Browsing by Author "Grobbelaar, Caitlin"

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    The influence of feedback messages on neurophysiological responses in a non-profit context
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-03) Grobbelaar, Caitlin; Human, D.; Boshoff, Christo; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Business Management.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The prevalent growth in the number of non-profit organisations in South Africa, but a decline in donor support to them at the same time, has prompted the need for further research in the non-profit sector. Furthermore, an exponential increase in social demands in South Africa has left many non-profit organisations facing huge financial dilemmas and in many cases, possible closure. The current low level of support towards the non-profit sector requires an increased level of public involvement that, in turn, requires improved attitudes and perceptions towards the benefits and contributions that non-profit organisations provide to society. Marketing techniques can contribute to individual involvement with non-profit organisations by means of the development of positive perceptions and decision-making associated with philanthropic giving. As non-profit organisations are increasingly facing numerous challenges such as competing for scarce resources to ensure sustained funding, strategic marketing practices have become a necessity. The non-profit industry relies on a high level of human involvement, and as a result, the marketing managers of these organisations are particularly interested in identifying marketing and communication methods that can encourage donors to donate money to worthy causes. However, the time constraints associated with producing quality content with a limited budget for the expenses to measure their communication effectiveness often hinder their marketing and communication efforts. In addition, the current dilemma pertaining to the low level of government and individual support towards the non-profit industry prompted the need for further marketing and communication-related research to identify effective practices. Against this background, the purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of post-donation feedback messages on donor neurophysiological responses in a non-profit context using a neuromarketing approach. Neurophysiological techniques were used to identify the types of stimuli, in terms of the feedback message elements, that are most influential on individual neurophysiological responses and the individual‟s subsequent decision-making. The feedback messages from two non-profit organisations, Cheetah Outreach and Reach for a Dream, were pre-designed as the stimuli required for the study. These text messages were classified primarily as statements of gratitude communicated to donors on behalf of each non-profit organisation. The neurophysiological response to each feedback message was measured. The analysis and reporting of results were accompanied by a consolidated discussion from a post-hoc focus group with marketing professionals. The study made use of three neuroscientific techniques, namely galvanic skin response (GSR), electromyography (EMG) and eye-tracking. Each neurophysiological technique measured donor subconscious responses such as levels of arousal, emotional response and focused attention. Responses from the overall sample of respondents were analysed. Additional analysis of the data considered gender and respondent decision-making preferences based on self-classified emotional or rational thinking. The findings indicated neurophysiological influences from the different feedback message elements on the levels of arousal and emotional responses among respondents. From the empirical results it is recommended that non-profit communication managers carefully articulate innovative and informative messages prior to the design of feedback communication. Considering the novelty of the neuromarketing field, extensive scope for further neuromarketing research exists within a non-profit context.