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Consumers' motivations to engage with local brands on social media
(Stellenbosch University, 2024-12) Esterhuyzen, Lisa
The 'consumer brand engagement' (CBE) concept comprehensively reflects consumers' motives for social media use, particularly digital consumer engagement behaviour. However, despite the growing scholarly interest in addressing 'engagement', disagreement exists regarding the nature of engagement behaviours and the predictive role of consumer motivations. Further, although there is a ‘buy local’ movement whereby consumers are encouraged to support local brands, the role of ethnocentrism in consumers’ decision to engage with local brands on social media has not been examined. To address these gaps in the literature, this study drew from the Uses and Gratifications Theory to examine CBE on social media in a local South African wine brand context and the possible moderating effects of ethnocentrism.
A sequential mixed-method research design comprised of a qualitative phase one (focus group discussions) and a quantitative phase two (survey questionnaire) was utilised. The data recorded from phase one was thematically analysed, whereas Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed during phase two. Findings from phase one suggested that the concept of ‘local brand’ is contextual and that although consumers hold positive sentiments towards phrases such as ‘local is lekker’, an overall negative perception of South African product quality persists. Results from phase two revealed that consumer motivations to engage on social media predict consumer online brand-related activities (COBRAs) in varying degrees and that consumer ethnocentrism plays a limited moderating role.
Theoretically, this study contributes by refining the model proposed by Buzeta et al. (2020), thus providing insight into the interrelationships that exist between consumers’ motives to engage with local wine brands on social media and their subsequent COBRAs. Managerially, brand managers need to understand that different motivations are associated with different COBRAs and adjust their social media campaigns accordingly.
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Mimicking DSpace deposit
(2024-11-18) W. Klapwijk
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Particle filtering on hybrid dynamical systems for sensor fault detection
(Elsevier, 2024) Loubser, Simone D; Louw, Tobias M; Bradshaw, Steven M
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Decolonization in South African universities: storytelling as subversion and reclamation
(Oxford University Press, 2024-06) Davids, Nuraan
Underscoring recurrent calls for the decolonization of university curricula in South Africa are underexplored presumptions that by only disrupting theoretical content, universities might release themselves from a colonialist grasp, that continues to dominate and distort higher education discourse. While it might be the case that certain theories hold enormous authoritative, ‘truthful’ sway, as propagated through Western interpretations and norms, there are inherent problems in exclusively approaching the decolonization project as a content-based hurdle, removed from the subjectivities of students’ social, lived, and learning realities. The argument advanced in this article is that until the epistemic harm of colonialism and apartheid are afforded careful recognition and attention—as in focusing on the lived experiences, realities, and stories of individuals—the hard work of delegitimizing coloniality, and its implicit structures of hegemonies and binaries cannot unfold. In addressing these harms, I commence by describing some of the contexts of epistemic harm, promulgated through colonialism and apartheid. This is followed by a consideration of decolonization, both as theory and practice-within-context. Here, I also foreground the #Rhodesmustfall campaign, as a particular moment of painful clarity about why decolonization, as well as transformation, has faltered in higher education in South Africa. In the second half, I focus on the necessity of prioritizing storytelling as a deep manifestation of decolonization. Stories, I maintain, provide access into unknown lives, and can subvert the invisible, normative framings, which dictate how we live in this world. As a manifestation of decolonization, students’ stories hold profound implications for the recognition and affirmation of pluralist identities, histories, knowledge, values, and world-views.
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Minimal change in achievement in high-stakes mathematics examinations in low socio-economic status environments in post-apartheid South Africa
(University of the Free State, 2024-11-03) Nel, B. P.; Julie, C.; Gierdien, F.; Simons, M.; May, B.
Since various curriculum versions have been implemented in the post-apartheid era, achievement results in high-stakes mathematics examinations are still structured along socio-economic status lines. Continuing professional development (CPD) for mathematics teachers is widely viewed as a mechanism to address this issue. This study uses a specific CPD project to explore the question, “Are three decades-long enough to enhance achievement outcomes in high-stakes mathematics examinations for learners from low socio-economic status environments?” Bricolage is employed as the underlying research framework due to the multifaceted nature of CPD. In one of the residential institutes in 2018, a 7-item questionnaire, based on features of effective CPD and containing four ordinal response categories, was administered to 55 participating teachers (30 females and 25 males). To acknowledge the complex nature of CPD, themes were developed and primarily analysed using descriptive statistics. The analysis revealed that, although mathematics teachers respond favourably to practising previously taught material, there are factors that hinder the sustainability of such an approach. It is concluded that 30 years is not a sufficient timespan to expect significant change. It is recommended that drastic measures be taken regarding the continuing professional development of mathematics teachers to address disparities along class and racial lines.