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The study explores the use of professional investor relations (IR) practices in South African (SA) listed companies to understand which theories may be responsible for IR's adoption and growth in South Africa, an emerging economy. Therefore, this study evaluates shareholder value maximisation, stakeholder and legitimization theory and institutional isomorphism theory as possible theories to explain professional IR behaviour in SA listed companies.

The study design is qualitative and exploratory, based on a questionnaire developed and sent to all companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE).

The results indicate evidence of isomorphic spread to SA environments from practices observed in the UK and the USA, which we find are mostly performed to promote shareholder interests. The data suggest some evidence that the communication needs of black economic empowerment and environmental, social and governance (ESG) investors are given priority, suggesting the utility of professional IR to obtain legitimisation from society. Contrary to expectation is that social media communication channels are not extensively used.

The descriptive nature of this study may be valuable to IR practitioners to improve SA IR practises, while neglected legitimisation opportunities with regard to the needs of ESG and black economic empowerment shareholders may be fruitfully addressed by practitioners.

This study innovates in its use of legitimisation theory and isomorphism theory to develop the study's expectations. Social problems provide contextual elements unique to SA which provides a good opportunity to test the expectation of legitimisation theory's influence on professional IR practices.

This study examines the possible nonlinear effect of size on stakeholder and shareholder profitability in the Ghanaian insurance brokerage industry.

This study employs a panel dataset of 64 Ghanaian insurance brokerage firms spanning 2011–2015. Static [ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed effect and random effect and dynamic (two-step generalized method of moments (GMM))] estimation techniques are employed to analyze the data.

The study finds the existence of both economies and diseconomies of scale and scope theories in the Ghanaian insurance brokerage industry confirming the existence of nonlinear nexus between size and performance. This finding is consistent for both stakeholder and shareholder profit performance. Thus, the results show that size improves profitability of insurance brokerage firms, but beyond a certain threshold, the relationship turns negative as size negatively affects profitability.

The research findings have implications for both policy and research; the study recommends that Ghanaian brokerage managers should understand that not all growth is good and exercise a duty of care when applying growth strategies by monitoring size effect on performance so as not to go beyond the inflection point. Further research can be done to examine this effect in other contexts, timeframes and jurisdictions.

This research is unique in that it employs a panel dataset consisting of 96% of insurance brokerage firms in Ghana whilst employing both static and nonstatic regression models to examine the effect of size. The research analysis adopted is robust, and the findings are significant. Also, the lack of empirical studies on the operations and dealings of auxiliary institutions such as the insurance brokerage firms adds value to this research.

The paper aims to examine how Indian non-financial service sector companies’ financial performance is influenced by their corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditures. The paper also analyses whether family ownership has a moderating role in the CSR expenditure–financial performance association.

The study includes 288 non-financial service sector companies listed in India with 3,456 firm-year observations. Panel data regression analysis using data for 12 years, starting from 2010 to 2021, is carried out.

The study reveals a positive influence of CSR spending on financial performance measures (Tobin’s Q and return on assets). Mandatory CSR policies also influence the company’s performance. Additionally, family ownership has a positive moderating effect on CSR expenditure–financial performance (Tobin’s Q).

The study gives insights to the managers on how CSR expenditures can be used to maximise their benefits by supporting social causes, particularly in the case of firms with ownership structures where family involvement is there.

The prior studies analysing family ownership effect on the CSR–financial performance relationship are fewer, and in a country like India, where corporate philanthropy is a part of the family business culture, there is a need to understand how CSR spending influences firm performance.

Global investors demand, regulators require, and companies disclose their sustainability performance information, and scholars have started to conduct research on sustainability performance, reporting and assurance. The goal of firm value creation can be achieved when management considers the interests of all stakeholders and integrates all five economic, governance, social, ethical, and environmental (EGSEE) dimensions of sustainability performance into managerial strategies, actions and reporting. This paper provides a synthesis of research on sustainability and presents a theoretical framework consisting of theories and standards relevant to all five EGSEE dimensions of sustainability performance and risks and their integration into corporate culture, business models and reporting in creating stakeholder value.

The equator principles constitute an international voluntary code developed by banks to encourage consideration of environmental and social issues in project financing. Such codes can flexibly bridge the gap between individual companies' sustainability initiatives and mandatory, legal regulation. However, concerns continue to be expressed that the equator principles reporting of banks is not fully satisfactory, so the aim of this paper is to investigate both the nature of the success and the shortcomings of equator principles reporting.

The paper is based on academic literature on motivations for corporate social responsibility and various publications by non‐government organisations and professional accounting and legal organisations, together with analysis of the disclosures made by Barclays and HSBC. In addition, access was gained for semi‐structured interviews with some senior executives/consultants.

While the voluntary equator principles initiative has been remarkably successful in matching banks' strategic motivation, the environmental benefit may primarily be a by‐product of the risk management processes of banks, consistent with enlightened shareholder theory. This does not mean the environmental benefits may not be real but, without more detailed project‐level disclosure and a standardised performance evaluation system, it is difficult to measure the extent to which the equator principles have had a positive effect on the environment.

Further research is needed to gauge how the equator principles impact front‐line decision making. There could usefully be further standardisation of equator principles reporting formats, with more detail about project‐level implementation. With respect to reports of external assurers, it remains an open question as to whether these should be made compulsory, subject to further specification of the independence and competence standards.

The study helps to illuminate the effectiveness of a voluntary code such as the equator principles in the social construction of how enlightened shareholder theory is to be interpreted and implemented. It makes an initial response to recent calls by Bebbington et al. and Adams for further empirical corporate social responsibility research and more direct engagement with organisations.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how firm- and country-level determinants affect corporate ecological transparency.

The study utilizes multiple theories that are commonly used by corporate social responsibility studies to explain the corporate ecological transparency. Based on a sample of 243 Global 500 firms, the authors examine the impact of shareholders’ interest in ecological information, creditors’ concern, firm size, industry membership, the presence of emission trading scheme (ETS), stringency of environmental regulations on corporate ecological transparency.

The paper documents evidence that larger firms, firms in GHG-intensive sectors, and highly leveraged firms tend to produce more ecological disclosures. In addition, ecological transparency is higher in countries with an ETS and increases with more stringent environmental regulation. Finally, the authors find little evidence that shareholders of these firms are concerned with this information.

The sample is restricted to the largest firms with relevant carbon profile information. Thus, caution should be exercised when generalizing the inferences.

Sustainability has become one of the most importance topics in business agenda. Firms’ attitude and decision about the ecological transparency will affect internal firm performance, external stakeholder engagement, and policy makers’ attention. It determines the firms’ long-term operation and development.

The study contributes to the literature by utilizing multiple theories to explain ecological transparency. Each of the theories provided only a partial explanation for ecological transparency. Thus, we need to consider the firms’ behaviors from multiple dimensions. In particular, stakeholder theory and institutional theory are the dominant perspectives accounting for managers’ propensity to disclose a firm’s ecological footprint.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of foreign currency derivative (FCD) usage on firm value. In specific, the authors study the significance of the relationship between FCD usage and firm value for exporters and non-exporters, respectively, with consideration of conditions of exchange rate movements.

As the main empirical test, this paper utilizes the multivariate Tobin's Q model for a panel dataset of 125 non-financial firms, which have been continuously listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange from 2010–2018. The authors divide the sample firms into two groups: exporters and non-exporters based on theoretical background and estimate the relationship between FCD usage and the firm value measured by Tobin's Q for each firm group. Also, as a complementary test, the Fama–French three-factor model is used to estimate the effect of FCD usage on the monthly portfolio returns of the firms when exchange rate levels and volatility are considered.

First, the effect of FCD usage on firm value significantly exists in the Bangladeshi non-financial firms from 2010–2018. Specifically, the FCD effect on firm value is negative (hedging discount) for exporters, whereas the FCD effect is positive (hedging premium) for non-exporters. Second, the multivariate analyses suggest the hedging discount (premium) for exporters (non-exporters) is consistent only when the domestic currency appreciates (depreciates). Third, the FCD effect on firm value is consistently positive for non-exporters when exchange rate volatility is higher.

Further studies could be conducted with the detailed data of the firms' hedging performance, if they are available. Particularly, the cost and revenue data associated with hedging would help identify evident reasons for exporters' hedging discounts in Bangladesh. Moreover, the best hedging option for maximizing the Bangladeshi firm value could be analyzed with the detailed FCD type data, such as futures, options and swaps. Further refinement of these data would improve institutional capability for substantive growth in frontier markers.

This paper provides practical implications for corporate managers in charge of managing foreign exchange risk in Bangladesh. First, closer accounting observation is much necessary for the firms to accurately evaluate whether the FCD usage is beneficial in their cash flows because the exporters come to have two large costs: entering foreign markets and carrying FCD program. Second, for better value from using FCDs, the exporters should learn how to utilize appropriate financial derivatives. FCD usage is beneficial when the exporters are fully aware of what their real risks are and the role of appropriate derivatives within its portfolio strategy.

A policy reducing the costs of either foreign market entry or FCD usage would be helpful for lessening the FCD discount effect. Also, a long-term policy that enables the born-to-exporters to establish substantive positions in the home market would be helpful for enhancing the cash inflow capability, thereby causing the firm value structure to be strengthened.

The paper has originality because it bridges the gap in the literature. First, the authors find a new empirical result regarding the significant FCD effect on a frontier market, although the FCD effect deals with the small and secondary risk in the previous literatures. Second, finding the contrasting FCD effect between the exporters and non-exporters sheds lights on the importance of firm-specific characteristics for precisely evaluating the FCD effect on firm value. Third, we find that the significant FCD effect is prominent by condition of exchange rate movements, which has been overlooked in prior literature.

Is the natural environment a stakeholder of the firm? And is there a business case for achieving sustainability? The purpose of this paper is to trace a tripartite relationship, involving environmental disclosure, environmental performance, and financial performance of environmentally sensitive activities of companies in a European setting.

A sample of 60 of the largest European Union industrial business groups, extracted from the FTSEuroFirst 300, and an environmental disclosure index inspired by the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines, form the basis for the content analysis of the most recent sustainability reports published before the end of 2008.

A significant association is found between contemporaneous environmental performance and disclosure, in that bigger polluters tend to disclose more on their activities, but only to a moderate statistical effect. However, no association is found between environmental performance and financial performance, as well as between environmental disclosure and contemporaneous firm performance.

This result suggests that even though big polluters tend to report more, the transparency level of their activities may not be sufficient for a viable assessment of sustainability. For such “environmentally challenged” companies, their reputation‐building strategy is mainly focused on preserving or repairing legitimacy.

The paper considers two complementary aspects: first, that the relationship between sustainability commitment and financial performance may be so weak that it is barely detectable; and second, that cross‐sectional studies may fail in capturing a relationship that is normally shaped over longer periods of time.

In the previous chapter, from the research conducted, it has been determined that a set of 11 entrepreneurial competencies are the most relevant in relation to Sierra Leone. In line with the results of this research, this chapter aims to explain the content/structure, the purpose, and the fit of the context in each competence. The specific competencies include spotting opportunities, creativity, setting a clear vision, self-awareness, and self-efficacy, motivation, and perseverance, mobilisation of resources, financial and economic literacy, management, risk-taking, teamwork, and learning through experience.

This paper aims to argue that the methodologies adopted by the conventional management accounting in selecting between or among two or more alternative courses of action, both in the long-term and the short-term decision making endeavours conflict with the overall objective ( falah) of Islamic enterprises.

The paper explores relevant literatures (including the Qur'an and the Hadeeth) to ascertain the objective of an Islamic enterprise and suggest an alternative approach, in making a choice among alternative courses of action, that aligns with the Islamic socio-economic objective ( falah).

The paper suggests that both in long-term and short-term decision making endeavours, cost-benefit comparison (where cost includes negative externalities) rather than discounted cashflow techniques or contribution margin should be adopted in making a final choice among alternatives to achieve falah.

The paper has not considered other objectives that may be pursued by an organisation beside profit maximization whether short-term or long-term.

The paper expands the frontiers of knowledge in Islamic accounting by exposing the inadequacy of the conventional management accounting decision making methods.

This paper explores the Islamic perspective of the conventional management accounting which is rare among scholars of accounting.