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Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/14

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Author: search.filters.author.Ijabadeniyi, AbosedeStart date: 2010

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    Exploring corporate marketing optimisation strategies for the KwaZulu-Natal manufacturing sector : a corporate social responsibility perspective
    (2018) Ijabadeniyi, Abosede; Govender, Jeevarathnam Parthasarathy
    The expectation-performance gap created by the incongruity between the historical and institutional frameworks which underpin an organisational approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) poses a challenge to the optimisation of corporate marketing. In South Africa, such a gap could be created by the misalignment between the evolving nature, obligatory undertone and the entrenchment of the Ubuntu framework on the notion of CSR. This necessitated an enquiry into the effects of the aforementioned factors on the antecedents and components of CSR-related corporate identity and CSR-related consumer behavioural outcomes such as CSR expectations, consumer values, purchase behaviour and corporate reputation. Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, this study explored how the interplay between espoused CSR corporate identity and consumer behavioural outcomes can leverage the optimisation of corporate marketing strategies for three food manufacturing companies headquartered in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) index, now known as the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE)/JSE Responsible Investment index. Based on a multiple case study design, thematic and content analyses were conducted on the qualitative data obtained from six sustainability and Corporate Social Investment (CSI) managers, the Chief Executive Officer of companies’ industry association and annual reports. Quantitative data were generated from a survey of 411 consumers across five major shopping centres/malls in Durban, which were analysed using the Partial Least Square (PLS) Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The overall findings revealed that the approach to CSR in South Africa, which is deeply rooted in the country’s history of social exclusion, has amplified consumers’ reliance on a socially coerced notion of social responsibility and organisational legitimacy. The ability to benchmark against aspirational CSR-related corporate identities, which emanate from ideal and desired identities, and earn consumer trust is pivotal for leveraging institutional legitimacy and redressing the negative effects of ill-conceived indigenous CSR-related corporate identity on the optimisation of corporate marketing. The study offers a model which guides academics, practitioners and policymakers on the cyclical trajectory of institutional legitimacy and optimal corporate marketing.
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    The influence of cultural diversity on marketing communication : a comparison of Africans and Indians in Durban
    (2014-05-20) Ijabadeniyi, Abosede; Govender, Jeevarathnam Parthasarathy; Veerasamy, Dayaneethie
    Consumer behaviour towards marketing communication has a cultural undertone. The forces of globalisation have made it imperative for marketing practitioners to further integrate culturally sensitive variations in marketing strategies. While cultural values are changing due to global trends, culturally sensitive consumer behaviour has attracted more complexities due to media learning. Therefore, the journey to creating a sustainable competitive advantage in a multicultural market such as South Africa entails the realisation of the growing individualistic tendencies of consumers’ cultural dispositions toward marketing communication. The study aimed at investigating the influence of cultural diversity on the perceptions of Africans and Indians in Durban toward marketing communication. The study investigated respondents’ cultural values in terms of the individualism-collectivism (IC) constructs based on marketing communication-specific cultural values (MCSCV). A quantitative study was conducted to attain the objectives of the study, with the use of a self-administrated questionnaire. African and Indian respondents were recruited using judgmental sampling at the main shopping malls in Umlazi and Chatsworth, respectively. The sample selection was based on the representation of respondents’ population in Durban. The study covered a sample size of 283 Africans and 92 Indians. The SPSS software was used to analyse data. The findings of the study reveal that both races showed more individualistic rather than collectivistic tendencies toward marketing communication. The choice of media of Africans and Indians is significantly influenced by their racial identities. Overall, the findings suggest that it is erroneous to direct stereotypic marketing strategies at culturally homogeneous/diverse groups. The study recommends that a thorough study of prevailing cultural cues in ethnic segments should precede the development of marketing communication strategies.