Corporate social responsibility is being increasingly considered vital for organizational success and sustainable growth, especially in view of corporations operating in an environment with multiple stakeholder interests. Investment in CSR should not been seen as an expense, but rather the allocation of resources to strengthen relationships with stakeholders in an endeavour to reap the multifaceted benefits of such investments Financial institutions like banks need to be seen as leading organizations who engage in social activities that uplift society, the environment and economy. The article analyses significant areas of corporate social responsibility for banks which are integral for customers, government, suppliers, citizens, employees and global partners for enhancing the responsibility of banks to a diverse range of stakeholders who have an interest in the banks. This ‘common good’ reputation can provide several advantages to banks which further impacts on the performance of banks.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa are facing challenges arising as a result of the shift from traditional teaching activities to a combination of research and teaching. Increasing emphasis on research, an integral part of this transformation of higher education, has required HEIs to develop and implement capacity development strategies to enable those new to research to engage in research output; and mentorship is a strategy that is enjoying increasing popularity. This article explores the challenges faced in the implementation of a formal research mentorship programme (REMP), using the University of Johannesburg as a case study. A quantitative approach was adopted to obtain the perceptions of academic staff of REMP as a strategy for building research capacity. The findings reveal that whilst the REMP is strongly favoured by academics as a means of guiding novice researchers, key factors need to be addressed to ensure its success. This article examines the challenges for both mentors and mentees and suggests actions to help mentorship programmes make sustainable contributions to the development of research capacity.

The article proposes to explore the importance of policy and procedure as an impetus for establishing a whistle blowing culture. It can be suggested that the institutionalization of a whistle blowing culture through established and practiced policies and procedures can lead to lower levels of perceived retaliation, which is frequently a deterrent in blowing the whistle. The quantitative research method was employed to determine the extent to which higher education institutions implement policies and procedures to institutionalize whistle blowing as an imperative for an ethical organizational culture, which encourages potential whistleblowers to report on wrongdoing. A conceptual framework informed by legislation, policy and procedures was used to determine employee perceptions relating to the role of whistle blowing policies and procedures within the Durban University of Technology as an impetus for establishing a whistle blowing culture. The investigation was based on empirical research conducted at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa and literature on whistle blowing. In the light of the research, recommendations are made relating to institutional whistle blowing policies and procedures. The empirical findings reveal that whistle blowing legislation is inadequate to encourage whistle blowing. The article provides a comprehensive framework for the institutionalization of whistle blowing within the organizational culture as an imperative to encourage disclosure of unethical practices.

Purpose: Despite the growth of literature on SC performance drivers, there is still limited attention on how road transport infrastructure may drive SC performance. This study is conducted to examine the mediating role of road safety compliance in the relationship between road transport infrastructure and SC performance among manufacturing firms in emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing from the system and knowledge-based view perspectives, a framework was proposed and validated using survey data from the beverage manufacturing firms in Ghana. Data were gathered from 359 managers of firms in Ghana. The model was validated by PLS-SEM. Findings: The results showed a direct significant relationship between road transport infrastructure, road safety compliance, and SCP. The findings further revealed that the influence of road transport infrastructure on SCP is not just a bivariate relationship but also mediated through road safety compliance. The outcome of this study provides evidence that though road transport infrastructure remains crucial to driving SCP, superior SCP could be achieved in the presence of road safety compliance. Originality/value: The outcome of this study offers an important extension to the frontiers of literature on supply chain performance. It also provides practical insight to practitioners in the manufacturing setting by emphasizing the need to pay crucial attention to road safety compliance as well as invest in road infrastructure development in the quest to achieve efficient SC performance of firms.