Brand personality is a set of human personality traits that are relevant to a brand. A distinctive brand personality serves a symbolic or self-expressive function and helps to create a set of unique and favourable associations in the consumer’s mind. Generation Y consumers are considerably more brand and image conscious than any other generational cohort. Given that motor vehicles, especially luxury motor vehicles, are a conspicuous consumption item that are often used to signal status to others, luxury motor vehicle marketers need to understand Generation Y members’ perceptions of brand personality. Aaker (1997) developed a brand personality trait scale to measure brand personality perceptions. This study established a factor structure for Aaker’s (1997) brand personality trait scale applicable for luxury sedan brands. This adapted brand personality trait scale was used to investigate the brand personality perceptions of luxury sedan motor vehicles amongst Generation Y. The target population for this study was defined as students registered at South Africa’s public HEIs in 2014. This study made use of a non-probability convenience sample to select one traditional university campus and one university of technology campus located in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed in two separate steps. Step 1 of the study distributed the questionnaire to 65 participants to identify Generation Y students’ top-of-the-mind awareness concerning luxury sedan motor vehicle brands. Step 2 of the study distributed 500 questionnaires to investigate the brand personality perceptions of luxury sedan brands amongst Generation Y students by means of Aaker’s (1997) brand personality trait scale. Step 2 also investigated Generation Y students’ purchasing intentions of luxury sedan motor vehicles by making use of an adapted a scale by Zeithaml et al. (1996:31-46). The statistical analysis included exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistical analysis and significance tests. The findings of the study suggest that Generation Y students’ top three luxury sedan brands are BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. The brand personality perception results revealed that all three brands are associated with the ‘Competence’ and ‘Sophisticated’ brand personality dimensions. In addition, BMW is also associated with the ‘Excitement’ brand personality dimension. The findings of the study also suggest that Generation Y students do have purchasing intentions of luxury sedan motor vehicles. Some gender differences regarding Generation Y students’ brand personality perceptions and purchasing intentions of luxury sedan motor vehicles do exist. However, the differences are limited with a small effect of practical significance. The study offers insight into the brand personality perceptions in the South African market. Generation Y consumers have unique perceptions regarding different brands and it is therefore important to gain insight regarding their perceptions. The results presented in this study can aid the marketers of the selected luxury sedan motor vehicle brands in identifying the personality traits associated with their brand. This information can be compared with their current marketing strategy to determine if any differences exist between the desired and perceived brand personality. This can also help the marketers to tailor the marketing strategy accordingly to achieve the desired brand personality / MCom (Marketing Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015

There has been a significant amount of growth in soccer game attendance and media coverage since the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in South Africa was established in 1996. However, match attendance started to decline from the 2013 season. PSL teams need to do something to get the fans back into the stadiums. A stable fan base is of vital importance for a team’s competitive advantage since the growing commercialisation of sport. The South African PSL is no exception and teams need to comprehend the importance of loyal fans. Team identification is linked to higher game attendance and more fans that are loyal and, therefore, it is relevant to the PSL teams. Higher game attendance will increase the teams’ revenues through ticket sales. Highly identified fans are loyal fans and increase the likelihood of better sponsorship deals for a team. Higher levels of team identification with a team could be obtained through a unique brand personality. Brand personality is necessary for sport team managers in order to understand fans’ perception regarding a team brand. As such, managers will be able to better position the teams’ brand and reach the target market accordingly. In South Africa, members of the Generation Y cohort made up 38 percent of the country’s population in 2014 (Statistics South Africa, 2014:9), which in terms of its size, make this cohort a highly relevant market segment. Generation Y, specifically African Generation Y, represents an important current and future market segment for PSL teams. This study focuses on the student segment of the Generation Y cohort. Given that a tertiary qualification generally is associated with a higher future earning capacity and a greater role model status within a society, university students are likely to be of particular interest to marketers. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of African Generation Y students’ perceived brand personality of South African PSL teams on their PSL team identification. The study used an adapted version of a team identification scale (Swanson et al., 2003) and sport brand personality scale (Braunstein & Ross, 2010) to measure the perceptions. The sampling frame for the study comprised the 26 public registered higher education institutions (HEIs) situated in South Africa. The study used one traditional university and one university of technology located in the Gauteng province. A non-probability convenience sample of 450 full time African Generation Y students was taken from the two HEIs. Of the questionnaires completed, 438 were usable. The statistical analysis of the collected data included exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis and independent sample t-tests. The findings suggested that Generation Y students exhibit a positive level of team identification towards their favourite team. Generation Y students perceived their favourite PSL team more hard working, confident, respected, skilled and successful. The results also suggest that the level of team identification with the PSL teams could be predicted by two dimensions (successfulness and ruggedness) of brand personality. Generation Y male and female students only differ regarding the perception of two of the brand personality dimensions (successfulness and sophistication). The findings of this study contribute to the limited literature available concerning the level of team identification and brand personality perceptions of sport teams in the South African context. The study shed light specifically on the level of team identification and brand personality perceptions of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. These were the top two teams identified by the respondents. These findings will assist these PSL teams to understand the brand personality perceptions of the team amongst African Generation Y fans better. The study also indicates some relationship between brand personality and team identification. The results suggest teams can use their brand personality to influence team identification amongst fans positively. These results can be used to assess and alter their current marketing strategies.

There has been a significant amount of growth in soccer game attendance and media coverage since the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in South Africa was established in 1996. However, match attendance started to decline from the 2013 season. PSL teams need to do something to get the fans back into the stadiums. A stable fan base is of vital importance for a team’s competitive advantage since the growing commercialisation of sport. The South African PSL is no exception and teams need to comprehend the importance of loyal fans. Team identification is linked to higher game attendance and more fans that are loyal and, therefore, it is relevant to the PSL teams. Higher game attendance will increase the teams’ revenues through ticket sales. Highly identified fans are loyal fans and increase the likelihood of better sponsorship deals for a team. Higher levels of team identification with a team could be obtained through a unique brand personality. Brand personality is necessary for sport team managers in order to understand fans’ perception regarding a team brand. As such, managers will be able to better position the teams’ brand and reach the target market accordingly. In South Africa, members of the Generation Y cohort made up 38 percent of the country’s population in 2014 (Statistics South Africa, 2014:9), which in terms of its size, make this cohort a highly relevant market segment. Generation Y, specifically African Generation Y, represents an important current and future market segment for PSL teams. This study focuses on the student segment of the Generation Y cohort. Given that a tertiary qualification generally is associated with a higher future earning capacity and a greater role model status within a society, university students are likely to be of particular interest to marketers. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of African Generation Y students’ perceived brand personality of South African PSL teams on their PSL team identification. The study used an adapted version of a team identification scale (Swanson et al., 2003) and sport brand personality scale (Braunstein & Ross, 2010) to measure the perceptions. The sampling frame for the study comprised the 26 public registered higher education institutions (HEIs) situated in South Africa. The study used one traditional university and one university of technology located in the Gauteng province. A non-probability convenience sample of 450 full time African Generation Y students was taken from the two HEIs. Of the questionnaires completed, 438 were usable. The statistical analysis of the collected data included exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis and independent sample t-tests. The findings suggested that Generation Y students exhibit a positive level of team identification towards their favourite team. Generation Y students perceived their favourite PSL team more hard working, confident, respected, skilled and successful. The results also suggest that the level of team identification with the PSL teams could be predicted by two dimensions (successfulness and ruggedness) of brand personality. Generation Y male and female students only differ regarding the perception of two of the brand personality dimensions (successfulness and sophistication). The findings of this study contribute to the limited literature available concerning the level of team identification and brand personality perceptions of sport teams in the South African context. The study shed light specifically on the level of team identification and brand personality perceptions of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. These were the top two teams identified by the respondents. These findings will assist these PSL teams to understand the brand personality perceptions of the team amongst African Generation Y fans better. The study also indicates some relationship between brand personality and team identification. The results suggest teams can use their brand personality to influence team identification amongst fans positively. These results can be used to assess and alter their current marketing strategies.

I relation till andra former är banner en av de mest uppskattade annonsformerna. Dock har det utvecklats fenomen så som banner blindness och annonsblockering vilket förhindrar att betraktare tar till sig reklamen och agerar. Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka om generation Y registrerar banners på Internet samt hur deras attityder är gentemot banners som annonsform. Detta undersöktes via ett eye-tracker experiment med kompletterande enkät där urvalet var 30 kvinnor och 30 män som studerade i Borås, Sverige. Resultatet blev att kvinnor och män i generation Y registrerar banners, tittar liknande på dem och generellt är attityden mindre positiv mot banners. Undersökningen fann även att innehållet i form av text, placerad till höger samt under huvudinnehållet på en webbsida uppmärksammades av flest. Detta indikerar att utformning av innehåll och placering är av betydelse.

With increasing restrictions, saturated advertisement markets and advanced technology, the conditions of the communication politics have significantly changed and outdated the classical instruments. In order to bypass these developments, marketers started to strategically promote their products through appearances in movies and television than through conventional commercial spots. Additionally, social media has developed to one of the latest and most effective communication tools, especially among Generation Y, which businesses try to take advantage of. The combination of these two instruments created product placement on social media. Extensive market research on product placement in movies and television has shown that it can be an effective marketing tool if applied correctly. However, the research on product placement on social media is limited. Therefore, this paper will investigate whether product placement on social media is as effective as in movies and television, by answering the following research question: What is the impact of product placement on social media on the end-consumer’s brand perception and purchase intention? To address this issue we developed an online survey based on the theoretical background and methodology. The target group was set to social media users of the Generation Y worldwide. Subsequently, within a timeframe of three weeks we collected 217 valid responses that were analyzed with SPSS in order to answer the research questions and give managerial implications. Our analysis shows that product placement on social media can have a positive influence on consumer brand perception and purchase intention. This is particularly compounded if the celebrity is liked. However, the analysis also indicates clear signs that the Generation Y perceives product placement on social media as unethical. However, all in all, it can be said that product placement on social media is a good marketing tool if several suggestions and restrictions are taken into account.

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This master thesis aims to identify work-related factors making Belgian nurses consider leaving their job voluntary and to compare the work-related factors across different generations. The purpose of this master thesis has a descriptive nature of research. The research approach chosen is a deductive approach and the research design chosen is a quantitative research design. Cluster sampling in combination with simple random sampling was used as sampling technique. 128 nurses were surveyed from April to May 2016. Nurses who reported to leave the organization due to retirement reasons, temporary employment contract or maternity leave were excluded from the study as this study investigates the voluntary turnover intention. A total of 68 nurses were included in the study which indicates an overall response rate of 53 %. Numerous of the findings in this master thesis are consistent with previous studies on turnover intention of different generations in other western-countries than Belgium. The work-related factor workload was most often reported by Belgian nurses with no intention to leave their job. Belgian nurses with an intention to leave their job indicated most often the work-related factor (non-)financial benefits. The generation-specific findings indicated both similarities and differences between the work-related factors selected. It was observed that Baby Boomers with an intention to leave their job selected most often variables related to the work-related factors (non-)financial benefits, supportive organization and workload. The variable lack of recognition appeared among Baby Boomers with an intention and no intention to leave their job. Surprisingly was the often selected variables lack of direct and/clear feedback on performances and unsupportive supervisor among Baby Boomers with professional turnover intention. Further, it was observed that Generation Xers with an intention to leave their job selected most often variables related to the work-related factors supportive organization, communication, (non-)financial benefits, work content and workload. The variables inadequate opportunity for advancement/professional growth and imbalance work-life appeared among Generation Xers with an intention and no intention to leave their job. Generation Yers with an intention to leave their job selected most frequently variables related to the work-related factors (non-)financial benefits, workload and commitment. The variables inadequate salary and opportunities elsewhere appeared among nurses with an intention and no intention to leave their job. Surprisingly was the often selected variable inadequate salary among Generation Yers with professional turnover intention.

Résumé : Malgré le fait que la vaccination soit reconnue comme l’une des mesures de santé publique les plus efficaces, elle est perçue comme non sécuritaire et non nécessaire par un nombre grandissant de parents. Dans ce contexte, la compréhension du processus décisionnel des parents par rapport à la vaccination de leur enfant serait aidante. Le but de cette étude est d’explorer le processus décisionnel des parents concernant la vaccination de leur nourrisson, selon leur génération d’appartenance, soit la génération X ou Y. Une étude de cas descriptive et comparative a été réalisée avec des entrevues semi-structurées ainsi qu’une analyse des sources d’informations consultées par les participantes. Les mères ont été sélectionnées selon leur intention de vaccination pour leur enfant. Les données ont été codifiées et analysées de façon systématique et rigoureuse au niveau intra-cas et inter-cas, co-analysées et ensuite validées avec les participantes. Quatre mères dans chaque génération ont été interviewées, dont trois participantes par génération à deux reprises. Le processus décisionnel est similaire d’une génération à l’autre. Les composantes du processus sont l’attitude initiale envers la vaccination, le processus cognitif, la recherche d’information, la décision, l’acte et l’évaluation rétrospective de l’expérience vécue. Toutes ces composantes sont influencées par des facteurs intrinsèques et extrinsèques. Certaines trouvailles de cette étude ont peu été documentées dans la littérature telles que la perception positive envers la vaccination, l’inconscience du processus, l’importance du déclencheur et le fait de saisir le moment opportun. Malgré la rigueur de cette étude, la principale limite est la saturation des données qui n’a possiblement pas été atteinte pour tous les aspects du processus décisionnel. Même si la norme sociale est favorable à la vaccination, aucune participante n’avait consciemment réfléchi à l’immunisation de son enfant jusqu’à ce qu’un déclencheur soit introduit. Ceci soulève l’enjeu et l’impact de la transmission de l’information adéquate, au moment opportun, et du soutien donné aux parents qui naviguent dans ce processus. / Abstract : Even though vaccination is known as one of the most efficient public health interventions, it is often perceived as unsafe and unnecessary by parents. In this context, understanding the decisional process of parents towards their child’s vaccination would be helpful. The objective of this study is to explore the decisional process of parents towards their child’s vaccination in regards to parent’s generation of belonging, either generation X or Y. A multiple descriptive and comparative case study was done using semi-structured interviews as well as an analysis of sources consulted by participants. Mothers were selected based on their vaccination intention for their child. Data was codified and analysed systematically as well as rigorously at the intra-case level as well as at the inter-case level, co-analysed and then validated with participants. Four mothers in each generation were interviewed: three were interviewed twice. The decisional process was similar for all participants of both generations. The process components were the initial attitude towards vaccination, the cognitive process, the information research, the decision, the action of vaccinating and the retrospective evaluation of the experience. All these components were influenced by intrinsic as well extrinsic factors. Some of these findings were not well documented in the literature such as the initial positive perception towards vaccination, the unconsciousness of the process, the importance of a trigger and the importance of seizing the moment. Even though this study was rigorous, the main limit is data saturation that might not have been achieved for all aspects of the process. Even if social norm is favorable to vaccination, no participant had consciously thought about their child’s immunization until a trigger had been introduced. This introduces the question of the impact of adequate and timely information giving as well as the support offered to parents that navigate through this process.

The majority of database system development projects end in failure. Reasons that include, the system not being developed on time, the system was developed over budget, and the system developed did not meet the planned project's criteria. These failures are compounded by the use of virtual teams which includes problems with team formation, the organizational environment in which the team operates, and the technology used for collaboration and communication. As more organizations use virtual teams, these problems have continued to impede the successful completion of database system development. The goal of the study was to determine what leadership type, transformational, transactional, or management-by-exception (passive-avoidant leadership) is most effective in leading a virtual team in developing a database management system. The target population for this study was Generation Y students at the Maine Business School who were assigned to virtual teams tasked with developing a database management system. Specifically this study answered these three research questions: 1) What is the effect of leadership type, as self-reported through the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire on the quality of completed team projects? 2) What is the impact of type of leadership on virtual team effectiveness as measured by the Virtual Teams Survey? 3) What is the joint effect of type of leadership, and virtual team effectiveness on the quality and uniqueness of the completed team project? Virtual team effectiveness was defined as the level of involvement in team formation, job characteristics, technical proficiency of team members, relationship between team members, teams process and attributes about the team leader, organizational environment in which the team operates, and technology the team used for collaboration and communication. The quality of the completed team project was defined as one that meets the team project criteria which included tables, relationships, forms, queries, and reports. Other attributes included the uniqueness of product defined by the addition of extra functions and controls added to the database system that go above and beyond the project criteria. The study found that for research question 1, only transformational and transactional leadership types had a significant and negative impact on the quality of completed team projects. Research question 2 found no significant correlation between leadership type and virtual team effectiveness. Research question 3 showed that none of the variables were significantly associated with the quality of the completed team project. These findings suggest that traditional concepts of leadership types do not work well in virtual environments.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / The world over, South Africa included, companies are beginning to realise that while success is measured in terms of profits and shareholder return, people and in particular, talented people drive and deliver that success. With this realisation has begun the war for talent, whereby companies now compete with each other for the best people in the pool, knowing that these talented individuals will drive sustainable success both in business ventures and over competitors in the marketplace. With this swiftly becoming the status quo, the strategic role played by human resources (HR) becomes integral to organisational success as a major facet of company strategy now needs to focus on human capital and talent management strategies in order to attract and retain the best talent to deliver business success. With Generation Y professionals entering the workforce by the masses, companies and their HR departments swiftly need to identify effective ways to best engage with Generation Y employees. As Generation Y is the only growing generational population in the current workforces of employers, the need to develop strategies, procedures and policies to address their career needs, desires and wants is becoming increasingly crucial. Companies seeking to be sustainably successful in the long-term need to begin to identify what will need to be incorporated into their current practices to appeal to Generation Y in order to motivate, attract and retain Generation Y talented professionals. While Companies acknowledge that talent is a major driver of business success and sustainability, this acknowledgment does not automatically lead to the development of strategies focused on facilitating Generation Y as the main population in the workforce. Currently little research and literature exists regarding Generation Y career needs and wants. Compounding this is the fact that many companies design and implement HR strategies aimed to address the career needs and wants of older Generations, who are either already exiting or beginning to exit the workforce