For residential universities, the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020 academic year necessitated the suspension of in-person lectures and a swift transition of classes and other in-person activities to emergency remote teaching (ERT). This included the academic module mentoring programme, cognisant of the potential challenges experienced by first-year students during a period of ERT. The role of an in-person module mentoring programme before ERT was only to provide academic support to first-year students within an introductory financial accounting module to promote student success. This study investigated the role of an academic online mentoring programme for students in an introductory financial accounting module during ERT. A web-based survey was conducted to source the perceptions of both mentors and mentees who participated in an introductory module academic mentoring programme both before and during ERT to analyse whether the role of the academic module mentoring programme had shifted beyond that of academic support in an ERT environment. While academic support remained at the forefront as the main perceived benefit of the online mentoring programme, with the transition to ERT, the findings of this study illustrate an altering role that is more inclusive of additional psychological and peer support and engagement perceived benefits for first-year students who participated in an academic mentoring programme for students in an introductory financial accounting module during a period of ERT. Understanding student perceptions of the value derived for first-year students from an academic online mentoring programme is important in understanding first-year student needs and to provide relevant and applicable training to first-year students to promote student success during ERT. The findings of this study provide insight to institutions and in considering the addition of academic interventions such as offering academic online mentoring programmes during ERT and highlight the perceived value-add from both a mentor and mentee perspective.

Purpose: This article examines the sincerity of two sets of narrative disclosures in the letters of chairpersons (CPs) and chief executive officers (CEOs) to stakeholders. The study sought to compare the level of optimism between the two letters and whether such optimism (as per its link to future performance) was sincere or not and the differences in the level of sincerity between the two letters.Design/methodology/approach: Chairpersons’ and chief executive officers’ letters as contained in annual reports for firms listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange over a 4-year period were analysed. Textual analysis software was used to measure optimism in 200 CPs’ and 200 CEOs’ letters. The level of optimism was compared using mixed-model repeated measures analysis of variance. Sincerity was operationalised as the positive association between the level of optimism and future performance and a negative association as evidence of impression management. Two-way linear fixed effect regression models were used.Findings: This study found that CPs’ letters were more optimistic than those of CEOs’. More specifically, the results point to impression management in both CPs’ and CEOs’ letters, with only CPs’ letters indicating a significant negative association.Practical implications: Relative to the CEOs, CPs may use more optimistic writing styles to sway stakeholders who are anticipating worse-than-expected future performance; readers should be aware of the potential consequences of such practices.Originality/value: The results provide support for the obfuscation hypothesis as a theoretical underpinning regarding CPs’ and CEOs’ letters. Overall, the results question the ability of such narratives to lessen agency costs.