Six academics from the Department of Marketing Management recently visited Jönköping University in Sweden as part of the ErasmusPlus staff exchange agreement between the University of Pretoria (UP) and Jönköping University (JU).
The purpose of the visit, which took place from 19 to 29 September 2024, was to foster research collaborations between the two institutions and to check in with eight Marketing Management honours students who are currently studying at JU for three months as part of the ErasmusPlus student exchange programme.
Under the leadership of Prof Adele Berndt, the JU academic coordinator, the visit included, amongst other things, two seminar sessions where the UP team shared their research interests and areas, and explored opportunities for collaboration with the JU colleagues.
From left: Dr Euodia Botha (UP), Prof Adele Berndt (JU), Prof Yolanda Jordaan (UP), Prof Melanie Wiese (UP), Dr Danita van Heerden (UP), Dr Thinkwell Ndhlovu (UP) and Prof Felix Bello (UP)
The following research focus areas were shared at the seminar sessions:
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Prof Yolanda Jordaan: Consumer information privacy in an offline and online context, as well as information privacy and its relation to justice and self-presentation.
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Prof Melanie Wiese: Consumer choice behaviour with a specific focus on social media, branding and online shopping.
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Prof Felix Bello: Sustainable tourism, protected area-based tourism, corporate social responsibility and community participation in tourism.
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Dr Thinkwell Ndhlovu: Consumer brand engagement – scale development, antecedents and outcomes and integrative relationships.
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Dr Danita van Heerden: Virtual influencers in the beauty space, including customer engagement in an online brand community context.
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Dr Euodia Botha: Understanding zero waste behaviours among South Africans, how these sustainable behaviours can be promoted with the use of social media, and the contributions this research makes to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
During the exchange Prof Adele Berndt (UJ) and Dr Euodia Botha (UP) submitted a conference paper to the 31st Recent Advances in Retailing and Consumer Service Science Conference (RARCS) titled ‘Zero waste: are retailers and consumers on the same page?’. Dr Danita van Heerden also had conversations for collaborative research with Prof Thomas on the qualitative analysis of virtual influencer follower engagement.
The UP team also visited JU’s campus in the neighbouring town of Gränna, where they had the opportunity to visit the many shops known for their red and white striped polkagrisar, a Swedish stick candy that originated in the town in the mid-1800s.
The highlight of this visit was engaging with the UP students currently on student exchange in Jönköping (from 15 August to 31 October 2024). The UP lecturers had the opportunity to visit the students in their accommodation in Råslätt, an area with the largest student housing complex in Jönköping, lodging both international and Swedish students. The students treated the lecturers to a fika (a Swedish word for an event where coffee or tea and a little something to eat are enjoyed together) and the students shared their experiences in Sweden thus far over some freshly baked pastries, including the popular Swedish kanelbullar (cinnamon buns).
The eight Marketing Management honours students are enrolled for two modules at JU, namely Strategy and Technology (on bachelor level) and Consumer Behaviour (on master’s level). The feedback from the students is that they are enjoying every minute of their experience abroad, and although they are missing their families, they are not yet ready for it to come to an end.
Front row, from left: Savannah Scoular, Nidene Smith, Kelebogile Maroane, Marilette Venter, Chihoriem Eresia-Eke and Caitlyn Greve
Back row, from left: Lisa Brown, Prof Melanie Wiese, Nuhaila Vally, Dr Euodia Botha, Dr Thinkwell Ndhlovu, Dr Danita van Heerden and Prof Yolanda Jordaan
Shortly after the UP team visited Sweden, three colleagues from JU visited UP to renew institutional contracts and discuss future ErasmusPlus applications. As part of the visit, Prof Adele Berndt had research discussions with Prof Pierre Mostert, Dr Tinashe Ndoro and Dr Thinkwell Ndhlovu. She also presented a class on international marketing to the Integrated practical marketing project third-year module students.
Josefine Andersson and Nikolina Bergh from the international office of JU met with Setsipane Mokoduwe, Danny Bokaba and Itumeleng Njoro from UP’s international office to discuss the renewal of institutional agreements. All parties were keen to continue the working relationship between these two institutions.
Watch this space for future collaboration!
From left: Dr Euodia Botha (UP), Prof Adele Berndt (JU), Prof Yolanda Jordaan (UP), Prof Melanie Wiese (UP), Dr Danita van Heerden (UP), Dr Thinkwell Ndhlovu (UP) and Prof Felix Bello (UP)
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