3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item The adoption of social media in a South African banking organisation :a qualitative diffusion of innovation perspective(2019) Mehlomakulu, SidimaSocial media adoption has seen a rise across businesses in recent history, this is also seen in the increase of publications related to this subject. ICT adoption studies have used many theoretical lenses, in multiple contexts to observe the diffusion phenomenon at an organisational level. However, the understanding of the adoption of social media in large South African organisations has scant research. This study explores the antecedents surrounding the decision to adopt social media, in a South African banking organisation, using an extended Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theoretical framework. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews are deployed as the methods used to gather insights from decision makers and other impacted business functional areas, to gain a richer understanding of the phenomena. The theoretical contribution of this study provides an enriched understanding of social media diffusion in a South African banking organisational setting, by incorporating concepts of strategy, vision and goals, internal organisational social and cultural structures, as well as external and competitive pressures to the DOI theory. Findings suggest that further concepts such as reputational risk, social media innovativeness and organisational change, could be further explored. Practically, the findings may be used in the decision process of social media implementation, social media strategy development and to improve business operational efficiencies.Item ‘Tweeting in Solidarity’: a corpus linguistics-driven analysis of tweets during the South African student protests(2018) Bolton, AméThe social media boom has affected people the world over, allowing them a platform to voice their opinions and sentiments, but also allowing them to create connections with people around the globe. In many instances, these connections have been based on shared political beliefs, effectively creating ‘issue communities’, which has lent itself to the reappropriation of social media as a space that can facilitate political activism both in the online sphere and in the physical sphere, as well as widening the action opportunities for participation. This work seeks to uncover the different identities, communities, and discourses that were constituted on the social media site Twitter during the student protests spanning from the #RhodesMustFall protest of 2015, to the #FeesMustFall protests that spread like a veldt fire through 26 of South Africa’s universities. Collections of 1000 tweets per hashtag (namely #RhodesMustFall, #OpenStellenbosch, #WitsFeesMustFall and #UCTFeesMustFall) were collected and run through the corpus linguistics software AntConc, whereafter findings were analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Overall, users were able to use Twitter for the purpose of information-sharing by reporting on the live events of the protest, requesting resources and for the purposes of organization and planning. While the ‘fallist’ protests, which are often categorized and grouped under the umbrella as the student protests of South Africa, further analysis exposed that in fact, the discourses that were prominent in the earlier protests, namely the #RhodesMustFall and its derivative protest #OpenStellenbosch were far more aimed at the metaphysical conditions of higher education, where the #FeesMustFall protests focused on the material conditions of student life. Moreover, it was found that Twitter’s main function was in fact to behave less as a tool or additional paradigm to traditional participation, in the stead of its use as a means for bringing ideas such as free education into the political imagination, as well as for users to bring their private lived experiences into the public sphere, and thereby creating new types of subject positions and public identities.Item The effect of Facebook in-application advertisements on purchase intent: a case of retail shopping in South Africa(2018) Radise, Neo MakgalongSocial media has transformed how people communicate with each other and has carved alternative ways for businesses to engage and interact with customers by sending them targeted campaigns and promotions using various social media platforms. Social media has made information accessible to consumers which assists them to make well informed decisions when making a purchase. The focus of the study is to establish the effectiveness of in-application advertisement on Facebook on purchase intent - a case study on retail in South Africa. The analysis is based on the black baby boomer cohort, an under studied segment of the population, in South Africa. The findings of the study reveal the growing adaptation and use of Facebook by baby boomers in South Africa, as they use and rely on this platform to remain connected with family, friends and peers and to be able to source information on products and services based on peers via word of mouth. This study relies on quantitative analysis of the results obtained through an online survey. A total of 603 respondents engaged with the survey, which was placed on Facebook, and 235 of the successfully completed questionnaires were by baby boomers in South Africa. The study testes five hypotheses using Structural Equation Modelling and SPSS. The study revealed that the hypotheses that tested in-application advertisement on Facebook and its effectiveness does show a strong relationship with performance expectancy by baby boomers. Effort and social influence had a weak relationship to any of the variables, however this changed when new mediator variables, clicking on and advertisements and word of mouth, are introduced. The study contributes to the literature and theoretical knowledge on the positive effectiveness of Facebook and online banner advertisement towards purchase intent, and the effectiveness and impact of word of mouth both online and offline, in South Africa. The findings may be applied and expanded to other African regions.Item Shopping and Guns: an analysis of public discourses in social media about mall robberies in South Africa(2017) Thurtell, Sean ChristopherThis research project investigates public opinions about South African mall robberies discussed on Twitter. Using the principles of discourse and multimodal analysis, it provides critical insights constructed from the represented narratives of select, proposed middle-class consumers illustrating distinct sentiments about malls, crime and shopping. Malls are empirical objects that have been trivialised as ordinary and mundane consumer sites, devoid of any sociological significance embedded within the daily practices of shopping. This paper makes the argument that when contested by criminal activity, malls become valuable sites for critical enquiry towards gaining a deeper understanding of what these shopping attitudes mean within a post-apartheid, South African consumer landscape. The central issue of crime threatening public safety at malls diverges into an array of thematic discussions, revealing distinct indoctrinations surrounding apartheid’s iniquitous system of racial and social engineering. This study’s principle argument makes the claim that anxieties concerning public safety are only the tip of the iceberg, and this serves as an entry point into a discourse contesting exclusive shopping rights above constitutional equality for all. The test tube of mall robberies mixes desirable pleasures and humanitarian moralities together and creates a volatile cocktail of conflicting, consumer aspirations. In short, the public discourse of mall crimes is about maintaining self-entitled spaces of exclusivity within a desperate socioeconomic climate. This study concludes with questions and considerations raised by these authors which could springboard into opportunities for future inquiry.Item The impact of e-word-of-mouth, engagement and brand image on soccer fans' intention to purchase football tickets(2016) Nhlabathi, Mthobisi PatricThis study was conducted with the aim of investigating the influence electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) engagement and brand image have on purchase intention. The study was based on understanding factors influencing football fans’ consumption behaviour in relation to sports, specifically football. The study involved different aspects, including the impact of social media and branding on consumer behaviour. The literature consulted assisted with conceptual model and hypotheses development, around which the study was centred. Data for this study was collected from 260 Orlando Pirates FC fans at the Sebokeng branch, where participants were all supporters of the football club which was the subject of the study. Data was collected through a self-administered survey. Using the SPSS 22 and AMOS 22 packages to analyses the data, all the hypotheses were confirmed at 99% confidence level. E-WOM proved to be the most influential factor on fans’ consumer behaviour towards purchase intention while engagement showed the least. The conclusion and recommendation section was informed by the results following the data analyses. Recommendations which emanated from the findings were split between marketing practitioners and academic researchers. Maintaining a positive brand perception proved to be beneficial for brands based on the outcomes of the study. The outcomes also proved that the participant ranked engagement on the club’s Facebook page as the lowest factor t influence their consumer behaviour. As there are few studies on fans’ consumption behaviour in the sports environment, let alone football in South Africa, it would be interesting to see more studies done in this field in future.Item Challenges and opportunities of social media marketing in the South African petroleum industry(2016) Bako, BongiDespite the continued popularity of social media (SM) platforms globally, limited research on their challenges and opportunities has been done in the South African (SA) petroleum industry context. A semi-automated qualitative study was conducted with the objective of gathering data from the five largest petroleum companies in SA through semi-structured interviews using a purposive sample to ascertain these challenges and opportunities. The data were gathered; pre-tested, transcribed, and then analysed using NVivo 11 software. The research findings of this study show that the key challenges marketing practitioners encounter in SA include the lack of leadership buy-in as well as the absence of risk of mitigation plans when participating on the dialogue medium. The key opportunities include real-time customer engagement, ease of market development, data access, data mining, and wider customer reach. Based on the findings, a framework for implementing SM strategies in the SA petroleum industry context is proposed to help marketers in mitigating the failure risk of SM campaigns contributing positively to their bottom line. Recommendations obtained from participants include implementation of processes and procedures for customer engagement through social media, exploitation of strategy partners who are already active in social media, and the development of content strategies. Limitations are highlighted and future research areas that can be used by the petroleum industry and contribute to the body of knowledge are recommended. Key words: Integrated marketing communication, petroleum, promotional mix, social media, South Africa.Item Generation Y entrepreneurs and social media platforms: an assessment of online entrepreneurial alliance creation.(2017) Reinhart, Andrew JosefThis study was to identify the extent of Generation Y entrepreneurs’ social media usage in terms of weak-tie alliance maintenance and creation and also alliance creation. A sample group of entrepreneurs in the Johannesburg were chosen by using social media as a channel. By using the researcher’s social capital and also the different characteristics that are unique to these SNSs (social network sites), such as Twitter advertising, a sample group was created. A digital survey was distributed to the selected entrepreneurs by using an online platform. By using hypothesis testing and a multiple regression model, it was identified that entrepreneurs tend to favour maintaining weak-ties over creating weak-ties using SNSs, and alliance creation on SNSs does not seem too common, but it was highlighted that when entrepreneurs do create alliances, they tend to favour weakties that they have created on SNSs. The overall picture is that entrepreneurs have an inclination not to use SNSs to create weak-ties and alliances, this could come down to a number of factors such as trust and education, and there could also perhaps be no SNS that supports alliance creation to the extent that entrepreneurs need.Item Social media factors impacting purchase intention of mobile devices amongst working Generation Y in South Africa(2017) Funde, LesegoWord-of-mouth (WOM) has been seen to be one of the most powerful resources of transmitting information. Progression in Information technology and the rise of online social network sites have changed the way information is being conveyed. This phenomenon sways consumers as this effortlessly accessible information could significantly influence their consumption decision. The purpose of this paper is to investigate Social Media factors impacting purchase intention of mobile devices amongst Working Generation Y in South Africa. The target population for this study was defined those who are between ages of 24-35 years of age and are employed. This paper relies on a quantitative analysis of the results gathered through an online survey. Measurement of items have been adapted from existing scales found in the marketing literature. Researchers reviewed the items for validity and readability. A multiple regression model procedure and Structural Equation Model is applied to test the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The research model was tested using a sample of 250 people who are South Africa’s Working Generation Y consumers and are regular social network users. Based on the resulted yielded from this research paper, it is reasonable to argue that consumer engagement will affect eWOM which may influence consumer purchase intentions. The paper outlines ways to promote a brand effectively through online consumer communities’ also known as virtual communities, as well as general guidelines for website and forum moderators for facilitating such presentation in a manner useful to the members of their online communities. While there is a substantial research stream that examines the branding of consumer’s goods and an increasing literature on product brands, little is known about social media, brand image and purchase intention in the context of online communications. This paper therefore extends existing measurement of these variables.Item The influence of online consumer reviews on purchasing intent(2017) Moloi, Tshepo MoliseThe proliferation of social platforms in the digital and online space has given voice to millions of social media users and carved careers otherwise unheard of a few years ago, in the form of expert technology reviewers who enjoy mass online following and sponsorship from brands seeking to leverage millions of followers who log in daily. Social media has enabled access to information otherwise previously restricted to user guides and product manuals. Using the theory of planned behaviour, the study examines the effect that online consumer reviews have on product knowledge, social influence, trust, source credibility, brand image and purchase intent among urban South Africans falling in the Generation Y cohort. The methodology involved a self-administered online questionnaire adapted from past studies. A total of 255 questionnaires were collected from the identified sample. The study tested ten hypotheses using Structural Equation Modelling along with SPSS 22 software used for descriptive statistics and IBM Amos 22. Results indicate that all ten hypotheses have significant influence on purchase intent. All hypotheses displayed equally significant relationships per testing as findings revealed that online consumer reviews have a positive effect on product knowledge, trust, social influence, source credibility and brand image. Findings also revealed a significant relationship between product knowledge, trust, social influence, source credibility, brand image, and purchase intent. The study contributes to the literature and theoretical knowledge on online consumer reviews in the local South African context, and can be applied to similar developing markets. The theoretical implications in the study contributes to both limited, and existing research, literature, and knowledge on the effects that online consumer reviews have on the purchase intent of South African consumers. The study broadens knowledge in the ever growing influence of online consumer reviews and the significant theoretical contributions of the study will benefit academia and scholars. Managerial implications highlight that managers cannot afford to ignore the influence of online consumer reviews on intent to purchase, and that even though these reviews are not under the direct influence of organisations, marketers can indirectly influence these by ensuring quality products that meet both the brand and product promises. Recommendations, iii limitations of the study, and future research on the subject of online consumer reviews are also discussed. Keywords: Online consumer reviews, social influence, brand image, product knowledge, purchase intent, source credibilityItem Content creator hub(2017) Constantinides, Michael Graham GeorgeThis research report is to investigate the physical realm of online content creation as well as the effects content creation and social media has in a South African context. The objective of this research report is to identify the areas in which Architecture can better support the new generation of online content developers. With the fast paced development of the Internet and digital technology, Architecture needs to form new ideologies, typologies and tectonics in order to stay relevant. A space that’s is the pivoting point between two worlds: online and offline. The result of this study is to create a new typology to fit within the Internet industry within South Africa and to be able to leapfrog the country and it’s specific design site in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, into the Internet territory. A space is needed that will be the intersection of the physical and the online world, a space that becomes a connection node with a presence in both worlds. The Content Creator Hub, which is an architectural space that not only facilitates the creation of online content but also the sharing of skills, collaborative efforts, exposure to business practises, business people and business opportunities, access to tools and equipment as well as access to a conducive space. The formation of an actual place where a new form of creative artists exist and are able to create, learn, share, connect, collaborate and help innovate. Furthermore, there is an opportunity to take the philosophical ideas and approaches of The Content Creator Hub to implement them into an urban scheme and in a Southern African context. Architecture plays an important role not only by generating content but also by accelerating the action.