4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37773

Browse

Start date: 1850Subject: search.filters.subject.SDG-8: Decent work and economic growth

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 1316
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Sustainability of Video Streaming Services in South Africa: A Review of Digital Business Models and Strategies
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mkhize, Phumelele Wanda; Anning, Thomas Dorson
    This research paper examines the success and failure factors of Video Streaming Services (VSSs) in South Africa, specifically focusing on telco and broadcaster-launched platforms. Grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, the study utilises a mixed-methods approach to identify critical factors within the context of business models and compare sustainability factors between successful and failed VSS ventures. The research highlights telcos' challenges in content leadership and business model alignment as key contributors to their struggles, in contrast to broadcasters who strategically leverage resources for sustained competitive advantage. The study offers practical recommendations for developing sustainable digital video platforms in South Africa while laying the groundwork for future investigations into cross-cultural dynamics and technological innovations within the evolving VSS landscape.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Antecedents of Customer Loyalty in the South African Life Insurance Industry
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mkhize, Basil; Dlamini, Siphiwe
    ii ABSTRACT Retaining existing customers is currently the most significant challenge in the competitive life insurance market (Lakshmi & Santhi, 2015). Yet, previous studies on the factors influencing customer loyalty and repeat purchases have primarily been conducted in industries other than life insurance. Customer loyalty has been widely explored in marketing; however, empirical research on this subject within the life insurance sector in South Africa is scarce (Minta, 2018). Furthermore, there is a notable increase in lapse rate as the source of customer dissatisfaction in the life insurance sector (Sivesan (2019). Thus, the study explored the antecedents of customer loyalty in South Africa’s life insurance industry. It examined the impact of service quality, complaint handling, customer satisfaction, and trust on customer loyalty to South African life insurance. Additionally, it investigated the mediating factors affecting customer loyalty in the South African life insurance industry using the expectancy-confirmation theory. The methodology involved a self-administered questionnaire from 303 life insurance policy owners in South Africa. Structural equation modelling was used to test eight hypotheses, including two mediating effects. IBM SPSS 27, AMOS 27, and SmartPLS 3 software were used to analyse and interpret the dataset. The study found that six of the eight tested hypotheses were supported and significant, with service quality having the greatest impact on customer satisfaction. Furthermore, customer satisfaction was found to mediate the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty partially, and customer trust partially mediated the relationship between complaint handling and customer loyalty. This suggests that marketing managers in South African Life Insurance could use these results to enhance their service delivery strategies to maximise customer satisfaction and ultimately increase their retention goals. This study contributes to the literature on customer loyalty to life insurance companies by investigating its antecedents, including the mediating roles of customer satisfaction and trust, which have been under- researched. Furthermore, several future research directions which marketers and scholars could undertake are highlighted.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Influence of Brand Experience on Brand Loyalty of South African smartphone users
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Metedad, Rabia; Sain, Yvonne K.
    Less is known on the effect of brand experience on brand loyalty, more so within the context of South Africa's smartphone industry. What is evident, however, is the decrease in brand loyalty among South African consumers due to the overwhelming number of choices and technology available. Consumers who are very satisfied with their phones are less likely to transform this satisfaction into loyalty. The complexity of the relationship between consumers and brands has resulted in a decline in customer experience and brand commitment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of brand experience on brand loyalty among South African smartphone users. This study was conducted using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Data was collected from 398 respondents through a structured online questionnaire. The study focused on two popular smartphone brands, referred to as Brand A and Brand B for purposes of this study. Data was analysed using factor analysis and structural equation modelling using AMOS 28 software, measuring the relationship between brand experience dimensions (sensory, affective, behavioural, and intellectual) and brand loyalty dimensions (attitudinal and behavioural loyalty). The results showed that affective experience and intellectual experience are significant predictors of brand loyalty among SA smartphone users. In contrast, sensory experience and behavioural experience did not show a significant relationship with brand loyalty. Notably, Brand A smartphone users were found to be more loyal to their brand than Brand B smartphone users, evident in their ratings of affective and intellectual experiences, which were significantly higher than Brand B users.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Impact of Demographic Indicators on Cybersecurity Behaviour of E-Commerce Users in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mberikwazvo, Weston Zorodzai
    This study aims to explore the cybersecurity behaviour of e-commerce users in South Africa, utilising a conceptual framework derived from some elements of both the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). The study investigates the impact of demographic indicators specifically age, gender, and educational level impact the cybersecurity behaviour seeking to understand and contribute to the understanding of cybersecurity practices in response to perceived cyberthreats. A sample of 316 participants was used for the study which varied across different genders, age groups and educational levels. An online survey making use of a questionnaire was used to gather responses to the different dimensions making up cybersecurity behaviour guided by the established conceptual framework. The responses were statistically analysed to establish any patterns and trends using techniques such as correlation analysis and factor analysis. Analysis of the dataset concluded that there was significant difference to the cybersecurity behaviour of e-commerce users in South Africa for each of the demographic indicators of educational level, gender, and age and thus the null hypothesis was rejected for all three factors. Also, the null hypothesis was rejected for a combination of all three demographic indicators and cybersecurity behaviour indicating that a significant difference exists. The results showed that participants in the 36 to 40 years age group showed the highest cybersecurity behaviour level, with the 18 to 20 years and the over 60 years age group showing the lowest. Females showed a lower cybersecurity level in comparison to males with the non-binary participants scoring the lowest. The cybersecurity level increased in general with the educational level of the participants. In a nutshell, the results show that in the context of South African e-commerce users customised interventions based on the educational level, gender, and age need to be considered
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring employee perceptions on the adoption of 4IR-driven job automation in the South African Food Manufacturing Industry
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Maphosa, Grant
    The Fourth Industrial Revolution (or 4IR in short) is characterised by the latest technologies that mostly serve as solutions for automating tasks. Examples include the internet of things, cloud computing, artificial intelligence with machine learning and robotic process automation. The food value chain is no exception to this automation. All processes involved in converting the raw agricultural produce into finished goods for sale and consumption are expected to eventually integrate the 4IR technological advances, which automate job functions. In the South African Food manufacturing industry, these traditionally manual tasks are performed by a high number of employees, many of which perform lower-occupational level manual functions. The study’s purpose was to explore the South African Food manufacturing industry’s employee’s perceptions of this 4IR phenomenon, with the technologies that will be possibly automating their job functions or overall employment. This is to intentionally address the main research problem of not knowing the employee’s views on the subject, in addition to not being able to track the policymakers and employers’ efforts in managing the transition to 4IR-adoption in the industry. The research study was conducted through interviewing 14 participants who are employed by the South African Food manufacturing industry. They were expected to share their perceptions by answering open-ended questions, and their responses were analysed qualitatively. Their responses were coded and grouped to themes, and findings led to recommendations such as accelerating the change management process to identify upskilling requirements sooner.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Impact of Commodity Price Fluctuations on Investment Styles
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Maluleke, Vutomi; Alovokpinhou, Sedjro
    This thesis aims to investigate the impact of fluctuations in commodity prices on the returns of various investment styles and identify the specific commodity classes that exhibit strong predictive power. The study focuses on three commodity classes, food, energy, and precious metals, applied to the value, growth, and momentum investment styles, which exhibit dominance and consistency across all the countries examined. Through empirical analysis, the study seeks to contribute to the existing literature by estimating the predictive power of commodity prices on investment style returns. A deeper understanding of the relationship between investment styles and commodity prices may provide investors with more effective strategies for achieving their investment objectives and navigating the challenges posed by volatility in commodity markets. Drawing upon the research conducted by Dladla and Malikane (2019), our study builds upon the foundational framework of the linear asset pricing model. We extend the stock returns model with commodity prices. We use the real domestic and decomposed prices of commodities, reflecting the real exchange rate and the US dollar denominated international price. In addition to commodity prices, we introduce three macroeconomic variables: interest rates, the output gap, and the real exchange rate. We estimate the baseline models for six countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Africa, and Brazil. The findings of this investigation indicate that fluctuations in commodity prices, interest rates, and the output gap play an important role in explaining the returns on investment styles. We find that food and energy prices, real interest rates, and the output gap significantly explain returns on investment styles. Real interest rates exert a positive impact on returns on investment styles. This effect has been statistically significant in all the countries. The output gap displays a negative impact on returns on investment styles. Furthermore, we find that commodities have a negative effect on returns on investment styles. Food prices negatively impact returns on investment styles across all the countries. This effect holds statistical significance in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa. We further note that energy prices exert a similar impact as food prices. The effect of energy prices is statistically significant in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Brazil. Notably, the impact of energy prices on returns appears consistent across the three investment styles. However, we note that the impact of precious metals is not statistically significant in any of the countries, except in Canada, where we note a positive effect on returns on momentum styles. The effect of food and energy prices on returns on investment styles is in line with Gorton and Rouwenhorst (2006), who argue that this is primarily due to the distinct behavior exhibited by commodities across different phases of the business cycle. They suggest that commodities typically demonstrate a positive association with inflation and are influenced by a combination of demand-side fundamentals and supply-side dynamics. This divergence in the behavior of commodities implies that their relationships with equity markets vary inherently. On the other hand, precious metals exhibit a different pattern compared to food and energy prices, as they are often perceived as safe-haven assets
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The use of digital internal communications for operational excellence: A case study of African Rainbow Minerals (ARM)
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Maloka, Mologadi Betty; Ochara, Nixon
    This research paper employs a qualitative research methodology with a deductive approach to investigate the impact of digital internal communication on operational excellence, using African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) as a case study. The study recognises employees as primary stakeholders, contending that well- informed employees contribute to heightened productivity. Digital communication, facilitating information exchange and team collaboration, plays a pivotal role in the workplace. The study explores the use of digital communication tools for internal communication, customer interaction, teamwork, and overall productivity enhancement. Digital internal communication tools streamline feedback, idea expression, and collaboration, fostering a conducive environment for meaningful employee engagement. Effective internal communication is crucial for organisational culture, work enthusiasm, and stability during turbulent periods. The adoption of key elements in digital workplaces, including inclusion, reinvention, employee empowerment, and technological balance, is essential for achieving operational excellence. The study reveals that ARM employees primarily use four digital tools for improved collaboration and communication. However, challenges like resistance to change and poor system implementation hinder communication system objectives. The research and proposed model underwent experts’ evaluation for constructive feedback. The study emphasises the importance of aligning digital communication strategies with organisational goals, promoting inclusivity, and fostering adaptability. Integrating these recommendations into ARM's digital transformation strategy can lead to a more connected and agile workforce, enhancing operational excellence in the mining industry. The study concludes that digital communication is crucial for operational excellence but requires mutual understanding among key stakeholders in implementing digital tools
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Expressions of Solidarity and Decolonisation of Philanthropy in Southern Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Makombe, Zanele; Moyo, Bhekinkosi
    Solidarity is not a new phenomenon; however, the emergence of new or revived forms of reciprocity, giving and sharing based on the principle of solidarity has reignited discussions within philanthropy. This research report explores expressions of solidarity and the decolonisation of philanthropy within the context of six study countries: Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These countries are interconnected geographically, economically, and culturally, forming a vital region in Southern Africa. The research study is grounded in social capital and social justice theoretical framework. Through a qualitative research approach involving interviews, focus groups and document analysis, the research explores the experiences and perspectives of stakeholders that include selected philanthropy organisations, funding partners, community initiatives, and local communities. The study examines how ACT Ubumbano contributes to expressions of solidarity and advances the decolonisation agenda within philanthropy in response to the question: How does ACT Ubumbano’s approach contribute to expressions of solidarity and advance the decolonisation agenda within philanthropy? ACT Ubumbano was jointly established by European and Southern African organisations in 2019 as a social justice initiative. ACT Ubumbano works to centre solidarity as communities resist dehumanisation and injustice. The findings highlight the complexity of solidarity and decolonisation definitions, with diverse interpretations among stakeholders. Solidarity is expressed through informal networks, movements, community-based actions, and partnerships. Decolonisation efforts promote equitable power dynamics in funding, challenge dominant relationships, and support collective action. ACT Ubumbano initiatives support solidarity and decolonisation through resource allocation, partnerships, and networking platforms, fostering ii collective action and bridging gaps. The research study findings present solidarity as a tool for decolonisation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Financial Risk in Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions for Southern African Development Community Banks
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Makhura, Sedise; Totowa, Jacques
    This study investigates the effect of cross-border mergers and acquisitions on financial risk and bank performance in the Southern African Development (SADC) region, where economic uncertainties are prevalent. Focusing on credit, market, and liquidity risks, the analysis draws on data across 14 bank cross-border mergers and acquisitions between 2002 and 2018. The fixed effects model used in this study revealed statistically significant relationships between performance, measured as the principal component variable of return on equity (ROE) and return on earning assets (ROEA); and specific financial risk factors, particularly non- performing loans to total loans as the credit risk proxy and net loans to total assets as the liquidity risk proxy. Firm size also demonstrated a significant relationship to performance. Although the aggregate financial risk variable did not present any statistically significant impact on performance, liquidity risk emerged as the decisive factor in determining bank performance. An increased loan-to-asset ratio was associated with deteriorated bank performance, highlighting the importance of managing liquidity risk effectively. These findings suggest that banks in the SADC region involved in cross-border mergers should reassess their risk management strategies and prioritise liquidity and credit risk management to improve performance and ensure operational sustainability in the SADC region.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Branding and Social Identity in Consumer Decisions and Retail Consumption in South Africa post covid-19 lockdown
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Makhathini, Silindile Charmaine
    Consumer behavior continues to evolve, a phenomenon accentuated by various factors, notably the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Globally enforced lockdowns mandated by governments compelled individuals to seek new survival strategies, prompting shifts in their purchasing patterns. The restrictions on movement necessitated a surge in online shopping. Additionally, the pandemic fostered panic-driven bulk purchases, as consumers sought means of survival without adequate information on the duration of the crisis (Loxton et al., 2020)