MSUIR Collection:

Piercing the glass ceiling: proposed personal brand equity framework for enhancing women career success

Muposhi Asphat — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Piercing the glass ceiling: proposed personal brand equity framework for enhancing women career success Authors: Muposhi Asphat; Zulu Melissa; Mugwati Miriam; Matsikenyeri Oslie Abstract: Workplace gender inequality is a persistent challenge that constrains the realisation of sustainable development goal 5 in developing and developing countries. In Zimbabwe, a developing country in southern Africa, women remain under represented in senior management positions in stock exchange listed companies. This study examines the views of women in middle and senior management on the role of personal brand equity as a tool for enhancing career success. A structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from 523 women in middle and senior management positions employed in Zimbabwe stock exchange listed companies. Covariance-based structural equation modelling was utilised to test posited hypotheses. For women in middle management, brand differentiation was found to have a significant positive influence on career success, whilst the influence of brand appeal and brand recognition was insignificant. For women in senior management, brand differentiation and brand recognition were found to have a significant positive influence on career success, whilst the influence of brand appeal was insignificant. Education level and industry type were found to influence career success for women in both middle and senior management. This study contributes to promote gender equality in management by extending the application of personal brand equity model to address the glass ceiling challenge.

(Dis)engaging with green hotels: behavioural reasoning, willingness to pay and patronage intention: a developing country perspective

Asphat Muposhi — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Title: (Dis)engaging with green hotels: behavioural reasoning, willingness to pay and patronage intention: a developing country perspective Authors: Asphat Muposhi; Kaitano Dube; Chengetai Nyakudya Abstract: The actual behaviour of supporting green practices in Zimbabwe's hospitality sector remains low although hotel guests are reporting high levels of environmental concern. This study employs the behavioural reasoning theory (BRT) to examine hotel guests' responses to green practices and relationship with green hotel patronage intention. Quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 418 hotel guests drawn from seven luxury hotels in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to test the posited hypotheses. Functional value, economic value and hedonism emerged as the main factors that constrain hotel guests' willingness to pay for green hotels. Eudaimonism and perceived value fit were identified as enabling factors. The findings of this study provide input to policymakers and hoteliers who intend to develop guest-centred strategies to promote the adoption of green hotel practices.

Influencing millennials to embrace sustainable fashion in an emerging market: a modified brand avoidance model perspective

Asphat Muposhi — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Influencing millennials to embrace sustainable fashion in an emerging market: a modified brand avoidance model perspective Authors: Asphat Muposhi; Tinashe Chuchu Abstract: Purpose – This study applies the modified brand avoidance model to examine factors that influence sustainable fashion avoidance behaviour among millennial shoppers in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – A positivistic approach and a web-based online survey were employed to collect cross-sectional data from 423 millennial fashion shoppers. Standard multiple regression analysis was used to test proposed hypotheses. Findings – Unmet expectations, materialism and symbolic incongruence emerged as major predictors of millennials’ intention to avoid sustainable fashion. Sustainable fashion avoidance intention was found to have a positive effect on sustainable fashion avoidance behaviour. Research limitations/implications – This study relied on self-reported data collected from millennial shoppers. Future studies may improve the generalizability of this study’s results by conducting a comparative study with other cohorts such as baby boomers and Generation X who espouse different shopping values. Future studies may benefit from the use of longitudinal data in order to understand how millennial shoppers relate to sustainable fashion as it evolves. Practical implications – The results of this study suggest the importance of developing value propositions that align sustainable fashion with cultural, personality and symbolic cues valued by millennial shoppers. Consumer education on the benefits of sustainable fashion is recommended as a longterm behavioural change strategy. Social implications – The purchase behaviour of sustainable fashion should be encouraged as it enhances environmental sustainability including safeguarding the livelihoods of future generations. Originality/value – This study contributes to literature on sustainable fashion avoidance behaviour. This is one of the pioneering studies to empirically examine the influence of unmet expectations, symbolic incongruence and ideological incompatibility in the context of an emerging market, such as South Africa

Structurally validated scale of measuring the link between corporate storytelling for branding & internal stakeholders’ corporate brand perceptions

Brighton Nyagadza — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Structurally validated scale of measuring the link between corporate storytelling for branding & internal stakeholders’ corporate brand perceptions Authors: Brighton Nyagadza; Ernest M. Kadembo; Africa Makasi Editors: Pantea Foroudi Abstract: The research purpose was to assess the link between corporate storytelling for branding and internal stakeholders’ corporate brand perceptions. Nomothetic quantitative explanatory research design anchored on positivist paradigm was applied. Data were collected via physical self-administered survey, resulting in 335 responses from 6 selected companies listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE), in 6 industrial sectors. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using AMOS version 6 software, was used to test the propositions. Results depicted that there is a positive link between corporate stories for branding elements such as corporate activities (r(335) =.15, p =.01), corporate values (r(335) =.84, p <.001), corporate associations (r(335) =.60, p <.001), corporate personality (r(335) =.90, p <.001) and emotional attachment with internal stakeholders’ corporate brand perceptions (r(335) =.74, p <.001). It was recommended that the management of the selected listed companies need to consider internal stakeholders in creating convincing corporate stories for branding which yield positive perceptions. The research contributes to theory, practice and future research directions.