Faculty of Accounting and Informatics
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Item Exploring undergraduate students’ perception of 4IR digital era at a higher education institution in South Africa(Accounting Department of Economics and Business Faculty of Syiah Kuala University, 2023-06-23) Bhana, Anrusha; Cele, Siphiwe; Matli, WalterObjective –This study aims to explore undergraduate students’ perceptions and knowledge of 4IR in relation to their accounting curriculum and careers at HEIs in KwaZulu-Natal. The digital revolution is altering the way in which people and organizations work, as well as nearly every other aspect of human life. Furthermore, 4IR is re-writing society's fundamental rules, which highlights the need for this paper. Methodology –This study used a census approach to gather quantitative data from one of South Africa's HEIs, via an online questionnaire link created with the Microsoft Forms application. The study was conducted online with a total population of 257 exit-level students from the Diploma in Accounting programme, the population that was targeted. The sample size was 172 out of 257 students, with a response rate of 66.9%. Results –The findings indicated that students' knowledge of 4IR is limited, with only 56.4% of students having an understanding of what big data, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) are. Research limitations/implications –There is a need to close the knowledge gap between Financial Accounting students’ knowledge of 4IR trends like big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) and curriculum content. The study's population was limited to exit-level students at one Higher Education Institution, hence the study's findings may not be generalizable to all HEIs. Novelty/Originality –The study’s novelty contributes to the growing body of research on how accounting technology can improve Financial Accounting education. The study provides an original perspective on the applicability of 4IR Accounting software systems and packages in a South African context, since most related studies were not conducted in South Africa. Furthermore, the study illustrates the importance of 4IR in the accounting curriculum.Item The impact of environmental costs on financial performance : an explorative analysis of two plastic companies(LLC “Consulting Publishing Company “Business Perspectives", 2023-03) Aliamutu, Kansilembo Freddy; Bhana, Anrusha; Suknunan, SachinThere is little research on the impact of environmental costs on plastic manufacturing companies’ financial performance and sustainability. This paper aims to explore the relationship between environmental costs and financial performance of two large national plastic manufacturing companies, namely Bowler Metcalf Limited (BML) and Nampak Ltd, between 2018 and 2019 since research allows for five year old information. Further, the study used pre-Covid-19 data to conceptualize. It adopted a qualitative method of inquiry using content analysis to analyze the financial statements and reports of the two companies (secondary data analysis) available in the public domain. The interpretative analysis further supported the analysis and interpretation of the two variables of environmental costs and financial performance. The results showed a positive relationship between environmental costs and profits in the financial statements of these two companies during 2018 and 2019. BML had a decrease in plastic penalties from R 23.171 million in 2018 to R 14.596 million in 2019, which supported a reduction in spending on legal and constructive obligation items. Nampak also decreased stakeholders’ equity from R 10,140.3 million in 2018 to R 8,932.33 million in 2019, which meant that the stakeholders’ equity funds were reduced, possibly due to reduced spending on environmental costs during that period. It can be concluded and established that when these two plastic companies spend more on environmental costs, this positively affects overall financial performance and improves financial sustainability. It is recommended to allocate more resources/funding to support environmental costs to increase the profitability of the two plastic manufacturing companies.Item The relationship between previous leadership theories and ethical leadership in a South African context : a narrative review(Center for Strategic Studies in Business and Finance SSBFNET, 2022) Bhana, Anrusha; Sachin SuknunanLeadership theories have underpinned significant leadership studies and practices which span decades. Despite the plethora of research on different leadership theories and styles, there is minimal research exploring the relationship between previous leadership theories and the ethical leadership style. Previous research has shown that the ethical leadership effect goes above and beyond other leadership styles and theories as the latter lack an exclusive ethical focus. Therefore, this paper aims to address the identified gap from a preliminary perspective of previous leadership theories as compared to the ethical leadership style. In addition, ethical leadership is the ‘only’ leadership style that is part of the King IV code and report on Corporate Governance in South Africa. The study is built on previous research conducted on leadership theories in relation to ethical leadership and corporate governance as per the King IV report. The method employed involved conducting a historical narrative review of research from more than 60 relevant sources obtained from different databases and search engines on this topic. The paper found that a relationship exists between historical and contemporary leadership theories, contemporary theories and ethical leadership style, and ethical leadership and corporate governance. Stemming from these results, a conceptual model of the relationship between leadership theories, ethical leadership style, and Ubuntu ethics is shown. It is hoped that different types of organizations in South Africa will benefit from this review paper since most need to comply with the King IV report and code. The focus should be on ethical leadership as it promotes better employee performance and positive organizational outcomes.Item Role-modelling, decision-making and conflict resolution : impact of leadership and management on academic and administrative employees at a South African higher education institution(Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd, 2022-09-01) Bhana, Anrusha; Suknunan, Sachin; Bayat, Mohammed ShaheedThe study aimed to address the management and its impact on the age and tenure cohort at a higher education institution. An overview of what constitutes the characteristics of managers as well as a discourse between leadership and management skills is provided. The study adopted a mixed method design comprising a quantitative approach for employees and a qualitative approach for line management leadership and executive management leadership. The total population for the quantitative method constituted 1874 academic and administrative employees with a targeted sample of 420. The study obtained a response rate of 312 out of 420 employees. The qualitative data collection tools for the management were semi-structured interviews and open-ended interviews of 12 out of 18 being the realised sample size. The study showed evidence of poor leadership and management qualities in relation to support, role-modelling, trust, critical decisions, and self-management which may have a negative effect on younger and new employees. The study made an original contribution to this area as it depicted a clear indication of poor role-modelling and decision-making that managers lack, conflict management skills and its implications thereof.Item Influence of employee-manager relationship on employee performance and productivity(LLC CPC Business Perspectives, 2022-07-12) Dlamini, Nosipho Pearl; Suknunan, Sachin; Bhana, AnrushaOrganizational performance can be seen as dependent on employee job performance and productivity. One of the factors that influence employee job performance and productivity is the working relationship between employees and their managers. This paper examines the influence of the relationship between employees and their managers on enhancing employee performance and productivity. The study was conducted in a financial organization based in Durban (South Africa). A quantitative approach was utilized with a census method targeting a total population of 40 administrative employees. A questionnaire was constructed based on the research aims and was administered to all 40 respondents. As a result, the response rate was 65%. Key findings indicated that the relationship between managers and employees did affect employee performance and productivity. A positive relationship with a manager is closely linked to increased motivation and performance, while a negative relationship is linked with poor performance. An overall negative impact and high level of dissatisfaction amongst employees were found due to the current bureaucratic management style that managers adopt in their organization. Thus, it makes employees less productive and decreases their work performance. Furthermore, it was found that employees’ perception of their relationship with managers plays a significant role in predicting job performance. Recommendations for a better working relationship to promote employee performance and productivity include manager-employee training, team building activities, skills development programs for managers, employee rewards and recognition, increased communication platforms, and more consideration for employee well-beingItem Challenges impeding women into leadership roles in a student-led organization at the South African higher education institution(Business Perspectives, 2021-12) Jali, Nokwanda; Suknunan, Sachin; Bhana, AnrushaThe study shows that a patriarchal society where women are still in the minority when it comes to leadership positions is still dominating. A few studies are exploring the role of women in leadership in government and industry, and very little focus is paid on higher education institutions and more especially – from a female leadership perspective. Therefore, this paper aims to determine the factors that hindered female students from attaining leadership positions and simultaneously make recommendations to create more leadership opportunities in a nationally recognized student-led organization known as the Student Representative Council at a large public South African higher education institution – the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The target population was 16 female leaders who served in the University’s Student Representative Council from 2019 to 2020 of which 13 had responded. A qualitative approach was followed and interviews were conducted. The study employed inductive qualitative thematic analysis using NVIVO 12. Findings revealed that the Student Representative Council structure at the university was patriarchal with little commitment to gender equality. Males outnumbered women in leadership roles. Portfolios assigned to women were mainly administrative rather than leadership. Females were subjected to stereotypical behavior. The study recommended ways to promote female student leadership whereby policy and constitution change is required to facilitate gender equality and the implementation of quotas. Women should be empowered to enhance their leadership skills via effective leadership development programs specifically designed for females to address the leadership gap between males and females.Item The influence of leadership style on strategic decision in response to organizational change(e-International Publishing House (e-IPH), 2021-08) Aziz, Nazirah; Tuan Mat, Tuan Zainun; Zainuddin, Zairul Nurshazana; Bhana, AnrushaWith the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses have to take extensive change initiatives to stay competitive in the market. This paper addresses the significant role of the leaders in making strategic decisions to ensure business sustainability. This paper explores the influence of leadership styles on strategic decisions by reviewing past literature that discusses the relationship between various leadership styles and strategic decisions. The findings of this study will enhance the strategic decisions by identifying the prominent leadership style practiced by SMEs in facing change necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.Item Exploring leadership factors creating employee engagement or disengagement across job grade categories at a public higher education institution in South Africa(Business Perspectives, 2021-03-18) Bhana, Anrusha; Suknunan, SachinOngoing difficulties in promoting employee commitment confront the domain of higher education, hence, the importance of staff to help achieve institutional goals grows. For this to happen, employee engagement is key. This paper examined the issues of engagement or disengagement amongst employees, including job grades and the factors influencing this, at Durban University of Technology, South Africa. It adopted a quantitative and qualitative method of inquiry. The quantitative data collection targeted 420 employees utilizing questionnaires and obtained a response rate of 312 (74%). The qualitative aspect involved interviewing 12 out of 18 leadership personnel, giving a response rate of 67%. Also, descriptive and inferential analysis was used. Internal employee engagement demonstrated a significant difference across job level categories, F (4, 307) = 4.012, p = 0.003. There is also a significant difference in agreement mean score, which is lower for lecturer grade level (M = 2.5257, SD = 1.08359) than middle manager grade level (M = 3.2909, SD = 0.82396), showing that lecturer grade level is more engaged as compared to the middle manager level reflecting that the this level is not as engaged as it should be. Obtained qualitative results showed that there was minimal employee engagement. Overall, there was more employee disengagement than engagement at the institution, leading to employee stress, increased employee turnover, and minimal employee productivity. This can, in turn, affect institutional productivity. However, leadership viewed employee engagement as important and something to be further developed.Item The relationship between ethical leadership styles and employees effective work practices(Sciedu Press, 2020-05-19) Bhana, Anrusha; Bayat, Mohamed SaheedSouth African Higher ]Education Institutions are diverse, highly debated by academia as well as the portfolio committee on higher education and structured with a strong focus on the customer being students, with a negligible concern for the academic and professional employees. The revolutionary changes at Higher Education Institution have gestured the importance of both leadership and employees to support the transformational strategy at these institutions. Higher Education transformation has a lot to do with leadership - not the leadership of the Vice-chancellor, but the leadership of a collective of people, executive management leadership, line management leadership, academics and administration, and other stakeholders (MacGregor, 2015:28; 2012). The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between the ethical leadership style of line management leadership, and academic and administrative at a South African Higher Education Institution in KwaZulu-Natal. Data analysis utilized a quantitative method with an academic sample size of 165 (52.9%) and administrative sample size of 147 (47.1%). The study used descriptive and linear regression analysis to examine the two variables. The descriptive findings revealed that ethical leadership style was not present at the line management leadership level. The inferential analysis findings exhibited a significant strong linear relationship of 74.7% between line management leadership and employee items. Data analysis revealed that line management leadership style had an impact on employees’ performance and behavior at the institution. Thus, it is imperative to have a fully engaged workforce in order for an institution to achieve greater levels of innovation, intrapreneurship, design thinking and financial management.