in updating accounting information to meet social, environmental and economic challenges that is associated with contemporary managements problems. The methodological approach is rooted in reviews. The dilemmas that the paper revealed are methodological dilemma, curriculum mismatch and application of research to practice. These dilemmas have some tendencies of asphyxiating innovation in accounting research. The paper points out that accounting is deeply implicated in allocation of social and economic resources, hence aligning accounting research purely toward economic bias is asymmetry of accounting function and may be dysfunctional in attending to and assisting with the contemporary management problems. Accounting researchers must therefore wake up to the realities of pluralism in accounting research which may accommodate and contribute to resolving social behavioural and political problems of management. The paper makes modest suggestions for making accounting research meet the exigencies of modern management problems. These includes the need for curriculum redesign to embrace management and social theories and research methodology in first degree accounting curriculum; the need for accounting research to embrace pluralism of paradigms to enhance its ability to assist in solving diverse management problems; and the need for accounting research to reflect management practice to explore the applicability of accounting theories, standards and techniques to management problems. There is scant literature linking accounting research dilemmas to management, hence the budding ideas in this paper offer agenda for a continuing research toward innovation in accounting research

This paper examines the trend in corporate response to the social responsible investing index (SRI) of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The motif of the paper is to discover how and if SRI drives corporates towards public declaration of their social responsible investments. The approach is archival with a descriptive and quantitative analysis of data drawn from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Descriptively, we charted a trend of the rate at which the JSE firms join the JSE SRI Index, and our findings indicate an upward trend from 2004 to 2013. Quantitatively, we examined the likely difference in corporate climate disclosure before and after the introduction of the Code for Responsible Investing in South Africa (CRISA). Our findings – using a T-Test of difference in means, indicate a significant difference in means, which apparently show that the CRISA may have added further impetus to corporate climate disclosure. In 2013, the JSE SRI deepened its stringency in measuring corporate responsible claims by assessing only the publicly available responsible information of corporations for inclusion in its SRI index. We thus evaluate possible difference in climate disclosure before and within the year of the new stringent criteria of measurement. Our second T-Test of difference in means also shows a significant difference in means, which signal that corporations exerted extra efforts in making the extent of their climate responsibility publicly available. We conclude that the JSE SRI, coupled with the CRISA motivates firms to improve on their public disclosure. We also conclude that the carbon disclosure project (CDP) is adding pragmatic momentum on the activities of JSE firms to strive towards their improvement in climate performance. Thus voluntary codes and indexes, in the absence of binding regulations, could spur corporate social and environmental initiative in a developing country

This paper examined the performance of corporate South Africa in the 2012 Carbon Disclosure Project [CDP]. It is motivated by the growing shift to climate performance amongst the JSE listed companies in South Africa; hence the paper showcases the commitment of corporations in South Africa towards carbon disclosure. It thus shows exemplary commitment by corporations in an emerging economy to curb GHG emission through disclosure. The paper compared corporate South Africa carbon disclosure performance in 2012 with the 2011 disclosure performance. First, the performance of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) 100 carbon performance leaders were examined; and using a statistical t-test of difference in means, the paper finds that the 2012 carbon performance improved remarkably over the 2011 performance; hence the T-test indicates a significant difference in means between the 2012 and 2011 carbon performance. Secondly, the paper also examined the climate performance of the JSE 100 companies and also found a significant difference between the 2011 and 2012 performance which also depicts an improvement over the 2011 climate performance. It is perceptible that the 2011 UN Climate Conference in South Africa, coupled with the SA’s outstanding role in global climate change negotiations and the Carbon Disclosure Project is driving corporate SA to ‘walk the talk’ on climate change. In conclusion the paper highlights the need for further corporate climate initiatives, and calls on governments of developing countries to take a bold stance on climate negotiations as this is a key to encouraging the corporate toward climate friendly and carbon reduction initiatives

This paper examined the stance of independent directors on corporate sustainable development initiative in South Africa and Nigeria. This has become apposite considering the role of independent directors in corporate strategic decisions and performance. It is believed that independent boards strive to direct corporate decisions to protect the investors and thus improve financial performance. Given that sustainability initiative is currently occupying a vital strategic position in protecting firms against inherent and imminent climate change and financial risks, the paper undertakes a survey of South African and Nigerian companies to ascertain the role of independent directors on corporate sustainable development initiatives. Using a mix method of primary and secondary data analysis, the paper finds that independent boards in both countries of study understand the importance of sustainability; however a pragmatic stance on sustainability is more visible in South Africa where independent boards are members of and/or participate in nominating corporate sustainability committees. The paper suggests the need for improved detailed disclosure on sustainability in the Nigerian corporate annual reports; the Nigerian Stock Exchange may boost this initiative by establishing a social and environmental reporting index supported by an annual survey of company sustainability disclosure. It also suggests the need to include sustainability awareness and interest in the metrics that are used in the appointment of independent boards in Nigerian companies

This paper rethinks the veracity in corporate sustainability claims and highlights the need for societal caution in relying on sustainability claims. The paper adopts an opinionated approach but uses existing literature to argue that, whilst genuine corporate sustainability may exist, there may be some pockets of pretentious sustainability claims. Consequently, the paper cautions that false corporate sustainability presents danger to society in that it may prevent societal alertness against corporate unsustainability; these hazards include the danger of obscured escalation of carbon emission, with associated climate change impacts and entrenched socio-economic inequity that may escalate poverty. It concludes by proposing that regulatory agencies should adopt a ‘behind-the-scene’ strategy (beyond paid sustainability assurers) to authenticate corporate claims of sustainability.

This paper examines the extent to which the sustainable development disclosures of companies listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange (JSE) comply with independent external assurance. This is necessary to provide information to responsible investors and to assess the sustainable development commitment of firms in the JSE. A sample of firms within the JSE was taken from the Socially Responsible Index (SRI) group and the non-SRI group. Analysis indicates an increase in the number of firms vying for recognition as socially responsible firms in the JSE’s SRI. Furthermore, a chi-square analysis shows that the SRI and non-SRI group of companies have a comparable rate of compliance with the independent external assurance of sustainable development disclosures. Overall findings indicate that the JSE’s SRI initiative has been functional in driving the sustainable development initiatives of firms in the JSE. There is practical evidence of firms’ commitment to carbon reduction, energy efficiency, waste management, black economic empowerment, water efficiency and other sustainable development initiatives. The paper concludes that stock exchanges may be a catalyst for driving sustainable development behaviour in firms located in emerging and developing countries, hence the paper recommends that stock exchanges in these countries may replicate the sustainable development initiative of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange as this may contribute to the sustainable economic development of emerging and developing countries. The paper offers opportunities for future research on the role of global stock exchanges in fostering sustainable development.

This paper presents an evaluation of potential differential effect of video presentation of industry real-life practice of Management Accounting on the academic performance of accounting students. The methodological approach used is a study of final year Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) accounting students in a South African University. An accounting video of industry real-life application of Management Accounting systems were shown to students on two modules (in an alternating manner) after completing the lectures; this was followed by four concept tests; in an alternating approach. Using a statistical t-test of difference in means; findings show a significant difference between the two scenario concept tests. The paper offers agenda for further research using other accounting courses and also to apply this in different levels of accountancy study and using other universities in the Republic.

While some previous research has critiqued accounting behaviour towards society and the environment, this paper points in a slightly different direction. With the aid of a chronological chart, it uses sustainability initiatives from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) to demonstrate the accounting profession's positive response to societal sustainability culture. Applying the cultural theories of Gray and Hofstede, it argues that society is responsible for alleged negative behaviour in accounting and that society hampers progress in sustainability accounting through political and corporate manoeuvrings. It asserts that, at least within the Canadian context, the more society embraces deeper green culture, the more accounting will transform towards sustainability values. It provides a future research agenda towards extenuating accounting criticisms. The paper suggests some policy implications for government and highlights that the power to condition and moderate accounting behaviour resid...

This paper investigates the sustainability initiatives of the accounting profession in support of sustainable development. This is important because the post-Rio sustainability agenda involves the role of accounting in directing corporate behaviour; however, a review of critical literature indicates censure of accounting as being apathetic to society and environment. To see whether this criticism still holds, using a desktop research approach, the paper proceeds to investigate the sustainability initiatives contained in the web portals of selected accounting bodies. Findings indicate appreciable levels of initiatives to sustainable development; however, lack of standards, regulations and uniform accounting schemes still poses a challenge such that contemporary sustainability accounting appears more like a weak approximation of the triple bottom line. It concludes that accounting requires a more pragmatic response to sustainable development, as this would facilitate government and institutional policies towards sustainability, and recommends that vital aspects of response should include carbon accounting standards, regulated sustainability accounting and the formation of ‘engineering accounting’ in order to address the challenges of climate change and carbon trading. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors which spur corporate green investment practices amongst 100 South African CDP companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The data were sourced from companies' annual sustainability reports over a period of five years (2010 to 2014). Using chi-square tests the findings indicate that legislation influences the corporate green investment practices of JSE listed firms as do corporate image, profitability and environmental consciousness. Legislation, corporate image, profitability and environmental consciousness also showed a significant relationship with the green investment practices of JSE listed firms. An increasing number of JSE listed firms supporting examined variables was also noted from 2010 to 2014. This study makes a modest contribution to knowledge by suggesting a framework to understand corporate green investment practice in JSE listed firms based on the study's findings and a review of the literature.