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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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Subject: search.filters.subject.Viral marketing

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    The influence of electronic word-of-mouth communication on online consumer buying behaviour in South Africa
    (2023) Tinonetsana, Faith; Rawjee, Veena P.; Govender, Jeevarathnam Parthasarathy
    The growth of active users on online interactive media (OIM) platforms has led to the spread of information faster and broader and this has had a great impact on marketers. Consumer behaviour towards Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM) is complex, and not all user-generated content posted online will have the same effect on consumers. A consensus on what makes certain online reviews more influential than others and how they influence consumer behaviour is yet to emerge. The lack of knowledge hinders marketers efforts in designing effective marketing strategies for online retailers. The study was quantitative in nature. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect primary data. The study targeted Generation Z and millennials, and the sample was drawn from students and staff members at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). The analysis was done using the latest version of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Relevant ethical implications with regard to this study were considered. The structural equation model (SEM) results indicated that valence is the most influential factor of e-WOM during consumer buying decision. Further, there is a significant relationship between e-WOM and consumer buying behaviour. The study recommends that marketers come up with strategic ways to boost the chances of their brands generating positive e-WOM and take advantage of the influence of any good reviews and testimonials they receive. The need to pay close attention to negative e-WOM, keep an eye on unfavourable evaluations on some of the most popular e-WOM communication platforms and use negative feedback to improve product and service quality. Based on the findings this study proposed a framework for an e-WOM strategy towards influencing online consumer buying behaviour. The framework highlights the best approaches to influence consumer behaviour through e-WOM valence and the implementation thereof. Future studies could use a more qualitative approach to build on the existing study and so gain a deeper understanding of Generation Z and millennials consumers' perceptions of e-WOM and consumer buying behaviour.
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    Facebook as a marketing tool to inform South African millennials on social issues
    (2017) Mdletshe, Thenjiwe Slindile; Meintjes, Corné
    Social networking is the use of dedicated websites and applications to interact with other users sharing interests, activities, backgrounds or real life events. The use of social media has been predominantly reported among young adults, accounting for about 93% of all users. Social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Skype are member based Internet communities that permit users to share views, perceptions and ideologies. Social media influences youth development, most especially among the millennials who invest approximately seven hours per day with media. More so, the social media shapes the millennials perception, ideology and principles. Bearing this in mind, this tool can serve as an effective tool for bringing both social awareness among youths and the society at large. Therefore, this study sought to determine how Facebook can be used as an effective social awareness tool among millennials. The current study focused on Facebook as it has the highest number of subscribers globally, and also due to its wide acceptance among South African Millennials in tertiary intuitions. Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 400 undergraduate students. These included 150 students from the Durban University of Technology, 125 from the Mangosuthu University of Technology; and 125 from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study revealed that millennials are digital natives and their lives are basically lived through the internet and technology. Based on the findings the majority of millennials spend between at least two to well over six hours every day on social media. This proves that Facebook as a social network can be used to reach out and provide much needed information to millennials.