Material Resources Management as Means to Satisfactory Profit and Environmental Sustainability: Looking Beyond Covid-19 Pandemic Era (Published)
Material resources management has become a very necessary survival strategy for businesses in the Covid-19 pandemic period but this may have effect on product quality, by reducing sales and profit while there may not be visible effect on achieving environmental sustainability. Consequently, this study explored how a good balance can be achieved in material resources management, profit and still achieve environmental sustainability. The population and sample of the study were respectively made up 358 and 189 managers in Anambra and Delta state drawn from both public and private sectors. Due to large sample size and Covid-19 social distancing demand, an online survey was used for the study. The e-questionnaire was designed in a five-point Likert scale structure with some open space for unstructured responses. The result of the Z-test statistical analyses revealed, effective utilization of raw materials, material recycling, material re-use, reduction in material quantity usage are keys to satisfactory profit beyond Covid-19 pandemic era and guarantee environmental sustainability. By policy implication, there is need to constitute environmental monitoring agencies by the state governments who would be charged with the responsibility of tracing re-usable wastes in disposal places back to the producers for necessary penalties in order to encourage more environmentally sustainable processes and there is a wake-up call here on National governments, more particularly the Nigerian Government to begin to build policies that would ensure future availability of raw-material inputs especially as the activities of herdsmen are currently ravaging and discouraging local agricultural businesses which form the major source of raw materials for most production businesses. If policy measures are not taken in earnest, it constitutes a very huge threat to the existence of most businesses in Nigeria and even to environmental sustainability. As such, it is recommended that every business creates an environmental sustainability committee to be charged with the responsibility of assessing every business process to ensure compliance with sustainability requirements and waste management, use recyclable material resources alternatives and consider alternative packaging that would retain quality without increase in product prices.
Citation: Rachael Okwudili Iliemena, Priscilla Uche Egolum, Happiness Chibuzor Goodluck, and, Clement Chuks Ozue (2022) Material Resources Management as Means to Satisfactory Profit and Environmental Sustainability: Looking Beyond Covid-19 Pandemic Era, European Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance Research, Vol.10, No. 1, pp.55-70
Keywords: COVID-19, Materials Management, Waste Management, corporate resources, sustainability and profit
Effect of Environmental Cost on Performances of Quoted Firms in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2007-2016 (Published)
The study examined the effect of environmental costs on performances of quoted firms in Sub Saharan Africa. The study adopted longitudinal/panel ex-post facto research design and random sampling technique while quantitative secondary data covering 2007 to 2016 were obtained for sixty-four extractive and industrial firms quoted in the Stock Exchanges of four Sub-Sahara African countries namely South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania. The models for the study were estimated using Ordinary least square regression (OLS) built on panel data analysis. In the regional level analysis as well as in South Africa and Nigeria specific country analyses, the study revealed that environmental costs represented by employee health and safety, waste management and community development costs have no significant effect on return on capital employed, earnings per share and return on equity. The study showed that in Ghana, the predictor variables demonstrated significant effect on return on capital employed and return on equity while only waste management cost has significant effect on return on capital employed and return on equity in Tanzania. The implication of the preponderance of the findings, save for the aforementioned exceptions in Ghana and Tanzania, is that quoted firms in the region are yet to adequately indulge in environmental responsibility or their environmental engagements are not adequately captured and disclosed to the extent that can cause significant swings in the measures of firm performance. The implication of the exceptions found in Ghana and Tanzania is that of comparative improvement in environmental responsibilities, compliances and disclosures by quoted firms in the two countries. The study recommended among other things that firms in Sub Saharan Africa should give greater attention to environmental responsibility, cost recognition, classification and disclosures in the annual, integrated and sustainability reports.
Keywords: Earnings per share, Performance, Return on Equity, Waste Management, capital employed, community development costs, employee health and safety, environmental costs