South African Journal of Business Management

This study explores consumers' decision-making in terms of intention to switch to foreign brands from domestic brands when purchasing cell phones and sports shoes. A survey of 584 undergraduates in Guangdong, China, shows that domestic brands retain their low quality-conscious, low fashion-and-recreational-conscious and low price-conscious customers and attract low brand-conscious and high choice-confused buyers from foreign brands. Foreign brands typically retain their consumers who are highly conscious of fashion and recreation and keep and draw customers with low choice confusion. High-price-conscious consumers and those who are highly brand-confused will assess foreign and domestic brands when searching for bargains. Regarding managerial implications, local brands should offer products of high quality at low prices and constantly invest in R&D; foreign brands may expand their customer bases and build interactive brand channels; all companies can retain brand-confused customers with preferential packages and design their marketing strategies based on decision-making styles of their target consumers.

The uprising economic, social and political pressures on achieving a good level of environmental governance have forced companies to adopt business practices that aim to mitigate CO2 emissions. Logistics industry is considered as one of the major areas that could make a considerable improvement in reducing the environmental impact of business activities. The aim of this study is to investigate the driving forces that influence the adoption of environmentally friendly logistics activities. Following a detailed literature review, a theoretical model, which encompassed several driving forces and logistics activities, has been developed. Survey-based quantitative data were collected from logistics service providers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and analysed using structural equation modelling methodology and multiple regression analysis. Through answering 110 questionnaires, respondents holding different managerial levels at logistics service organizations, provided data reflecting their perception of the forces that would influence the adoption of green logistics practices. The driving forces (legislations, customers, and organizational awareness) were found to influence the adoption of green logistics practices by the logistics service industry in the areas of warehousing, packaging and transportation.

Given the need for a different approach to leadership, as well as the need for further investigation on leadership among family businesses, this study investigates several value-laden leadership styles among family businesses. More specifically the primary objective is to establish the levels of Servant, Ethical, Authentic, and Participative leadership displayed by family business owners and the influence thereof on the Perceived business performance of the family business. A survey was undertaken and 266 usable questionnaires were returned from 133 family business owners and 133 from family business employees. The data analysis involved calculating descriptive statistics and undertaking t-tests. Multiple regression analysis (MRA) was done to test the hypothesised relationships. Although the MRA analysis revealed no statistically significant relationships between the leadership styles investigated and Perceived business performance, the vast majority of respondents agreed that the styles investigated were displayed by the family business owners. For both sample groups Ethical leadership returned the highest mean score, followed by Servant and Participative leadership. The importance of these value-laden leadership styles to family businesses is thus highlighted, contradicting the literature that family businesses owners are often autocratic in their leadership style. In addition, increased clarity on the effectiveness of these value-laden leadership styles within the context of family business is provided.