Board structure and supplementary commentary on the primary financial statements

Purpose: This research investigates the relationship between the extent and focus of supplementary narrative commentary (SNC) on amounts reported in the primary financial statements and board structure variables. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study uses the disclosure index methodology to measure the extent of SNC in annual reports of 167 FTSE 250 companies. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis is employed to examine the association between the extent and focus of SNC and board structure variables. Findings: The findings show that the extent of SNC on amounts reported in the primary financial statements is about 30%, suggesting that companies provide commentary on a small number of amounts reported in the financial statements. In terms of focus of SNC, companies provide greater SNC on amounts in the income statement relative to the balance sheet. The regression results indicate that the extent of SNC is negatively associated with board size, and positively associated with audit committee independence and financial expertise. Focus of SNC is negatively related to audit committee independence and finance expertise. Originality/Value: The research contributes to both the voluntary disclosure and impression management literature streams. The findings provide evidence of the extent and focus of SNC on amounts in the financial statements. They also demonstrate that board structure variables are related to the extent and focus of SNC on amounts in primary financial statements. These findings have implications for policy makers who have responsibilities for ensuring that users of annual reports receive adequate information to make decisions

Capital market pressures and the format of intellectual capital disclosure in intellectual capital intensive firms

Purpose - A number of studies have examined firms’ intellectual capital (IC) disclosure practices. However, the presentation format of IC disclosure (text, numerical and graphs/pictures) is yet to be examined. In addition, there is little evidence on the impact of capital market pressures on IC disclosure. This study aims to examine the relation between presentation format of IC disclosures and three market factors (market-to-book ratio, share price volatility and multiple listing. Design/methodology/approach - Using content analysis, we examine the level of IC disclosure provided in the annual reports of 100 IC-intensive listed UK firms. A 61-IC-item research instrument is used to measure IC disclosure and regression analysis is employed to examine the relation between disclosure and the market factors, controlling for corporate governance and firm specific variables. Findings - Text is the most commonly used format for IC disclosure, whilst the use of graphs/pictures is very low. The findings of the relation between market factors and IC disclosure are mixed. Market-to-book ratio is significantly related to disclosure in text and numerical, but not to graphs/pictures. Share price volatility is only associated with graphs/pictures, whilst multiple listing is only related to text. Originality/value - Our findings suggest that the impact of capital market pressures on IC disclosure might differ with presentation format. In this context, the study makes a significant contribution to the IC disclosure literature

Relative value-relevance of accounting measures based on Chinese Accounting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relative value relevance of accounting measures based on Chinese Accounting Standards (CAS) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in relation to both A-share and B-share markets during three distinct phases (1994-1997, 1998-2000 and 2001-2004) over which CAS were progressively harmonized with IFRS. Design/methodology/approach – Using data for 86 Chinese listed companies which issued both A- and B-shares, the authors employ the price model to test for the association between CAS-based and IFRS-based accounting information, and A-share and B-share prices. The J-test was employed to determine the relative value relevance of the information based on the two sets of accounting standards. Findings – Overall, the authors find that for both the A-share and B-share markets, both CAS-based and IFRS-based accounting information are value relevant, but IFRS-based information is more value relevant than the CAS-based information. However, the magnitude of the differences between the explanatory powers of the CAS- and IFRS-based accounting information narrowed significantly in the 2001-2004 period in both the A-share and B-share markets. The results are robust to the deflator used and the stock exchange on which the companies are listed. Practical implications – The results have implications for China and other transitional economies attempting to integrate IFRS with a uniform accounting system. Originality/value – The paper provides the first comprehensive empirical evidence as to whether or not the progressive harmonization of CAS with IFRS improved the value relevance of CAS-based accounting in China and contributes to the debate on the (ir)relevance of IFRS in emerging and transitional economies

The Search for an African Feminist Ethic: A Zimbabwean Perspective

In the field of ethics, women have been portrayed as inferior to men due to androcentric attitudes (male-dominated ethics) that seems to define men as custodians of what is right or wrong. This andro-centric ethic has taken women out of the academic limelight as they are portrayed as less able to make valuable contributions in philosophy (ethics) and other fields of academic inquiry. It is encouraging to see feminist movements emerging, in the twenty-first century, to challenge this misplaced kind of thinking. This challenge is laudable and in this paper, I make an attempt to show that while women in the West have fought for their place in society resulting in developing ‘the ethics of care,’ women from Africa are still struggling to find their feet. The African woman’s moral point of view is still far from being respected because of the whims and caprices of patriarchy which is camouflaged in the communitarian philosophy of hunhu or ubuntu. Against this background, the paper seeks to show that an African feminist ethic can be developed and the fight for public recognition must begin in the home, taking cognizance of the fact that African women face several challenges as custodians of value. The paper argues that reclaiming motherhood in the context of the fight against HIV and AIDS will be a key step towards the realisation of African women’s moral vision

Water Stress: Morphological and Anatomical Changes in Soybean (Glycine max L.) Plants

Water stress is one of the most important physiological stress factors that adversely affect soybeans in many critical aspects of their growth and metabolism. Soybean’s growth, development and productivity are severely diminished, when soil or cell water potential becomes inadequate to sustain metabolic functioning. However, little has been done to gather comprehensive information regarding the specific changes that occur in water-stressed plants at the anatomical and morphological level. In this study, deviations in root growth, shoot growth, stomatal conductance, yield components and anatomical features are reported. Treatments with two levels of water stress imposed by reducing irrigation (once in 7 days or once in 15 days) revealed that, all cultivars (Dundee, LS 677, LS 678, TGx 1740-2F, TGx 1835-10E and Peking) were highly susceptible to prolonged water stress, exhibiting severe dehydration and death. A 15.0 and 30.0% survival frequency was obtained in plants irrigated once in 7 days; LS 677 and Peking, respectively. Unlike many other stresses, water deficit did not only affect the density of stomata, but, photosynthesis was affected by the lower levels of tissue CO2. These results suggest that, balanced biochemical, physiological, anatomical and morphological regulations are necessary for increased growth and yields in soybean

Genetic diversity assessment and evaluation of the concentration and stage of application of a male gametocide for hybrid development in sweet stem sorghum for bioethanol production.

Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Breeding. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2018.Abstract available in PDF file

Mainstreaming English language, mathematics and science in Zimbabwe: some ethical challenges

A research article on the ethical challenges obtaining in the Zimbabwe school curriculum.In this paper, we made the claim that there is a problem with the way the current Zimbabwean education curriculum is designed and implemented in both primary and secondary schools where subjects are put before the learner and learning often proceeds with the curriculum stipulating the subjects to be taught in order of their importance, with certain academic subjects being given more prominence than others. In getting to the above conclusion, we utilised the document research method. We argued for the need to give equal prominence to all academic subjects in order to develop a balanced graduate. This claim was made out of the realisation that education was multi-dimensional; that is, apart from developing cognitive/intellectual capacities in the child, it also promoted the development of the physical and moral powers of the learner. Against this backdrop, we argued that the development of the physical powers ofthe learner would only be made possible through the emphasis on the teaching of physical education and sport while the moral abilities of the learner would be awakened through emphasizing the teaching of indigenous languages as well as religious education among other humanities subjects

Can Africana women truly embrace ecological feminism?

My starting point in this essay is that, if it can be ascertained that there is something called Black African feminism (which represents the interests of some Black African women) as claimed by feminists and other like-minded African women, then the existence of Black African ecological feminism should be a matter of deduction. In this essay, I interrogate this position using Karen Warren’s version of ecological feminism which holds that there are important historical and conceptual connections between the domination of women in society and the domination of nature. This interrogation also prompts me to trace the history of traditional feminism with a view to showing that while, in the West, there could be important connections – historical, symbolic and theoretical between the oppression of women and the cruel treatment of nature, the same cannot be said of Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa where nature is owned or guarded by the spirit world. Using the Africana womanist perspective and the deductive method in philosophy, I argue that traditional feminism together with Warren’s ecological feminism completely ignore the experiences and aspirations of Black African women, thereby ruling out the possibility of the existence – in the truest sense – of both Black African feminism and Black African ecological feminism.Keywords: Ecological feminism, Feminism, Oppression, Patriarchal Conceptual Framework, Deductive Logic, Validity, Africana Womanis

Effect of Agrobacterium co-cultivation stage on explant response for subsequent genetic transformation in Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)

The establishment of an efficient in vitro genetic transformation protocol in soybean depends upon an effective interaction between the explants and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Therefore, a study was conducted at the University of Limpopo, South Africa, between September 2019 and May 2020 to evaluate explant amenability and effects of Agrobacterium co-cultivation stage on the induction of oxidative stress. This stress potentially causes lipid peroxidation, reduction of phytochemicals and chlorophyll pigments on explant tissue targeted for genetic transformation. This study, used double cotyledonary node explants infected and co-cultured with A. tumefaciens to evaluate total phenolics, antioxidant activity, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress-induced tissue senescence during the co-cultivation stage. The results, showed that, explant co-cultivation with Agrobacterium for 2, 4 and 6 days caused reductions in the amounts of phenolic compounds, chlorophylls and antioxidant activity due to tissue senescence, high oxidative stress and malondialdehyde contents. Percentage phenolic content of all bacteria infected explants ranged between 10.3?10.6 compared to 20.9% in the control. Chlorophyll content of about 1.49?4.00 mg/ml and malondialdehyde content ranging between 1.0?5.7 mM-1g-1 were also recorded. Overall, findings suggest that the infection of explants with A. tumefaciens can induce oxidative stress and tissue senescence depending on the period of co-cultivation. However, reduced oxidative stress and senescence of explant tissues may potentially improve soybean shoot regeneration and transformation efficiency

The Role of Plant Genotype, Culture Medium and <em>Agrobacterium</em> on Soybean Plantlets Regeneration during Genetic Transformation

An efficient and reproducible plant regeneration protocol is essential for genetic manipulation of important crops in vitro through Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. However, the establishment of such a procedure for recalcitrant legumes like soybean is still a major challenge. Genotype specificity, culture conditions and inefficient recovery of transgenic microshoots are some of the most important factors which requires optimisation before an efficient system of regeneration can be developed. The purpose of this chapter was to provide a review, and report on the varied responses obtained during the assessment of factors that cause recalcitrance during genetic transformation of soybean. Agrobacterium infected double cotyledonary-node explants were tested on MS basal culture medium containing combinations of cytokinins-auxins, as well the different concentrations of antibiotics for callus and shoot proliferation. The study showed that, the efficiency of microshoots and callus induction varied widely between cultures and among the genotypes. About 1.0–20.0 and 5.0–20.0% of callus and shoot induction frequency were obtained on cotyledonary explants transformed with Agrobacterium compared to more than 60% efficiency obtained in the controls, respectively. This study revealed that, there are some neglected factors playing a crucial role in genetic manipulation, which require optimisation before genetic transformation and in vitro regeneration of transgenic plants could be achieved