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The paper explores the relationship between intangible assets and the profitability of organisations listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The study employs quantitative research to scrutinise the influence of intangible assets on the profitability of the top 40 corporations listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (in terms of market capitalisation) from the years 2015 to 2019. The data analysis was conducted using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression. The retail and financial industries exhibit the most significant returns from goodwill, attributable to aggressive mergers and acquisitions strategies, wherein goodwill signifies the premium allocated for valuable, intangible synergies. Conversely, mining enterprises reveal negligible or non-existent returns from goodwill, indicative of their inclination towards organic growth and capital allocation in tangible assets rather than through acquisitions. Moreover, the examination showed that several intangible assets, encompassing patents, trademarks, and research and development, are larger contributors to earnings than goodwill. Although goodwill maintains a positive correlation with profit, its influence is notably diminished in comparison to other intangible assets. This finding implies that organisations that capitalise on intellectual property and innovative capabilities are better equipped to secure and augment profitability. These assets, which are intrinsically linked to a firm’s operations and competitive stance, provide more substantial returns than goodwill, which is predominantly indicative of synergies arising from acquisitions.

Purpose The purpose of this exploratory study is to describe the use of social media platforms in a first-year accounting course at a South African university and provide evidence on whether students found these social networking sites useful. Design/methodology/approach The study uses survey research to determine students' usage of two social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) and their perceptions of these platforms' usefulness in a first-year accounting course. Findings The study found that the time spent on the two social media platforms does not detract from the time spent on preparation for the first-year accounting course. Students' perceptions on the usefulness of these platforms showed support by all students for using social media to provide career information, but not all students perceived the platforms to be useful for communication and teaching and learning. While no statistically significant differences were found in the students' responses based on gender, a number of statistically significant differences were found when the results were analysed according to language. Students whose home language was not English found the two social media platforms more useful for some aspects of communication, teaching and learning and for career guidance than English-speaking students. Research limitations/implications The questionnaire was only administered to students on one campus who had actually accessed the social media platforms. Therefore, the results are not generalisable beyond this study. Practical implications The study shows that students whose home language is not English perceived the platforms more useful for communication, some teaching and learning aspects and for career guidance in a first-year accounting course. This may be helpful to other accounting teachers faced with student disruptions, large classes or high numbers of international students whose first language is not English, and who need to communicate with all their students. Originality/value The study adds to the discourse on the usefulness of social media platforms in a tertiary education setting, and more particularly, in a first-year accounting course in South Africa.

Background Dividend policy remains a central issue in corporate finance, particularly in emerging markets characterised by evolving ownership structures and increasing foreign participation. In South Africa, the influence of foreign shareholding on corporate payout decisions remains inconclusive, especially within sector-specific contexts such as consumer goods firms listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Methods This study employs an ex-post facto research design using panel data from 20 JSE-listed consumer goods firms over the period 2013-2024 (283 firm-year observations). Fixed-effects and feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) estimation techniques are applied to examine both direct and indirect relationships. Financial performance, measured by return on assets (ROA), is incorporated as a mediating variable. Diagnostic tests, including Hausman, multicollinearity, and heteroskedasticity assessments, ensure model robustness. Results The findings reveal that foreign shareholding has a positive but statistically insignificant effect on dividend payout (β = 0.4536, p = 0.132). In contrast, financial performance exhibits a strong and statistically significant positive relationship with dividend payout (β = 5.8857, p < 0.001). Additionally, foreign shareholding shows a negative but insignificant association with financial performance (β = −0.159, p = 0.123). Mediation analysis indicates no empirical support for financial performance as a transmission mechanism between foreign ownership and dividend policy. Conclusions The study concludes that dividend policy in South African consumer goods firms is primarily driven by firm-level profitability rather than ownership structure. Foreign shareholding does not exert a significant direct or indirect influence on dividend decisions. These findings contribute to the corporate finance literature by providing recent, sector-specific evidence from an emerging market and highlighting the dominant role of financial performance in shaping payout policies.

Background Foreign direct investment plays a significant role in influencing corporate financial decisions in emerging markets, yet the extent to which firm characteristics shape this relationship remains unclear. In particular, the role of firm size in moderating the effect of foreign ownership on dividend payment behaviour has received limited empirical attention. This study examines whether firm size influences the relationship between foreign direct investment and the likelihood of dividend payments among firms listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Methods Study employs a quantitative research design using secondary data from audited annual financial statements of non-financial firms listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange over the period 2021 to 2024. A final sample of 320 firm-year observations is analysed. Logistic regression models are used to estimate the probability of dividend payments, while controlling for firm-specific and governance characteristics. Interaction terms are included to assess the moderating effect of firm size, and robustness checks are conducted using alternative measures of foreign investment. Results Findings reveal a positive and statistically significant relationship between foreign direct investment and the likelihood of dividend payments. A one-unit increase in foreign ownership is associated with an approximate 19.5 percent increase in the probability of dividend payments. The results further show that firm size significantly strengthens this relationship. For larger firms, foreign direct investment increases the likelihood of dividend payments by approximately 28.5 percent, while the effect is weaker and statistically insignificant for smaller firms. Additional results indicate that leverage, sales growth, and board size are positively associated with dividend payment propensity. Conclusions Study concludes that foreign investors exert a stronger influence on dividend policy in larger firms, highlighting the importance of firm size in shaping corporate financial behaviour. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how ownership structure and firm characteristics interact in emerging markets.

This paper seeks to evaluate prof cient perceptions within business assessments in South Africa, where such perceptions play a significant role in the evaluation process, encompassing the selection of standards and the establishment of evaluation frameworks. The evolving economy of South Africa is marked by fluctuating economic circumstances and potential growth, compounded by inadequate benchmarks and a scarcity of relevant market information. Forecasting growth rates are further complicated by macroeconomic uncertainties, leading to a reliance on proficient perceptions when industry-specific guidelines and easily comprehensible alternatives to the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) are lacking. A mixed-methods strategy is employed in this study, combining quantitative and qualitative data, along with surveys set benchmarks for business assessments. The outcomes reveal that modifications based on judgment are necessary for variables like organizational size due to the absence of CAPM alternatives. This study stresses the importance of translating scholarly discoveries into practical applications, emphasizing the challenges and uncertainties that call for proficient perceptions in business evaluations. It advances the comprehension of these obstacles and proposes that further exploring macroeconomic variables and industry-specific guidelines could offer valuable insights. The study suggests that biases in evaluations, influenced by client interests, present a promising area for future inquiry.

This paper seeks to evaluate proficient perceptions within business assessments in South Africa, where such perceptions play a significant role in the evaluation process, encompassing the selection of standards and the establishment of evaluation frameworks. The evolving economy of South Africa is marked by fluctuating economic circumstances and potential growth, compounded by inadequate benchmarks and a scarcity of relevant market information. Forecasting growth rates are further complicated by macroeconomic uncertainties, leading to a reliance on proficient perceptions when industry-specific guidelines and easily comprehensible alternatives to the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) are lacking. A mixed-methods strategy is employed in this study, combining quantitative and qualitative data, along with surveys set benchmarks for business assessments. The outcomes reveal that modifications based on judgment are necessary for variables like organizational size due to the absence of CAPM alternatives. This study stresses the importance of translating scholarly discoveries into practical applications, emphasizing the challenges and uncertainties that call for proficient perceptions in business evaluations. It advances the comprehension of these obstacles and proposes that further exploring macroeconomic variables and industry-specific guidelines could offer valuable insights. The study suggests that biases in evaluations, influenced by client interests, present a promising area for future inquiry.