ETD Collection

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Green marketing

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    Consumer and product-related factors impacting on green product purchase behaviour
    (2019) Dilotsotlhe, Nombulelo
    Following the growing environmental, health and social concerns about the impact of marketing activities and consumption, consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the products they use in their households and the food they eat. Even though this awareness is advancing at a slower pace in South Africa when compared to other countries, South African consumers are nonetheless aware of green products and are buying such products. ‘Green products’ can be defined as those products which do not pollute the earth or deplete natural resources and which can be recycled or conserved. Despite the awareness and availability of green products, sales of these products are reportedly low, with an estimated market share of less than 4% worldwide as at 2012. Considering the low demand for green products, there is a clear need to study factors that hinder or help the purchase and consumption of such products. In examining the drivers of green purchase behaviour, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) has been applied in a variety of pro-environmental, behavioural studies, including research on key factors that influence the intention to consume green products as well as studies on recycling and reducing energy consumption. The findings from these studies have supported the usefulness of the TPB constructs in predicting the intention to go green or to adopt green behaviour. However, the strength of the explanatory power of the TPB model has been widely debated. It has therefore been suggested that more constructs need to be examined in the TPB to improve the variance explained in intention or behaviour. Such constructs could include the different values that consumers enjoy from green products. The Theory of Consumption Values (TCV) has been used to understand such values. However, studies on these values have not examined the product-related factors which help or hinder green product purchase. The Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI) addresses product-related factors but has been used chiefly in analysing the adoption of new technologies. Recommendations have therefore been made to test the Diffusion of Innovation Theory in green product purchase behaviour. Upon defining the research problem, this study integrated the TPB, TCV and DOI to understand the consumer-related and product-related factors driving green appliance (e.g. fridges, heaters, freezers) purchase behaviour among black middle class South Africans. This is particularly important since studies on green products in South Africa have focused primarily on understanding awareness, perceptions, interest and environmental concerns regarding eco-friendly products or green products and not on how these factors drive green product purchase behaviour. The black middle class was selected because they are considered to be significant in terms of size and spending power and may have the income to purchase green products, which are often considered to be somewhat more expensive. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 500 black middle class respondents residing in Gauteng. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling were the main data analysis methods. Specifically, Partial Least Squares (PLS) Structural Equation Modelling was used to test the hypotheses after testing and obtaining good construct reliability and validity. The results indicated that the integrated conceptual model provided a reasonably good explanation of the consumers’ attitudes towards green appliances as well as their actual purchase and consumption of the products. All the significant independent variables (functional value, conditional value, epistemic value, relative advantage, compatibility and observability) explained 84.5% of the variance in attitude towards green consumption. Attitudes, social value and perceived behavioural control explained 83.1% of the variance in behavioural intention towards green consumption and behavioural intention explained 24.2% of the variance in adoption behaviour. This study made a major contribution to the body of literature on green consumption behaviour by presenting and testing an integrated model with the aim of increasing knowledge on green consumer behaviour. This study also identified key predictors of consumers’ green product consumption behaviour, enabling practitioners to understand which factors influence black middle class consumers in their decision-making regarding green purchase and consumption. This knowledge will help marketing managers design effective strategies to encourage green consumption behaviour among such consumers. Further studies should, however, investigate the factors which would convert the purchase intention into actual behaviour. The study could be replicated among Generation Y consumers, who are also a large and lucrative market segment in South Africa.
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    The causes of food waste in a quick service restaurant supply chain : a South African exploratory case study
    (2018) Dzumbunu, Sophie Ropa-fadzo
    The total cost of food waste across the value chain in South Africa is estimated at R61.5billion per annum, equivalent to 2.1% of gross domestic product (Nahman and de Lange, 2013). Consequently, a third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, equivalent to about 1.3 billion tonnes per year (Food and Agriculture Organisation, 2011). Food waste is composed of raw or cooked food materials and includes food waste before, during and after meal preparation in the household, as well as food losses in the manufacturing, distribution, retail and food services activities (European Commission, 2010). Oelofse and Nahman (2013) noted that attempts to quantify the actual amount of food waste globally are constrained by limited data, particularly from developing countries. The gaps in the existing literature for data on food waste, particularly in the quick service restaurant sector, created an interest to unravel the causes of food waste in the South African supply chain. The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of processes associated with supply chain activities on food waste in the quick service restaurant supply chain in South Africa. The present research undertakes a qualitative exploratory case study design. The company under study in the current research is a quick service restaurant brand owner with operations ranging from manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and franchised quick service restaurant outlets. The company has been chosen for the reason that it owns the highest number of quick service restaurants in South Africa. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with company managers to gather insights and perspectives on food waste. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using QDA Miner 4 to systematically code the data to identify themes and patterns. The resultant analysis identified six main factors that influence food waste in a quick service restaurant supply chain, namely, raw material, manufacturing process, cold chain maintenance, stock management, machinery and training. A conceptual model, based on the results from the current study, proposes the use of technology as a mediating variable in ascertaining the relationship of each of the causes to food waste. The present study makes a contribution to theory by addressing the gap in literature on data from developing countries by providing data from a sub-Saharan context. Further to this, the present study highlights the factors causing food waste and the linkages between them with the use of a current reality tree. The findings provide managers with an understanding of strategies that can be employed to reduce food waste such as, investment in equipment and machinery. Further to this, the present study recommends the use of real demand and waste data in sustainability reporting to foster stakeholder engagement and customer goodwill. Lastly, from a green marketing perspective, the present study recommends that the company develops consumer marketing messages centred on ‘green’ products to enable the creation of a competitive advantage with the benefits of increased market share and revenue.
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    The Impact of green marketing practices on competitive advantage and business performance among manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa
    (2018) Maziriri, Eugine Tafadzwa
    The phenomenon of “green marketing” has developed particular significance in the modern market, emerging in the developing and developed world as an important concept, and is seen as an essential approach to assist with sustainable development. As green marketing becomes an essential tool for sustainable business strategy, companies are applying green marketing practices to achieve competitive advantage and business performance. This thesis sought to determine the impact of green marketing practices on competitive advantage and business performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector of South Africa. A quantitative research approach was used for this study and the target population for this study was restricted to managers and Heads of Marketing Departments within manufacturing SMEs in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The data analysis was done in SPSS 25 for demographic data analysis and AMOS 25 was used for the structural equation modelling and path modelling. Smart PLS 3 was also utilised to test for the mediating effect of the mediating variable. According to the results of the structural equation modelling analysis, the tested relationships produced satisfactory results consistent with how they were hypothesised. Precisely, it was found out that green packaging, green advertising, and green product innovation had a positive impact on competitive advantage. In addition, it was also found out that green packaging, green advertising; competitive advantage, green product innovation and green process innovation had a positive impact on business performance. Green process innovation emerged to have a negative impact on competitive advantage. Additionally, four more hyphotheses, namely, hypothesis ten, eleven, twelve and thirteen, were also supported as the mediation results indicated that competitive advantage positively and significantly mediates the relationship between green packaging and business performance, green product innovation and business performance and green process innovation and business performance. It was also found that, althougth competitive advantage positively mediated the relationship between green advertising and business performance; it does not significantly mediate the relationship between green advertising and business performance. This research broadens the knowledge base that currently exists in the field of green marketing, competitive advantage and SMEs business performance. Also, this investigation is noteworthy to manufacturing SME proprietors and supervisors since most them endeavour to have a competitive advantage and additionally, to boost profitability as well as the business' interest.