Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters/MBA)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37942

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Sustainable Development Goals

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    Social and Labour Plans and wellbeing of South African mining communities
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Letsoalo, Katlego; Pooe, T.K
    The mining industry in South Africa has been instrumental to the developed of the economy however legacy issues were inherited by the Republic as a result of apartheid policy that existed and were key to the mining sector. A number of policies aimed at ensuring that the broader society and mining host communities benefit from mining activity were introduced by government. Despite the policies and initiatives implemented by mining companies and local government, these communities continue to protest due to lack of basic needs in these areas. This raises the question of whether development initiatives these communities are effective. The relationship between mining companies, communities and local government is captured in the MPRDA with a focus on Social and Labour plans (SLP). This relationship is explored using Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which apply to all countries and reflect universal goals and targets that define the global community's desire and opportunity towards a sustainable future. They study will using SDGs to optimal evaluate whether mining companies and local government have really improved the standard of living in these communities and the overall well-being
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    The role of mining companies in achieving the united nations social development goals in Madagascar by 2030
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Babila, Ndasi Moses
    The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) constitute the pillars of policies formulated by the UN member states in 2015 to combat poverty and other forms of deprivation, in order to achieve peace and prosperity for all people and the planet by the year 2030 (the so-called UN Agenda 2030). This research is an exploratory study that undertakes a synthesis of the implementation of the UN SDG policies and the economic contributions made by mining companies to local communities in Madagascar, through their commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), in order to achieve the UN Agenda 2030. Four of the 17 UN SGDs were selected to assess Madagascar’s level of achievement of the UN SGDs. The UN SGDs selected include one, end poverty in all its forms everywhere; two ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; three Quality education and four, Industry innovation and infrastructure. The Purposive Sampling technique was used to select the Benenitra and Ranobe districts of the Atsimo Andrefana Region as areas of study due to the advantage of prior knowledge of the areas and accessibility. These areas are reflective of artisanal, small and industrial scale mining operations in Madagascar. 22 participants were interviewed to get their perception on Madagascar’s level of achievement of the UN SGDs, and the contribution of mining companies towards this and their livelihood. while mining companies are somewhat engaged, and to some extent, committed in CSR, and showing interest in developing the local communities where they operate, the government of Madagascar is lagging behind with the implementation of appropriate social protection systems to achieve the UN SDGs by 2030. 2 It is envisaged that this research would contribute to the scientific and societal discourse on mining and CSR, particular with regards to the contribution of mining companies to the economy of developing and emerging countries towards achieving the UN Agenda 2030
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    The influence of an authentic brand on the development of brand resonance: a South African banking services perspective
    (2020) Naidoo, Hemendrie Mandy
    Consumers search for brands that are relevant, original, and genuine: they increasingly search for the authenticity in brands (Arnould & Price, 2000; Beverland, 2005; Brown, Kozinets, & Sherry, 2003). As consumers searched for authenticity, environmental activists drew attention to the sustainability required from products and services that people consume. With deception and trickery becoming common in marketing, authenticity has become increasingly important (Eggers et al., 2013). Studies conducted on the authenticity of a brand within alternating social and cultural settings is of actual academic value as authenticity is a malleable construct which is constantly evolving. (Beverland, 2005; Eggers et al., 2013). Organisations now need to carefully plan what and how to produce, how to distribute their products and what promotional activities to follow (Kotler, 2011). The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between brand authenticity and brand resonance with the aim of strengthening brand equity. It also provides insight for the banking sector to understand if the sustainable development goals 2030 as agreed by all United Nations Member States in 2015 contributes to an authentic brand. Environmental knowledge is a crucial variable that has a significant positive influence on consumers’ intention to purchase sustainable products (Zelezny & Schultz, 2000; Polonsky, 1994). The design of the study endeavours to understand the link between brand authenticity and brand resonance within the banking sector, while making use of environmental consciousness and subjective norms as other constructs. It is postulated that brand authenticity is made up of trust and sincerity. A qualitative approach is used to make determine the validity of seven proposed hypothesises. The data was collected via the use of self-completion digital questionnaires using 268 valid samples from the total 305 respondents. The results of the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) showed that the three of the seven proposed hypotheses were rejected. However, the effect of brand authenticity on brand resonance was shown to be the most significant whereas the effect of subjective norms on brand resonance did not factor significantly and is one of the unsupported hypotheses. The results of this study offer some strategic references for the marketing practice. The findings point out that customers are becoming increasingly sustainable consciousness and have a positive impact on an authentic brand which could be used to gain brand resonance