Reshaping Africa’s Sustainable Development through Digital Inclusion

Yamoah, Fred A. and Faye, Sainey (2025) Reshaping Africa’s Sustainable Development through Digital Inclusion. In: The Academy of African Business and Development 25th Conference, 20th May 2025, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Abstract

Abstract Purpose - Despite emerging evidence of better disclosure standards, improving board sovereignty and stakeholder inclusion, emerging economies still maintain unique set of attributes that warrants further research to develop a corporate governance model that is fit for banking sustainability. In an environment where investors and customers struggle to monitor governance, financial performance, environmental and social issues, this paper employed a grounded theory approach to build an effective governance system for managing the needs of different stakeholder groups within the banking sector in The Gambia. Design/methodology/approach - The grounded theory methodology adopted includes a three-stage process of analysing data namely open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with senior bank executives, employees, and customers, as well as regulators across The Gambian banking sector. Findings – This led to the development of the human factor model of bank corporate governance regulation in The Gambian banking system. The results concluded that there is no consistency between banks regarding corporate governance mechanisms and codes due to obstacles such as environment, culture, and policies. Regulatory compliance and ethics are necessary to serve as a moral compass in the absence of a mandatory regulatory framework. The implications of this novel corporate governance framework as an exemplar business model for organizational sustainability and societal transformation are presented. Research limitations/implications - The sample size was limited to five out of 12 banks in The Gambia. High illiteracy levels impacted the willingness of participants with requisite knowledge and experience. The substantive theory should not be assumed to constitute concrete and objective reality but rather an interpretation constructed by the researchers through set procedures and analysis. Practical implications - The research accomplished its objective of building a substantive theory of bank corporate governance regulation in The Gambia using the Categorical Imperative (CI) framework. Ethics grafted onto the corporate body helps combat corruption, promote obedience to laws and procedures, and increase trust between citizens and institutions. Originality/value - The literature review revealed that corporate governance regulation in The Gambian banking system is not well researched. The use of CI framework serves as an alternative theoretical attempt to address shareholder and stakeholder weaknesses, leading to the development of a substantive theory focused on The Gambia banking context.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Keywords:	banking sustainability, banking, corporate governance, financial performance, environmental and social issues, grounded theory.
Depositing User:	RED Unit Admin
Date Deposited:	05 Jun 2025 13:08
Last Modified:	05 Jun 2025 13:08
URI:	https://bnu.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/20523

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