It will be some time before any detailed analysis emerges from the CFO Global Business Outlook survey undertaken by North Carolina’s Duke University in 2013, but what appears to be a contradiction is obvious at first glance. The survey sample included 35 South African CFOs and while optimism about their country’s prospects was low (averaging…
I once heard a line of leadership advice that seemed so counter-intuitive in theory, and yet produced such brilliant results in practice, that I never forgot it. I was told: “Always be smart enough to hire people brighter than yourself.” At first, I was a little taken aback. In the dog-eat-dog world of corporate business,…
It is estimated to cost between R2 million and R4,5 million to raise and educate a middle-class child in South Africa, depending on private school and tertiary education (never mind postgraduate and professional qualifications). In the US, CNN estimated the cost at $241 000 to the age of 18, excluding college. Furthermore, the UK Guardian…
“South Africa has a pressing need for more graduates of good quality, to take forward all forms of social and economic development” – Council for Higher Education (CHE)1. Within South Africa’s developing economy, accounting education at universities faces several challenges, including underprepared students, curriculum overload, and the need to apply a principle-based teaching model in…
There may once have been a time when being a university professor or lecturer was a cushy job – but if there was, that time is long past. These days, academics not only have to teach, research, and mentor students, they increasingly also have to raise and manage their own funding. And they often have…
Science is a very precise discipline. All phenomena have a scientific explanation and if anything or anybody defies science, scientists have terms such as ‘instinct’ and ‘evolution’ as possible explanations. Quadriplegic cerebral palsy is defined as, among others, “children with spastic or other forms of cerebral palsy who often face a lifetime of physical and…
At the end of 2012, the Association of Fraud Examiners (ACFE) released the findings of a fraud and corruption survey from some 1 400 respondents in 100 countries (appropriately captioned 2012 Report to the Nations) with the basic message being that fraud in the world today has reached seismic proportions. The foreword to the results…
Sometime last year Lexus launched its all new medium-sector luxury vehicle the IS 350. Most of you will be familiar with its popular predecessor, the IS 250, which sold very well in South Africa. After winning the hearts of many a driver the IS range was starting to date and required a face lift in…
The International Integrated Reporting Framework (IIRC) released its Framework in December 2013. The Framework is primarily geared to the private sector, but it can be applied by not-for-profit and public sector organisations. The Framework incorporates the public comments submitted to the IIRC on the draft Framework of April 2013. The Framework is available on www.sustainabilitysa.org…
Socially responsible investing (SRI) is a growing international trend, though many private individuals are still under the illusion that SRI constitutes a cost. In fact, research abounds to prove that it substantially enhances investment returns. Therefore it is both possible and logical that investors satisfy their personal social ideals without compromising returns by investing in…