title: Business and human rights in South Africa: An analysis of antecedents of human rights due diligence

authors: Hamann, Ralph

subjects: human rights

abstract: The purpose of the present article is to analyse South African listed companies’ public reporting in order to contribute to our understanding of how and why companies consider human rights. The empirical analysis is placed in the context of the increasing prominence of human rights as a business issue, premised in part on the activities of the United Nations (UN) Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) on human rights and business. On the basis of a content analysis of the public reports of the top 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), we test hypotheses focused on the antecedents of companies’ demonstrated human rights due diligence, with particular reference to assumptions or findings of the SRSG and institutional theory. Some of our results are unexpected: there is little influence exerted by the sector and size of companies in our sample, and there is also an unexpectedly insignificant impact of company participation in the UN Global Compact and the JSE Socially Responsible Investment Index. On the other hand, a key predictor of human rights due diligence is an explicit leadership commitment, and important roles are also played by government regulations and stock exchange listing rules.

text: Business and human rights in South Africa: An analysis of antecedents of human rights due diligence The purpose of the present article is to analyse South African listed companies’ public reporting in order to contribute to our understanding of how and why companies consider human rights. The empirical analysis is placed in the context of the increasing prominence of human rights as a business issue, premised in part on the activities of the United Nations (UN) Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) on human rights and business. On the basis of a content analysis of the public reports of the top 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), we test hypotheses focused on the antecedents of companies’ demonstrated human rights due diligence, with particular reference to assumptions or findings of the SRSG and institutional theory. Some of our results are unexpected: there is little influence exerted by the sector and size of companies in our sample, and there is also an unexpectedly insignificant impact of company participation in the UN Global Compact and the JSE Socially Responsible Investment Index. On the other hand, a key predictor of human rights due diligence is an explicit leadership commitment, and important roles are also played by government regulations and stock exchange listing rules.

year: 2009

title: Business confidence and cyclical turning points: A Markov-Switching approach

authors: Holmes, Mark J.

subjects: business confidence

abstract: Markov regime-switching analysis is used to consider the relationship between business confidence and the probability of turning points in cyclical GDP. We find, in an application to New Zealand, that confidence is related to both the deepness and duration of the business cycle and is asymmetric regarding the probability of the economy remaining in a given regime. Overall, the New Zealand business confidence series is a useful indicator of cyclical turning points.

text: Business confidence and cyclical turning points: A Markov-Switching approach Markov regime-switching analysis is used to consider the relationship between business confidence and the probability of turning points in cyclical GDP. We find, in an application to New Zealand, that confidence is related to both the deepness and duration of the business cycle and is asymmetric regarding the probability of the economy remaining in a given regime. Overall, the New Zealand business confidence series is a useful indicator of cyclical turning points.

year: 2007-09

title: The relationship between on-water performance and physical characteristics in elite and sub-elite outrigger canoe paddlers

authors: King, Tupuria

abstract: Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare and investigate the relationship between 500 m on-water performance and physical characteristics in elite and sub-elite outrigger canoe paddlers. Methods: A total of 16 males participated in the study including eight elite paddlers (age: 24.8 ± 10.5 yrs., total paddling experience: 12.5 ± 5.2 yrs.) and eight sub-elite paddlers (age: 34.4 ± 15.4 yrs., total paddling experience: 6.8 ± 5.2 yrs.). Body mass, height, sitting height, arm span, arm length, body fat percentage, 50 kg muscular endurance (bench press and bench pull), peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and Wingate performance (30 sec maximal effort) were assessed and subsequently correlated with 500 m outrigger canoeing performance at a national championship’s regatta. Results: When group data were combined, moderate to strong correlations were found between 500 m outrigger canoeing performance and absolute VO2peak (r = -0.61), upper limb length (r = -0.60) 50 kg bench press (r = -0.56), total paddling experience (r = -0.53), body mass (r = -0.51), sitting height (r = -0.51), singles paddling experience (r = -0.49), height (r = -0.48) and Wingate distance (r = -0.42). When groups were compared, elite paddlers showed significantly greater Wingate mean power and distance, paddling experience and 500 m on-water performance times than sub-elite paddlers (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in anthropometrical measures, muscular endurance and VO2peak between the two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: VO2peak and upper limb length were the best predictors of performance over the 500 m sprint distance across the entire group. Thirty-second Wingate mean power and distance, years of paddling experience and subsequent 500 m on-water performance differentiated elite from sub-elite paddlers.

text: The relationship between on-water performance and physical characteristics in elite and sub-elite outrigger canoe paddlers Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare and investigate the relationship between 500 m on-water performance and physical characteristics in elite and sub-elite outrigger canoe paddlers. Methods: A total of 16 males participated in the study including eight elite paddlers (age: 24.8 ± 10.5 yrs., total paddling experience: 12.5 ± 5.2 yrs.) and eight sub-elite paddlers (age: 34.4 ± 15.4 yrs., total paddling experience: 6.8 ± 5.2 yrs.). Body mass, height, sitting height, arm span, arm length, body fat percentage, 50 kg muscular endurance (bench press and bench pull), peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and Wingate performance (30 sec maximal effort) were assessed and subsequently correlated with 500 m outrigger canoeing performance at a national championship’s regatta. Results: When group data were combined, moderate to strong correlations were found between 500 m outrigger canoeing performance and absolute VO2peak (r = -0.61), upper limb length (r = -0.60) 50 kg bench press (r = -0.56), total paddling experience (r = -0.53), body mass (r = -0.51), sitting height (r = -0.51), singles paddling experience (r = -0.49), height (r = -0.48) and Wingate distance (r = -0.42). When groups were compared, elite paddlers showed significantly greater Wingate mean power and distance, paddling experience and 500 m on-water performance times than sub-elite paddlers (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in anthropometrical measures, muscular endurance and VO2peak between the two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: VO2peak and upper limb length were the best predictors of performance over the 500 m sprint distance across the entire group. Thirty-second Wingate mean power and distance, years of paddling experience and subsequent 500 m on-water performance differentiated elite from sub-elite paddlers.

year: 2019