Explore the vast range of titles available.

Ethics has become a trending phenomenon in most disciplines as a result of the sustainability wave enshrined in the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDGs). In business circles procurement ethics have become topical as a result of the rising malpractices whose ripple effects have far reaching economic, social and environmental consequences. In the agricultural supply chains procurement ethics have been called to question due to outcries from the tobacco contract farmers whose livelihoods are affected by supplier development washing in the form of exorbitantly priced contract farming inputs. The unethical practice of supplier development washing in the form of exorbitantly priced tobacco contract farming inputs has some ripple effects which this study sought to determine. Twenty-five contracted tobacco farmers were interviewed and the results indicated that farmers subjected to tobacco merchants’ unethical conduct tend to practice contractor switching, side marketing, become insolvent, and indulge in unorthodox cost cutting measures. The study recommended that the regulatory authorities should intervene to bring sanity to the tobacco supply chains through enforcing contract farming mechanisms that reflect genuine supplier development.

Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) has become a cornerstone of business success since the transformation of the procurement function to supply chain management. Extant literature has documented various predictors of vibrant supplier relationships. However, missing in the extant literature is the potential of negotiation approaches to cultivation of healthy supplier relationships. This study therefore sought to determine the influence of negotiation approaches on SRM. A sample of 150 dyadic transactions in the fast-food restaurant industry was surveyed. The broad dichotomous categorisation of negotiation methods into distributive and integrative approaches was used. SRM was operationalised using dimensions such as commitment, trust, communication, adaptation, and satisfaction. After conducting a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) the results revealed that the distributive strategy was weakly linked to supplier relationship, while a strong supplier relationship was observed in the use of integrative negotiation strategy. It was therefore recommended that procurement practitioners must employ integrative negotiation strategies and tactics in order to create sustainable supplier relationship management.

Following the banning of expanded polystyrene packaging material, the fast food restaurant industry was serendipitously plunged into green sourcing initiatives for its packaging materials leading to heightened efforts on evaluating the suitability of various suppliers of green packaging material. This study therefore sought to assess the performance of selected suppliers on supplier performance metrics of total cost of ownership, quality of sourced material and delivery performance, in Zimbabwe’s restaurant industry. Data was collected from senior procurement officers of 30 officially registered fast food restaurants in Zimbabwe. Each restaurant randomly selected 5 suppliers from their supplier lists. Each unit was asked to rate their 5 major suppliers of packaging material leading to an effective sample size of 150 suppliers. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyse data in AMOS. The five steps in SEM, that is: model specification, model identification, parameter estimation, model evaluation and modification were done. The findings in this study revealed that green sourcing leads to improved procurement performance in terms of total cost of ownership, quality of the materials sourced, and delivery performance. It was therefore recommended that practically the restaurant industry should explore various options of green packaging material ranging from recyclable and reusable plastic, paper, aluminium and steel material. Although the study was done in a single market, there is dearth in literature on green sourcing in frontier markets, of which the study provides empirical evidence from the restaurant industry in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of culture on attitudes to contraception by rural-based women in a developing economy. Design/methodology/approach Based on data collected from 395 rural women in Eastern Zimbabwe, this study examines the hypothesized relationships between values (resultant conservation, resultant self-enhancement), social axioms (reward for application, social cynicism, religiosity, social complexity, fate control and Ubuntu) and contraceptive attitudes, considering the moderating effects of age and education. Findings Using covariance-based Structural Equation Modelling and Multi-Group Analysis, this study found that resultant self-enhancement, fate control, the reward for application and religiosity significantly relate to attitudes to contraception whilst resultant conservation, social complexity, Ubuntu and social cynicism, did not produce significant correlations. Age and education moderate the significant relationships. Research limitations/implications The study's findings suggest that contraception social marketers, non-governmental organizations and health practitioners should develop marketing strategies to neutralize the negative impact of these beliefs held by rural contraceptive consumers to increase contraceptive awareness and uptake in such subsistence markets. In addition, this study provides empirical evidence on the role of Ubuntu as a new culture construct in African markets. Originality/value Despite being limited to a single developing economy, this paper extends prior research on consumer culture and attitudes on contraception use by exploring the role of values and social axioms, an imperative issue for rural women health and general subsistence market well-being.

The serendipitous emergence of social media at the turn of this century created new uncensored avenues for the advertising industry. This created conditions conducive to peddling controversial ads or shockvertising. Controversial ads came as a result of the need to breakthrough the advertising clutter. The pervasiveness of controversial ads created mixed feelings among the audience. In order to avoid offending some target markets, advertisers are now faced with a daunting task of channeling their controversial ads to the target market groups that are likely to respond favorably. This study therefore seeks to determine the differential effects of controversial advertisements across various demographic groups. A sample of 1200 respondents was surveyed from one of the leading fast-food restaurants that regularly flight controversial ads laced with sexual humor in Zimbabwe. The data were analyzed using factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study revealed that in general shockvertising was well appreciated across all demographic groups studied. There were some differential effects of age and marital status on the ad evaluation. However, there were no differential effects on gender, religion, and levels of education on ad evaluation. The study recommended the use of controversial ads as they can manage to cut through the information clutter. Advertisers, however, should emphasize more on the youth and the single consumers since they appreciate controversial ads more than other demographic groups.

This study seeks to profile the shoppers' propensity to reuse shopping bags and the type of shopping bags they reuse on the basis of demographics. The study used an observation method to record the consumers' shopping habits and a short questionnaire to record the participants' demographics. A binary regression analysis and a multinomial regression analysis were used to analyse data. The results indicated that the mature aged, women, and low income shoppers were more likely to practice reuse of plastic shopping bags than their respective counterparts. There were no statistically significant differences in the likelihood of young aged shoppers compared to mature aged shoppers and low income shoppers compared to high income shoppers using cotton bags than plastic bags. There were also no statistically significant differences in the likelihood of young aged shoppers compared to mature aged shoppers and male shoppers compared to female shoppers using paper bags than plastic bags. However, the results indicated a statically significant result in how males compared to females differed in their using of cotton bags than plastic bags and a statistically significant result in how low income shoppers compared to high income shoppers differed in their use of paper bags than plastic bags.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or popularly the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought significant public health challenges globally. During the crisis, mobile health (m-health) services were implemented to expedite fast, convenient and reliable dissemination of health information to the public. Meanwhile, the adoption of m-health faced high uncertainty alike other COVID-19 regulatory methods. This study examines the antecedents of m-health acceptance among Zimbabwean university students. Whilst research on m-health adoption during the pandemic is still scarce, this study becomes the first to integrate the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict m-health adoption in a developing country. An explanatory design and a quantitative research approach were employed. Based on 271 valid responses, Structural Equation Modelling was used to estimate the proposed model. The findings revealed the positive effect of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, attitudes, behavioral norms, perceived behavioral control on behavioral intention to adopt m-health with a higher R square value (80.4%) than the original UTAUT model. The study also confirmed the positive influence of behavioral intention on m-health usage (R square = 41.5%). Health promoters were urged to design messages that stimulate positive attitudes, appeal to social groupings and improve user's self-efficacy. M-health services should also foster use simplicity, ease of use and health value to entice m-health adoption among consumers. The study also provides an important baseline for the integration of behavioral theoretical models to enhance their predictive strength.

Online service quality acts as a lever that service providers use to drive e-customer retention in most affluent economies globally. Given the exponential growth in the adoption of internet banking during the COVID-19 pandemic, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the antecedents of e-customer retention among banks in Zimbabwe post the pandemic. Grounded in the expectancy-disconfirmation theory, the study adopts an explanatory research design and a quantitative research approach. Data was collected using convenience sampling and hand-administered questionnaires. Covariance based Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in SPSS AMOS examined 261 valid responses. The findings of the study revealed the positive impact of e-banking service quality on e-customer satisfaction and e-word of mouth. E-customer satisfaction also positively influenced e-word of mouth and e-customer retention. The results were also confirmatory of the positive effect of e-customer satisfaction and e-word of mouth on e-customer retention. The paper reveals that although significant e-banking adoption was enforced through COVID-19 regulations, banks were responsive enough to install the requisite e-banking infrastructure. Thus, post pandemic banking experiences have induced confirmation of e-banking service quality and consequentially e-customer satisfaction, e-WOM and e-retention. The study therefore flags the important antecedent role of e-banking service quality to e-customer satisfaction, e-word of mouth and e-customer retention. To promote the e-customer retention in the post COVID-19 era in Zimbabwe, banks need to maximize perceived internet banking service quality.

Purpose The main purpose of the study was to synthesise the role of COVID-19 social media messages and indigenous religious beliefs on public health promotion initiatives among rural consumers in Zimbabwe. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted. Population consisting of 15 interviews and six focus groups was purposively sampled from Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and Masvingo provinces in Zimbabwe. A thematic approach was used to present and analyse the data. Findings Rural consumers believed WhatsApp messages posted by people whom they know or influential personnel like health workers. Credibility of WhatsApp messages was enhanced through its ability to send videos and audios. Teachings and indoctrination by indigenous churches and misinformation were found to be an impediment in believing COVID-19 WhatsApp messages and vaccination by rural consumers. Faith healers in indigenous churches used various practices and artefacts like holy water, stone pebbles, clay pots, flags and wooden rods to pray and treat patients suffering from COVID-19 and other ailments. Practical implications Social media messages, religious teachings and indoctrination may be a hindrance to rural consumers in adopting government public health promotion initiatives; hence, public health professionals need prior emic understanding and co-option of local leadership in vaccination campaigns. Originality/value This study outstretches the theoretical landscape in consumer behaviour and also practical contribution to health practitioners and marketers on breaking indigenous religious barriers and social media misconceptions on vaccination uptake through promotional strategies earmarked for rural consumers.

The purpose of the study was to establish the extent to which brand consciousness and brand distinctiveness influence customer purchase decisions. The thrust was on interrogating whether there were any symbiotic relations between luxury beauty products’ brand consciousness, brand distinctiveness, and affluent consumers’ purchase decisions in terms of the need for simplification of cognitive tasks, in a turbulent pre-emerging market of Zimbabwe. Data was collected from five shopping malls situated in affluent suburbs by intercepting 200 consenting customers who would have bought a luxury beauty product to complete questionnaires. Analysis was done through structural equation modeling on SPSS AMOS. Results revealed that both brand consciousness and distinctiveness were closely related and also had a positive significant effect on customers’ purchase decisions. Managerial and intellectual implications were provided.The study was on the buying behaviour of wealthy consumers in Zimbabwe, a country which has an unstable economy. The research was on how these wealthy consumers take into consideration the reputation of the luxury beauty product and the brand’s unique or differentiating features. The data for the research was collected from 200 rich consumers, who were requested to complete a questionnaires just outside the shopping malls located in upmarket suburbs after it had been observed that the consumer had bought a luxury beauty product. It was noted that luxury beauty products wealthy consumers buying decisions are influenced by their knowledge of the reputation of the luxury beauty product brand and its uniqueness. Luxury beauty products brand managers were advised to create advertisements which pronounce the reputation and differentiating features of the product as bait to wealthy consumers in a developing country context.