M.A. (Communication) / This study examines the creative approach of the South African advertising industry towards the black consumer. The study of literature finds its point of departure in the systems approach of communications. The communication process and the components therein (sender, message, communication medium and receiver) are analysed as a system in the cultural context of the black consumer. The cultural context of the black consumer represents the external environment of the system. In this study emphasis is placed on the sender of the advertising message to the black consumer ...

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Problems related to apparel fit stem from a variety of factors, such as an outdated anthropometric database from which sizing systems could be developed, lack of and/or inadequate classified body forms, non-standardised communication of sizing and fit and non-standardised fit quality management, amongst the clothing industries (Chun-Yoon&Jasper, 1996; Holzman, 1996; Winks, 1997; Desmarteau, 2000; Anderson, Brannon, Ulrich, Presley; Woronka; Grasso&Stevenson, 2001; Ashdown, 2003; Simmons&Istook, 2004). Anthropometric data in Kenya was taken in 1975 and the measurements were obtained from girls and women of Kenya’s learning institutions and organisations (KEBS, 2001). The source of the original data from which the size tables were derived is obscure, to authenticate the quality of the techniques and instruments used for the data collection. Apparently, there is no known research that has been carried out on clothing anthropometry, sizing (body measurements) and fit (body shape) for women. In the absence of representative sizing systems, wrong styles and sizes based on estimates and not on the actual sizes and body shapes of women consumers in Kenya, contribute to fit problems. Consumers’ lack of knowledge about size (body measurements) and fit (body shape) issues also contributes to the disillusionment, confusion and inappropriate apparel selection. Consumers’ fit preferences contribute to fit problems, if the available styles do not consider consumers’ body shapes, and even further, if the consumers are uninformed about their shapes and how to dress accordingly. The aim of this research was therefore to identify and describe distinctive female body shapes of career women in Kenya using body dimensions and photographs, to describe the differences between the emerging distinctive body shapes (measurements and photographs) and the Western distinctive shapes, and to finally describe and analyse implications for the fit of apparel associated with the emerging distinctive body shapes of Kenya’s career women. It also intended to assess and describe career women’s self-perceived fit issues with the ready-made apparel in Kenya, to determine and describe Kenyan career women’s knowledge about the communication of size (key body dimensions) and fit (body shapes), and also to determine and describe career women’s fit preferences for differently fitted apparel items in Kenya. This research is descriptive as an attempt is made to describe and understand body shape(s) and tendencies in consumers’ behaviour regarding fit issues. It is exploratory as it aims to obtain insight into a relatively new area of study, namely identification of the most prevalent (distinctive) body shape of Kenya’s career women, consumers’ perceived size and fit issues, their knowledge about size and fit, and their fit preferences. Various theories were consulted and adapted in this study, while practical training in anthropometry and photography was undertaken to ensure that measurements and photographs were taken accurately and reliably. Traditional anthropometric-related theories and standards of obtaining body measurements were consulted and applied. Photography rules were set and observed while photographing the women. Phase one of the study focused on the variables in the body characteristics thought to be appropriate for identifying and describing distinctive female body shapes. Phase two applied the quantitative research that focused on the variables obtained from fit problems with apparel, the communication of size and fit, and fit preferences. A structured questionnaire was used to get the broader picture of the respondents’ perceived fit problems, their knowledge about the communication of size and fit, as well as their fit preferences for differently fitted apparel items. The questionnaire measured specific dimensions of fit problems with apparel, the communication of size and fit, as well as fit preferences. The body dimensions that were recorded, body evaluations, and the responses to the questionnaire were coded, captured and analysed. It is apparent from this study that the most dominant body shape is a curvy rectangular shape that differs not only from the ideal (hourglass) body shape, but also from the Western (USA) prevalent straight rectangular shape. The fit problems such as tight hips, crotch, bust and stomach experienced by Kenya’s career women are therefore inevitable, as confirmed by the dissatisfaction with the unavailability of appropriate styles for their sizes and shapes. It is clear that most Kenyan female consumers are familiar with the non-informative lettered and numbered size labels, but unfamiliar with size label terms that represent established body types. They understand neither the meanings of various size and fit descriptions, nor their own key body dimensions; this leads to confusion as to where the cause of their problems lies. Apparently most Kenyan career women consumers prefer fitted and semi-fitted skirts and jackets. In the absence of a distinctive body shape in Kenya, it is possible that the available styles do not cater for their curvy rectangular body shape; hence, they experience fit problems. Consumers’ lack of knowledge about body shape may also lead to inappropriate fit preferences that do not take into account their distinctive body shape and its critical fit points. This study makes certain recommendations to the ready-made apparel industry in Kenya and foreign companies that export their apparel items to Kenya, government agencies such as the Kenya Bureau of Standards, and to consumer-oriented organisations. The results contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the theory of apparel size and fit, Ashdown’s sizing systems theory, research methodology theory, and consumer education theory. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

Materialism has long been a subject of interest to researchers. More negative than positive consequences have been reported from studies on the lifestyles of materialists. For example, increased consumer and credit card debt, shrinking saving rates, increased number of consumers filing for bankruptcy, lower levels of life satisfaction and the depletion of natural resources are reported to be emanating from the increasing levels of materialism in societies. It is thus important to investigate the factors that can be implicated for the growth of materialism. Most of the studies attempt to explain materialism at a given point in time in isolation of the events people have experienced in their early life or childhood. Realizing that this practice is a shortcoming in consumer research, there is a call that consumer behaviour, such as materialism, be studied as a function of past life experiences using the life-course approach. While few studies have applied this approach to understanding materialism, little is known about the psychological processes that link childhood family structure to materialism. It is against this background that this study used the life-course approach to study how childhood family structure affects materialism through psychological processes of perceived family resources (tangible and intangible), perceived stress from the disruptive family events, and money attitudes of Generation Y South Africans. The study also assessed the moderating role of money attitudes on the relationship between childhood family experiences and materialism. Money attitude dimensions of status, achievement, worry, security and budget were introduced to broaden the life-course study of materialism because they are reported to begin in childhood, to remain in adulthood and they function in the background of every behavioural intention and action. Generation Y (commonly reported to be born between 1977 and 1994) were the subject of this study, because the literature reviewed revealed that these emerging consumers are not only numerous (about 30 percent of South Africans are Generation Y), have considerable influence and spending power, but most have been raised in disrupted single-parent/income families. With reports from family sociologists on the outcomes of divorce and single-parenthood (for example, stress, inadequate family resources, and low self-esteem) questions were raised as to how these outcomes would affect Generation Y money attitudes and materialistic values. Ten hypotheses were formulated to empirically answer the research questions. Using quantitative methodologies based on the nature of the research questions and problems, data were collected through online questionnaire from 826 business undergraduate students from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan and Western Cape Universities. University-aged respondents were appropriate for this study since they are ideally suited to remember their past family circumstances and must have already formed consumption habits, attitudes and values at their age. The first research problem was to evaluate how two of the life-course theoretical perspectives (i.e., family resources and stress) selected for this study would explain the materialistic values of Generation Y South Africans raised in non-intact (did not live with both biological parents before 18th birthday) and intact (lived with both biological parents before 18th birthday) family structures through the money attitudes adopted. The results showed that even though a significant difference in perceived family resources (both tangible and intangible) and stress was found between subjects raised in non-intact (or disrupted) and intact families, the difference in materialism as a whole was not significant. In terms of the three materialistic values of success, happiness and centrality, subjects raised in disrupted families significantly scored higher in the happiness dimension. For the money attitude dimensions of status, achievement, worry, budget and security they significantly scored higher in the worry money attitude. Results of the correlation analyses showed that perceived decrease in tangible (food, clothing and pocket money) family resources was a childhood factor that affected later worry money attitude to significantly and positively influence all of the three materialistic values. Perceived decreases in intangible family resources (for example, love and emotional support) negatively affected the symbolic money attitudes of status and worry, which in turn, positively affected only the happiness dimension of materialism. Perceived increase in stress positively affected all of the symbolic money attitudes of status, worry and achievement. These, in turn, positively influenced only the success and happiness materialistic values. The second research problem was based on an assessment of the moderating role of money attitudes on the childhood family experiences to materialism relationship. Using hierarchical regression analyses, it was found that only the achievement and worry money attitude dimensions moderated the family resources to materialism relationship. This means that when subjects hold higher worry and achievement money attitudes, an increase in family resources (tangible and intangible) will have less effect in reducing materialistic tendencies. For the stress to materialism relationship, only the worry money attitude dimension had a moderating effect, meaning that when higher worry money attitude is held, an increase in stress from family disruptions would have a greater effect in increasing materialistic tendencies. None of the five money attitude dimensions did, however, moderate the childhood family structure to materialism relationship. The results of this study do not only have theoretical implications, but also provide valuable information to consumer-interest groups, banks and retailers, especially in terms of the money attitudes of Generation Y consumers in South Africa.

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Waiting for service is common in many purchase situations. As such, it is important to understand how consumers react to waiting. Only then can appropriate actions be taken to reduce any aversive aspects of waiting and alleviate any negative consequences that may result from the wait. This research focused on how consumers react to waiting for service. Specifically, three reactions were examined: (1) consumers' perceptions of wait aversiveness, and the circumstances under which consumers found waiting aversive or unpleasant, (2) consumers' perceptions of felt duration, and the circumstances under which waits were felt to be longer than they actually were, and (3) the resulting service evaluations, in particular, the extent to which, and the circumstances under which waits impacted on consumers' evaluations of: (a) punctuality of service, (b) overall service quality and (c) other service attributes. A model of a consumer's wait experience was proposed and used as a framework to examine these three issues. A quasi-experimental setting involving delays in passenger airline travel was chosen for the empirical study. Delayed passengers were questioned regarding their perceptions of wait aversiveness and duration. In addition, their pre-boarding feelings and responses on flight service evaluations were compared to those of nondelayed passengers. The results of the empirical test suggest that perceptions of wait aversiveness were associated with: perceived airline control over the wait, higher perceived consequences of waiting, such as inconvenience and financial costs, and higher levels of affective costs such as annoyance, anger, frustration, uncertainty, boredom, uneasiness and helplessness. Many of these costs increased as the actual wait duration and time pressures increased, and as the degree to which time was "filled" decreased. Longer felt duration was associated with longer actual durations and increased wait aversivenness. The results also suggest that waiting did affect consumers' overall evaluations of service, their evaluations of specific service attributes and the relative importance of these attributes in predicting the overall evaluation. Implications for management and directions for further research were then discussed. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

This thesis is concerned with making an empirical test of a probabilistic model of intra-urban retail trade interactions. The model, termed a probabilistic model of consumer spatial behaviour, is related to a series of models in social science known as gravimetric models. The particular model considered used store area and distance in time units as its major variables. It also includes an exponential parameter, the value of which must be estimated from empirical data. The major hypothesis on which the model is tested is based on the behaviour of this parameter. The hypothesis states that values of this parameter vary significantly, depending upon the type of shopping trip being considered. The type of shopping trip is determined by the particular type of shopping goods apparently sought by the consumer. The hypothesis is tested by means of empirical data on consumer purchasing patterns gathered in the Vancouver Metropolitan area through the use of an interview survey conducted randomly by census tracts. The data are analyzed in an especially written, iterative computer programme. Statistical tests usually applied to such data are found to be inadequate to the analysis of the results. A special test which is intended to show the sensitivity of the model to the parameter is presented and applied. An independent test of the representativeness of the data is presented. The data are found to be representative, but the model is found to be insensitive to the behaviour of the parameter. Further, measures of variation in observed behaviour explained by the model are generally low. It is concluded that the model in its present form does not apply to Vancouver. The thesis is unable to conclude whether changes are required in the factors of the model or in the relationship specified, though there is evidence which shows that both may require attention. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

M.A. / The objective of the study was to determine the influence of African-American culture and the impact of African-American advertisements within a South African advertising communications context. The study focused on the urban black South African youth for two reasons: the first is that most of the African-American advertisements are targeted at them. The second reason is that they can be considered innovators when it comes to adopting new attitudes and trends. Before the evaluation could be completed, the singular definitions for the terms African-American, Eurocentric and Afrocentric were compiled with input from people in the advertising industry. The relevance of this study is that the black South African youth are incessantly being exposed to the African-American culture through advertisements and the media. By implication they will increasingly be able to relate to the African-American ideals, values and norms as reflected in the afore-mentioned and they will potentially start to neglect and eventually abandon their own cultural heritage. The issue that was raised was that marketers and advertisers should be adopting the philosophy of "mashakane" and be aiding nation building in South Africa, not encouraging the fragmentation of it. The other concern that was raised was that in South Africa, whites are creating advertisements for blacks. There are cultural differences between the two and therefore inter-cultural communication is occurring. A literature study on inter-cultural communication revealed the similarities and the differences between white and black South Africans. In general terms with the primary difference being that whites can be classified as individualistic and by implication a low-context communication culture. Blacks on the other hand are collectivistic which means that they are a high-context communication culture. On the macro level, the South African socio-economic environment in which the black South African youth are growing up in, was analysed as it will impact directly on them as receptors .of advertising communication. The study then concentrated on the evolution of black market segmentation in South Africa. The future trends that are emerging in the black market, which will assist in advertising positioning strategies, were also briefly discussed. The black South African youth market was analysed in detail particularly from an advertising and consumer point of view. Advertising's psychological implications on them were also discussed. Furthermore a demographic and sociographic profile of the black South African youth market was completed. This demographic and sociographic analysis was based on the results of the 1994 "Youth Survey" conducted by Mkhasibe (1995). The research that was conducted for this study evaluated the shift in the trends (from 1994-1996) influencing the black South African youth (this included their media consumption, their role models and the country they would most like to visit). Furthermore the aspirational appeal that America holds for them versus South Africa was examined. Finally the likabilty of certain African-American advertisements versus Eurocentric and Afrocentric advertisements was determined to assess the effectiveness of African-American advertisements for this target market. From the study it is evident that fashion, movies and music are important to the black South African youth. They also prefer examples of the above-mentioned that are African-American. Fashion is the only exception where Italy and France (specifically Paris) are appealing to them. It is also evident from the study that their Africaness is important to them and they criticise those who have adopted the African-American culture in its entirety. They are considered sell-outs. There is value in advertisers utilising an African-American positioning for advertisements targeted at the black South African youth. However advertisers should be aware that their Africaness should not be ignored and should be incorporated into the advertisements. Therefore by procuring the African-Americans positioning the advertisement retains desirability and by embodying an Afrocentric aspect the identification with the advertisement by the black South African youth is much stronger.

This study investigated the possibility that registered nurses, working directly with the patient, may hold attitudes towards consumer rights and nursing independence which are different from those in the literature and those of nurse leaders and activists which are reflected in the resolutions on consumer rights passed at the Annual Meeting of the Registered Nurses' Association of British Columbia in 1976. The Pankratz and Pankratz (1974) Attitude Scale, consisting of 47 statements, divided into three clusters: 1) Nursing Autonomy and Advocacy; 2) Patient Rights; and 3) Rejection of Traditional Role Limitations was administered by mail to a random sample of registered nurses who were members of one of the Districts of the Registered Nurses' Association of British Columbia, Canada. The sample was stratified by educational level and 99.1 percent of 425 subjects were contacted by telephone prior to the delivery of the questionnaire. A total of 392 questionnaires (92.23 percent of the complete sample) was returned. Analysis of variance techniques were used to test the difference between the means when the three clusters in the Attitude Scale (Pankratz and Pankratz 1974) were analyzed by the six independent variables—administrative position, working hours, experience, work setting, age and education. Results indicated that nurses in administrative positions, those with advanced education and those who work in educational or community health settings, are more likely to score highly on the Pankratz and Pankratz (1974) Attitude Scale, than are nurses who have not completed a university degree and who work in a hospital setting as staff nurses. The attitudes expressed suggest that nurses are motivated to accept the patient as a participating member of the health care team but they need support to assume the risks associated with a self-image incorporating professional autonomy and interdependence. Conclusions reached were that the mean of the total sample, on all three clusters, was sufficiently high to encourage nurse leaders to provide assertive leadership on the issues of consumer rights in health care, informed access to information by the consumer and nursing autonomy. Such leadership would develop role models of consumer advocacy with which staff nurses could identify. It is suggested that by increasing, wherever practical, the patient's participation in decision making and in his own care, a more professional and more consumer oriented staff nurse role could evolve. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

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