Ralph Hamann
University of Cape Town, Graduate School of Business, Faculty Member
- Business Sustainability, Business Ethics, Strategy (Business), Business & Society, Corporate Social Responsibility, Cross Sector Partnerships, and 22 moreHuman Rights, Philosophy Of Law, Corporate Governance, Soft Law, Natural Law, International Law, Ethics and economics, Virtue Ethics, International Strategy, Global Economic Governance, Green Supply Chain Management, Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Responsible Consumption, Ethical Leadership, Human Rights and Corruption, Community Development, Environmental Sustainability, Social Entrepreneurship, Charitable Behavior, Philanthropy, Nonprofit Organizations, and Cross sector Collaborationedit
Early inquiries into the contribution of performance-based cultural norms to growth-oriented entrepreneurship render their influence not significant. In a similar effort to explain cross-country differences in growth-oriented... more
Early inquiries into the contribution of performance-based cultural norms to growth-oriented entrepreneurship render their influence not significant. In a similar effort to explain cross-country differences in growth-oriented entrepreneurship, we propose and test a midrange,
contingency-based model receiving strong support in analysis of 267 country-year observations from 66 countries. Results show economic development complements performance-based cultural norms to increase the extent of a country’s growth-oriented entrepreneurship; and this complementary effect appears only among those countries with high levels of regulatory simplicity. For policymakers targeting economic growth, our research suggests that policies should create a fertile environment for growth-oriented entrepreneurship to thrive on the
established norms within their particular society; rather than benchmark possible approaches against other countries with high levels of growth-oriented entrepreneurship but very different established norms. We hope that our study captures the complexity of the impact of cultural
norms on the levels of growth-oriented entrepreneurship among countries.
contingency-based model receiving strong support in analysis of 267 country-year observations from 66 countries. Results show economic development complements performance-based cultural norms to increase the extent of a country’s growth-oriented entrepreneurship; and this complementary effect appears only among those countries with high levels of regulatory simplicity. For policymakers targeting economic growth, our research suggests that policies should create a fertile environment for growth-oriented entrepreneurship to thrive on the
established norms within their particular society; rather than benchmark possible approaches against other countries with high levels of growth-oriented entrepreneurship but very different established norms. We hope that our study captures the complexity of the impact of cultural
norms on the levels of growth-oriented entrepreneurship among countries.
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This chapter discusses the context and practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in South Africa. It argues that the country's complex and painful history has significant implications for how CSR is understood and... more
This chapter discusses the context and practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in South Africa. It argues that the country's complex and painful history has significant implications for how CSR is understood and implemented. On the one hand, big business has been implicated in human rights abuses committed under apartheid; on the other hand, the apartheid history gave rise to
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Abstract We develop a conceptual framework to better understand how and why business organisations contribute to climate change governance in diverse contexts, but specifically in areas where states 'capacity is constrained. We... more
Abstract We develop a conceptual framework to better understand how and why business organisations contribute to climate change governance in diverse contexts, but specifically in areas where states 'capacity is constrained. We introduce the concept of limited ...
This chapter begins by emphasising its personal nature. This is because my thoughts on this subject are necessarily based on personal experience, and because my work on corporate responsibility is premised on two disconcertingly... more
This chapter begins by emphasising its personal nature. This is because my thoughts on this subject are necessarily based on personal experience, and because my work on corporate responsibility is premised on two disconcertingly questionable assumptions: first, that business can make a positive contribution to sustainable development, even in southern Africa (where I live and work), and second, that the
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Purpose and problem: Governments through their policy support of new and growing enterprises continue to emphasise economic incentives as if most members of the population prioritise material gain. This article argues that high levels of... more
Purpose and problem: Governments through their policy support of new and growing enterprises continue to emphasise economic incentives as if most members of the population
prioritise material gain. This article argues that high levels of government policy support for new and growing enterprises crowd out the population’s need for autonomy when potential
entrepreneurs perceive government to be controlling.
Methodology: The researchers constructed a country-level panel data set based on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Survey, the World
Economic Forum competitiveness reports and the International Monetary Fund database for 44 countries over the period 2000 to 2007. Since we relied on eight years of secondary data, we applied panel analysis to the regressions. We used multiple regression to model the moderating effects of government policy support on the autonomy-entrepreneurship
relationship.
Findings: The findings show that government policy support tends to buffer the effect of autonomy on entrepreneurship, lending support to the article’s argument.
Implications: This research has tested one of the most important anomalies in economics on entrepreneurship data: that ‘crowding out’ might reverse the most fundamental economic law, namely that raising economic incentives increases the supply of entrepreneurship.
prioritise material gain. This article argues that high levels of government policy support for new and growing enterprises crowd out the population’s need for autonomy when potential
entrepreneurs perceive government to be controlling.
Methodology: The researchers constructed a country-level panel data set based on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Survey, the World
Economic Forum competitiveness reports and the International Monetary Fund database for 44 countries over the period 2000 to 2007. Since we relied on eight years of secondary data, we applied panel analysis to the regressions. We used multiple regression to model the moderating effects of government policy support on the autonomy-entrepreneurship
relationship.
Findings: The findings show that government policy support tends to buffer the effect of autonomy on entrepreneurship, lending support to the article’s argument.
Implications: This research has tested one of the most important anomalies in economics on entrepreneurship data: that ‘crowding out’ might reverse the most fundamental economic law, namely that raising economic incentives increases the supply of entrepreneurship.
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ABSTRACT Mining companies' community relations capabilities still require much improvement.•An ‘overlapping consensus’ between mining companies and mine-affected communities is faced with significant difficulties.•The challenge is... more
ABSTRACT Mining companies' community relations capabilities still require much improvement.•An ‘overlapping consensus’ between mining companies and mine-affected communities is faced with significant difficulties.•The challenge is not just patient dialogue, but helping create a legitimate platform for such dialogue.
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ABSTRACT Studies on why small and medium enterprises (SMEs) engage in proenvironmental behavior suggest that managers’ environmental responsibility plays a relatively greater role than competitiveness and legitimacy-seeking. These... more
ABSTRACT Studies on why small and medium enterprises (SMEs) engage in proenvironmental behavior suggest that managers’ environmental responsibility plays a relatively greater role than competitiveness and legitimacy-seeking. These categories of drivers are mostly considered independent of each other. Using survey data and comparative case studies of wine firms in South Africa, this study finds that managers’ environmental responsibility is indeed the key driver in a context where state regulation hardly plays any role in regulating dispersed, rural firms. However, especially proactive firms are also characterized by expectations of competitiveness gains. The authors thus emphasize the role of institutional context and potential interaction effects between these drivers in explaining the reasons why SMEs engage in pro-environmental behavior in developing countries.
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The rapid evolution of environmental planning and sustainability in South Africa is catching up with resource management in the renewable sectors, namely water, soil, forests and fisheries. These are all critical areas for attention in... more
The rapid evolution of environmental planning and sustainability in South Africa is catching up with resource management in the renewable sectors, namely water, soil, forests and fisheries. These are all critical areas for attention in the transition to sustainability, as they capture the application of the precautionary principle, community empowerment and more clearly defined property rights in the natural world.
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... For a useful introduction to this term, see Klug (1995) and Orkin (1995 ... BOX 5: Different Entry Points for Participation, Consultation, Mediation and Empowerment in South Africa Leg itimation is a process ... takes place when an... more
... For a useful introduction to this term, see Klug (1995) and Orkin (1995 ... BOX 5: Different Entry Points for Participation, Consultation, Mediation and Empowerment in South Africa Leg itimation is a process ... takes place when an agency is either required to do so by law or regulatory ...
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The South African Constitution was framed in the context of attempting to promote citizen empowerment and the transition to sustainability. This article looks carefully at the provisions in the Constitution as they might apply to the... more
The South African Constitution was framed in the context of attempting to promote citizen empowerment and the transition to sustainability. This article looks carefully at the provisions in the Constitution as they might apply to the transition to sustainability, notably the changing patterns of rights for citizens. The paper also examines the formation and innovative qualities of the 1998 National
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... a African Centre for Cities, Environmental & Geographical Science Building, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa. ... c Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, Green Point 8005, South... more
... a African Centre for Cities, Environmental & Geographical Science Building, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa. ... c Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, Green Point 8005, South Africa. ...
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Concerns regarding the social impacts of corporate activity are especially salient in the mining industry (MMSD, 2002). They pertain to macroeconomic effects (Auty and Mikesell, 1998), environmental issues (Warhurst and Noronha, 2000),... more
Concerns regarding the social impacts of corporate activity are especially salient in the mining industry (MMSD, 2002). They pertain to macroeconomic effects (Auty and Mikesell, 1998), environmental issues (Warhurst and Noronha, 2000), and impacts on affected communities, with ...
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... 10 For examples of such critiques of the corporate citizenship concept and its implementation, see C ... as more likely to blur the boundaries of race and class than to propel South African capitalism in ... high profile attempt by... more
... 10 For examples of such critiques of the corporate citizenship concept and its implementation, see C ... as more likely to blur the boundaries of race and class than to propel South African capitalism in ... high profile attempt by the state to promote BEE was in the mining sector, linked ...
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ABSTRACT This article discusses opportunities and challenges in the governance of urban sustainability transitions, with an emphasis on the role and necessary capabilities of collaborative intermediary organisations (CIOs). CIOs are... more
ABSTRACT This article discusses opportunities and challenges in the governance of urban sustainability transitions, with an emphasis on the role and necessary capabilities of collaborative intermediary organisations (CIOs). CIOs are defined as a particular type of intermediary organisations that create platforms for deliberation and collaboration between diverse stakeholders. Following a review of the literature on (urban) sustainability transition and cross-sector collaboration, the article discusses two case studies of CIOs in the Cape Town city region, bringing to bear disparate socio-economic and institutional conditions in an emerging economy city characterised by high degrees of inequality. The case studies illustrate the important potential role played by CIOs in urban transitions, particularly at the sub-city scale. They also suggest a number of points that expand upon or create new insights for our understanding of urban sustainability transitions: The important role of authentic deliberation between disparate stakeholders and interests, and the difficulties in achieving this especially in a highly unequal society; the need for an explicit distinction and institutionalised link between deliberation and implementation; the related challenge of embedded autonomy; and the requirement of particular capabilities among CIOs' leadership, with a focus on creative approaches to ambiguity and conflict.
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In anticipation of the summit, it is important to consider the perspective of southern Africa. As used here, Southern Africa refers to the countries aligned with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), established in 1992:... more
In anticipation of the summit, it is important to consider the perspective of southern Africa. As used here, Southern Africa refers to the countries aligned with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), established in 1992: South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, ...