Research Articles (Marketing Management)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/32311

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The interrelationship between economic satisfaction, trust, commitment, and non-economic satisfaction in franchisee-franchisor relationships
Constantaras, Margaret Theresé; Mostert, P.G. (Pierre); Svensson, Göran (Inderscience, 2025-11)
This study aimed to uncover the interrelationship between economic satisfaction, trust, commitment, and non-economic satisfaction by also considering the mediating role of trust and commitment between the satisfaction constructs in franchisee-franchisor relationships. A total of 415 South African franchisees completed a self-completion online questionnaire. The research and two rival models showed that economic satisfaction has an unequivocal influence on non-economic satisfaction and that trust and commitment mediate this effect. The findings contribute to our understanding of the interrelationships between the study constructs, specifically in franchise relationships, and offer insights to franchisors about how stronger relationships with franchisees beyond their contractual obligations could be fostered. The study contributes by validating, for the first time in a franchise context, the interrelationship linking economic satisfaction, non-economic satisfaction, trust, and commitment previously conducted in business studies and furthermore confirms the mediating role of trust and commitment on the relationship between economic and non-economic satisfaction.
Protected area-based tourism as a catalyst for achieving sustainable development goals
Bello, Felix Gasten; Lambulira, Mathews; Manuel, Isobel (Africa Journals, 2025)
In many countries, achieving sustainable tourism development is crucial to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as tourism activities have both direct and indirect impacts on sustainable development. This study examines the role of protected area-based tourism in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in southern Africa, with a focus on Lake Malawi National Park in Malawi and Etosha National Park, along with its adjacent conservancies (King Nehale and Ehi-Rovipuka) in Namibia. Using a qualitative exploratory design within an interpretive paradigm, data were collected through in-depth interviews with diverse stakeholder groups and observation. The findings reveal that protected area-based tourism supports SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by generating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by removing all socio-economic barriers. It also advances SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 13 (Climate Action) through biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism practices. Progress is also evident in SDG 4 (Quality Education) through skills training and environmental awareness, and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) through greater residents’ participation in tourism, fostering local capacity and skills in tourism and conservation. In both countries, community participation emerged as central to equitable benefit-sharing and conservation success. The study highlights the need for stronger community engagement, inclusive employment strategies, sustained investment in training and education, effective conflict resolution mechanisms, and continued government and policy support. Protected area-based tourism in these regions demonstrates significant potential in promoting integrated environmental, social, and economic sustainability. With the right enabling conditions, it can serve as a strategic tool for advancing the SDGs and enhancing long-term resilience in communities and ecosystems.
Navigating the complexities of tourism statistics in sub-Saharan Africa : insights from Malawi
Lambulira, Mathews; Mwale, Isaac; Bello, Felix Gasten; Manuel, Isobel (Africa Journals, 2025)
This study examines the data sources and collection methods employed for tourism statistics in Malawi, evaluating their alignment with international standards, particularly the United Nations’ 2008 International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics. The study utilised qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews with 42 key informants and document analysis. The study reveals a reliance on traditional data sources, including border entry/exit points, accommodation facilities, national domestic surveys, and the national population census. Accommodation data, despite its importance, suffers from sampling limitations, the exclusion of same-day visitors, and issues with double-counting. Border data collection, marked by manual and automated inconsistencies, lacks direct digital transfer to the National Statistical Office and neglects entry data. National surveys exhibit definitional inconsistencies in identifying domestic tourists. The census, while providing demographic and economic context, is limited by its infrequent nature and lack of tourism-specific depth. The study highlights gaps in stakeholder collaboration and data dissemination, underscoring the need for improved institutional coordination. Findings reveal a disconnect between current practices and the International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 guidelines, emphasizing the need for methodological refinement and enhanced data integration to ensure accurate and reliable tourism statistics for informed policy decisions in Malawi.
Exploring sustainability practices in an aquarium
Chipangura, Ashleen Kudzai; Bello, Felix Gasten; manuel, Isobel (Taylor and Francis, 2025-05-09)
Over the years, aquariums have experienced criticism because they are viewed as exploitative and captive hubs for marine wildlife. Drawing from the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study was conducted to explore sustainability practices in an aquarium. The study used a qualitative exploratory cross-sectional research design, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 Two Oceans Aquarium employees. The findings showed sustainability practices, such as recycling, the use of solar energy, and turtle rehabilitation. The barriers to implementing sustainability practices were a lack of alternatives, staff apathy, and a lack of interest. The influence of sustainable practices on marine wildlife was found to include marine conservation and collaboration with relevant stakeholders in environmental projects. Communication with visitors was achieved through social marketing, social networking, and interactive signage. This study recommends the use of interactive signage, social networking, and social marketing by aquariums to communicate with visitors. Education and awareness are recommended to reinforce sustainable practices.
A store-level analysis of frontline employees as enhancers of store loyalty
Kotze, Theuns G.; Mostert, P.G. (Pierre) (Springer, 2025-08)
This study examined the relationships between frontline employees’ (FLEs’) shared perceptions of service-oriented high-performance work systems (SO-HPWSs), work engagement, and service climate. It also investigated how these shared perceptions related to store managers’ assessments of FLEs’ collective in-role and extra-role service performance, customer satisfaction, and store loyalty in the same retail chain. Data were collected from 781 FLEs, 70 store managers, and 803 customers from 70 stores in the same retail chain. Findings showed that SO-HPWSs predict work engagement and service climate; work engagement predicts service climate; and service climate predicts in-role and extra-role service performance and customer satisfaction.
Evolving domestic tourism destination preferences post-apartheid
Struwig, Jare; Du Preez, Elizabeth Ann (Routledge, 2025)
Tourism is embedded within societal structures, and imbalances upheld through social structures, like systemic racism, leave symbolic boundaries where certain activities perceivably belong to designated population groups. Further, socio-economic factors impede travel behavior especially in emerging markets. Resultantly, marginalization becomes a barrier to inclusive tourism. Domestic tourism patterns in post-apartheid South Africa were explored to determine whether changes have occurred, and whether these changes are a function of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. Preferences for three different destinations were compared using two nationally representative samples from the 2006 and 2017 South African Social Attitude Survey. Results indicate that, although race and economic status remained significant, ethnicity was the main impacting variable and interactional effects between ethnicity, age, poverty status, and geotype explained most of the variance. While travel habitus and cultural distance influence preferences, the youth market within certain ethnic groups is most likely to transition to new tourism destinations.
Consumer spending self-control, financial well-being and life satisfaction : the moderating effect of relative deprivation from consumers holding debt
Du Plessis, Laureane; Jordaan, Yolanda; Van der Westhuizen, Liezl-Marie (Elsevier, 2025-08)
PURPOSE : The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of financial well-being and relative deprivation in the relationship between consumer spending self-control (CSSC) and life satisfaction. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst employed South African credit-active respondents. An online self-administered questionnaire via an online paid-for consumer panel resulted in 608 respondents. Covariance-based structural equation modelling was used for the mediation and moderation models. FINDINGS : The findings of this study revealed that financial well-being mediated the relationship between CSSC and life satisfaction, and relative deprivation moderated the relationship between financial well-being and life satisfaction. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : This study helps financial institutions and academic researchers obtain a better understanding of financial well-being, and emphasises the need for financial organisations to educate and communicate how financial well-being influences life satisfaction. Institutions can provide access to educational platforms that offer courses and tools on financial literacy topics to ensure healthy consumer spending. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : This study mainly contributes to CSSC and financial well-being literature. The interrelationships in this article were informed by the causality orientations in self-determination theory that consider human motivation. The role of financial well-being as an intervening factor and the interaction effect between financial well-being and relative deprivation on life satisfaction were uncovered. This article will help financial organisations to consider initiatives that will assist consumers in controlling their spending behaviour to improve financial well-being and life satisfaction. The ability of individuals to meet financial obligations reduces financial organisations’ exposure to credit risk, ensuring that consumers manage their finances responsibly to achieve financial independence.
Factors driving virtual running event participation : A CHAID segmentation approach
Frost, Bianca Lizelle; Du Preez, Elizabeth; Jordaan, Yolanda (Sage, 2024-12)
Virtual running events (VREs) have emerged as participatory events and are projected to be a legitimate future segment in the sport event industry. This paper considers the most suitable market segment(s) with future intentions to partake in VREs. A Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) algorithm, scarcely used to segment sport consumer markets, was applied based on various motivational factors that may drive VRE participation. Data were collected from 1,017 individuals who had participated in a VRE. Ten distinct market segments with varying intentions to partake in VREs were identified, uncovering at least six viable future VRE segments. Hedonia, perceived psycho-social risk, perceived price and VRE benefits were the strongest predictors of VRE participation intentions. The CHAID analysis allowed a detailed description of the relative importance of the characteristics within each segment, confirming the benefit of using this sophisticated technique to develop targeted marketing strategies.
Drivers of mobile live-stream shopping and the moderating role of celebrity endorsement
Humbani, Michael; Amofa, Henrietta Akosua Pokua (Adonis and Abbey Publishers, 2025-06)
Drawing on an integrated technology readiness index’s driving factors and the key opinion leadership theory, the study aimed to develop and test a framework that determined the influential drivers of mobile live-stream shopping intention in an emerging economy. The moderating role of celebrity endorsement was also investigated. Using a quantitative cross-sectional research methodology with purposive sampling that was reinforced by snowball sampling, data from social media users aged 18 or older were gathered to explore the research goal. The findings indicate that the factors that strongly enhance a person’s propensity to shop via mobile live streaming are innovativeness, trust, and celebrity endorsement. Through mobile live streaming, celebrity endorsement acts as a moderator between drivers and purchase intention. Brands should find the model useful in deciding the influential factors that drive mobile live-stream shopping intention in order to take advantage of innovative technologies such as mobile live streaming.
Tournaments of destruction : consumers battling for visibility
Coulter, Robin A.; Martin, Kelly D.; Van der Westhuizen, Liezl-Marie (Oxford University Press, 2025)
This research introduces tournaments of destruction, defined as staged and ritualized social performances involving entertainment and competitive rivalry in which consumers destroy valued material objects before a focused gathering. The conceptualization of tournaments of destruction is borne from a qualitative, phenomenological-based case study of low-income, low-power Black African male youth, who as members of the Izikhothane subculture in Soweto, South Africa, battle powerless anonymity by engaging in conspicuous consumption and the counterintuitive conspicuous destruction of high-end Italian apparel brands. Alexander’s theory of social performance provides an enabling lens to explore tournaments of destruction within a system of meanings, and findings provide insights about motivation to participate in a destructive subculture, the social performance of tournaments of destruction, and the agency and navigation of visibility within their hyper-local community. Emergent themes of spatiotemporal visibility, intentionality of destruction, focused gatherings and collective effervescence, and sociomoral condemnation contribute to understanding tournaments of destruction and other destructive enactments by social collectives both in pre-market and contemporary societies. This research extends Alexander’s theory of social performance and provides grounding for future work on destruction and visibility within contemporary consumer culture.
Selected psychological factors predicting customer citizenship behaviours : an environmentally friendly context
Van Tonder, Estelle; Petzer, Daniël Johannes; Fullerton, Sam (Unisa Press, 2024-06)
PURPOSE : Viable business opportunities may be lost when customers revert to unsuitable brands owing to the misreading of brand label information or a lack of understanding of the quality and value of the focal business’s green product offering. Accordingly, this research seeks to advance understanding of selected psychological factors influencing customer citizenship advocacy and personal initiative behaviours in an environmentally friendly context that may aid fellow customers in making more informed and responsible purchase decisions. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : A research model was examined, assessing the influence of green attitude, consumer self-confidence, and self-control against criticism on customer citizenship advocacy and personal initiative behaviours in an environmentally friendly context. Survey research was conducted among customers in South Africa who had previously advised others to avoid products that may be harmful to society. Structural equation modelling was applied in the assessment of the research data and to conclude on the hypotheses formulated. FINDINGS : All hypothesised relationships were supported, except for the relationship between self-control against criticism and personal initiative behaviours. ORIGINALITY : Novel insight is provided into the extent to which green attitude, as well as psychological factors relating to how customers perceive and regulate themselves during their interactions with other customers, may influence customer citizenship advocacy and personal initiative behaviours in an environmentally friendly context. Accordingly, the model offers a starting point for green manufacturing businesses and policymakers to develop programmes that may facilitate the desired customer citizenship behaviours, which could contribute to fellow customers purchasing quality green products.
Helping other customers to avoid harmful brands : the role of idealism, attitude and cynicism
Van Tonder, Estelle; Petzer, Daniël Johannes; Fullerton, Sam (AOSIS, 2024-11-11)
BACKGROUND : Consumers are not always aware of how their purchase decisions may harm other humans and the environment. Green customer helping behaviours could aid in solving this problem. AIM : The study aims to develop a research model, advancing knowledge of the extent to which idealism (an ethical philosophy) may influence green attitudes and promote green customer helping behaviours that could aid other customers in avoiding harmful brands. The study further aims to gain clarity regarding the moderating role of customer helper cynicism within the proposed model. SETTING : A self-administered questionnaire was fielded amongst consumers in South Africa and the United States of America (US). METHOD : Mplus 8.5 and PROCESS macro in RStudio were used to analyse and compare the survey data obtained from the two samples RESULTS : All direct relationships assessed were positive and significant for South Africa and the US samples. Varying results were uncovered between the two samples concerning the moderating role of customer helper cynicism. CONCLUSION : The identified model confirms the important role of idealism in influencing green customer helping behaviours, as mediated by green attitudes and moderated by customer helper cynicism. CONTRIBUTION : Novel insight is provided into the contribution of ethical philosophy in promoting green customer helping behaviours. Additionally, direction is provided for the deployment of strategies that could promote green customer helping behaviours in diverse green contexts and across continents and that effectively may aid other customers in avoiding brands harmful to society.
Psychological needs and financial well-being : the role of consumer spending self-control
Du Plessis, Laureane; Jordaan, Yolanda; Van der Westhuizen, Liezl-Marie (Springer, 2024-12)
Financial service providers continually strive to develop innovative financial products and services that address customer needs and aim to improve customers’ financial well-being. Previous studies discovered that psychological need satisfaction is positively associated with psychological well-being and growth, while psychological need frustration is associated with problematic behaviour and ill-being. However, uncertainty still exists as to whether psychological needs are associated with financial well-being. Furthermore, whereas psychological need satisfaction is associated with positive day-to-day behaviours such as exhibiting self-control, psychological need frustration has been associated with irresponsible spending. Spending can be a psychological coping mechanism, and as such, the regulation of spending behaviour may aid financial well-being. Therefore, the main purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between psychological needs and financial wellbeing, and to assess whether consumer spending self-control can act as a regulating mechanism in this relationship. Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire distributed via an online paid-for consumer panel to credit-active South African consumers. The results revealed that CSSC had a mediating effect on the relationships between psychological needs and financial well-being. This highlights the importance of developing and promoting consumer spending self-control as a strategy for financial well-being.
Handmade clothing consumption as a means of self-expression
Van der Westhuizen, Liezl-Marie; Kuhn, Stefanie Wilhelmina (Emerald, 2024-10)
PURPOSE – This study examines handmade clothing consumption as a means of self-expression by exploring the interrelationships between consumers’ self-expression, brand love and word of mouth. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH – Using a descriptive research design, data were collected from 295 respondents in South Africa who posted about fashion on social media and who had bought handmade clothing in the 6 months prior to data collection. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the interrelationships between consumers’ self-expression, brand love and word of mouth. FINDINGS – Brand love intervenes between consumers’ self-brand connections and word of mouth about handmade clothing. More specifically, brand love strengthens positive word of mouth online and mitigates negative word-of-mouth intentions following a handmade clothing product failure scenario. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS – The study enlightens scholarly understanding of consumers’ selfexpression motivations for using ready-made handmade clothing that results in brand love and positive word of mouth. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS – Handmade clothing marketers who tap into consumers’ self-expression and who can establish brand love among consumers can similarly create beneficial consumer–brand relationships. ORIGINALITY/VALUE – Consumers often use handmade clothing for the purpose of self-expression, which provides subsequent spin-offs for brands in the form of brand love and positive word of mouth. Objective self-awareness theory provides a parsimonious lens to reveal the important role that brand love plays as a mechanism to explain the linkage of consumers’ self-brand connections to word of mouth about handmade clothing.
Revisiting the satisfaction–loyalty link in retail banking – an emerging market perspective
Petzer, Daniël Johannes; Roberts-Lombard, Mornay (AOSIS, 2024-05-21)
ORIENTATION : Revisiting the satisfaction–loyalty link is critical to better understand the driving factors of satisfaction and loyalty. This is especially true considering the increasing competitive nature of South Africa’s banking industry. RESEARCH PURPOSE : The study revisits the satisfaction–loyalty link and the mediating effect of affective and calculative commitment on the satisfaction–loyalty link. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY : Numerous scholars have explored and proposed different pathways to enhance the satisfaction–loyalty link in multiple contexts and industries. To date, there is, however, no clear pathway in a business-to-consumer (B2C) context and further research is required on how to strengthen this link. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD : A quantitative descripto-explanatory study that is cross-sectional in nature was used to collect empirical data from 871 banking customers in South Africa purposively selected using interviewer-administered questionnaires. SmartPLS 3.2.7 was used to test the direct effect (H1–H4) and Hayes Process Macro for SPSS (Model 4) was used to test the indirect effects (H5 and H6). MAIN FINDINGS : Satisfaction has a significant and positive relationship with affective and calculative commitment, and calculative commitment in turn has a significant and positive relationship with loyalty. Both affective and calculative commitments partially mediate the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS : The importance of affective commitment in the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty among customers of South African retail banks is highlighted. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD : This study provides an enhanced understanding of the importance of affective and calculative commitment in strengthening the satisfaction–loyalty link.
The impact of shopping values on e-satisfaction and shopping wellbeing : a South African perspective
Mbulo, Valerie N.; Ndoro, T.T. (Tinashe) (Universitas Islam Nahdlatul Ulama Jepara, 2024-06)
OBJECTIVE: Shopping well-being has continued to be a fundamental construct in retail shopping research. However, marketers seek to understand the factors that enhance shopping well-being for online consumers in the fast-growing era of e-commerce. This study sought to investigate the impact of shopping values (hedonic and utilitarian) and e-satisfaction on shopping well-being within the South African context. RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional quantitative research design. Using convenience sampling, online survey questionnaires were administered to collect the data from South African consumers who engage in online shopping. Descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. FINDINGS: The findings of the study indicated hedonic shopping values had a positive impact on shopping well-being. On the other hand, it was found that utilitarian shopping values and e-satisfaction had no positive impact on shopping wellbeing. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: From these findings, web-based shopping managers can construct online shopping environments that support hedonic shopping values in order to ensure that consumers shopping online experience shopping wellbeing. CONTRIBUTION & VALUE ADDED: The study adds value to marketing practitioners and businesses that seek to ensure that consumers engaging in online shopping experience satisfaction and wellbeing within the growing e-commerce industry in South Africa and other emerging economies.
Promoting proactive helping behaviour: the role of positive psychological capital and emotional self-control
Van Tonder, Estelle; Petzer, Daniël Johannes; Fullerton, Sam (Emerald, 2024-09)
PURPOSE – Customers’ proactive helping behaviours involving personal initiative taking may present an effective solution for assisting other customers in avoiding harmful brands. Accordingly, this study aims to propose a model explaining the role of positive psychological capital (self-efficacy and optimism) in influencing customers’ proactive helping behaviours involving personal initiative taking. The study additionally provides greater clarity regarding the moderating effect of emotional self-control within the suggested model. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH – Survey data were collected from 256 respondents in South Africa, who reported on their perceptions and the degree to which they engage in proactive helping behaviours to assist other customers in avoiding harmful brands. Hypotheses were tested using regression analysis. FINDINGS – General self-efficacy and social optimism influence customers’ proactive helping behaviours. Emotional self-control moderates the indirect effect of general self-efficacy on customers’ proactive helping behaviours through social optimism. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS – Greater insight is obtained into the interplay between factors representing a positive psychological state and self-control of negative emotions and these factors’ effect on customers’ proactive helping behaviours involving personal initiative taking. ORIGINALITY/VALUE – The research extends knowledge of proactive helping behaviours involving personal initiative taking to assist other customers in avoiding harmful brands and subsequently provides a baseline for further research in this regards. Practically, the research is useful to social agents of society concerned with promoting responsible purchasing practices.
“Fresh start” messaging, “rebirth associations,” and consumers’ environmentally sustainable actions
Strizhakova, Yuliya; Coulter, Robin A.; Price, Linda L. (Springer, 2025-09)
What do consumers do with their used clothing, books, and children’s toys? In this research, we introduce metaphoric “fresh start” messaging as an effective tactic to encourage consumers to engage in environmentally sustainable actions of donating used products for remanufacture or reuse. Drawing on conceptual metaphor theory and construal theory, we contrast metaphoric “fresh start” messaging with dominant “reduce waste” and “recycle” non-metaphoric environmental messages. Across six experimental studies, metaphoric “fresh start” messaging is more effective in increasing environmentally sustainable actions, including used product donations and donation intentions. The effectiveness of metaphoric “fresh start” messaging is grounded in its activation of abstract thinking as “rebirth associations,” thoughts around new beginnings, renewal, and new life. We examine the effectiveness of metaphoric “fresh start” (vs. non-metaphoric environmental) messaging with the use of “fresh start” temporal landmarks (New Year’s Day and Earth Day) and find that metaphoric “fresh start” messaging, with or without these temporal landmarks, is more effective in triggering abstract thinking as “rebirth associations.” Our work substantiates the power of metaphoric “fresh start” messaging in encouraging consumers’ environmentally sustainable actions and has significant implications for the use of conceptual metaphors in marketing messages.
Spillover effects of sensory stimulation
Chowdhury, Tilottama G.; Khare, Adwait; Coulter, Robin A. (Emerald, 2025-02)
PURPOSE : This paper aims to propose the sensory stimulation spillover effect phenomenon, defined as the process by which sensory stimulation in one area generates positive impressions and favorably impacts opinions in other areas. Specifically, this paper demonstrates that the spillover effect of sensory priming via an advertised brand impacts the viewer’s self-brand connections (the mental representation of a brand connected to an individual’s self-concept), brand attitude and brand purchase intention. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : Across six experiments, 883 participants considered advertised brands from diverse product categories (food snacks, electronics and detergent). The multisensory prime in Studies 1–3 uses positively valenced sensory imagery and text, whereas the multisensory prime in Studies 4–6 is a sensory imaging task. Studies 1–4 examine the spillover effect of the multisensory prime on consumers’ self-brand connections, as well as downstream brand-related variables. Studies 5 and 6, respectively, examined the moderating roles of advertising appeal, regulatory focus (promotion vs prevention) and cognitive versus affective tone. FINDINGS : Results provide robust evidence of the proposed sensory stimulation spillover effect. Sensory priming strengthens self-brand connections and positively impacts brand attitude and purchase intention; self-brand connections mediate the relationship between a multisensory prime and brand attitude and purchase intention. The sensory stimulation spillover effect is stronger when advertisements have a promotion (vs prevention) focus and particularly for participants with a stronger intrinsic promotion (vs prevention) orientation, as well as for advertisements with an affective (vs a cognitive) tone. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS : The authors manipulated sensory stimulation using visual images and text as well as using a multisensory-imaging task. Future work can explore the use of actual sensory stimulation, and retail spaces or public venues may provide opportunities for field experiments to study sensory stimulation in situ. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : The research focuses on spillover effects in an advertising context with broader implications for consumers’ in-store shopping experiences based on multisensory store architecture and atmospherics, as well as online shopping that is impacted by multisensory information. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : This paper introduces the phenomenon of sensory stimulation spillover effect, the process by which sensory stimulation in one area generates positive impressions and favorably impacts opinions in other areas and demonstrates that multisensory priming strengthens self-brand connections and downstream brand-related variables, with self-brand connections as the mediator. The results are robust across multiple product categories and are contingent upon the type of advertising appeal. The research focuses on spillover effects in an advertising context with broader implications for consumers’ in-store shopping experiences based on multisensory store architecture and atmospherics, as well as online shopping which is impacted by multisensory information.
You want my loyalty? Treat me fairly! A study of Islamic banking customers in South Africa
Roberts-Lombard, Mornay; Petzer, Daniël Johannes (Emerald, 2025-01)
PURPOSE : The purpose of this study is to investigate possible drivers of loyalty amongst Islamic banking customers in Gauteng, South Africa. We ponder the relationships of service fairness (a secondorder reflective construct) with perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : Data were obtained from Islamic banking customers in South Africa using interview-administered questionnaires. A total of 350 responses were perceived as being suitable for data analysis. The measurement and structural models were measured through structural equation modelling. FINDINGS : Service fairness and perceived value were found to be important drivers of loyalty within this context. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS : This study demonstrates that service fairness and perceived value are precursors to the future loyalty intentions of Islamic banking customers. As such, they should be nurtured as key elements of the relationship building process. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : The study guides South African Islamic banks and South African banks with Islamic windows to better understand how service fairness (interactional, procedural and distributive) fosters satisfaction, perceived value and loyalty (attitudinal and behavioural). ORIGINALITY/VALUE : Enhancing comprehension of the relationship between service fairness and customer loyalty, with satisfaction and perceived value playing intermediary roles, represents an unexplored avenue in academic research within the context of Islamic banking in an emerging African market.

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