4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions
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Item The use of Social Media and Marketing Analytics to improve Marketing Decision Making in Independent Apparel Retailers in Gauteng Townships(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Masia, Willie Shemane; Zulu, Melissasis. The findings reveal that township-based independent retailers predominantly utilise Facebook and Instagram as their primary marketing channels. Social media platforms facilitate direct customer interaction, enabling retailers to attract and engage customers through inquiries, polls, product showcases, and customer service interactions, thereby nurturing new leads. This study aims to enrich the field of marketing management by elucidating the effective utilisation of social media and marketing analytics by independent retailers in township settings. The insights garnered hold potential value for policymakers in devising training policies that incorporate practical social media and marketing analytics tools, empowering township-based retailers to navigate the competitive landscape more adeptly.Item An integrated literature review investigating how significant elements of drama therapy, namely role method and narradrama, can support the congruent identity formation of teenagers influenced by contemporary social media(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Maddams, Amy Charlotte; Hill, MoniqueSocial media, which is widely used by teenagers world-wide, can have both a positive and/or negative impact on their developing self-identities. Extensive research has been conducted on the impact of social media on the mental health of teenagers but has failed to address the impact on their developing identities. This research aims to fill that gap by ascertaining how Drama Therapy informed Role Method and Narradrama can support the congruent identity formation of teenagers impacted by social media usage. It also aims to identify tools for drama therapists to use when addressing these issues. An integrative literature review was conducted in which diverse perspectives from existing literature were reviewed, critiqued, and integrated. Grounded theory was then applied to identify and categorise themes that emerged from the literature. There was strong evidence to support the use of Narradrama to help teenagers reauthor their problem-saturated stories and strengthen their congruent identity formation. Role Method was also shown to greatly benefit congruent identity formation through the expansion of an individual’s role repertoire. The results demonstrated that both Narradrama and Role Method provide appropriate tools for drama therapists to use to address the issue of congruent identity formation and are well placed to support the congruent identity development of teenagers who have been impacted by social media usage.Item Enterprise Identity for Public Service Pensions Fund, Eswatini(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Simelane, Makhosazana; Zulu, MelisaThe past years have shown a lot of organisations evolving and paying identity to their corporate identity. These organisations have responded to the demands of setting themselves apart from the competition and this has resulted in a competitive strategy. Organisations that have embraced corporate identity have shown to have direction and purpose. The study aims to investigate the corporate identity of the Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF) in Eswatini. To attain its goal, the study employed three objectives, namely, investigate brand logo, website, social media, advertising on social media, brand identification on corporate identity and in turn internal customer satisfaction. Investigate how the Public Service Pensions Fund can remain distinct from its marketplace competitor. Investigate the influence of internal marketing determinants on internal customer satisfaction. For this research a quantitative method was used and a survey that was self-administered was also used. A sample size of 150 was executed and a 5-point Likert scale was used for this purposive sampling. The findings uncover that website, advertising on social media and brand identification positively influence corporate identity. Brand logo and social media were found not to influence corporate identity. The study also revealed that corporate identity does not significantly impact internal customer satisfaction. Internal marketing determinants were found to positively influence internal customer satisfaction. This research study aims to fill a gap both academically and practically in Eswatini by assisting PSPF’s internal and external stakeholders understand the corporate identity of the Public Service Pensions Fund and for PSPF to come up with corporate identity strategies, which would assist the organisation align with and strengthen.Item Angler phishing attacks on social media users in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mogashoa, Kemisetso; Ochara,NixonSince its founding, the term ‘phishing’ has expanded significantly as new dynamics and paradigms keep shifting the technology space. New technology platforms have increased individuals’ use of the internet and changed the way in which we communicate forever. Social media has steadily taken over traditional communication mediums, and the adoption is not slowing down anytime soon. What would have previously been sent as an email has now become a five-second WhatsApp message or Facebook post, and businesses are not lagging in this trend. Unfortunately, this has also led to a plethora of increased cybercrimes and has left the ecosphere of cybersecurity perturbed, as organisations scramble to find suitable solutions to combat phishing attacks internally and externally. Seminal works have covered the impact of phishing attacks on organisations and have provided practical solutions as intervention strategies. However, the same cannot be said about individuals and consumers. As businesses start to transform digitally, social media has become an imperative mediator between businesses and consumers, and phishers have taken notice. This has birthed a new form of phishing called angler phishing. This research focused predominately on the experiences of social media users who have been victims of this type of phishing. The study followed an interpretivist paradigm to understand victims’ realities and lived individual experiences. The snowball sampling method was executed to acquire participants, and social media was used to recruit 11 participants. Furthermore, an additional 7 participants consisting of a team of technical experts were interviewed in a focus group to evaluate the conceptual framework. The study incorporated theoretical frameworks such as the Big Five Personality Traits model and the Heuristic-systematic model (HSM) to understand personality types’ role in user behaviour and how users process information can lead to phishing susceptibility. Key findings revealed that whilst angler phishing is a growing trend, South Africa and organisations continue to neglect documenting the severity of these crimes which subsequently contributes to increased cybercriminal attacks. Additionally, the findings revealed cybercriminals continue to evolve and adapt their strategies and techniques alongside the evolution of new technologies. As a result, findings revealed a gap in digital literacy and other factors, such as the environment and cybersecurity training, play a pivotal role in a phishing lifecycle. Furthermore, having reviewed the key theoretical frameworks and the findings from the study, an adapted conceptual framework was presented to include these additional constructs such as the environment and training. v Moreover, recommendations have been presented for both social media users and organisations on what effective interventions can be followed to prevent future attacks. Lastly, the study concludes by providing an all-encompassing view of the background of angler phishing, seminal works from the literature, a research methodology, presentation of key findings and recommendations. Ultimately, organisations and other institutions have a responsibility to ensure consumers are cyber-educated and protected. Noting the limitations of the study, suggestions for future research were providedItem The effects of COVID 19 on consumer mobile and online purchase behaviour(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Chanetsa, Edphan Peter; Saini, Yvonne K.There obtains an acute paucity of research on the how Covid-19 impacted consumer online and mobile application purchase behaviour in South Africa. Much of the work done on the impact of the pandemic on consumer behaviour has primarily focused on one aspect: online purchase behaviour. This study sought to assess the effects of the restrictions of the novel Covid-19 virus on consumer mobile and online purchase behaviour. The main objective was to understand the impact of Covid-19 related restrictions on mobile application purchase intention in grocery shopping. Similarly, the study also sought to understand the impact of Covid-19 related restrictions on online (desktop/laptop) purchase intention in grocery shopping. An online survey was conducted wherein 345 responses were obtained. The study employed a mixed methodology approach with the primary analysis being done quantitatively employing path analysis to establish the existence of causal links between Covid-19 restrictions and consumer behaviour in terms of both direction and magnitude. Regression analysis was further carried out to corroborate the findings of the path analysis. The qualitative aspect of the analysis was primarily employed to buttress the results of the quantitative analysis. The results showed that Covid-19 had a significant and positive impact on mobile and online consumer behaviour in South Africa. The advent of the pandemic caused an increase in the uptake of alternative means of making grocery purchases. Specifically, the institution of Covid-19 restrictions produced a substitution effect wherein digital purchase platforms were preferred to in-store purchases of groceries. Consequently, all the hypotheses developed by the study proved to be robust as they were confirmed by the resultsItem Social media as a sphere of violent discourse in times of civil unrest: A case study of the 2021 looting in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024-03-15) Malaka, Chaboke Prince; Govenden, PrinolaSocial media has been used by activists in contemporary civil upheavals.The content created by these activists is believed to predict offline protest behaviour. There was previously no corelation drawn between social media usage and real-world behaviour, however, recently protesters’worldwide use of social media platforms provide an unparalleled opportunity to witness how social media usage can have real-world behavioural ties (Mina, 2019). This study's main objective was to investigate the extent to which social media, specifically X (formerly Twitter), was used as a forum for violent discourse during times of civil unrest. In particular, it examines the looting that occurred in South Africa in 2021 July under the hashtags,#LootingSA and #FreeZuma, that started in KwaZulu-Natal province on 8 July 2021 and spread to the Gauteng province. It is well recognised that social media sites enable users to communicate, share knowledge, and produce digital content. Social media has also served as an activist platorm during times of civil disturbance (Lim, 2012). This study adds to the current literature by elucidating howpeople’s engagement in X (formerly Twitter) as a social media platform was used to createa discourses of violence during the 2021 looting. Protest Participation Theory (PPT) and Galtung’s Theory of Violence (GTV) media theories have been used to drive this study and has further supported the findings from a theorectical standpoint. . The study used a qualitative approach and employed a thematic analysis technique to analyse data. The units of analysis, violent tweets, revealed a substantial presence of aggressive language, calls for violence, threats, and incitements to harm during the civil unrest period. Interestingly, a significant portion of these tweets did not explicitly endorse violence but circulated content related to violent acts e.g Tweets containing voilent content. In contrast, non-violent tweets predominantly centered around the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma with sentiments expressing disapproval, critique, or support for the arrest of the former president. The study acknowledged instances where X (formerly Twitter) was used for personal agendas and entertainment indicating a diverse range of discussions on social media related to violence. The non-violent tweets highlighted both opposition and support for Jacob Zuma's arrest with a smaller percentage categorised as "not related" and not taking a clear stance on the overarching topic. The research primarily focused on measuring the prevalence of looting activities rather than delving into the detailed aspects of the "how" question.Item Management Practices for Digital Influencer Marketing(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Kajee, Ahmed; Beder, LaurenceThis research report highlights the growth of Digital Influencer marketing on social media, and how consumers interaction and engagement with brands are changing as a result. Through qualitative research with 17 Digital Influencer experts and practitioners in South Africa from various marketing disciplines, this study sheds light on best practices for this emerging marketing field. In South Africa, consumer attention and media consumption are increasingly becoming digitally centric, and the use of online channels for marketing continues to grow exponentially. This has implications for brand building, advertising, and marketing management. This research reports on how the traditional marketing and consumer behaviour paradigms have shifted from uni-directional static advertising, towards bi-directional digital engagement using Digital Influencer Marketing (DIM). As a growing field, the research found that although DIM as a marketing tactic is increasingly effective in meeting business objectives in modern day digital marketing environments, there is a lack of knowledge and shared best practices amongst marketing practitioners. The research finds that despite DIM growing and being strategically important in all the marketing environments that have been researched, most organisations are conducting DIM on a “best-effort” basis with limited cross functional co-ordination or strategic planning. Due to a lack of knowledge about the field, there is also relatively little action being taken by organisations to meet the growing demand by putting in place the requisite skills and apabilities to better manage influencer marketing initiatives. Aspects highlighted in this research such as Influencer Performance, Payment, Brand Safety, Campaign Management, Creative Control, Organisational Capabilities, and Risks associated with DIM are discussed and reported on, providing marketing practitioners with practical insights into this emerging marketing field. A key recommendation emanating out of this research is that DIM is not the responsibility of any specific marketing function, for it to be successful, cross-functional expertise, integration, and management is requiredItem Factors influencing the adoption of m-commerce platforms by individuals in South African townships(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Mashishi, Mogau; Primus, MphoSince the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in 2020, there has been an increase in the adoption of e- commerce (electronic commerce) from which m-commerce (mobile commerce) was born. M- commerce is the use of a mobile phone to purchase goods and services. M-commerce is flexible because it is easily accessible and convenient. In addition, the rise of smartphones and internet availability has also contributed to the increase in m-commerce. The South African digital economy has developed drastically over the past years due to infrastructure development, including internet connectivity. The majority of the South African population resides in townships and rural areas and contributes significantly to the economy. Internet accessibility advancement in townships has led to more consumers purchasing goods and services online in the comfort of their homes. The study researched m-commerce adoption in South African townships by determining the factors that affect m-commerce adoption in South African townships. The study only focused on two townships in Johannesburg: Soweto and Tembisa. A conceptual research model based on the following factors from the UTAUT2 technology model: performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, and facilitating conditions, with social media and trust as two additional constructs. A digital online survey was used to collect respondents’ data was analysed quantitatively using SPSS. The findings of the study are discussed in detail, including testing the hypotheses formulated. Firstly, the results indicated that social media and perceived security have a significant, positive effect on the trust of South African township residents to adopt m-commerce platforms. Secondly, performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, trust, and facilitating conditions positively affect the intention of South African township residents to adopt m-commerce; however, trust and facilitating conditions were insignificant.Item Effects of Digital Activism on Brand Awareness and Image(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Malambo, Nachanza; Anning, Thomas DorsonThe purpose of this research paper is to explore the impact that digital activism has on brands in South Africa. Digital activism, commonly known by social media users as cancel culture, has gained momentum with social media audiences; using the network effects of popular platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram to discipline users, brands and celebrities that may have erred or offended users. As brands observe the increase of hours spent on social media, they are likely to increase their presence on the platforms of choice either for digital advertising and marketing communication purposes or to connect with potential audiences. They may be caught up in incidents of digital activism as has been seen with brands such as H&M, Dove, Tresemme and Clicks in recent years in South Africa. This paper begins by unearthing the roots of digital activism in political sciences disciplines and explores how the brand management theories of brand image and brand awareness are affected by this activity. The research problem explores the fact that traditional marketers have concentrated on the positive brand building elements of brand equity, with attention given to the awareness and image that brands are able to conjure in the minds of consumers; without much focus on the negative elements of brand avoidance, hate, and aversion, which can be outcome of digital activism. The research objectives were firstly to investigate the impact that social media activity has on brands as it has been shown that an increase of social media usage among individuals would increase the interaction that brands have with their intended target audience and members of the community. Secondly, the study sought to investigate the impact that digital activism has on brand awareness as one of the gaps to be studied is on the negative impact that digital activism or cancel culture may have on brand awareness. Thirdly, the researchers examined the impact of digital activism on brand avoidance, as a deliberate effort to avoid the brand either online or physically. Lastly, the study seeks to investigate the impact that digital activism has on a brands image, on whether this is reduced or increased in the light of increased mentions, trends, or appearances on popular social media platformsItem A theoretical analysis of how the enhancement of social media utilization can improve customer experience in South African retail banks(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2020) Rapitsi, LebohangPurpose: The banking industry has seen a rapid shift with the emergence of digital banks and non-direct competitors, as a result banks have responded with increased focus on the use of technology in efforts to defend market share. There is currently a lack of empirical evidence which relates to how the enhancement of social media usage by South African retail banks can improve customer experience. The purpose of this study is to examine empirical evidence to support the predictor effects of customer perception, service quality, customer satisfaction, with the aim of enhancing customer experience in retail banks by utilizing social media platforms. Design/Methodology/ Approach: The empirical study was of a quantitative nature, whereby factors pertaining to customer perceptions, service quality, customer satisfaction and customer experience were assessed accordingly. The sample consisted of 62 respondents from the various retail banks in South African. Various statistical tests were initiated in order to understand the relationships between the abovementioned variables. Findings: The results from the study indicate a positive relationship between customer satisfaction as a predictor of customer experience on social media platforms. The findings also suggest although there may be associations between service quality and customer perceptions with customer experience, they are however not significant. Implications: It is critical for retail banks to continue to seek innovative ways to improve customer experience. The benefit of utilizing social media platforms is that it allows for banks to establish valuable interactions with customers whilst leveraging information in order to understand the needs of their customers