Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Exploring corporate sustainability as an emerging logic in Zimbabwean listed companies
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2021
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613753797771264 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Sihwa, Lizzy Sipiwe |
| author2 | Feront, Cecile |
| author_browse | Feront, Cecile Sihwa, Lizzy Sipiwe |
| author_facet | Feront, Cecile Sihwa, Lizzy Sipiwe |
| author_sort | Sihwa, Lizzy Sipiwe |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124210 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:09.576Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124210 Exploring corporate sustainability as an emerging logic in Zimbabwean listed companies Sihwa, Lizzy Sipiwe Feront, Cecile Schulschenk, Jess Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership. Social responsibility of business -- Zimbabwe Sustainable development -- Zimbabwe Leadership -- Environmental aspects -- Zimbabwe UCTD Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH SUMMARY: Business practices are becoming progressively unsustainable, warranting a shift in the way business is currently being conducted. Global trends reflect an urgent need for companies to transition towards sustainable business practice to avert further damage to the planet. A better understanding of corporate sustainability by companies in developing countries is crucial in ensuring that business is conducted in a responsible manner that will benefit current and future generations. As a global phenomenon, corporate sustainability is already prompting some adjustments in Zimbabwean listed companies. This study explores how corporate sustainability is being promoted in the Zimbabwean context and how listed companies are responding to the change process. To gain insights into this phenomenon, I draw on institutional logics and framing literature. The institutional logics perspective is helpful to understand what guides the beliefs and practices of organisations, and how these may shift over time. In line with the institutional logics perspective, corporate sustainability in Zimbabwe can be understood as an emerging logic trying to take hold in a developing country. The framing literature is helpful for understanding how meanings are being created around corporate sustainability in Zimbabwe. Adopting a grounded theory methodology, I use semi-structured interviews, an online survey and document analysis to uncover the “top-down promotion efforts” and “bottom-up interpretive processes” that are simultaneously occurring to promote corporate sustainability and to enable change in business practices. Results of this research suggest that corporate sustainability is predominantly promoted in Zimbabwe as a mechanism to stimulate economic growth, with solutions mainly focused on ways to improve foreign investor confidence and adoption motivated by the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. Research results further suggest that from Zimbabwean listed companies, there is a growing understanding of the importance and applicability of corporate sustainability to business practice, confirmed by a marked increase in sustainability reporting since the publication in 2019 of the revised listings requirements by the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. While economic and governance aspects of sustainability feature prominently in the responses of listed companies, the data supports the notion that social and environmental awareness is growing. Data suggests that overall, respondents can be grouped into three categories. About a third can be described as pioneers, spearheading sustainability implementation. A few can be described as followers, showing signs of commitment to sustainability, and just over half can be described as laggards, having yet to engage with corporate sustainability. In the context of a developing country, the difficult economic conditions, the limited sustainability awareness of board members and the high costs of training and compliance act to significantly constrain the emerging logic of corporate sustainability. By shedding a light on the uptake of corporate sustainability in Zimbabwe, as well as the drivers and barriers to change, this study may assist policymakers and practitioners of developing countries in further promoting corporate sustainability and enabling lasting change in business practices. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sakepraktyke is besig om al meer onvolhoubaar te raak, wat ʼn verandering in die manier waarop sake tans gedoen word, regverdig. Die tendense wereldwyd weerspieel ʼn dringende behoefte vir maatskappye om ʼn oorgang na volhoubare sakepraktyke te maak, om verdere skade aan die planeet af te weer. Dit is noodsaaklik dat maatskappye in ontwikkelende lande ʼn beter begrip van korporatiewe volhoubaarheid ontwikkel, om te verseker dat sake op ʼn verantwoordelike wyse, wat die huidige en toekomstige geslagte sal baat, gedoen word. Korporatiewe volhoubaarheid, as ʼn wereldwye verskynsel, is die dryfkrag agter sommige van die aanpassings in maatskappye wat in Zimbabwe genoteer is. Hierdie studie verken hoe korporatiewe volhoubaarheid in die Zimbabwiese konteks bevorder word en hoe genoteerde maatskappye op die veranderingsproses reageer. Vir insig in hierdie verskynsel, put ek uit institusionele logika en literatuur wat die raamwerk daarvan vorm. Die perspektief van institusionele logika help om te verstaan wat die oortuigings en praktyke van organisasies is, en hoe dit oor tyd kan verskuif. In ooreenstemming met die institusionele-logikaperspektief kan korporatiewe volhoubaarheid in Zimbabwe verstaan word as ʼn ontluikende logika wat probeer om vastrapplek in ʼn ontwikkelende land te vind. Die raamwerkliteratuur help om te verstaan hoe betekenisse ten opsigte van korporatiewe volhoubaarheid in Zimbabwe geskep word. Ek maak, met behulp van ʼn gegronde-teorie-metodiek, gebruik van semigestruktureerde onderhoude, ʼn aanlyn opname en dokumentontleding om die „van-bo-na-onder-bevorderingspogings‟ en die „van-onder-na-bo- interpretiewe prosesse‟ bloot te le, wat gelyktydig plaasvind om korporatiewe volhoubaarheid te bevorder en om verandering in sakepraktyke moontlik te maak. Ek vind dat korporatiewe volhoubaarheid in Zimbabwe hoofsaaklik bevorder word as ʼn meganisme vir die stimulering van ekonomiese groei, met oplossings wat hoofsaaklik fokus op maniere om die vertroue van buitelandse beleggers te versterk en aanneming wat gemotiveer word deur die geleentheid om ʼn mededingende voordeel te behaal. Zimbabwiese genoteerde maatskappye toon ʼn groeiende begrip van die belangrikheid en toepasbaarheid van korporatiewe volhoubaarheid op sakepraktyk, wat bevestig word deur ʼn wesenlike toename in verslagdoening oor volhoubaarheid sedert die publikasie van die hersiene noteringsvereistes van die Zimbabwe Aandelebeurs in 2019. Hoewel die ekonomiese en bestuursbeheeraspekte van volhoubaarheid prominent voorkom in die respons van genoteerde maatskappye, is daar groeiende maatskaplike en omgewingsbewustheid. Oor die algemeen kan respondente in drie kategoriee gegroepeer word. Ongeveer een derde kan as baanbrekers beskryf word, wat aan die voorpunt van volhoubaarheidsimplementering staan. ʼn Paar kan as navolgers beskryf word, wat tekens van toewyding tot volhoubaarheid toon, en net meer as die helfte kan as draaikouse beskryf word, wat nog met korporatiewe volhoubaarheid moet begin. In die konteks van ʼn ontwikkelende land dien die moeilike ekonomiese toestande, die raadslede se beperkte bewustheid van volhoubaarheid en die hoe koste van opleiding en nakoming, om die ontluikende logika van korporatiewe volhoubaarheid beduidend te bedwing. Deur lig te werp op die aanvaarding van korporatiewe volhoubaarheid in Zimbabwe en op die aandrywers van verandering en die struikelblokke in die pad daarvan, kan hierdie studie beleidmakers en praktisyns in ontwikkelende lande help om korporatiewe volhoubaarheid verder te bevorder en blywende verandering in sakepraktyke te bewerkstellig. Masters 2021-08-05T12:45:41Z 2022-02-22T10:16:45Z 2023-03-18T03:00:07Z 2021-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124210 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xvi, 149 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Social responsibility of business -- Zimbabwe Sustainable development -- Zimbabwe Leadership -- Environmental aspects -- Zimbabwe UCTD Sihwa, Lizzy Sipiwe Exploring corporate sustainability as an emerging logic in Zimbabwean listed companies |
| title | Exploring corporate sustainability as an emerging logic in Zimbabwean listed companies |
| title_full | Exploring corporate sustainability as an emerging logic in Zimbabwean listed companies |
| title_fullStr | Exploring corporate sustainability as an emerging logic in Zimbabwean listed companies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring corporate sustainability as an emerging logic in Zimbabwean listed companies |
| title_short | Exploring corporate sustainability as an emerging logic in Zimbabwean listed companies |
| title_sort | exploring corporate sustainability as an emerging logic in zimbabwean listed companies |
| topic | Social responsibility of business -- Zimbabwe Sustainable development -- Zimbabwe Leadership -- Environmental aspects -- Zimbabwe UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124210 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sihwalizzysipiwe exploringcorporatesustainabilityasanemerginglogicinzimbabweanlistedcompanies |