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School of Management, IT and Governance

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Browsing School of Management, IT and Governance by SDG "SDG12"

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    Factors affecting the organic products market in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal: A diffusion of innovation perspective.
    (2024) Mkhize, Sandile Simphiwe.; Ellis, Deborah Ann.
    Organic products, cultivated using agricultural practices that avoid synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, offer a sustainable alternative to conventional farming methods. However, in South Africa, adoption remains limited, hindered by consumer perceptions of organic food as unfamiliar and niche. This study explores the determinants of organic food adoption, integrating traditional consumer behaviour factors with innovation-oriented constructs from Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and Consumer Innovativeness (CI). Employing a two-stage methodology, the study first conducted a systematic literature review to identify traditional and innovation-related drivers, followed by a quantitative analysis of survey data from 500 participants using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Results reveal that while traditional factors such as health consciousness and trust are significant, DOI constructs, including compatibility and relative advantage, also substantially influence adoption. These findings advance theoretical frameworks on consumer behaviour and offer actionable recommendations for marketers and policymakers to promote sustainable consumption practices in emerging markets.
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    Sustainable waste management through reverse logistics: A case of selected municipalities in Zimbabwe.
    (2024) Ruzive, Benson.; Phiri, Maxwell Agabu.; Naude, Micheline Juliana Alberta.
    The study investigated the impact of reverse logistics activities on sustainable solid waste management in selected municipalities in Zimbabwe. Developing countries globally face the challenge of municipal solid waste management and Zimbabwe is among these countries. Five objectives were pursued which were; to establish the perceptions of households/residents on municipal authorities’ practices on municipal solid waste management, to determine the practices of households/residents in municipal solid waste management, to examine how residents perception of municipalities towards municipal solid waste management influences the way in which residents manage their municipal solid waste, to ascertain the current state of sustainability and to determine the relationship between reverse logistics of municipal solid waste and sustainability in selected municipalities in Zimbabwe. Both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used in the study. These techniques utilised a structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to solicit information from 450 households and 7 management workers. To reduce chances of documents getting lost, questionnaires were distributed and collected within a two-week period. SPSS was used to analyse the quantitative data collected from the respondents. Study findings revealed a significant level of disagreement among residents in non-performing areas regarding the quality of services provided in solid waste management. Positive agreement was observed in performing areas regarding the services delivered by municipalities for municipal waste management. The study recommends educating residents about acceptable practices of the management of municipal solid waste. Stakeholders should actively support reverse logistics activities related to municipal solid waste. Furthermore, residents should be encouraged to change their behaviour towards municipal solid waste management by adopting correct solid waste disposal practices, such as separation of different types of municipal solid waste. Lastly, corporate firms should act sustainably by managing end-of-life products through the implementation of reverse logistics practices. Implementing these recommendations can contribute to improving solid waste management practices, enhancing sustainability, and addressing the challenges faced by local government municipalities in Zimbabwe. The study contributes to four SDGs (3,6,11 and 12) by identifying households’ perceptions and practices on municipal solid waste management.
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    Young consumers’ purchase intentions towards plant-based products during the global climate crisis and Coronavirus pandemic.
    (2024) Tooray, Jenasha.; Ellis, Deborah Ann.
    The COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis have impacted individuals’ purchasing habits across many sectors. Plant-based products are one of the burgeoning sustainable products demanded by consumers. This research investigated the traditional green behaviour antecedents, namely environmental knowledge, environmental concern, attitude towards plantbased products, moral attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control influencing plant-based product purchase intention, relative to health consciousness and concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, not considered by previous South African research, to address the climate crisis in an emerging economy that is most vulnerable to climate change. A conceptual framework was developed, based on an extension of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Data was collected through the personal administration of questionnaires, from registered students at the five UKZN campuses. The positivist paradigm and cross-sectional quantitative, descriptive-correlational empirical research method were applied. Quota sampling resulted in 381 respondents. Exploratory factor analysis, descriptive analysis and structural equation modelling were employed. The data revealed that plant-based product adoption among young South African consumers is still in its infancy, albeit gaining momentum, as this cohort intends purchasing plant-based products for ecological reasons. The direct positive and significant predictors of influencing plant-based product purchase intention were subjective norm, moral attitude, and attitude towards plant-based products; with environmental concern, environmental knowledge, and concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic serving as predictors of influencing plant-based product purchase intention through attitude towards plant-based products. By understanding these factors, green marketers can devise appropriate tactics that support and promote influencing plant-based product purchase intention. This study also contributes evidence of young consumers’ plant-based product purchase intentions and underscores the need for climate change education, plant-based product awareness and government intervention, thereby increasing young consumers’ knowledge and willingness to adopt plant-based products during two major social issues facing mankind today.