Company specific determinants of greenhouse gases disclosures

Findings - The results indicate that company size, gearing, financial slack and two industries (consumer services and industrials) are significantly associated with GHG disclosures while profitability, liquidity and capital expenditure are not. When the authors disaggregate GHG disclosures into qualitative and quantitative, the results suggest that the effect of some company factors differ depending on the type of GHG disclosures

Experiences of female journalists in Zimbabwean male-dominated newsrooms

Baseline surveys on the gender distribution in Zimbabwe’s media industry indicate a male dominance in newsrooms in general, as well as in media leadership positions. This gender disparity reflects the persistence of patriarchy and heteronormative beliefs in the Zimbabwean society, despite the country’s constitution upholding gender mainstreaming and principles of equality. However, thereis a dearth of systematic academic studies exploring the experiences, aspirations and attitudes of female journalists in these macho newsrooms. The article is theoretically guided by Raewyn Connell’s hegemonic masculinity theory. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively selected female Zimbabwean journalists to discuss their experiences and struggles in such environments. Findings indicate that gender remains an unresolved question in Zimbabwe. Due to alleged unprofessional conduct by some male journalists, Zimbabwean newsrooms resemble phallocentric and misogynistic “carnivals”. Women experience and battle against various forms of sexual harassment despite the presence of mechanisms to protect victims. Despite this violence, female journalists persevere and also find ways of speaking back to power

‘Highlander Ithimu yezwe lonke!’ : intersections of Highlanders FC fandom and Ndebele ethnic nationalism in Zimbabwe

Abstract: Football is one of the most emotive cultural forms through which people experience and express nationalism. The study demonstrates intersections of Zimbabwean Premier Soccer League (PSL) team- Highlanders FC fandom and Ndebele ethnic nationalism in Zimbabwe. This nationalism challenges state narratives of a ‘united Zimbabwe’ and advocates for secession of Bulawayo and Matabeleland provinces to form an ‘independent Ndebele nation’. Literature on Zimbabwean football has under-theorised its interface with football discourse. The author was an observer as participant in Zimbabwean football stadia for a four- year period observing terrace rituals especially songs and chants during Highlanders FC matches. In-depth interviews were also conducted with selected fans to get clarity on observed issues. The study concludes that while discussing secession is criminalised and condemned as ‘tribalism’ in Zimbabwe, Highlanders FC fandom is a critical site where some people express feelings and aspirations towards establishment of a separate ‘independent Ndebele nation’

Sports journalists and corruption in Zimbabwean football : reflections on the Asia-gate scandal

Abstract: Zimbabwe experienced a high profile match fixing scam between 2007-2010, commonly known as the Asiagate scandal. The Warriors - men’s senior national football team, reportedly fell victim to Asian betting syndicates. Four journalists from the state-controlled media were sanctioned by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) for allegedly participating in the scam. Burgeoning literature on ‘brown envelopes’ and freebies in journalistic practice in Africa at large and Zimbabwe in particular, has under-theorised this phenomenon in Zimbabwe’s sports journalism fraternity. Focusing on the Asia-gate scandal, the article utilises ‘brown envelope journalism’ theoretical lens to examine the subject and its repercussions on sports journalism practice, from the view point of sports journalists. In-depth interviews were conducted with selected sports journalists both from the publicly owned and privately owned media in Zimbabwe. The article avers that due to the deteriorating socio-economic environment, some journalists were ‘seduced’ by ‘brown envelopes’ and ‘recruited’ into a ‘patronage’ corrupt network by match-fixers. Consequently, ‘patronised’ journalists became pliant tools in hands of match-fixers and failed to ‘bark’ at malpractices masterminded by their ‘benefactors’

Corporate Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting in United Kingdom: Insights from Institutional and Upper Echelons Theories

This paper reports the results of an investigation into the extent to which various stakeholder pressures influence voluntary disclosure of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in the United Kingdom (UK). The study, which is grounded on institutional theory, also borrows from the insights of upper echelons theory and examines whether specific managerial (chief executive officer) characteristics explain and moderates various stakeholder pressures in explaining GHG voluntary disclosure. Data were obtained from the 2011 annual and sustainability reports of a sample of 216 UK companies on the FTSE350 index listed on the London Stock Exchange. Generally the results suggest that there is no substantial shareholder and employee pressure on a firm to disclose GHG information but there is significant positive pressure from the market status of a firm with those firms with more market share disclosing more GHG information. Consistent with the predictions of institutional theory, we found evidence that coercive pressure i.e. regulatory pressure and mimetic pressures emanating in some industries notably industrials and consumer services have a significant positive influence on firms' GHG disclosure decisions. Besides, creditor pressure also had a significant negative relationship with GHG disclosure. While CEO age had a direct negative effect on GHG voluntary disclosure, its moderation effect on stakeholder pressure influence on GHG disclosure was only significant on regulatory pressure. The results have important implications for both policy makers and company boards strategizing to reign in their GHG emissions

Corporate Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting in United Kingdom: Insights from Institutional and Upper Echelons Theories

This paper reports the results of an investigation into the extent to which various stakeholder pressures influence voluntary disclosure of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in the United Kingdom (UK). The study, which is grounded on institutional theory, also borrows from the insights of upper echelons theory and examines whether specific managerial (chief executive officer) characteristics explain and moderates various stakeholder pressures in explaining GHG voluntary disclosure. Data were obtained from the 2011 annual and sustainability reports of a sample of 216 UK companies on the FTSE350 index listed on the London Stock Exchange. Generally the results suggest that there is no substantial shareholder and employee pressure on a firm to disclose GHG information but there is significant positive pressure from the market status of a firm with those firms with more market share disclosing more GHG information. Consistent with the predictions of institutional theory, we found evidence that coercive pressure i.e. regulatory pressure and mimetic pressures emanating in some industries notably industrials and consumer services have a significant positive influence on firms' GHG disclosure decisions. Besides, creditor pressure also had a significant negative relationship with GHG disclosure. While CEO age had a direct negative effect on GHG voluntary disclosure, its moderation effect on stakeholder pressure influence on GHG disclosure was only significant on regulatory pressure. The results have important implications for both policy makers and company boards strategizing to reign in their GHG emissions

See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil? The press, violence and hooliganism at the ‘battle of Zimbabwe’

Abstract: Matches between Zimbabwean Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams Dynamos FC and Highlanders FC are popular but controversial. In 2004, Robson Sharuko, senior sports editor of The Herald newspaper, dubbed this game the ‘battle of Zimbabwe’. The fixture usually explodes into ugly scenes of violence. Such incidents hardly evade the eyes of the mass media. However, growing scholarship on Zimbabwean football have under-theorized this violence. The essay deploys the framing theory and Foucauldian discourse to analyze the framing of selected episodes of violence at the ‘battle of Zimbabwe’ by two state-controlled newspapers – The Herald and the Chronicle, which fall under the Zimbabwe Newspapers (Zimpapers) stable. The study shows that contrary to the common perception that The Herald and the Chronicle provide monolithic accounts on events, they furnish heterogeneous narratives on violence at this fixture. This heterogeneity is influenced by ethnic tensions between two dominant ethnic groups in Zimbabwe – the Shona and the Ndebele

The Extent and determinants of greenhouse gas reporting in the United Kingdom.

The study investigates the extent and determinants of greenhouse gas voluntary disclosures by FTSE350 United Kingdom (UK) listed companies from both theory and practitioners’ views. In accomplishing the aim, the study has the following objectives: (1) to analyse the extent of voluntary disclosure of GHG information in annual and sustainability reports of FTSE350 companies over a four year period i.e. 2008-2011; (2) to establish whether voluntary GHG disclosures are influenced by corporate governance characteristics (board size, non-executive directors, environmental committee, audit committee, ownership concentration and director ownership) and firm characteristics (company size, profitability, gearing, liquidity and industry); and (3) To investigate whether practitioners consider the determinants (as in objective two above) motivates the extent of voluntary GHG disclosures. To accomplish the objectives, the study uses a mixed-method approach on data derived from a sample of 215 FTSE 350 companies listed on London Stock Exchange. Firstly, an econometric model was developed based on a set of explanatory factors i.e. the governance and company characteristics and a dependent variable of disclosure index drawn from a multiple GHG voluntary reporting frameworks. Panel regression was then employed to examine the relationship between the explanatory factors and the actual disclosures. Secondly, through survey questionnaire, company executives were asked to rate their perception of the extent to which a list of determinants derived from largely secondary data literature influenced voluntary GHG disclosure. The results indicate an increasing trend in GHG disclosures from 2008 to 2011 perhaps suggesting positive impact of the government initiatives on GHG disclosures in the UK. Overall there is more disclosure of qualitative information in particular information on company action on GHG and climate change rather than actual emission disclosures. Companies have also not been proactive in disclosing quantified estimates of all forms of risks emanating from climate change. Results of the econometric model show that there is no support for the influence of traditional board characteristics such as Non-executive Directors, board size, and audit committee whereas both forms of ownership had a significant negative influence. The presence of an environmental committee was only significant in enhancing qualitative information and not quantitative information. In addition, as in other voluntary disclosures, size plays a vital role in determining the extent of the disclosures and that highly geared companies disclose less GHG information than less geared firms. Liquidity and profitability have no significant influence. The survey results suggest that according to the practitioners, board environmental committee and firm size are the only determining factors to have received wide support by the respondents while all other factors were firmly rejected. The findings that other determinants do not influence disclosure of GHG from a practitioner point of view suggests the need for an in-depth investigation into the determinants of voluntary disclosures beyond the evidence as derived from secondary data based studies. The study contributes knowledge to the voluntary disclosure studies in a number of ways. First, through mixed data approach, it has brought additional insights into the determinants of GHG disclosures. For example, through the primary survey data approach, evidence is documented that confirm and also contradict the secondary data approach findings in respect of both some governance and company variables. This suggests the need for more research using the mixed-method approach in an attempt to reveal why the results contradict. Secondly the results enrich voluntary disclosure literature by bringing disclosure determinants evidence through longitudinal data. Insights obtained from both the data triangulation and longitudinal study setting will help inform existing debate on policy options with regard to GHG emission disclosure. Finally the study contributes to the GHG disclosure literature by developing a comprehensive GHG voluntary disclosure index drawn from a various reporting guidelines. Such a comprehensive index will help ensure that adequacy of company GHG disclosures is assessed based on robust instrument

What is in a song? constructions of hegemonic masculinity by Zimbabwean football fans

Abstract: Hegemonic masculinity is defined as the most ‘honoured’ way of being a man, requiring all men to try to meet its standards. It may be encountered randomly, sometimes at such dispersed, everyday sites as sporting events. This article explores the authors’ ethnographic encounters with hegemonic masculinities amongst football fans in Zimbabwe, particularly in the songs they sing. Utilising Raewyn Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity, the article argues that Zimbabwean football fandom is tangled with hegemonic masculinities. The article demonstrates a simultaneously covert and subtle, but always complex, relationship between football fandom and masculinities, specifically hegemonic masculinity. The study’s major conclusion is that hegemonic masculinity is strongly discursive and occasionally occurs even in the seemingly most harmless mundane banter such as stadia songs. Despite the sometimes jovial nature of these performances, there are power undercurrents involved

Corporate voluntary greenhouse gas reporting: Stakeholder pressure and the mediating role of the chief executive officer

© 2020 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd The study sheds light on the extent to which various stakeholder pressures influence voluntary disclosure of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and how the impact is explained and moderated chief executive officer (CEO) characteristics of 215 FTSE 350 listed U.K. companies for the year 2011. The study developed a classification of GHG emission disclosure based on the guidelines of GHG Protocol, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Global Framework for Climate Risk Disclosure using content analysis. Evidence from the study suggests that some stakeholder pressure (regulatory, creditor, supplier, customer, and board control) positively impacts on GHG disclosure information by firms. We found that stakeholder pressure in the form of regulatory, mimetic, and shareholders pressure positively influenced the disclosure of GHG information. We also found that creditor pressure also had a significant negative relationship with GHG disclosure. Although CEO age had a direct negative effect on GHG voluntary disclosure, its moderation effect on stakeholder pressure influence on GHG disclosure was only significant on regulatory pressure