The 33rd Annual Conference for the Southern Africa Institute for Management Scientists was held from 11 to 14 September 2022. The conference was hosted by the Department of Management from Rhodes University and took place at the Mpekweni Beach Resort near Port Alfred. The theme for this year’s conference was VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) and the disrupted workplace: Managing a sustainable future, which acknowledges the challenges and changes experienced by leaders and managers, and highlights the role of management research in finding new and innovative ways to deal with these changes.

 

Below is a picture of the University of Pretoria team (staff and students) in the Department of Marketing Management that attended this year’s SAIMS Conference.

 

 

Prof Tania Maree was elected as a board member of the Southern Africa Institute for Management Scientists to represent the Gauteng province. Prof Maree’s new role was announced at the Annual General Meeting of SAIMS at the conference, and she replaced Prof Yolanda Jordaan as a board member following the end of her term.

 

Eight papers were presented by members of the Department of Marketing Management at the University of Pretoria. The first paper was titled ‘The discriminatory power of technology readiness on QR code-based mobile payment adoption’. This paper was presented by Dr Michael Humbani and Prof Yolanda Jordaan. The study determined which technological readiness characteristics contribute to low and high adopters of QR code-based mobile payments. The findings of a discriminant analysis revealed that two technology readiness factors, optimism and innovativeness, discriminate between low and high adopters of QR code-based mobile payments.

 

The second paper, presented by Dr Rejoice Tobias-Mamina with co-author Dr Miston Mapuranga, was titled ‘Modelling the role of cognitive heuristics and gender in microblog information credibility evaluation’. This paper developed a framework within which both message content and message format are considered in order to understand user evaluation of information credibility in microblogs. The findings revealed that not all cognitive heuristics had the same effect on microblog information credibility. The results indicate that the effects of cognitive heuristics on microblog information credibility are not significantly different across genders.

 

Prof Tania Maree co-presented a paper (with TUT colleague, Prof Thérèse Roux) titled ‘Brand personality of image-sharing social networking sites: Instagram and Pinterest’. Their study explored the brand personalities of the two social networks and how these relate to attitudes and behavioural intent. Findings of a structural equation model revealed that particular brand personality traits favourably influence attitudes and the intention to continue using the platforms. Prof Maree presented a second paper with master’s student Tayla Jonker as co-author, titled ‘To cloth or not to cloth: Behavioural intentions of South African nappy consumers’. The study investigated how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control influence the intention to use reusable cloth nappies. The results showed that perceived behavioural control was the strongest predictor of use intention.

 

The fifth paper was presented by PhD student Nandipha David (co-authored by study supervisor Prof Anneli Douglas) and titled ‘The role of technology in rural vs urban destination image formation’. This paper was presented as a "work in progress" and focused on the importance of access to technology as a factor that affects the overall image that tourists form about a destination and ultimately their intention to visit that destination.

 

Another paper, presented by Dr Tinashe Ndoro with master’s student Rebaona Olebogeng Moleki as co-author, focused on the ‘Investigation of the impact of status consumption on repurchasing intention in SA’. This study investigated the relationships between aspirations, status consumption and repurchase intentions. The results showed that extrinsic aspirations were a significant predictor of status consumption, and that status consumption was a significant predictor of repurchase intentions.

 

The seventh paper was presented by Dr Jade Verbeek and co-authored by Prof Liezl-Marie van der Westhuizen and Prof Melanie Wiese, titled ‘Pictures speak a thousand words: Exploring gendered brand spokes-characters’. This paper was exploratory in nature and aimed to unearth the deeper meanings associated with gendered brand spokes-characters within a non-profit context and their role in brand anthropomorphism. Findings from a focus group and online panel uncovered the complexities around the perceptions of gendered brand stimuli - in that its gender may not always be acknowledged as intended, and highlights the role of gendered brand stimuli in brand anthropomorphism as well as in its perceived suitability for the brand it represents.

 

The last paper was presented by Dr Thinkwell Ndhlovu with master’s student Francois Engelbrecht as co-author. Their paper was titled ‘Investigating consumer brand relationships within the context of quick service restaurants during the Covid-19 pandemic period’. This study investigated the effect of consumer brand engagement and brand trust on brand love within the context of QSRs during the Covid-19 pandemic alert level 3 period. The findings showed that consumer brand engagement and brand trust have a positive effect on brand love.

 

The 33rd SAIMS conference provided a great platform for all scholars to participate in the important discussion around the sustainability of management. The University of Pretoria cohort from the Department of Marketing Management who attended this year’s SAIMS conference commented that it was a valuable opportunity to network with and learn from fellow scholars within the management field.