3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Consumers' motivational drivers status consumption and life satisfaction: a case of smartphones among the Generation Y cohort in South Africa(2019) Sithole, Titus MutsanyaOne important motivating force that influences a wide range of consumer behaviour is the desire to gain status or social prestige from the acquisition and consumption of goods. More often than not, individuals purchase expensive and luxury goods to display their social standing. In addition, individuals purchase status products to fulfill their material desires and reinforce their group identity. This is often a case with regards to youth consumers who often purchase expensive, luxury smart-phone brands to portray status and impress their peers. This behaviour seems to be trending among student communities. This study sought to investigate the consumers’ motivations for status consumption and life satisfaction for smartphone consumption in Generation Y. This study made use of a non-probability convenience sample. A self-administered questionnaire was designed, based on the scales used in previous studies. A sample of 250 students was chosen to collect the data. A series scale check analysis was made to test the reliability and validity of measures using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Also, structural equation modelling (SEM) analysed the hypothesised relationships using Amos version 25 software. The main findings of the study are that materialism has a significant influence on life satisfaction with a path coefficient value for hypothesis 1 is 0.371, which is an indication of a strong association and relationship between materialism and status consumption. Uniqueness has a positive and a significant influence on status consumption with a path coefficient value of 0.034 and the p-value of 0.847. Consumer ethnocentrism has a positive and a significant influence on status consumption with path coefficient value of 0.122 and the p-value of 0.176. Modern status orientations have a significant influence on status consumption with a path coefficient value of 0.717. Finally, status consumption has a significant influence on life satisfaction with a path coefficient value for hypothesis 5 is 0.719, which is an indication of a strong association and relationship between status consumption and life satisfaction. The insights gained from this study will help marketers to better understand youth consumers in their engagement in status consumption, and life satisfaction, which, will ultimately assist the marketing practitioners’ efforts in such a way as to appeal to this segment in an appropriate manner.Item Leveraging on the parent brand image to build brand extensions: a consumer's perspective on the Clover Tropika brand in emerging economic areas(2019) Madlala, PhethokuhleThe world is changing at a rapid pace and consumer demands are constantly evolving. Innovation is key for brands that aim to stay relevant in todays’ markets. The brand extension strategy is a key marketing tactic to achieve innovation and it has therefore become crucial to understand how marketers can leverage on the parent brand image to build brand extensions. The primary objective of the study was to investigate how brand extensions can leverage on the parent brand image in order to achieve a positive brand extension perception. This was investigated in accordance with specific brand building constructs. The study focused on a consumers’ perspective of the Clover Tropika brand within emerging economic areas. Various literature relating to the parent brand image, brand extensions, as well as the relationship between the two were explored. Literature shows that newly innovated products have a high failure rate should and in an event where they are successful, it is as a result of a brand extension created from an existing brand, where congruency between the two exists. The research was based on a quantitative approach which adopted convenience sampling at Mall intercepts. A total sample of 238 consumers responded to a self-administered questionnaire at Southgate and Maponya Mall which are located in the south west of Johannesburg. All respondents were above the age of 18 and consented to participate in the research by willingly placing their completed questionnaires in the box provided on the day. The data techniques used included Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) which had a core focus on Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) which assisted in confirming the relationships proposed in the conceptual model. SEM also focused on path modelling to determine the causal relations. Nine out of the ten hypotheses proposed had a significant level of p<0.001 proving support for the proposed hypotheses. The research found that there is a significant relationship between brand awareness and brand attitudes, as this hypothesis had the highest path coefficient score. After the research was conducted. it was noted that high recall and recognition of the parent brand, accompanied by favorable attitudes, are key factors in leveraging on the parent brand image to build brand extensions. Moreover, brand extensions need to have high perceived fit in order to leverage extensively on the parent brand image.Item The influence of online brand communities on consumer engagement and brand loyalty: An emerging market perspective(2019) Sebati, Kananelo KelelloOnline brand communities are a recent phenomenon which have become an area of interest in marketing science and practice. There is currently limited research that informs marketing science and practice related to online brand communities in emerging markets. The consumption experience in emerging markets has at times mirrored that of the high income communities, but is also recognised as being divergent from what is currently understood in literature. The research aimed to understand how brand communities operating on Facebook influence consumer engagement and brand loyalty. This was done acknowledging the influence that consumer-brand identification has on motivations to belong to a group. Surveying members of automotive brand communities based in South Africa enabled the data collected to provide insights into an emerging market brand community. Data was tested for reliability, validity and overall model fit using path analysiss and structural equation modelling. Results found that while there is a significant relationship between brand community membership, consumer engagement and brand loyalty; consumer brand identification has little influence on membership to a brand community. Keywords: Brand Loyalty, Consumer Brand Identification, Consumer Engagement, Online Brand CommunitiesItem Factors influencing the consumption of male cosmetics products in South Africa(2018) Sithole, KennedyThe consumption of male cosmetic products is an emerging market that cannot be overlooked as it exhibits potential growth for manufacturers of related products. Although studies relating to the consumption behaviour of women towards cosmetic products are abundant, there are limited studies aimed at examining the consumption behaviour of cosmetics by men. It can be concluded that failure to understand the male consumption behaviour of cosmetics can lead to irrelevant marketing strategies that subsequently lead to poor return of investment to organisations. This research study explores factors influencing the consumption of male cosmetics products in South Africa. The study attempts to establish the influence of self-image, societal expectation, media (celebrity endorsement) and the perceptions of modern men (metrosexuals) on the consumption of cosmetic products by South African men. A questionnaire was distributed via the online survey programme, Survey Monkey to collect research data. The sample consisted of 301 respondents, which was collected using the snowball sampling method. Reliability of the measuring instruments was satisfactory because the Cronbach alpha value was above 0.8 for all variables. Validity of the constructs was also acceptable when exploratory factor analysis was tested. Path analysis and regression weights methods were applied to test the hypotheses using the SPSS computer programme. The results of the four hypotheses tested revealed that the growing consumption of male cosmetic products in South Africa is influenced by self-image and social expectation. The regression weight method discovered that the relationship between willingness to purchase the male cosmetic products and perception is not significant since the p-value was greater than 0.05. It was also established that the growing consumption of male cosmetic products is not a result of celebrity endorsement, which is contrary to similar studies in Europe, Japan and India. It is recommended that other variables such as reference groups (metrosexuals) be considered for future studies to fully investigate key factors that influence the consumption of cosmetic products by men. Keywords: consumption, male cosmetic products, self-image, social expectation, celebrity endorsement, perception, metrosexualsItem Acceptance of online shopping by individuals in South African townships(2018) Dzimati, ShoraiInternet connectivity has revolutionised the way we conduct our day-to-day activities like banking, communication, travelling arrangements and shopping. Internet has enabled the birth of many technological innovations throughout the world including online shopping. Online shopping is the process of purchasing goods and services from online stores also known as e-tailers over the internet. In developing countries like South Africa, buying and selling of commodities makes up most of the economic activities. Individuals. With the increase in internet connectivity, individuals now have an option to replace the traditional brick and mortar shopping with online shopping. Although online technology is already in maturity phase in the developed countries, for South Africa as a developing country, it is still in its infancy. This might be attributed to factors that may include late penetration of the internet as well as logistical challenges which common in most developing countries. South Africa as a developing country needs technology to grow its economy into a developed country and online technology is one of the key technologies required to achieve this. The majority South African population comes from the townships which means that township dwellers constitute the majority of the consumers. Online shopping technology has potential to contribute towards the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which is a key part of the South African economy. This demographic set up in South Africa makes it critical for business and academics to understand the acceptance of technology in South African townships, with online shopping being one of these key technologies. The study investigated factors affecting acceptance of online shopping by individuals in South African townships using the adapted unified theory of technology acceptance theory (UTAUT). Using a hypothetical model to test various hypotheses, the study followed a positivist research paradigm. Through the theoretical lens of the adapted unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). A survey was used as the data collection method. The hypotheses were tested and analysed to further understand the factors affecting acceptance of online shopping by individuals in South Africa. Findings of this study revealed that the elements of the adapted unified theory of technology acceptance theory (UTAUT) are strong in predicting acceptance of online shopping in South African townships. Elements like performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence as well as trust proved to be significant in predicting acceptance of online technology. This research will assist academics and practitioners to further understand the acceptance of online shopping by individuals.Item The mediating role of emotions in the relationship between experiential marketing and repurchase intention of energy drinks: a case of generation Y(2018) Phiri, Neo Elsie MorwesiGeneration Y is emerging as an enormous force in the marketplace, with its growing spending power and its members’ unique spending patterns. This research employs the Mehrabian and Russell (1974) S-O-R model to study the impact of experiential marketing on emotions and behavioural intention of Generation Y consumers in the energy drinks category. More than half of the energy drinks market comprises the fickle and disloyal consumption-driven Generation Y consumers. Customers are repeatedly attracted towards a brand based on its sensory experience. Marketing to customers’ taste, smell, touch, sight and sound therefore contributes to creating powerful memories, thereby presenting real opportunities for marketers to develop repeat purchase behaviour. While there are numerous studies investigating the impact of experiential marketing in developed economies such as the USA, the UK, or Australia, there are limited studies on experiential marketing conducted in emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). The study proposes a mediation model where customer emotions are hypothesised as a key mediator in the relationship between experiential marketing and consumer buying behaviour. Following a descriptive research design, self-administered questionnaires were distributed to a stratified random sample of 700 students from four Universities in Gauteng, South Africa, 689 of whom responded. Respondents were asked to answer questions about their perceptions of their favourite energy drink brand. For the hypotheses testing, a structural equation modelling approach was used, using AMOS software. Results confirm that experiential marketing positively influences emotions, which in turn, influences consumers’ behavioural intentions. The results also confirmed that taste was the strongest multisensory experience. The results provide an empirical demonstration of the effects of experiential marketing on emotions and the subsequent impact of emotions on behavioural intentions. The findings of this study reinforce the importance of understanding the impact of customers’ emotions on behavioural intentions while enabling managers to develop an experiential branding strategy.Item The shift from ownership to access in South Africa: the shared economy(2017) Govender, KevinItem Data charges, delivery dependability, geographical distance, product risk and information quallity as predictors of online purchase intention in the South African retail sector(2017) Luthuli, Menelisi MinenhleThe continuous growth of e-commerce has led to a keen interest in the uptake of online shopping. This phenomenon is even more prevalent in developed western countries. However, penetration has taken place at a lessor rate in developing countries in most parts of Africa including South Africa. Apart from infrastructural capability and adequate online store reputation, the success of online shopping fundamentally rests upon e-tailers who are able to capture consumers by understanding what variables drive them to shop online. Although several studies have explored factors that drive online purchase intention, few have explored variables of interest as done in this present study. More specifically, this sort of research is scarce within the South African general merchandise online retail sector. This study aims to determine whether data charges, delivery dependability, geographical distance, product risk and information quality have any influence on consumers‘ online purchase intention. The conceptual model adopted in this study selected data charges, delivery dependability, geographical distance, product risk and information quality as predictor variables, online shopping satisfaction and trust as mediating variables and online purchase intention as the outcome variable. This is a quantitative study whereby 20 000 online survey questionnaires were distributed to a base of two renowned South African online retailers who predominately specialize in general merchandise. Of those distributed, 924 were complete and thus deemed useable by the researcher. The findings support all eight proposed hypotheses, therefore indicating that the aforementioned variables indeed influence online purchase intention at varying levels of significance. The study seeks to contribute new contextual knowledge, adding to the existing literature linked to online retailing and to contribute new empirical and theoretical findings. The research findings highlight new insights to marketing practitioners who, with better understanding of consumer decision making theory, will be able to create strategies that can be employed to influence consumers‘ online purchase intention in the South African general merchandise online retail sector. Keywords: E-commerce, online shopping, purchase intention, general merchandise retail.Item Factors influencing the purchase intention of the black middle-class in emerging markets for global brands: the case of fashion brands in South Africa(2017) Van den Berg, AnnekeeWith the rise of globalisation, consumers are increasingly faced with having to make purchase decisions between domestic and foreign products or brands. Therefore, it is important to gain a better understanding of what factors influence consumer decisions when considering a local or global product or brand. Although a number of studies have explored similar topics, a lack of research remains regarding a comprehensive theoretical model that provides a holistic view of factors influencing the decision to buy a global product. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate those factors that influence the purchase decisions of global fashion brands among black middle-class women in South Africa. More specifically, by means of a conceptual model, the present study proposes that ethnocentrism, price, brand knowledge (comprising of brand awareness and brand image), self-image, fashion involvement, brand love, attitude, and perceived quality influence consumers’ buying decisions. The findings of this study seek to fill the gap in literature regarding how emerging black middle-class consumers in South Africa make buying decisions with regard to (global) fashion products. An empirical study was undertaken, in which 500 black middle-class females were asked to complete an online survey to determine which factors influence their choice of global fashion clothing. The obtained data was analysed by means of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using Partial Least Squares. The findings support all proposed hypotheses, but not all hypotheses were found to be significant. The strongest relationships were found between brand knowledge and perceived quality, brand knowledge and attitude, and self-image and attitude. The weakest relationships were between ethnocentrism and purchase intention, price perception and perceived quality and finally brand love and purchase intention. Furthermore, the findings revealed that quality is the main reason for consumers to consider buying global fashion-branded clothing. On the other hand, price is the biggest drawback of sales of global fashion brands. This study is of significant importance to fashion marketers since it provides adequate insight into how global fashion brands can position themselves and influence consumers’ decisions to buy global fashion products. This study further provides a comprehensive model, adds to knowledge gaps, and provides several managerial implications and directions for future research.Item Effectiveness of branded mobile apps on brand loyalty among Generation Y consumers(2016) Chalomba, NakuzeThe increasing level of consumer engagement with smartphones and tablets or ipods, and the proliferation of mobile applications in recent years have seen a rapid growth in branded apps. Marketers are creating branded mobile apps as a brand communication channel to attract new customers and potentially increase brand loyalty among current customers. Previous research has measured initial adoption or intention to adopt branded apps rather than continuance adoption. In South Africa, few studies have explored adoption of branded apps among generation Y consumers. To fill this gap, this research aims to determine the effectiveness of branded mobile apps in driving brand loyalty among generation Y consumers. To achieve this goal, the research uses Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT) to explore the factors influencing satisfaction, continuance adoption of branded apps and brand loyalty. Using a quantitative research approach, a total of 406 valid self-administered questionnaires were collected by survey method, and structural equation modelling was employed in the data analysis. The results indicate that confirmation of expectations–functional value, social value and satisfaction significantly influence brand loyalty. When consumers confirmed expectations of branded apps, it directly led to positive perceptions of value and satisfaction. Consumer satisfaction was a significant driver of behavioural loyalty. Results also suggested that consumer confirmation of expectations and perceptions of value impacted on continuance intention indirectly through satisfaction. Perceived functional value was found to be an important direct booster of consumer’s decisions and behaviour to continue using branded apps, while social value was found to be an inhibitor of continuance intention. The relationship between continuance intention and brand loyalty was insignificant. Continuance intention was simply an intermediate response following satisfaction with prior usage. This study therefore confirmed and extended the (ECT), that satisfaction with a product or service was a prerequisite for establishing continuance intention and brand loyalty among consumers.
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