Benchmarking sustainable high performance companies.

Abstract

This article examines various approaches to benchmarking and measuring sustainable performance in order to identify long-term high performance companies in South Africa. We set guidelines and select the criteria for benchmarking high performance. This benchmarking approach (based on the accessibility and reliability of standardized financial data) addresses the critical issues in the measurement of sustainable performance: benchmarking approaches, measuring strategic performance, finding the right guidelines for peer performance benchmarks, calibrating sustainability and long-term performance, and comparing individual high performers with the established benchmark. This study sheds light on the practical guidelines for and the benefit of benchmarking high performance. Forty-four peer performance benchmarks and clusters based on 166 Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) listed companies were established. Furthermore, fourteen high and superior performers were identified on the basis of this benchmark process.