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Higher Education Leadership Practices and Challenges in a Changing World: The Case of a University of Technology
Jeremiah Madzimure
DOI: 10.15604/ejbm.2020.08.04.001
Abstract
The aim of the study is to explore the leadership practices and challenges at a university of technology in South Africa. This study adopts a qualitative, interpretive approach. I preferred to use in-depth individual interviews with five participants who were purposively selected from one university of technology (UoT) in South Africa. The interview data was analyzed using thematic analysis (TA) through an inductive process. Four themes emerged from the data analysis. The study recommends that university need to respond effectively to the leadership challenges and as well management in higher education institutions need to acquire skills and leadership practices in line with the 21st century. This study contributes to the literature on higher education leadership in South African UoTs which was noted to be scant.
Keywords: Higher Education, Leadership Practices, Leadership Challenges, 21st Century
Comparison of Organizational Theory in the Axis of the “Pandemonium” Metaphor in Modern, Symbolic and Postmodern Approaches
Ahmet Ilhan
DOI: 10.15604/ejbm.2020.08.04.002
Abstract
The development and position of the field of organizational theory differ at certain levels depending on the perspectives emerging in different periods. It is thought that analyzing organizational theory in the context of different perspectives adds diversity to organizational research within the development line. In addition, the linguistic codes used in different periods to understand today’s organizations and the discourses developed in this context are seen as valid features in understanding organizational structures and functioning. This study examines the organizations established based on the reflections of modern, symbolic and postmodern approaches in organizational theory in the pandemonium axis related to human life and its organization at the organizational level, and the issues that organizational theory focuses on. In this direction, the main purpose of the study is to analyze the fundamental philosophical differences that constitute modern, symbolic and postmodern approaches and their effects on organizations and organizational theory in the context of issues that epistemological, ontological, metaphor, organizational theory focuses on, nature of information and pandemonium metaphor. Within the scope of the study, as a result of the analysis of organization theory with the pandemonium metaphor as a field of study in social sciences, it was concluded that organizations had linear, symbolic in the modern period and nonlinear structures in the postmodern period with fundamental philosophical differences.
Keywords: Pandemonium, Modern Perspective, Symbolic Perspective, Postmodern Perspective, Organizational Theory
European Union Transport Infrastructure: Roads and Railways Subsectors Case
Ignas Lukosevicius
DOI: 10.15604/ejbm.2020.08.04.003
Abstract
This article tests transport infrastructure‘s roads and railways subsectors impact on economic growth in the European Union during the 1990-2017 years time span. The latest public infrastructure investments trends in those subsectors are analyzed as well. Article’s empirical research encompasses all 28 European Union countries (at that time) data, and fills the gap of such researches in roads and railways subsectors case in the full European Union area. Proxy variables used for roads and railways subsectors are physical type, but with ability to encompass the usage of chosen infrastructure subsectors. It is a new feature in such type of researches, which usually uses either raw physical or raw monetary type of infrastructure variables. The research results show that both roads and railways subsectors have positive short run impact on economic growth in the European Union. Results are almost the same, with overall elasticity coefficients in both subsectors. Though post-2009 public infrastructure investments in these subsectors show declining pattern, in the overall situation‘s context there is no need to worry about it yet.
Keywords: Transport Infrastructure, Roads Subsector, Railways Subsector, Economic Growth, Physical Infrastructure Measures, Public Investments on Infrastructure
The Use of Marketing as a Tool for Competitive Advantage among Potential and Professional Football Clubs in KZN, South Africa
Joseph Kolawole Abon and Rufus O. Adebayo
DOI: 10.15604/ejbm.2020.08.04.004
Abstract
Football, as the most popular sport amongst other sports, is a household name in the world and South Africa particularly. This study examines the use of marketing in improving competitive advantage among potential and professional football clubs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Several sponsorship opportunities that could serve as an impetus to disseminate various club projects are noted to be undermined. Arguably, some of the clubs’ activities are seasonal, and the applicability of marketing by football clubs in the KZN province could not be tactically emphasized. Therefore, the amount of marketing activities in clubs’ seasonal operations is unidentified which poses a challenge in achieving club objectives. This paper argues that it is of importance for the club marketing managers to consider features of each specific season and corporate marketing activities for the development of appropriate marketing actions that could serve as competitive advantages. This study adopts a mixed-method research approach, and a convenient sampling technique with responses from 80 questionnaires were retrieved. Five (5) coaches, 5 club owners, 5 managers, 5 supporters, and 5 players from five football clubs each located in KwaZulu-Natal province were interviewed to extract their understanding of the use of marketing to gain competitive advantage. Findings from the study state that using marketing correctly could improve the chances of potential professional football clubs’ popularity and increase financial gains. Most respondents emphasized that when clubs use a proper marketing strategy with appropriate use of marketing mix, it could position the clubs in the hearts of their supporters and public.
Keywords: Professional, Football, Marketing, Competitive Advantage, Sponsorship
The Impact of Social Media Activity, Interactivity, and Content on Customer Satisfaction: A Study of Fashion Products
Muhammad Tahir Jan, Johan de Jager, and Naheed Sultan
DOI: 10.15604/ejbm.2020.08.04.005
Abstract
Malaysian companies have been using social media as a major platform for marketing their products or services. This trend is shared and preferred by various companies to interact with their customers in order to boost their sales. The primary objective of the study is to determine if the components of social media marketing, namely, social media activity, social media interactivity, and social media content, impact on customer satisfaction, in particular online fashion stores. A quantitative approach is adopted where data was collected using a self- administered questionnaire. The respondents were consumers who use social media in their daily routine and those who have purchased any fashion product by using online platforms. A total of 393 useable questionnaires were collected using the online survey method. The collected data went through a process of analysis, where descriptive as well as inferential analyses were performed. Data analyses include reliability tests, validity tests, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and hypotheses testing using structural equation modeling. The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of social media marketing on consumer satisfaction. The study reveals that all three (3) factors related to social media marketing, namely: social media activity, social media interactivity, and social media content, has been tested empirically and found that they all contribute significantly towards customer satisfaction. However, social media content emerged with a stronger positive impact than the other two factors. The result of this study should contribute to the body of knowledge and will be of significance to those companies who are interested/or using social media platforms for their marketing purposes.
Keywords: Social Media Marketing, Customer Satisfaction, Fashion Industry, Malaysia
The Roles of Psychological Antecedents and Consumer Innovativeness in Determining Consumer Decision Making Styles of South African Millennial Consumers
Tinashe Musasa and Padhma Moodley
DOI: 10.15604/ejbm.2020.08.04.006
Abstract
Studies on consumer decision making styles largely focused on determining and replicating these to varying contexts. Literature remains limited on what underlying psychological variables lead to the manifestation of consumer decision making styles. The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of psychological antecedents and consumer innovativeness in determining consumer decision making styles of millennials in South Africa. A quantitative survey of 320 South African millennials through social groups was utilized. Non-probability convenience sampling determined selection of participants. Reliability statistics were applied to substantiate the effectiveness of this study’s questionnaire and data collection approach. Presentation and interpretation of data were achieved through descriptive and inferential statistics respectively. Findings of this study confirmed that psychological antecedents and consumer innovativeness pose either direct or inverse relationships on consumer decision making styles. Two classifications of consumer decision making styles (utilitarian or hedonic) were discovered to be directed by distinctive sets of psychological antecedents and consumer innovativeness. Findings of this study will assist marketers and mall managers in better understanding what aspects of shopping drive their patrons and how they can best serve them to ensure sustainability.
Keywords: Consumer Innovativeness, Consumer Decision Making Style, Millennials, Psychological Antecedents
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