Measurement of business social value generated through impact investing: the case for the South African banking sector

• Main Author: Raliphanda, Lufuno Maxwell
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Banks and banking > South Africa; Banks and banking > Social aspects; Community development > Finance; Social responsibility of business > South Africa
• Online Access: Raliphada, Lufuno Maxwell (2017) Measurement of business social value generated through impact investing: the case for the South African banking sector, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <http://hdl.handle.net/10539/23055>; http://hdl.handle.net/10539/23055

A Dissertation Report presented to the Witwatersrand Business School Witwatersrand University In fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Management June 2017 === Impact investment is an innovative mechanism developed within the realm of development finance to intentionally create measurable positive impact beyond financial returns. It has become an instrument for South African banks to achieve their Financial Sector Charter goals of making a viable contribution towards economic growth, development, empowerment and reduction of inequalities and poverty in our society. South Africa is the largest market in Southern Africa for impact investment and the management dilemma faced by the South African Banking Sector as the financial intermediaries is how to account and measure the social value created by the impact investments? This study investigated the measurement practices of social value of impact investment and developed theoretical constructs on how the financial intermediaries measure social value. A multiple qualitative case study method utilising purposive sampling was employed. The sample included fourteen interviews that covered the South African Banking as financial intermediary (micro and macro perspective) and its value chain and the competitive landscape perspectives. The study had three sub-questions focusing on the conceptualisation of impact investment, the nature of the South African impact investment ecosystem and the nature of measurement of social value. Data was triangulated by integrating semi-structured interviews, field notes and secondary documents. The data analysis used Attride-Stirling’s thematic networks as an analytical tool to analyse the qualitative data. This consisted of three stages that covered six steps of analysis. The analysis used Excel software to navigate from the interview question, coding, labelling, definition of codes, issues discussed, theme identification, organising and global theme deduction, description of network, and the triangulation of data (respondents quotes, field notes and document text). The findings of the study developed three models, an impact investment conceptual model, impact investment ecosystem model for South African Banking Sector and the financial intermediary social value equation model that depicts the measurement ratios of hybrid returns of impact investment. The study recommends the seven emerging theoretical propositions as the backbone of measuring the innovative social finance. The emergent models’ theoretical propositions will ensure that practitioners use the models to measure and account for the SA Banking Sector’s social value creation and the models will influence the intellectual framing of those in academic and reflective practitioner domain. This study’s overall contribution was to create the foundation of a method and theory for measuring social value in anticipation and seeking to influence the types of managerial knowledge needed to deal with societal and organisational concerns in the fourth industrial revolution. === MT2017