A Review of Accounting, Management and Sustainability Imperatives of Sustainable Transformative Performance

In the dynamic contemporary business environment, sustainability has evolved as a central pillar of organisational performance, as financial performance is no longer considered a firm's sole objective. However, the impact of sustainability practice on accounting, management and strategies has been told in a disparate manner. As a result, this systematic literature review analyses and synthesises the complex intersection of accounting, management practices, and the compelling mandates of sustainability. This literature review covers numerous facets of organisational practices and performance as it moves through several research themes involving the nexus of accounting, management, and sustainability. The study reviews topics like financial valuation and reporting, looking at the complex connection between financial performance and sustainability disclosures. The study also discusses management and accounting procedures, looking closely at how organisations are changing their plans to comply with sustainability requirements. This covers issues including fraud prevention techniques and cost management focusing on sustainability. The review also looks into the complex effects of sustainability practices on economic development, growth, and investment. It discusses how foreign direct investments affect the sustainability of host nations' economies. In addition, the study explores the views of educators on the efficacy of efforts focused on sustainability within the context of education and academia. The study also examines career paths in accounting academia to shed light on how educational institutions contribute to a sustainable future. Finally, the study examines gender variations in employee attrition and how talent management strategies are perceived. This is done by focusing on talent management and human resources.       Keywords: Accounting Practices, Financial Valuation, Financial Literacy, Environmental Disclosures, Economic Growth, Talent Management, Gender Disparitie

Curriculum reform in South African higher education: Policy effectiveness and institutional responses

There has been intense scrutiny about the design and delivery of curricula in South Africa higher education institutions. Various policies and laws have been established to ensure that the South African higher education contributes to the transformation agenda of the nation. This study contributes to this debate by examining how the South African higher education policies contribute to the transformation of curriculum to meet contemporary socioeconomic needs. The study employs a systematic literature review to synthesise current evidence and adopts a morphogenetic approach to explore how existing frameworks, such as the Higher Education Act of 1997 and the White Paper for Post-School Education and Training (2014), have shaped the curriculum design and implementation processes in South African universities. The paper begins by discussing the internationalisation of higher education curricula and highlights the need for graduates to develop global competencies. It further examines the role of the South African internationalisation policy in preparing students for the global economy. The research also addresses how policy gaps, such as the inadequate focus on decolonisation and the lack of alignment with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), impact the effectiveness of curriculum transformation efforts. The findings reveal that despite numerous policy frameworks and strategic documents, there remains a disconnect between the goals of higher education policies and the practical realities of curriculum design and delivery. This disconnect contributes to the numerous challenges in the higher education sector, manifested through student protests and dissatisfaction with the relevance of academic programs. The paper concludes that a more nuanced approach to curriculum reform is necessary, one that bridges policy intentions with practical outcomes through continuous dialogue among universities, the government, and industry stakeholders

Review of Sustainable Transformative Performance: Governance and Accountability Imperatives

The present organisational and business landscape makes the quest for sustainable transformative performance an urgent imperative. Because of this, it is crucial to synthesise and understand the many facets of sustainable transformative performance, with a focus on the need for governance and accountability. This paper reviews the relationship between corporate governance, accountability, and sustainable transformative performance imperatives. The paper draws on the knowledge from several research papers submitted to the Issues in Social and Environmental Accounting Journal special issue publication. It thoroughly analyses various perspectives on sustainable transformation, ranging from environmental sustainability and disclosure practices to the function of governance, organisational culture, and responsible investing. Alongside these issues, the paper also explores the integration of technological governance, its impact on innovation, and the nuanced relationship between financial performance, firm size, and corporate practices. Through these thematic lenses, this paper highlights the significance of aligning governance frameworks, fostering accountability, and embracing responsible practices to drive sustainable transformative performance. The findings of the paper provide valuable insights to practitioners, policymakers, and researchers, shedding light on the complex nature of sustainable transformation and the imperative of effective governance and accountability. The conclusion drawn from the study highlights the transformative power of ethical decision-making, creative governance models, and responsible behaviours in promoting sustainability, good governance and value-driven performance.     Keywords: Sustainable Transformative Performance, Governance, Accountability, Responsible Investment, Technological Governance, Environmental Disclosure and Performance, Environmental Sustainability, Organisational Culture

Multilevel Monte Carlo for a class of Partially Observed Processes in Neuroscience

In this paper we consider Bayesian parameter inference associated to a class of partially observed stochastic differential equations (SDE) driven by jump processes. Such type of models can be routinely found in applications, of which we focus upon the case of neuroscience. The data are assumed to be observed regularly in time and driven by the SDE model with unknown parameters. In practice the SDE may not have an analytically tractable solution and this leads naturally to a time-discretization. We adapt the multilevel Markov chain Monte Carlo method of [11], which works with a hierarchy of time discretizations and show empirically and theoretically that this is preferable to using one single time discretization. The improvement is in terms of the computational cost needed to obtain a pre-specified numerical error. Our approach is illustrated on models that are found in neuroscience

Curriculum reform in South African higher education: Policy effectiveness and institutional responses

There has been intense scrutiny about the design and delivery of curricula in South Africa higher education institutions. Various policies and laws have been established to ensure that the South African higher education contributes to the transformation agenda of the nation. This study contributes to this debate by examining how the South African higher education policies contribute to the transformation of curriculum to meet contemporary socioeconomic needs. The study employs a systematic literature review to synthesise current evidence and adopts a morphogenetic approach to explore how existing frameworks, such as the Higher Education Act of 1997 and the White Paper for Post-School Education and Training (2014), have shaped the curriculum design and implementation processes in South African universities. The paper begins by discussing the internationalisation of higher education curricula and highlights the need for graduates to develop global competencies. It further examines the role of the South African internationalisation policy in preparing students for the global economy. The research also addresses how policy gaps, such as the inadequate focus on decolonisation and the lack of alignment with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), impact the effectiveness of curriculum transformation efforts. The findings reveal that despite numerous policy frameworks and strategic documents, there remains a disconnect between the goals of higher education policies and the practical realities of curriculum design and delivery. This disconnect contributes to the numerous challenges in the higher education sector, manifested through student protests and dissatisfaction with the relevance of academic programs. The paper concludes that a more nuanced approach to curriculum reform is necessary, one that bridges policy intentions with practical outcomes through continuous dialogue among universities, the government, and industry stakeholders

Multilevel Particle Filters for a Class of Partially Observed Piecewise Deterministic Markov Processes

In this paper we consider the filtering of a class of partially observed piecewise deterministic Markov processes (PDMPs). In particular, we assume that an ordinary differential equation (ODE) drives the deterministic element and can only be solved numerically via a time discretization. We develop, based upon the approach in [20], a new particle and multilevel particle filter (MLPF) in order to approximate the filter associated to the discretized ODE. We provide a bound on the mean square error associated to the MLPF which provides guidance on setting the simulation parameter of that algorithm and implies that significant computational gains can be obtained versus using a particle filter. Our theoretical claims are confirmed in several numerical examples

Longitudinal Analysis of Relationship between Entrepreneurial Mindset Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Knowledge Improvement among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in South Africa

Motivated by the lack of empirical research on entrepreneurial mindset knowledge training among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa, this article examined the entrepreneurial knowledge among 3584 adolescent girls and young women from four provinces, i.e. KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and Western Cape in South Africa. The article also assessed how entrepreneurial mindset and skills training could drive the development and growth of AGYWs' mindsets towards entrepreneurship and link them with employment entrepreneurship opportunities. This study adopted quantitative and descriptive research approaches via longitudinal data collection. Secondary data collected using a questionnaire survey during entrepreneurial mindset and skills training from July-October 2021 by the large anonymized not-for-profit organization in South Africa was used for data analysis. Robustness analysis was performed using descriptive statistics using SPSS version 27.0. The findings from the empirical part of this research proved that adolescent girls and young women significantly improved their knowledge entrepreneurially throughout the training. This article contributes to the current body of knowledge as it filled in the gap and contributed significantly to the entrepreneurial mindset skill and knowledge improvement among adolescent girls and young women in South Africa

Does the Corporate Governance Practice Support the Corporate Financial Performance of Banking Industries in Ethiopia? Panel Data Analysis

The high-profile corporate collapses and failures in early 2000s changed the image of accounting, auditing, and regulatory environments. As a result, the need for implementing effective corporate governance practice (CGP) in corporate financial institutions has gained significant attention worldwide. Effective CGP paves the way for access to finance, lower cost of capital, better corporate financial performance (CFP), and favourable treatment by all stakeholders. This study examines the relationship between corporate governance variables and financial performance in the Ethiopian banking industry. The board size, independence, educational level of board and audit committee characteristics were employed as measures of corporate and return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) as financial performance metrics. The study involves a census of all major financial institutions supervised by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) for six years, 2015-2020. The main finding of this study revealed that the existence of board independence, the presence of an audit committee, the financial leverage ratio and financial institution size have a positive significant influence on CFP. Therefore, this study offers an important implication for developing corporate governance and capital structure to support underdeveloped financial institutions. This makes a significant contribution to the existing literature by addressing the specific context of Ethiopian banking industries, filling a gap in knowledge regarding the relationship between corporate governance and financial performance in this sector.     Keywords: Corporate governance practice, Ethiopian banks, Board characteristics, and corporate financial performance.   JEL Code: C33, G01, G21, and G3

A critical review of leadership styles in higher education institutions: Implications for employee commitment in South Africa

Purpose: This study critically examines the implications of leadership styles on employee commitment in higher education institutions in South Africa, addressing the challenges posed by rapid transformation in the sector. Methodology: A systematic literature review approach was adopted, synthesizing existing research findings from credible academic databases. Results: The study established that transformational leadership, focusing on vision-setting and employee empowerment, fosters trust and commitment. Conversely, transactional leadership, relying on contingent rewards, may inhibit creativity and long-term engagement. Theoretical contribution: This review contributes to the understanding of leadership dynamics in higher education, particularly in the South African context, by highlighting the relationship between leadership styles and employee commitment. Practical implications: The findings underscore the need for effective leadership development programs and organizational policies that cultivate staff commitment, potentially improving the performance of South African higher education institutions. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities; SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institution

The impact of women in the ward development committees: a case study of Nkonkobe Municipality Alice, Eastern Cape

Customarily, men have always been regarded as superior to women and they were accorded more opportunities than women. This imbalance placed women at the receiving end and it impacted negatively on their socio-economic rights such as education. Women were also not allowed to be in decision-making nor hold any positions in both public and private sphere. However, a number of international instruments call for the inclusion of women in decision-making bodies and most countries have many women in decision-making now. This study revealed that women in leadership positions are agents of change nationally, regionally and internationally. In Nkonkobe Municipality, the study concealed that the impact of women in decision-making is remarkably significant, as women have not only brought about social changes and addressed the needs of other women and children in the society but they have also worked hard in fighting poverty in the communities. However, patriarchy, culture, lack of education and lack of funds are the major obstacles to women‟s visibility in the ward committees and in decision-making. The study recommends that men should support women as their equal counterparts instead of opposing them. Further, women must have confidence in themselves and they should also support one another instead of supporting men. In addition, Municipalities should have women friendly policies and they should implement them to empower women.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Law, 201