Summary: | Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Corporate governance presents the researcher and the theorist alike, with a rich vein of potential subject matter. This spans a massive scope of issues, ranging from feminist concerns to direct litigious anomalies during the multinational implementation of specific governance measures. Located towards the centre of this spectrum is the formulation of new governance policies, as informed by both theoretical foundations and real world experience. It is at this midway point that the South African governance debate currently finds itself, with the third edition of the King Report on Corporate Governance set for launch in the coming months. The report and the associated code will form the basis for all governance and related oversight mechanisms in South Africa for the foreseeable future. As such, the third report will have to organically grow out of the current structure, the lessons learnt from the current dispensation and the governing theoretical positions. All of these will also have to be done with reference to the new companies act. The research report is specifically targeted at assisting in the process of learning from the current dispensation, before it is replaced by the new. The learning process has as its central tool a formal questionnaire, which was developed and administered by the IOD and KPMG, with all analysis presented herein performed by the author of this research report. The analysis conducted aims to determine how respondents at different types of companies and in different functions, view corporate governance and specifically the current dispensation in South Africa. This is done by dividing respondents into 10 groupings and determining the percentage of respondents from each group, who responded in a certain manner to each question on the questionnaire. Thereafter a statistical analysis technique is employed to determine whether or not any differences found are meaningful and if so, what can be inferred from these differences. Finally, this study is intended to provide a baseline for future studies, which will then be in a position to more accurately measure shifts in attitude and implementation after the publication of the third King Report. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Korporatiewe bestuur, hetsy van ‘n suiwer teoreties of ‘n toepassingsoogpunt, bied aan die navorser ‘n magdom van moontlike onderwerpe. Dit sluit bykans enige denkbare invalshoek of fokus area in, van die feminisme tot regskwessies rondom die multinasionale implementering van ‘n enkele kode of beginsel. Midde in hierdie wye veld is daar ook areas wat na beide die teoretiese en praktiese verwys, waarvan die ontwikkeling en opdatering van korporatiewe bestuurskodes ‘n sprekende voorbeeld is. Dit is dan juis ook op hierdie punt waar die debat rondom korporatiewe bestuur in Suid-Afrika sigself tans bevind, met die derde King Verslag op Korporatiewe Bestuur wat binne die volgende paar maande verwag word. Die belang van hierdie verslag lê daarin dat dit, asook die meegaande riglyne, die basis sal vorm van korporatiewe bestuur in Suid-Afrika vir die afsienbare toekoms. Om volwaardig in hierdie kapasiteit te kan funksioneer, sal die nuwe verslag organies moet groei uit die huidige verslag, ervaring in die praktyk en ook die heersende teoretiese posisies. Die ontwikkeling moet dan ook verder tred hou met die nuwe maatskappye wet, wat tans ontwikkel word. Die navorsingsverslag wat hierin voorgelê word, is daarop geteiken om uit die huidige sisteem, spesifiek die tweede King Verslag en meegaande riglyne, te leer alvorens dit vervang word deur die derde King verslag. Die taak is moontlik gemaak deur die gebruik van ‘n vraelys saamgestel en gesirkuleer deur die IOD en KPMG, alhoewel al die analise hier voorgelê deur die outeur van hierdie verslag gedoen is. Die genoemde analise se sentrale fokus is om te bepaal hoe respondente uit verskillende maatskappye en beroepe, korporatiewe bestuur in Suid-Afrika sien, met spesifieke verwysing na die tweede King verslag. Verskille tussen die respondente, wat in 10 groepe ingedeel is, is dan ook statisties geanaliseer om te bepaal of enige verskille tussen die groepe statisties beduidend is en indien wel, wat daaruit afgelei kan word. Laastens is die studie ook opgestel om ‘n basis daar te stel vir toekomstige vergelykende studies, wat sal volg na die uitreiking en implementering van die derde King verslag en riglyne.
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