Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

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    Mobile banking apps curation: Assessing the factors that influence mobile banking’s continuous use amongst Millennials and Generation Z
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mashishi, Neo; Zulu, Melissa
    The proliferation of mobile banking platforms and the widespread use of intelligent devices like smartphones and tablets have caused a paradigm change in the banking industry in recent times. Millennials and Generation Z (Gen Z), dubbed the "digital natives," make up most of these service consumers. Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly using mobile banking apps, which has transformed how financial services are delivered. Nevertheless, despite being widely adopted, banks need help to ensure the continuous use of these apps to sustain a devoted and loyal consumer base while competing in the market. This study, therefore, investigates the factors influencing Millennials and Gen Z's continuous use of mobile banking applications. Five theoretical frameworks have been adopted to direct the research inquiry: Computers As A Social Actor (CASA), Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT-IS), Social Response Theory (SRT), Task Technology Fit (TTF), and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The study adopted these frameworks based on their theoretical and empirical applicability and ability to provide perspectives into the variables impacting Millennials and Gen Z's continuous use of mobile banking apps. The study employed SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) for the analysis of descriptive statistics. To validate the theoretical model and investigate the interactions between variables, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). PLS-SEM, Smart PLS software was used to assess the validity and reliability of the constructs as well as the strength and importance of the proposed paths in the structural model was made possible by the PLS-SEM methodology. This provided an overview of the dataset and made it possible to do a thorough analysis by outlining important features like means, frequencies, and standard deviations. The research used quota sampling for a sample size of 505 participants. The study's conclusions indicate that there is a substantial correlation among perceived anthropomorphism, expectation confirmation, service quality of mobile applications, mobile banking app satisfaction, technology fit, and consistent usage of mobile banking apps. The study’s goal is to advance our understanding of the field of banking and financial services marketing. The banking sector can apply the findings and insights to differentiate its offerings from its competitors and gain a competitive edge while potentially boosting profitability.
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    The diffusion of digital technology among Millennials and Gen X in the South African Aviation Industry
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Kgodane, Kabelo; Magida, Ayanda
    As digital technology continues to shape the aviation industry, it remains unclear how millennials and gen x help or hinder the diffusion of digital technology in the workplace to improve usage and shape the passenger digital technologies in the industry. This study examines the impact of millennials and gen x on the diffusion of digital technology in the South African Aviation Industry. A qualitative approach was adopted, and 12 participants were purposively selected and interviewed (with an equal representation of millennials and gen x). The participants were asked questions relating to their role as contributors to passenger digital technologies in the industry and as passengers (consumers of passenger digital technologies). The data was analysed thematically using an inductive and deductive approach to capture the rich responses. Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory underpinned this study and also informed the interviews and analysis of the data. The findings were in-depth insights that showed the two generational cohorts’ meaningful contributions in the workplace. Overall, the study found that millennials and gen x share similarities in their attitudes about the advantages and concerns of using passenger digital technologies in the workplace and showed differences in the challenges and disadvantages of using the technologies as passengers. Age, the social system, communication channels, and the role of time were found to play a big role in the diffusion process. The theoretical framework was useful in structuring the interviews and analysing the data collected using themes that emerged from the data and the framework. The findings indicated that the two generational cohorts belong to two important adopter category groups, which help the workplace diffusion process. This study contributes valuable insights that enrich the existing body of knowledge in the South African Aviation Industry. There are not many contributions related to the diffusion and usage of digital technology in the South African Aviation industry and in those that exist researchers use quantitative approaches to collect data. This study however illustrated the importance of using qualitative methodology in analysing the insights from the participants which provided a deeper
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    The impact of the coaching preferences and perceptions of South African millennial leaders on the success of leadership coaching
    (2022) Moodley, Lashan
    According to Stats South Africa, the majority of the leadership roles within the South African labour market falls within the millennial age group. It is therefore critical that businesses adapt and adjust their current development policies and procedures according to the needs of this generational group to ensure successful development and succession interventions. Coaching has only recently been used as a tool in the development of leaders. This study therefore looks at the preferences and perceptions of the millennial leader towards coaching and the impact this has on leadership coaching success. The generational diversity amongst managers, coaches and the millennial leader may contribute to the misunderstanding and a disconnect when it comes to the use of coaching as a tool to develop the millennial leader. It is therefore pivotal that coaches and managers understand the millennials’ perception and preference with regards to leadership coaching to assist in promoting successful coaching interventions. Both the concept of preference and perception is broad and therefore this study concentrates on the preference of how a millennial leader wishes to be coached, and the perception of the millennial leader regarding the characteristics of a coach in terms of the guidance offered, integrity of the coach and the relationship shared with the coachee. The findings of this study will therefore help both managers and coaches to adapt their approach when it comes to interacting and doing business with this generation of leaders. This was a quantitative cross-sectional study that was conducted amongst individuals born between 1981 and 1996 (i.e., the millennial generation). Primary data was collected with a sample size of 382 to identify behaviour and trends of the millennial leader towards coaching. In this study, all factors, except for the millennials’ perception regarding the relationship they share with the coach, had a positive influence on leadership coaching success. This finding is in direct conflict to the belief that the relationship shared with ii the coach is pivotal for coaching success. The study sought to provide guidance to both managers and coaches on how to approach the millennial leader when it came to adopting coaching as a leadership development tool. As a result of the findings of this study, a coaching model was developed and recommended to address the needs of the millennial leader. The study therefore aimed to contribute to the limited literature available on the millennial coachee and to assist businesses on adapting their approaches when dealing with this cohort of the workforce.
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    Social context factors and consumer innovativeness as drivers of organic food adoption amongst millennials in South Africa
    (2022) Mhlophe, Bongani
    Modern-day marketing practitioners are more interested in understanding consumers’ acceptance of innovative products rather than obliviously introducing new products to the market, only to be left to endure the costly and disruptive consequences of product rejection. Once practitioners fully understand the aspects that stimulate consumers to adopt innovations, they will be able to devise well-informed strategies that are bound to accelerate the adoption of new products, create more demand, and positively impact their long-term profitability. Furthermore, once relevant knowledge is available, the high rejection of new products will likely to be lessened to a reasonable proportion. For marketing practitioners to understand the drivers of organic food espousal amongst Millennials, scholars must conduct relevant studies on the complex relationships that exist between adoption and its antecedent factors. Recent studies have maintained that research focus is skewed towards individual-level factors, while most scholars overlook the predictive ability of social context factors on Adoption Behaviour. Therefore, it became expedient that an empirical analysis of this kind must be conducted to forge a more profound understanding of how the social context factors impact the Adoption Behaviour of organic food, particularly in an emerging economy like South Africa. This study targeted Millennials, particularly in the urban cities of South Africa, i.e., Johannesburg and Pretoria (Gauteng), Durban (Kwa-Zulu Natal) and Cape Town (Western Cape). A proposed conceptual framework portraying the relationships between the studied constructs was developed, resulting in several suppositions that were later subjected to hypothesis testing. A non-probabilty and conveniently accessible sample was used to gather primary data from 385 respondents. Both self-administered online suveys and researcher administered survey questionnaires were used for data colletion which yielded a response rate of 78.9%. This raw data was quantitatively analysed through SPSS 27 (for descriptive statistics) and through Structural Equation Modelling using Amos 27 (for inferential statistics). Path Modelling was used to test the hypothesised relationships of the structural model in a bid to either reject or fail to reject these suppositions. Moderation and moderated mediation effects were analysed using Hayes’ PROCESS Procedure for SPSS 4.0. While the moderating effect of Consumer Innovativesness was firmly establishled, this study, however, failed to garner enough statistical evidence to support the moderated mediation effects. Although the results of this study mostly confirmed the results from earlier studies, some new and exciting insights were derived; for example, an inverse relationship was found between Attitude and Adoption Behaviour, resulting in the nullification of hypothesis 8. The findings of this study delivered some critical theoretical contributions to the extant literature and meaningfully advanced the frontier of knowledge within the broader fields of generational and behavioural studies by providing fresh insights into the nature of the relationships between the studied constructs. Furthermore, this study also proffers practical suggestions that may aid marketing practitioners in devising and adopting well-informed strategies that will eventually enhance the adoption of organic food, particularly within the younger generational cohort. While a mismatch between Millennials’ Attitudes and their Adoption Behaviour was firmly established, this study further corroborates the findings from previous scholars that addressing negative Attitudes towards novelties is fundamental for their effective diffusion. These Attitudes must be fully understood and channelled to the right direction (e.g., through relevant promotional activities), in order to improve the espousal of organic foods, thus paving the way for these foodstuffs to realise their full market potential. Eventually, marketers will have the assurance of future demand and sustainable profitability if the adoption of organic food is accelerated to new heights. Although this study proffered meaningful contributions, some constraints were apparent, and these hurdles inevitably affected the generalisability of the findings of this study. Owing to these limitations, the results of this study lacked external validity and thus cannot be confidently applied to other similar research contexts. On the other hand, these limitations further unlocked avenues for future research endeavours.
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    Brand humanisation: the impact of brand personality on customer loyalty - a Nike case study
    (2021) Mngadi, Lethinjabulo
    Purpose – The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of brand humanisation through brand personality on brand loyalty among the South African youth consumers. Design/methodology/approach – the quantitative research method by means of an online questionnaire distributed through social media and online database was used to collect the data from a total of 200 Millennials. The sample was selected through purposive non-probability sampling. The Structural Equation model (SEM) analysis technique was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – The study aimed to investigate the relationship between brand personality and the mediating influence of brand awareness, brand engagement, brand perception and brand perception which few studies have explored in one study. Evidently, the findings do indicate that brand personality has a direct effect on brand loyalty, of which brand loyalty has a positive significance on purchase intention, making the main research purpose true. Furthermore, in the complexity of further proving a positive relationship between brand personality and customer loyalty, brand engagement and brand resonance as mediating variables are also supportive. This means that brand awareness and brand perception are the only two mediating variables that are disproved in this research. Research limitations/implications – This study contributes to literature on South African Millennial consumers, clothing apparel marketing and global emerging markets. The major gaps and weaknesses identified in the field of brand humanisation and brand loyalty in the literature review stage of this research are summarised as a lack of empirical research on the impact of brand humanisation through brand personality on brand loyalty in the South African context, and a lack of studies from emerging markets. Originality/value – The key practical contributions of this research study was to provide adequate literature and data to enable marketing practitioners to see the importance of brand humanisation, its impact on brand loyalty and utilising brand humanisation tools in their brand strategies to increase brand loyalty. Furthermore, to provide insight into the Nike brand and how Nike can, through understanding the importance of a strong brand personality, positively leverage off their brand personality-based campaigns to increase customer purchase intentions and customer loyalty
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    The role of electronic word-of-mouth on customer-based brand equity and purchase intention by Millennials in South African
    (2020) Kgonare, Boitumelo
    This paper examines the effects of negative electronic word of mouth (eWOM) performed on social network sites towards customer-based brand equity and ultimately, the effect this may have on purchase intention by South African Millennials in the specific industry of telecommunications. Customer-based brand equity is a widely referred marketing concept used as insight in understanding customer value and the relevance of brands in the marketplace. As organisations embark on building strong brand equity, ultimately it is the customer that decides how significant the brand is to them and gauges the success of the brand. The main variables of the study that make up customer-based brand equity are brand loyalty, perceived quality, brand awareness and the strength of brand association outlined by (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1993). This study embarked on testing the unfavourable situation of negative electronic word of mouth shared on social network sites and the impact on the antecedents of customer-based brand equity which would evidently discourage purchase intention. The exponential growth and adoption of social network sites as we embrace the digital era has offered marketers an opportunity to advertise their brands online and to engage their target audience with a more relevant, instantaneous content. This study focused specifically on Millennials, a generational cohort of wide interest in marketing and business in general, because of their sheer size in South Africa and their purchasing power, a cohort that is highly invested in brands and is the driving force of social media adoption (Rodney & Wakeham, 2016). The study also focuses on the telecommunications industry and the top mobile carrier brands (Vodacom, MTN, Cell C & Telkom) that possess the strongest brand equity in the market according to (BrandSA, 2017). The research methodology adopted an online cross-sectional survey where they completed a questionnaire adapted from previous studies was used. The results of the empirical study supported some of the hypothesised statements, however dispelled two of the constructs. The findings are that negative electronic word of mouth has detrimental effects on brand loyalty, perceived quality and ultimately, purchase intention. However, the results did not hold the same premise in that negative word of mouth had a negligible impact on the strength of brand association that Millennials hold towards telecommunication brands. ii The managerial implications of this study is for telecommunication companies to proactively monitor and track negative eWOM diligently by investing in the technology and social media tools that allow this level of tracking; this data builds invaluable customer insights that will allow them to implement mitigating brand marketing campaigns to regain trust with Millennials and reinstate the brand loyalty levels and tainted perceived quality. Through this, they will be able to continue to dominate brand resonance amongst Millennials who need this service. The theoretical implications are the addition to the study of negative electronic word of mouth which is underdeveloped in South Africa, albeit the growing adoption of social network sites, and the impact these have on the broad construct of customer-based brand equity reflecting a negative relationship. The study further contributes to the study of purchase intention, however it is extended because we look at the negative impact of the spread of negative eWOM towards brand loyalty, perceived quality, brand awareness and the brand association.