Th impact of corporate governance on the performance of Air Namibia
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Date
2019
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
Air Namibia is a State-Owned entity that frequently appeared in the news for the one
reason of poor performance. Much of the poor performance of the national airline
has been attributed to weaknesses in corporate governance practices in the airline. A
preliminary literature search in the area of interest revealed that limited research has
been conducted in the scope of interest for the current study. Motivated by the
preliminary gap identified; a public outcry regarding poor performance of the airline
and the subsequent bailout by the owner, the Government of the Republic of
Namibia, the current research becomes indispensable to the airline. This further
justified the need to carry out the research. The study aimed to determine the impact
of corporate governance on the performance of Air Namibia and to establish the
factors that influence corporate governance particularly at Air Namibia. Data was
collected using a mixed research method. The researcher utilised both primary and
secondary data. The survey design was employed in primary data collection through
the use of both structured and non-structured questionnaires. The target population
included those who were involved in managing the organisation. The paper used
both interpretivism and ontological philosophy in understanding the problem of
corporate governance in Air Namibia. Data was analysed using frequencies, mean,
percentage and standard deviation and then presented using figures tables and
conclusions were drawn from there. The study established that larger boards of
directors are more adept in the provision of resources. However, the study observed
that larger boards are prone to more conflict among board members who make it
difficult to reach agreements. The study also established that Air Namibia‟s board is
composed of both genders and all stakeholders are involved in the appointment of the
board. The study further established that executive directors are better placed in
handling the affairs of the organisation since they have a deeper understanding of the
organisation‟s operations. This makes the board more independent when the
proportion of outside directors increases. The study also established that there is an
audit committee and this helps the independent committees to focus on improving
Air Namibia‟s competitiveness and performance. Further, the study found that the
board meetings are chaired by the board members with the relevant qualifications
and all meetings are relevant to Air Namibia‟s mandate. The study concluded that
there is a strong association that exists between corporate governance and Air
Namibia‟s performance. It further concluded that the corporate governance
components account for 50.3% of Air Namibia‟s performance. The study
recommends that attention should be given to increase the total size of the board to
improve Air Namibia‟s performance and that the shareholders should promote board
diversity to ensure that all the board members have relevant industry experience
required to steward the organisation.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Business Administration Management Strategy
Keywords
Corporate governance