Loving the land that feeds you: an ethnographic investigation of volunteers in a community food garden

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts by Coursework and Research Report Faculty of Humanities School of Social Sciences Department of Anthropology March 2018The city is thought by many people to be an opportunity to create a life of economic and social freedom. However, with South Africa being one of the most economically disparate countries in the world, this does not always materialise. Instead of being a place where people realise their potential and live their dreams as envisaged the city looms with poverty. The dire situation in the city forces people to find creative ways to survive. One such survival mechanism is urban agriculture. Urban agriculture allows city dwellers to plant their own produce or raise livestock and as a result not have to pay the rising cost of food. In a city that is ideal for agriculture, where there is plenty of vacant land, people can plant fruit and vegetables and also graze their livestock. However, the reality is that space is hugely contested in the city and this means that people who need to plant produce and graze livestock may not be able to do so, because they do not have the money to acquire land. Thus, urban agriculture done on a scale large enough to feed a substantial amount of people is often done by organisations on behalf of those people that are in need. The organisations train people and provide them with the skills that they need to produce food. Often times the workers are beneficiaries themselves. The workers get the produce as the fruit of their labour. That said, not all workers on urban agricultural projects work for food. The workers at Ministry of Helps work for monetary remuneration, albeit a little amount. They do not take the produce for themselves. This paper is an attempt to find out why the workers work on the project if they do not get the produce and they are not paid an amount of money that the workers perceive as enough. In this paper I seek to find out what the workers’ motivations are.MT 201

Consuming For Recognition: South African Youth Consumption Of Status Clothing

Buying expensive and fashionable brands to portray social status is increasing rapidly among South African township youth. The South African youth mainly spend their income on status-depicting clothing in order to conform to social settings and groups and to be noticed by their community. This study investigates the factors influencing the need to consume status-depicting clothing items among South African township youth. A self-completing survey questionnaire was administered to 400 youth consumers from three township malls in the Sedibeng district, Gauteng region of South Africa. Regression analysis was employed to analyse the data. The results suggest that materialism, fashion clothing involvement and group identity are key factors predicting status consumption among South African township youth consumers (aged 18-24 years). Marketers interested in targeting status conscious township youth consumers are advised to devise their advertisements in such a way that they emphasise the brand or product’s ability to indicate status

Entrepreneurial Barriers that are Confronted by Entrepreneurs Living with Physical Disabilities: A Thematic Analysis

Living with a physical disability can interfere with an individual’s ability to participate actively in economic and social life. It is imperative to comprehensively understand the entrepreneurial barriers hindering the development of entrepreneurs living with physical disabilities. In spite of the increasing research on entrepreneurship, there seems to be a paucity of studies that have investigated the entrepreneurial barriers that are faced by entrepreneurs living with physical disabilities in South Africa. This study set out to explore the entrepreneurial barriers that are confronted by entrepreneurs living with physical disabilities. In this study, data were collected within the Sebokeng Township, which is an African township located in the Vaal Triangle, south of Johannesburg in South Africa. A qualitative research approach was used to collect data for the study. The researchers gathered qualitative data by means of semi-structured face-to-face interviews and focus groups. The analysis of the qualitative data was conducted through the use of thematic analysis. The themes that emerged from the findings include lack of equipment and machinery, discrimination, business networking, hardships in obtaining start-up capital, knowledge of support centres for entrepreneurs living with physical disabilities, and lack of education and training. Each theme was discussed individually, followed by substantiating quotes. Most respondents stressed that the barriers they face hinder the survival and growth of their ventures. The paper suggested that in order to help entrepreneurs living with physical disabilities, the South African government must formulate some schemes that are most necessary for their improvement and betterment of their life

The influence of customer value On behavioural intention in the LGBT tourism sector

The potential economic implications of the LGBT tourism sector have received the attention of scholars, marketing practitioners and tourism destinations, highlighting the LGBT community as a lucrative sector, while also signifying their distinctive needs of the LGBT community. LGBT tourists spent approximately $218 billion on travel in 2018 and they account for approximately 6% of the global tourism market. The LGBT tourism sector is fast growing in South Africa, and it was predicted that by 2030, South Africa will attract approximately 21 million tourists. Within South Africa, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg have earned a reputation as LGBT friendly destinations, with LGBT tourists expected to contribute approximately R1.8 billion to the Cape Town economy annually. Furthermore, between 10% and 12% of tourists in Cape Town identified themselves as members of the LGBT community. As a result, South Africa – and notably Cape Town – has been named one of the world’s top destinations for LGBT travellers. A well-known characteristic of the LGBT community is that it is comprised of highincome individuals who travel more frequently compared with their heterosexual counterparts. As a result, it is critical for the tourism sector to gain a thorough understanding of this market to effectively target it. Although travel and tourism are critical aspects of the modern LGBT culture, and LGBT tourism represents a developing and lucrative industry (especially in South Africa), there is limited scholarly research that can assist marketers in better understanding the LGBT tourists and their needs. In addition, no research has been conducted on the relationship between customer value and behavioural intentions in the LGBT tourism sector in South Africa. A major challenge for the tourism sector is the ability to offer value to LGBT tourists; therefore, destinations targeting the LGBT market should ensure that they understand how to create value for their customers. v LGBT tourism is considered unique in that the LGBT tourist views value differently than other markets. It is important to understand the dimensions of value to the LGBT market, as LGBT tourists are likely to be discouraged from visiting destinations that do not provide value, which has a significant impact on behavioural intentions. This study, therefore, investigated the dimensions of customer value and their influence on the behavioural intentions of tourists in the South African LGBT tourism sector. A self-administered electronic questionnaire was used to collect data, and 406 usable questionnaires was received. SPSS version 27.0 and Analysis of Movement Structures (AMOS) version 27.0 statistical packages were used to analyse the collected data and test the relationships between the variables examined in this study. The empirical results of this study showed a positive correlation between most dimensions of customer value and behavioural intention while a negative correlation coefficient was observed between cognitive dissonance and dimensions of customer value. The results confirm a positive significant relationship between the independent variables - functional value, emotional value, reputational value, epistemic value, social value - and the dependent variable - customer value. These relationships imply that if functional value, emotional value, reputational value, epistemic value and/or social value, customer value would improve. Interestingly, the findings show a significant positive relationship between monetary and non-monetary sacrifice, and customer value dimensions. These relationships imply that if monetary sacrifice and non-monetary sacrifice increase, customer value would increase. The findings also reveal that customer value has an influence on behavioural intention. Lastly, customer value was not found to be a mediating factor between customer value dimensions and behavioural vi intentions outcomes, namely revisit intention, tourist loyalty, willingness to pay a premium price and word of mouth. Findings from this study could aid destination marketers to ensure that they provide functional, emotional, reputational, epistemic and social value to tourists to gain competitive advantage. LGBT tourists need a safe haven where they can relax and enjoy themselves without fear of societal discrimination, and destinations should do their best to make this happen. This might be accomplished by creating a space where travellers who identify as LGBT can gather and mingle freely. In addition, to improve revisit intention, positive word of mouth and loyalty, tourist destinations should provide unique experiences. Destination marketers should engage in a number of marketing initiatives, including promoting South African LGBT tourism destinations at tourism expos, LGBT music festivals and prides. Lastly, limitations of the study and future research directions are presented.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202

The influence of customer value On behavioural intention in the LGBT tourism sector

The potential economic implications of the LGBT tourism sector have received the attention of scholars, marketing practitioners and tourism destinations, highlighting the LGBT community as a lucrative sector, while also signifying their distinctive needs of the LGBT community. LGBT tourists spent approximately $218 billion on travel in 2018 and they account for approximately 6% of the global tourism market. The LGBT tourism sector is fast growing in South Africa, and it was predicted that by 2030, South Africa will attract approximately 21 million tourists. Within South Africa, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg have earned a reputation as LGBT friendly destinations, with LGBT tourists expected to contribute approximately R1.8 billion to the Cape Town economy annually. Furthermore, between 10% and 12% of tourists in Cape Town identified themselves as members of the LGBT community. As a result, South Africa – and notably Cape Town – has been named one of the world’s top destinations for LGBT travellers. A well-known characteristic of the LGBT community is that it is comprised of highincome individuals who travel more frequently compared with their heterosexual counterparts. As a result, it is critical for the tourism sector to gain a thorough understanding of this market to effectively target it. Although travel and tourism are critical aspects of the modern LGBT culture, and LGBT tourism represents a developing and lucrative industry (especially in South Africa), there is limited scholarly research that can assist marketers in better understanding the LGBT tourists and their needs. In addition, no research has been conducted on the relationship between customer value and behavioural intentions in the LGBT tourism sector in South Africa. A major challenge for the tourism sector is the ability to offer value to LGBT tourists; therefore, destinations targeting the LGBT market should ensure that they understand how to create value for their customers. v LGBT tourism is considered unique in that the LGBT tourist views value differently than other markets. It is important to understand the dimensions of value to the LGBT market, as LGBT tourists are likely to be discouraged from visiting destinations that do not provide value, which has a significant impact on behavioural intentions. This study, therefore, investigated the dimensions of customer value and their influence on the behavioural intentions of tourists in the South African LGBT tourism sector. A self-administered electronic questionnaire was used to collect data, and 406 usable questionnaires was received. SPSS version 27.0 and Analysis of Movement Structures (AMOS) version 27.0 statistical packages were used to analyse the collected data and test the relationships between the variables examined in this study. The empirical results of this study showed a positive correlation between most dimensions of customer value and behavioural intention while a negative correlation coefficient was observed between cognitive dissonance and dimensions of customer value. The results confirm a positive significant relationship between the independent variables - functional value, emotional value, reputational value, epistemic value, social value - and the dependent variable - customer value. These relationships imply that if functional value, emotional value, reputational value, epistemic value and/or social value, customer value would improve. Interestingly, the findings show a significant positive relationship between monetary and non-monetary sacrifice, and customer value dimensions. These relationships imply that if monetary sacrifice and non-monetary sacrifice increase, customer value would increase. The findings also reveal that customer value has an influence on behavioural intention. Lastly, customer value was not found to be a mediating factor between customer value dimensions and behavioural vi intentions outcomes, namely revisit intention, tourist loyalty, willingness to pay a premium price and word of mouth. Findings from this study could aid destination marketers to ensure that they provide functional, emotional, reputational, epistemic and social value to tourists to gain competitive advantage. LGBT tourists need a safe haven where they can relax and enjoy themselves without fear of societal discrimination, and destinations should do their best to make this happen. This might be accomplished by creating a space where travellers who identify as LGBT can gather and mingle freely. In addition, to improve revisit intention, positive word of mouth and loyalty, tourist destinations should provide unique experiences. Destination marketers should engage in a number of marketing initiatives, including promoting South African LGBT tourism destinations at tourism expos, LGBT music festivals and prides. Lastly, limitations of the study and future research directions are presented.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202

Antecedents of psychological well-being among workers within small and medium enterprises

ORIENTATION : In the contemporary business environment, employee mental health is neglected, especially in mental health research and practice in African Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This occurs even though this sector is the largest contributor to developed economies. This study highlights the importance of psychological well-being in SME performance and the individual employee. RESEARCH PURPOSE : To investigate the influence of perceived organisational support, career goal development and empowering leadership on the psychological well-being of SME employees in Gauteng province, South Africa. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY : Despite increasing research on SMEs, few studies have investigated the impact of perceived organisational support, career goal development, and empowering leadership on psychological well-being in a Southern African context. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD : This study followed a quantitative approach, using the survey methodology where a structured questionnaire was administered to 250 SME employees. To evaluate the psychometric properties of measurement scales, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses. MAIN FINDINGS : Perceived organisational support, career goal development and empowering leadership have a positive and significant impact on the psychological well-being of SME workers. A robust, positive and significant relationship exists between empowering leadership and psychological well-being. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS : The results indicate that SME managers in South Africa should pay more attention to, or place greater emphasis on, supporting employees in their organisations, recognising and assisting them in achieving their goals, and empowering them to be happy at work. If the psychological well-being of employees is prioritised, SME business performance will ultimately improve. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD : This study contributes to the current body of Africa’s industrial psychology and mental health literature – a field that has received little research attention in developing countries like South Africa.http://www.sajip.co.zahj2019Marketing Managemen

Navigating the reasons behind joining a business Incubation programme: Empirical evidence from entrepreneurs in South Africa

This study aims to examine why entrepreneurs choose to join the incubation programme in urban areas, South Africa. The study utilised a quantitative method approach to collect data by way of questionnaires. The data was collected using structured questionnaires. The research participants for this study were limited to entrepreneurs in the incubation programme in Western Cape Province and Gauteng Province in South Africa during the course of the study. Populations of all 65 (incubatees) were deemed suitable for the study. This paper provides an insight into the reasons entrepreneurs chose to join the incubation programme. The findings indicated that entrepreneurs join the incubation programme to acquire entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial education, funding, business networks, Access to technology, sported a gap in the market and employment creation

Exploring motives behind Generation Y’s smartphone purchase

Considering the increase in smartphones, it becomes important to understand why people buy them. The purpose of this paper is to examine Generation Y’s motives behind smartphone purchases. The study made use of a qualitative research paradigm. Focus group interviews were selected as the method of data collection. Focus group members ranged from seven to ten. A total of 81 (N = 81) South African Generation Y were interviewed. The findings indicate that Generation Y consider quality and technical features when buying smartphones. Additionally, this study also observed that this cohort is status conscious and easily influenced by their friends when making purchase decisions

Ease of use, security concerns and attitudes as antecedents of customer satisfaction in ATM banking

This study examines the influence of ease of use, security concerns and attitudes on South African consumers’ satisfaction with ATM banking services. Participants of the study were solicited through electronic mailing list of ATM users in South Africa. These participants were provided with a website link that directed them to an online survey hosted by Qualtrics. A total of 224 participants from the various provinces of South Africa responded. This study confirms that customer satisfaction is linked to security concerns, attitudes and ease of use. Overall, the results indicate that the respondents were satisfied with ATM banking services. Since there is a shortage of research on customer satisfaction with ATM banking services in South Africa, an area often neglected by South African researchers, this study contributes to knowledge available in the existing literature. Keywords: ATM banking, customer satisfaction, ease of use, security, attitudes. JEL Classification: G21, M3

Key drivers that influence store choice in the contemporary Gauteng apparel retail market

The purpose of this article is to explore apparel store choice behaviour of female Generation Y student shoppers and analyse factors that influence their choice of apparel store. Generation Y female consumers have been identified as an important segment, particularly for apparel. A total of 370 Generation Y female students provided usable responses to the survey. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to examine the research aim. The results revealed that store atmosphere, sales personnel and availability of merchandise influence apparel store choice. The study has practical implications for apparel retailers targeting female consumers and suggests how they can improve store atmosphere to enhance the shopping experience, ensure that sales personnel are friendly, supportive and knowledgeable, and ensure the right merchandise is available to avoid customer switching and negative word-of-mouth. The results of this study, while not generalisable, offer important insights for apparel stores and apparel marketers targeting female Generation Y consumers.http://www.journals.co.za/content/journal/jcmanhj2019Marketing Managemen