scholarly journals Exploring social media usage as a communication channel among independent food retailer SMEs in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. e392
Author(s):  
José Dos Santos ◽  
Rodney Duffett
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Communication Channel ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Enabling Factors ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Contact Points ◽  
Food Retailer

Social media has facilitated interaction between businesses and consumers, and consequently, has seen rapid growth as a communication channel by a number of smaller retailers in South Africa. Hence, the primary research objective of this study is to explore social media usage as a marketing communication strategy by independent food retailer small to medium enterprises (SMEs). The study used a qualitative data collection strategy and in-depth interviews were conducted among eleven independent food retailer SMEs in South Africa. The study revealed that the level of social media activity by the respondent retailers was influenced by enabling factors such as cost effectiveness, accessibility, reach and relationship building, whereas perceived risk and resources such as time, knowledge and human resources were inhibiting factors. The research contributes to the available literature exploring social media usage as customer contact points for promotional purposes, as well as provides insight for further studies on the use of social media conduits by independent food retailer SMEs or similar businesses in a developing country.

Social Media Use for Water Conservation Education in South Africa: Perceptions of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality’s Residents

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charity Hove ◽  
Oluyinka O Osunkunle
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Education ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Persuasive Strategies ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Water scarcity is increasing in South Africa and communities need to be educated about water conservation practices. This article investigated the perceptions of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality’s residents concerning the use of social media for water conservation education in their community. Through a quantitative methodology, a sample of 383 respondents answered a questionnaire and the main findings were that 75 per cent of respondents did not know about the municipality’s social media platforms. This article recommends that the municipality creates awareness about its social media platforms, increases social media usage and employs persuasive strategies for participation.

scholarly journals Social Media Policies Within the Financial Sector in South Africa

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824402097503
Author(s):  
Amanda van den Berg ◽  
Miemie Struwig
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Brand Image ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Disciplinary Action ◽  
Johannesburg Stock Exchange

The main purpose of this article is to explore the social media policies of financial institutions in South Africa. Owing to the advances in technology, businesses are exposed to many opportunities but also risks in social media platforms. For the study, a thematic framework was considered to analyze social media policies, which included risk and relationship building, brand image and reputation, stakeholders and communities, disciplinary action and compliance as well as professional and personal guidelines. A qualitative document analysis of social media policies of select South African Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed financial institutions was then conducted. For the data analysis, a thematic document analysis using a consensual qualitative research process was applied. The results showed that all the financial institutions appreciated the value and opportunities provided by social media and ensured strict compliance to their social media policies. However, there were some financial institutions that did not focus on relationship building, did not mention brand image and reputation, did not include all stakeholders, and did not suggest personal guidelines in their social media policies.

scholarly journals COVID19 vaccine intentions in South Africa: health communication strategy to address vaccine hesitancy

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Umakrishnan Kollamparambil ◽  
Adeola Oyenubi ◽  
Chijioke Nwosu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
National Income ◽  
Population Group ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
African Population ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
Black African

Abstract Background Vaccine hesitancy is emerging as a significant challenge in many parts of the world in the fight against the COVID19 pandemic. The continued infection amongst the unvaccinated can lead to a heightened risk of further virus mutation, exposing even those vaccinated to new virus strains. Therefore, there are social benefits in minimising vaccine hesitancy. The objective of this study is to assess the level of COVID19 vaccine hesitancy in South Africa, identify the socio-economic patterns in vaccine hesitancy and highlight insights from the national survey that can inform the development of a COVID-19 vaccination acceptance communication campaign. Methods The study uses the nationally representative National Income Dynamics Study - Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) survey. The analysis combines univariate and bivariate statistics, as well as multivariate regression models like binomial/ordinal and multinomial logit. Results The study finds that vaccine acceptance is lower than that of non-pharmaceutical intervention like face-mask use. Only 55% fully accept the vaccine, while a further 16% are moderately accepting of vaccines. Together, vaccine acceptance is estimated at 70.8%, and vaccine hesitancy against COVID19 is estimated at 29.2% amongst the adult South African population. The study has identified the perceived risk of infection with the mediating role of efficacy as a key predictor of vaccine intention. Higher awareness of COVID19 related information and higher household income are correlated with lower vaccine hesitancy. The non-black African population group has significantly high vaccine hesitancy compared to black Africans. Conclusions There are other significant differences across socio-economic and demographic variables in vaccine hesitancy. From a communication perspective, it is imperative to continue risk messaging, hand in hand with clearer information on the efficacy of the vaccines.

scholarly journals COVID19 Vaccine Intentions in South Africa: Health Communication Strategy to Address Vaccine Hesitancy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umakrishnan Kollamparambil ◽  
Adeola Oyenubi ◽  
Chijioke Nwosu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Communication ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
National Income ◽  
Population Group ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
African Population ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance

Abstract Background: Widespread vaccine acceptance is key to achieving herd immunity through vaccination against COVID19, especially because the available vaccines do not have 100% efficacy. The continued infection amongst the unvaccinated can lead to heightened risk of further virus mutation, exposing even those vaccinated to new virus strains. Therefore, there are social benefits in minimising vaccine hesitancy. The objective of this study is to assess the level of COVID19 vaccine hesitancy in South Africa, identify the socio-economic patterns in vaccine hesitancy and to develop a targeted health communication strategy based on the HBM and EPPM models in order to improve vaccine acceptance. Methods: The study uses the nationally representative National Income Dynamics Study - Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) survey. The analysis combines univariate and bivariate statistics together with multivariate regression models like binomial/ordinal logit and seemingly unrelated regressions.Results: The study finds that vaccine acceptance is lower than that of non-pharmaceutical intervention life face-mask use. Only 55% are fully accepting of the vaccine, while a further 16% are moderately accepting of vaccines. Together, vaccine acceptance is estimated at 70.8% and vaccine hesitancy against COVID19 is estimated at 29.2% amongst the adult South African population. The reasons cited for vaccine hesitancy are primarily due to concerns regarding the side-effects and efficacy of vaccine. the study has identified perceived risk of infection with the mediating role of efficacy as a key predictor of vaccine intention. Apart from vulnerability to infection, those perceiving higher severity of risk (elderly and those with chronic illness) have lower hesitancy. Higher awareness of COVID19 related information and higher household income are correlated with lower vaccine hesitancy. The non-black African population group has significantly high vaccine hesitancy compared to black Africans. Males on average have lower hesitancy compared to females, and unmarried/unpartnered individuals are found to have higher hesitancy. Conclusions: There are other significant differences across socio-economic and demographic variables in vaccine hesitancy. From a communication perspective, it is imperative to continue risk messaging, hand in hand with clearer information on the efficacy of the vaccines

Trust in E-Commerce

2021 ◽  
pp. 179-196
Author(s):  
Paula Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Consumer Trust ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Consumer Experience ◽  
Internet Shopping ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Consumption Experience

E-commerce is a reality of the 21st century. This type of business is nothing more than the conversion of any offline business in its online version. Understanding the online consumer has been a challenge for managers around the world. In this sense, the authors intend to verify how consumer experience with e-commerce and social media usage influences consumer trust in this new type of sales system. Another objective of this research is to understand if anxiety caused by the consumer perceived risk about the information sharing on the internet affects the trust in e-commerce. The data are collected through an online structured questionnaire and a quantitative methodology of structural equation modeling is used. The results obtained show that consumption experience with e-commerce and social media usage has a positive effect on trust in internet shopping. However, consumption experience has a stronger effect on trust in internet shopping than social media usage. But it can conclude that anxiety does not have a moderate effect on consumer trust in e-commerce and social media usage.

Social media usage and individuals' intentions toward adopting Bitcoin: The role of the theory of planned behavior and perceived risk

2020 ◽  
pp. e4590
Author(s):  
Muhammad Khalid Anser ◽  
Ghulam Hussain Khan Zaigham ◽  
Muhammad Imran Rasheed ◽  
Abdul Hameed Pitafi ◽  
Jawad Iqbal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Theory Of Planned Behavior ◽  
Planned Behavior ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Media Usage

scholarly journals Social Media Adoption by Health Professionals: A TAM-Based Study

Informatics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Md Irfanuzzaman Khan ◽  
M Abu Saleh ◽  
Ali Quazi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Peer Influence ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Acceptable Model ◽  
Acceptance Model

This research identifies the underlying drivers impacting on healthcare professionals’ social media usage behaviours using the technology acceptance model (TAM) as the theoretical lens. A self-administered survey questionnaire was developed and administered to 219 healthcare professionals. Data are analysed applying the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The SEM model demonstrated an acceptable model fit (χ2 = 534.241; df, 239, χ2/df = 2.235, RMSEA = 0.06, IFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.93, and CFI = 0.92) and indicates content quality, perceived risk, perceived credibility, peer influence, confirmation of expectations, supporting conditions, and perceived cost significantly influence the notion of perceived social media usefulness. Furthermore, perceived social media usefulness positively affects social media usage behaviour of healthcare professionals. This research generates important insights into what drives the adoption of social media by healthcare professionals. These insights could help develop social media guidelines and strategies to improve the state of professional interactions between health professionals and their clients.

Segmenting Tourists Based on Traditional Versus Social Media Usage and Destination Image Perception

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 189-206
Author(s):  
Anja Van Dyk ◽  
Elmarie Slabbert ◽  
Aaron Tkaczynski
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
South African ◽  
Past Experience ◽  
Destination Image ◽  
Image Perception ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Multiple Media ◽  
Insight Into

Despite considerable insight into both traditional and social media, the research on these media types is largely mutually exclusive. Consequently, it is largely not known what media tourists use before forming an image of a destination for potential visitation. To provide insight into this phenomena, this study segmented 558 tourists to South Africa based on their media usage and destination image perception. The first segment, experienced South African tourists (39%), did not use media when forming an image of South Africa, but rather focused on their frequent past experience. This segment rated cognitive and behavioral image of South Africa the highest. The second segment, friends and family orientated tourists (21%), utilized personal sources in their destination image formation of South Africa. They also rated the country's image the lowest. The third segment, multiple media usage tourists (40%), employed both traditional and social media in forming their destination image of South Africa. These tourists also rated affective image of the country the highest. While destination marketing organizations (DMOs) need to continue to employ traditional and social media to cater for different consumer learning techniques and different consumer response stages of the largest segment (multiple media usage segments), three fifths of the sample are currently being neglected. Because past experience is incredibly relevant for segment validation and representing destination image of the two smaller segments, the DMO needs to identify through in-depth interviews what South Africa's destination image means to all three segments. This process allows comparisons between the segments to be made. It can identify how these tourists' perception of the country's image has changed with experience and if their perceived image accurately represents what is currently marketed by DMOs.

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