Gender and socio-economic differences in South African consumers’ sentiments toward marketing practices

Thérèse Roux

Abstract:

Studies on modern consumers’ sentiments toward marketing in an emerging market context are vital. This paper compares demographic differences in South African consumers’ sentiment toward marketing. Data were collected via a survey with 444 diverse consumers residing in the Tshwane metropolitan area. The findings revealed that South African males are significantly less satisfied with marketing communication practices compared to females. Consumers earning lower income were signifi cantly less positive towards marketing in general as well as product quality, price, and selling practices. Afrikaans-speaking consumers’ attitudes were less positive towards marketing communication. The finding can guide the marketing industry to advance its image by adjusting its practices and coordinating with the government and other stakeholders to collaborate.

JEL classification: M2; M3; M30, M39, M310

Keywords: consumer attitudes, demographics, marketing practices, consumers’ sentiment toward
marketing, CSM

DOI: 10.7172/2449-6634.jmcbem.2023.2.1

Do perceived value and satisfaction affect customers’ behavioural intentions? A case study of Polish squash clubs

Monika Piątkowska

Abstract:

The aim of the paper is to analyze relations between perceived quality, service convenience and satisfaction of squash customers to present implications for managers who address parents enrolling their children for extracurricular activities with their services. Applying the research framework of García-Fernández et al. (2018), a sample of 120 parents from Legia Warszawa Squash Academy completed an online survey in 2021. The SEM model revealed that perceived
quality as well as service convenience had a positive and signifi cant eff ect on perceived value, which turned out to be a strong predictor of customer satisfaction. Finally, satisfaction showed a very strong positive and signifi cant infl uence on behavioral intentions of squash customers. The present study makes both a theoretical and a practical contribution to the field of sports management, highlighting the importance of perceived quality and service convenience to deliver
expected value to the customer.

JEL classification: M3; M30; M31

Keywords: perceived quality, service convenience, loyalty, sports clubs, squash

DOI: 10.7172/2449-6634.jmcbem.2023.2.2

Understanding the Factors Infl uencing Adoption of Digital Banking in Emerging Markets: The Role of Perception and Personality Antecedents

Ntswaki Petunia Matlala

Abstract:

The emergence of digital banking has presented the banking industry with benefi ts and challenges. Although digital banking services provide customers with increased convenience and accessibility around the clock, many still struggle to grasp their ever-changing nature. To address this, a study was conducted to identify the main factors infl uencing the adoption of digital banking in South Africa. The study used an e-readiness framework that combined the innovation diff usion theory and trust in technology with the technology readiness index to measure consumers’ adoption of digital banking channels. The researcher applied quantitative methodology to answer the research question. The snowball sample required respondents to answer the questionnaire and pass it on to others in the network with bank accounts and mobile phones; 338 responses were accepted. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. This study discovered that the adoption of digital banking services is infl uenced positively by relative
advantage, observability, optimism towards technology, innovativeness and insecurity. Therefore, banks should develop user-friendly platforms with online support to encourage the adoption of digital banking. Future research can use qualitative or mixed method approaches to investigate how customers’ perceptions and personalities infl uence the adoption of digital in emerging markets.

JEL classification: G21,M31

Keywords: Digital Banking, Customer Behaviour, Innovation, Adoption, Emerging Markets.

DOI: 10.7172/2449-6634.jmcbem.2023.2.3

Bringing Children into the Sociology of Consumption: A Symbolic Consumption Perspective

Belinda Senooane, Johannes Wiid

Abstract:

This article explores children’s consumption practices from a sociology of consumption perspective. The aim is to discover whether South African children, in their consumption of clothing, engage in symbolic consumption and to identify the ways in which they do so. Existing studies on children and symbolic consumption have largely excluded African children, hence this study represents an attempt to include their voices in the conceptualisation of childhood
consumer behaviour. Data were collected through a survey of 192 children aged 10–14, usinga questionnaire developed from the literature on symbolic consumption. The article presents the design and implementation of a quantitative empirical study into children’s engagement in symbolic consumption. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to tease out the factors representing the ways in which children engage in symbolic consumption, while confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify the factor structure and test whether the data fi t the model. The EFA revealed four factors that represent the ways in which children engage in symbolic consumption: identity, affi liation, perception, and image. The findings reveal that children use their clothing to crea te their individual identities, fi t in with social groups, draw inferences about others through their clothing, and as a yardstick to gauge social image. This research furthers the enquiry into children as consumers while addressing the paucity of research related to African child consumers. The results of the study have implications for marketing practitioners, while also providing directions for future research.

JEL classification: M00, M3, M31

Keywords: child consumer, consumer culture, sociology of consumption, emerging markets,
symbolic consumption

DOI: 10.7172/2449-6634.jmcbem.2023.2.4

Entire Volume 2 (17) 2023