If we take a look at the well publicised research of Harvard Business School (HBS) and its Profit Success Chain, leaders have to admit that, in business as, people are their most treasured investment. The people in your business determine your success. This is why HBS keeps reminding leaders to create a positive work environment…
It’s poor economy to use bank notes to boil water for tea, not very efficient to boil five litres of water to make only one cup of tea, and certainly not effective to produce a cup of tea, when the customer wants a cool drink. Sometime in the late 1960s, I became fascinated with what…
Why XBRL? The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (www.sec.gov <http://www.sec.gov/> ) adopted a rule proposal on the 16th of May that makes compulsory the use of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) for some regulatory filings within three years (Cummings 2008). Under the proposal, the 500 largest companies will begin filing XBRL attachments with their…
The role of the chairman has been in the spotlight recently as a result of the high profile cases where the part played by management in alleged breeches of competition legislation is under scrutiny. Chairmen have played a leadership role in ensuring that the commitment of their companies to high standards of integrity is not…
IASB CONCLUDES FIRST ANNUAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has issued Improvements to IFRSs – a collection of amendments to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs). These amendments are the result of conclusions the IASB reached on proposals made in its annual improvements project, which were exposed for comment in October 2007. Unless…
Directors found guilty of anti-competitive behaviour could face up to 10 years in prison, warns Jean Meijer, competition lawyer at commercial law firm Bowman Gilfillan. “These are among several profound implications to emerge from the new Competition Bill.” Meijer says that the Bill creates criminal liability for price fixing, market division and collusive tendering. Thus:…
POST ELECTION VIOLENCE AND THE KENYAN PRACTITIONER The 2007 post election violence that rocked the country during December 2007 and most of January 2008 saw the destruction of many businesses and a mass exodus of people, resulting in a huge number of individuals being displaced. The signing of the peace accord by the government and…
Quality is key in the rigorous process of qualifying as a South African Chartered Accountant. All steps in the qualification process from the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees through to the standard setting Part I examination, the training programme and eventual assessment of professional competence are specifically designed to promote and embrace the standards relating to…
FROM THE PEN The primary champion issue I was reading an interesting article on the Mail and Guardian website a short while ago regarding the attacks in Alexandra, Diepsloot and other areas around the country. The article basically summed up the incidences as the “have nots” greed and envy of those that have. To say…
We continue to grapple with the pervasive shortage of qualified professionals and sound accounting skills across the country. The emigration of skilled professionals, coupled with an inadequate pipeline of qualifying Chartered Accountants are two of the pressing issues that the profession faces today. Dealing with both challenges is complex and is often beyond the reach…