An evaluation of environmental management accounting (EMA) practices and barriers to its implementation: a comparative study of Nigeria and South Africa
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2018
Authors
Iredele, O.O.
Ogunleye, O.J
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Crawford University,Ogun State
Abstract
This is a comparative study on the level of environmental management accounting practices among
listed firms in Nigeria and South Africa. The study specifically examined the level of EMA practices in
Nigeria and South Africa and identified barriers limiting the practices. It utilised primary data
through the administration of structured questionnaire, and a total of 44 accountants (22 from each
country) participated. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics involving mean
scores. The study found that the level of EMA practices are higher in South Africa (Mean score =
3.4609) than in Nigeria (Mean score =2.9258). The mean scores showed that institutional barrier
(3.4148) was the major factor preventing EMA practices in Nigeria while EMA practices in South
Africa was prevented mainly by financial barrier (3.5605). This paper concluded that the government
and other stakeholders in Nigeria should participate actively in enforcing environmental management
practices through the adoption of EMA by corporate organizations in order to overcome the
institutional barriers to EMA practices with which Nigeria is faced. Also, given the long term benefits
of EMA practices, the government of South Africa should introduce green tax incentives and other
market-based environmental policy instruments as reward for environmental performance by firms.
This will help ameliorate the short-term negative effect which EMA practices have on their financial
performance.
Description
EMA
Keywords
Barriers , Environmental accounting , Comparative , Institutional
Citation
Iredele, O.O & Ogunleye, O.J. (2018). An evaluation of environmental management accounting (EMA) practices and barriers to its implementation: a comparative study of Nigeria and South Africa. Crawford Journal of Business & Social Sciences (CJBASS) vol. 13 No. 1, march 2018: 96-113