Purpose: This study aims to develop and test a model for predicting guests’ intention to visit green hotels by extending the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to include spirituality, moral norms and habit. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from green hotel patrons using in-person, paper-based surveys. The proposed model was evaluated and tested using structural equation modelling in SPSS AMOS 28. Findings: The results reveal that spirituality and moral norms have a significant, positive effect on attitude. They also indicate that while spirituality has a positive effect on subjective norms, moral norms do not. The findings also reveal that the TPB variables (attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control), together with habit, positively affect behavioural intentions. Practical implications: The study found that adding spirituality, moral norms and habitual green behaviour to the TPB enhances the prediction of consumers’ intention to visit green hotels. The results suggest that green hotel marketing should incorporate spiritual values, social influences and habitual behaviours to effectively promote sustainability and attract environmentally conscious consumers. Originality/value: This study provides novel insights into green hotel visit intention by integrating spirituality, moral norms and habit. To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first study from an emerging African economy to investigate these factors within this context.

The development of the child consumer market has often been criticised as the commercialisation of childhood. Marketers have been accused of targeting children and grooming them for a lifetime of consumerism. The maelstrom of marketing activities aimed directly at children has led to their being more active than ever in the consumer culture space. An unfortunate consequence of this has been children becoming materialistic because of the commercial pressures of modern childhood. This study sought to determine whether South African tweens are materialistic. Existing studies on child materialism have largely excluded African children, hence the need for the current study. Data were collected through a survey of 192 schoolchildren, aged 10-14 (tween cohort), using an adapted short material values scale (MVS-c). The results of the study revealed that while South African tweens are active in consumer culture, they are largely not materialistic. This research furthers the academic inquiry into children as consumers and active participants within consumer culture. It also addresses the paucity of research on African children within the consumer culture space. The results of the study have implications for marketers with regard to responsible marketing to child consumers, as well as for researchers with regard to acknowledging African children as a non-negotiable part of the study of consumption. The study also provides recommendations for further research on child consumers.

The relationship between managerial perceptions of customer relationship management (CRM) and actual CRM practices within organizations remains unclear, particularly in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in developing market economies. This study explores how SME owners and managers perceive CRM as it unfolds within their firms. It posits that the perceived value of relationship marketing, business systems, and stakeholder relationships are key antecedents of CRM in SMEs. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, using a self-administered questionnaire completed by 267 owners and managers of retail SMEs in South Africa. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS 4 was conducted to analyze the data. The findings indicate that, from the perspective of owners and managers, perceived relationship marketing value, stakeholder relationships, and business systems each have a significant effect on CRM. The study recommends that SMEs invest in stakeholder engagement and business systems that support CRM implementation, as these factors influence the effectiveness of CRM initiatives. Furthermore, the results underscore the importance of SME leaders’ perceptions in shaping CRM strategy and practice within their organizations.

Purpose: This study examined materialism among South African tweens. The goal of the study was to determine whether demographic differences such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status have a bearing on children’s attitudes to materialism. Theoretical Framework: Scholarly interest into childhood materialism has been concerned with how materialism develops, how it is sustained and the effects of materialism. The current study hypothesises that age, gender and socioeconomic class have an influence on children’s attitudes on material happiness, material success, and material centrality as first- order constructs for materialism, and consequently, how they have an influence on materialism. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a quantitative methodology, with a self-administered questionnaire as the data collection instrument. An adapted 9-item Material Values Scale for children (MVS-c) was used to measure material centrality, material happiness and material success as first-order factors for materialism. Data were collected from a sample of 192 school children aged 10 to 14. Structural equation modelling was used to validate the scale while the independent samples t-test and ANOVA were used to assess the demographic differences. Findings: The results revealed that there are gender differences in tweens’ attitudes towards materialism but no age and socioeconomic differences. The results also revealed that demographic differences exist regarding some of the materialism factors but not others. The study overall found that demographics have a limited influence on children’s attitudes regarding materialism. Research, Practical & Social implications: The study offers a glimpse into the minds of South African tweens regarding their materialistic values. The paper enriches the literature on childhood materialism by bringing perspectives from cultures other than the West, which has dominated much of the knowledge on child consumers. Originality/value: Materialism in children has been examined in various social science disciplines from a variety of perspectives. However, much of the studies have been on Western child consumers, largely ignoring African children. This is despite the fact that the African consumer market has grown steadily over the years. This study contributes to the conceptualisation of childhood materialism in an African context.

Sustainable energy products are pivotal for the well-being of consumers, especially in emerging economies like South Africa. The country has experienced unprece­dented load-shedding due to insufficient electricity supply from the national grid. As a result, consumers have resorted to alternative, sustainable, renewable energy sources, partic­ularly solar energy. However, the factors influencing the adoption of solar energy products, especially among young consumers, remain under-researched, with limited empirical studies exploring their motivations for solar energy usage. This study investigated the influence of utilitarian value on Gen Z consumers’ household solar energy usage. Using a conceptual model that integrated the Experiential Value The­ory (EV) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the study examined the role of customer return on investment and service excellence in shaping green attitudes towards so­lar product use. The model was tested using survey data from 521 young consumers aged 21 to 27. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses using SmartPLS Version 4. The findings confirm that the variables under study have signifi­cant direct and mediated effects. It was revealed that cus­tomer return on investment and service excellence both predict green attitudes, which, along with subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, influence intention. Conversely, the moderation results indicate that gender does not moderate the proposed relationships. The study recommends that campaigns aimed at increasing Gen Z’s usage of solar products should emphasise experiential value, particularly service excellence and customer return on investment benefits, to develop positive green attitudes.