ethics , governance and transparency post-crisis 2012 global summit of women, athens 1 june 2012
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Ethics , Governance and Transparency Post-Crisis 2012 Global Summit of Women, Athens 1 June 2012. Dr Vuyo Mahlati, South Africa. Introduction. Purpose : Linking Women as Engines of Economic Growth with Ethics and Good Governance - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Ethics, Governance and Transparency Post-Crisis
2012 Global Summit of Women, Athens1 June 2012
Dr Vuyo Mahlati, South Africa
Introduction
• Purpose: Linking Women as Engines of Economic Growth with Ethics and Good Governance
• Context: The “Mutating Global Crisis” with local hard-hitting dimensions (Finance/Banking – Sovereign debt – Unemployment with rising inequality), and
• Consequences: Job insecurity/ Uncertainty/ Greed and the deteriorating Moral Fibre
South African Context• Commendable resilience against crises, but slow recovery• Recognition of ethics and governance as organizational
issues “catastrophic corporate failures caused by unethical individual behaviour, ethically weak corporate cultures and dubious accounting or auditing practices” Ethics SA
• Fraud and Corruption and the related costs. The National Planning Commission (NPC) identified corruption as one of the nine major factors that prevent South Africa from eliminating poverty and inequality.
Implications for women leaders• Limited pool (generalization of isolated
incidents)A man can lose his honour and regain it.
ButA woman’s reputation is all she has, there’s no forgiveness for women.
• Women as human beings affected by context• Women as nurturers • Director liability and increased responsibility
Census Trend Pyramids (BWA 2012)
Percentages focus on number of women in JSE-listed companies and SOEs as a percentage of all positions
4.4%
5.3%
4.5%
6.0%
2010 2011
CEOs
Chairpersons
Directorships
Executive Managers 19.3%
16.6% 15.8%
21.6%
Results for CEOs and Chairpersons do not include subsidiaries. Directorships and Executive Managers include subsidiaries
3.6%
5.5%
17.1%
21.4%
2012
5
51.6% 51.3% 52.0%Women as % of South African population
Responses• Governance and ethical risk management:
Companies Amendment Act (no. 3 of 2011) with mandatory social and ethics committee. The Act stipulates (in section 72(4)) that the Minister may pass regulations requiring of certain companies to put social and ethics committees in place.
• Self-regulation and Reward: Sustainability Reporting with Annual awards for listed and state owned enterprises
• Anti-corruption Agencies • Limitations of all – limited outreach, with
fragmented and under-resourced responses.
Recommendations• Shared agenda, promoting value-based compliance culture,
transparency and accountability (from the Shareholder(s), Board, Executive Management to all levels of staff, [NB this is a process not event];
• Training and on-going learning for all parties; • Nurture Ethical/Accountable leadership and Knowledge
exchange – e.g. Transparency International and Social Accountability International initiatives; Business Principles for Countering Bribery to encourage companies to develop anti-bribery codes or policies;
• An agenda item for all women’s gatherings and publications to share ideas on the complexities: - cost of compliance, proactive risk and conflict management, assurance, managing emotions and keeping the balance.
