Professor Madele Tait had a memorable start to 2023. The year began with a bang as she had just had a research sabbatical of one year. Transitioning to a new campus, she took charge of two new modules and dedicated time to enhance her Moodle skills. Reflecting on the first semester as it draws to a close, Professor Tait acknowledges that it turned out to be a more positive experience than anticipated.
During this period, Professor Tait took on the role of co-promoter for a PhD candidate at the George Campus. As the year progresses, she eagerly awaits the successful completion of two more candidates' PhDs, expected to be finalised in December 2023. Notably, three articles authored by Professor Tait have been published in reputable, accredited journals, with hopes of several more to be submitted and published before the year's end.
Apart from her academic accomplishments, Professor Tait also achieved a personal milestone. In April, she successfully completed her ninth half marathon, showcasing her dedication to both her intellectual pursuits and physical well-being.
Mrs Tania Shrosbree was a contributing author of two chapters in a new edition of a prescribed book from JUTA Sales Management. She held a time management session for 2nd and 3rd year students to assist in this area of concern for the students. The Department has adopted the ABCA Retirement Village on William Moffatt Expressway for the next two years, with ongoing collection and donation of non-perishable items and knitted squares for the ladies to sew together for knee rugs. Mrs. Shrosbree champions the donations to the retirement village.
Dr. Altouise Jonas was a contributing author for one chapter in the new edition of a prescribed textbook for Personal Selling by JUTA. She presented two papers titled, “Emerging Trends in Tourism Experiences” and “Memorable Experiences in the Context of Whale-Watching Tours” at an online conference organized and hosted by the Tourism Department at St. Cyril and St. Medhodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, and the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy, and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Adele Potgieter has been very active both in research and engagement for the first six months of the 2023 academic year. Her three papers titled, "Brand trust, shared values, satisfaction, and brand loyalty in a South African university context: an internal stakeholder’s perspective," "Influence of sensory branding strategies in-store on consumer preference: the South African skincare industry", and "Influence of online sensory branding strategies on brand loyalty in South Africa" have respectively been accepted for publication in Tertiary Education and Management Journals, the Journal of Brand Strategy, and Retail and Marketing Review. Two other conference papers titled, “The Influence of Leadership and Leadership Communication on Employee and Organizational Performance” and “The Influence of Online Sensory Branding Experiences on Brand Loyalty in South Africa” have been accepted for presentation at the International Conference on Management, Economics, and Social Science 2023, Bali, June 13–14, and the EMCB Conference 2023, respectively. Dr. Adele Potgieter has also submitted a book chapter on employer branding to the Encyclopedia of Corporate Communication. The book is currently in the final editing stages and should be published before the end of the year.
Her first PhD student graduated in April 2023, and will hopefully be followed by two more PhD candidates in December 2023.
Dr Danie Ferreira presented two papers titled "Niche forms of tourism in South Africa" and "The evolution of sustainable tourism development: A timeline from 1995 till 2015" at the International Scientific Conference "Tourism for a Sustainable Future." Dr. Ferreira has also written another conference paper titled "Political Branding and Voters’ Preference: A Conceptual Model," which has been accepted for presentation at the 15th Global Conference on Business and Social Science, Bangkok, Thailand. His book, Chapter, has been accepted for an international marketing textbook. Chapter title: Strategies for entering international markets. Dr. Ferreira was on a staff exchange program to Reutlingen University in Germany, where he participated in a workshop on shaping future global talent. He also presented a guest lecture on the topic "International Marketing: Expanding to Foreign Markets."
Professor Felix Amoah expresses his pride in his master's student, who successfully graduated with an MCom in Marketing during the April 2023 graduation ceremony. Through dedication and diligent effort, Professor Amoah collaborated with Prof. van Eyk and their PhD student, Mr. Arnold Moyo, on an article. The article, focused on Cogent and Business Management and was published by Taylor and Francis.