Ayesha Lian Bevan-Dye

Materialism, status consumption and consumer ethnocentrism amongst black generation Y students in South Africa

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which black Generation Y students’ exhibit status consumption, materialism and consumer ethnocentrism tendencies, and the relationship between these three constructs. The black Generation Y cohort (individuals born between 1980 and 1994) represents a large percentage of the South African market, and those enrolled at tertiary institutions constitute a particularly attractive target market to marketers given that tertiary education were correlated with higher earning potential and status. A convenience sample of 400 students across the campuses of four South African public higher education institutions situated in the Gauteng Province was taken. Questionnaires, designed to measure black Generation Y students’ attitudes towards status consumption, materialism and consumer ethnocentrism, were hand delivered to lecturers at each of these campuses who requested to ask their students to complete them. The collected data were analysed using z-tests and Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient. The findings suggest that the target market has significant materialism, status consumption and ethnocentrism tendencies. A strong positive relationship was found between the constructs of materialism and status consumption. However, there was no significant relationship found between the respective constructs of materialism and status consumption, and that of consumer ethnocentrism.

Mobile advertisements and information privacy perception amongst South African Generation Y students

Abstract Mobile advertising has given business organisations great opportunities to reach consumers and clients directly with products and services irrespective of time and location. These possibilities have made mobile advertising a strategic business plan in today’s global competitive marketing world. This trend of mobile advertising in South Africa and the extent to which it infringes on the information privacy of consumers is examined in this paper. Using 440 questionnaires administered to Generation Y students at two universities: North West University, and Vaal University of Technology, the perceptions of these Generation Y students towards information privacy with regard to mobile advertising was explored. Data analysis which included regression analysis, Pearson’s correlation analysis, reliability test and preliminary data analysis revealed that Generation Y students seemed not to be bothered about the usefulness of mobile advertising messages but were however concerned about the information privacy associated with such marketing activities. It was also revealed that the ability of Generation Y students to control the usage of their data and the frequency of exposure to mobile advertising will positively influence their perception towards mobile advertising.

South African Generation Y students’ self-disclosure on Facebook:

The advent of online social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, MXit, and the like have revolutionised communication. Facebook, in particular, has witnessed phenomenal growth and in South Africa, the site is especially popular among the youth aged between 18 and 24 years who form part of the Generation Y cohort (individuals born between 1986 and 2005). Unfortunately, the ease at which information may be disclosed and shared on Facebook has raised serious privacy and security concerns among scholars and social critics. Consequently, this study seeks to explore information disclosure on Facebook by Generation Y students in South Africa by ascertaining the kind of information they disclose, and the likely factors that will influence their self-disclosures on Facebook. Following a descriptive research design, self-administered questionnaires were completed by a non-probability convenience sample of 281 students registered at the campuses of two registered public higher education institutions in the Gauteng province of South Africa – one from a traditional university and one from a university of technology. The captured data were analysed using correlation analysis and structural equation modelling. The findings suggest that site trust and access concerns predict member trust, which, in turn, predicts the level of self-disclosure on Facebook among Generation Y students in South Africa.

Students Perceptions of Service Quality at a South African Traditional University and a University of Technology

Abstract The importance of service quality in service marketing is widely acknowledged by many practitioners and academics worldwide, yet there seems to be limited research on service quality in higher education institutions (HEIs). Therefore, in order to gain an understanding of students’ learning experiences, this paper reports on a study undertaken to determine students’ perceptions of the level of service quality delivered at a traditional university and a university of technology. The study was conducted at two selected higher education institutions located within the Gauteng Province of South Africa. A descriptive research design was employed, whereby a questionnaire survey consisting of item indicators adopted from the SERVPERF model was conducted to analyse the relevant first-, second- and third-year business and marketing management students’ perceptions of each higher education institutions’ respective business schools. The results of the paper suggest that differences exist between the students’ perceptions of service quality between the two types of institutions, with the students indicating a significantly more positive perception of service quality delivery at the traditional university. These findings provide insight into students’ perceptions of the level of service delivery at two types of South African HEIs.

Brand Personality Perceptions of a Japanese Automobile Giant

This paper reports on Generation Y students’ brand personality perceptions of the Toyota motor car brand. Motor cars are highly conspicuous consumption items that imbue a significant amount of symbolic meaning. Brand personality has been identified as one of the pivotal components of the symbolic attributes assigned to a brand and something that has proved as a useful tool for differentiating a brand from its competitors. The purpose of this study was to determine the Generation Y university students’ brand personality perceptions of the Toyota motor car brand. For the study, a sample of 356 Generation Y students aged between 18 and 24 years, registered at the campuses of two South African public higher education institutions was taken. A self-reporting questionnaire consisting of 66 brand personality traits of symbolic products, anchored on a five-point Likert-type scale was used to collect the required data. The gathered data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results suggest that in South Africa, Generation Y students perceive the Toyota motor car brand to be “responsible”, “outdoorsy” and “tough”. These findings suggest that this cohort perceives the Toyota motor car brand as being distinctly masculine and reliable.

Reliable Nokia-Brand Personality Perceptions of the Finnish Communication Giant

This paper reports on Generation Y students’ brand personality perceptions of the Nokia mobile phone brand. The Generation Y cohort, are the first generation to have been brought up in the mobile telephony era and, consequently, present as a salient current and future segment for mobile device manufacturers and marketers. A brand’s personality is known to increase consumers’ preference for and usage of a brand, which may result in stronger emotional ties and loyalty towards that brand and, ultimately, a sustainable competitive advantage for that brand. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data from a sample of 1822 Generation Y students aged between 18 and 24 years, registered at two South African public higher education institutions. The questionnaire comprised 66 brand personality traits of symbolic products, anchored on a five-point Likert-type scale. Participants were requested to indicate the extent to which each of those traits reflected the Nokia brand. The captured data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and a t-test. The findings suggest that Generation Y students perceive the Nokia brand to be “reliable”, “trustworthy” and “intelligent”. The findings also suggest that African respondents have a notable higher brand personality perception of the Nokia brand than White respondents.

An inventory of marketing skills essential for tourism entrepreneurs: A 3-domain approach

This article postulates that specific marketing skills contribute to the success of a tourism entrepreneur. The purpose of the research was first, to identify the marketing skills that are critical to the success of tourism entrepreneurs, and secondly, to present findings and recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of skills development in tourism management higher educational programmes for the benefit of both tourism entrepreneurs and academics in the field of tourism, entrepreneurship and marketing. Based on previous theoretical discussions regarding marketing skills, an empirical study was conducted to identify the most important skills, using multiple item indicators from previous studies. A descriptive research design was employed, whereby a questionnaire survey was conducted into skills development for tourism entrepreneurs. The findings of the study provide important insights into the marketing skills that tourism entrepreneurs require in order to be successful in the current economic climate, based on a comprehensive empirical investigation of the perceptions of tourism entrepreneurs, tourism management academics and tourism management students.