Nigeria

Market Orientation in Nigerian Political Parities: A Research Proposition (Published)

The importance of political parties in the democratic governance of Nigeria, in addition to the dynamics of the contemporary Nigerian political environment, initiated the need for this research. This proposed research aims to examine the market orientation strategies employed by Nigerian political parties.  Using qualitative and quantitative research approaches, the research plans to provide insight into the market orientation strategies of Nigerian political parties. The findings from this research would be of relevance for managerial actions in democratic governance, and assist party management and governmental policies and interventions geared towards improving the administration, growth and development of Nigerian political parties. Also, findings from the proposed research will be of relevance to Nigerian politicians, political parties and political regulators in improving their services, programmes, policies and relationships with their relevant target audience. In addition, the proposed research intends to stimulate future research efforts in cognate areas of political party management strategies in Nigeria and other developing economies, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper makes original theoretical, practical, and policy contributions to political parties’ marketing management as it situates the market orientation construct in non- profit organizations (political parties). In addition, the proposed research’s instrument (questionnaire) will assist in empirical testing of the market orientation construct in political parties operating in developing democracies, especially in sub-Saharan Africa

Keywords: Democracy, Market Orientation, Marketing Strategy, Nigeria, political party

Customer Loyalty and Patronage of Quick Service Restaurant in Nigeria (Published)

This paper assessed the product and seller factors including menu quality, price fairness, personnel quality, restaurant image, restaurant’s atmosphere, customer trust, and customer loyalty that drive customer loyalty and patronage in quick service restaurants in Nigeria, using Awka capital territory of Anambra State as a case. Survey research design was adopted in which 399 patrons were sampled. The questionnaire was used to source the primary data for the study. Frequency tables, percentages correlation were applied in the data analyses. The study found a significant positive relationship between price fairness, food quality, firm’s personnel quality, customer trust, restaurant image, and restaurant’s atmosphere and customer loyalty. Positive relationship was also found between customer loyalty and customer patronage. The study recommended that managers should constantly re-strategize by re-inventing their firm with novel programs that will excite the beliefs system and emotion of the patrons so as to ensure continued patronage and, firm’s profitability.

 

Keywords: Awka, Customer loyalty, Nigeria, Patronage, restaurant

Comparative Analysis of Business and Consumer Buying Behaviour and Decisions: Opportunities and Challenges in Nigeria (Published)

Business markets and consumer markets are alike in some key ways. For example, both include people in buying roles whose purchased decision is to satisfy needs. But business markets also differ in many ways from consumer markets. For one thing, the business market is enormous, far larger than the consumer market. Within Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries the business market includes more than 13 million organizations that annually, purchased trillions of Naira worth of goods and services. This paper also focused on the traditional tools and techniques employed in the marketing of goods and services to the business sector. Attempt was made to draw attention on the major differences between consumer and business markets – dissimilarities that, while using the same basic marketing tools and techniques, spelled the difference between success and failure in the contemporary business marketing environments.

Keywords: Business, Buying Behaviour, Challenges, Comparative Analysis, Consumer, Nigeria, opportunities

The Influence of Ethical Work Climates on Public Sector Supplier Selection Decisions (Published)

This study examined the relationship between ethical work climates (EWCs) and supplier selection decisions (SSD), and the moderating roles of party politics and personal values on this relationship. A total of 600 senior level personnel from 40 Nigerian public sector organizations were surveyed. Results show that both high and low levels of external political pressures significantly reduce the perception that organisational SSDs are ruled-based and pro-social in nature. Furthermore, regardless of the level of perception of instrumental personal values by employees, instrumental ethical climates significantly determine SSDs; principled/cosmopolitan climate and benevolent/cosmopolitan climate only become significant perceptible determinants when there is less room for the accommodation of personal goals during SSD processes. We conclude that the EWC dimensions do really reflect the Nigerian public sector SSD outcomes. Important implications for theory and practice are also presented.

Keywords: Ethical Work Climates, Nigeria, Party Politics, Public Sector, Supplier Selection Decisions, and Personal Values.

Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in Nigerian Mobile Telephony (Published)

The Telecommunication industry in Nigeria has developed to be very competitive, as different Telecom companies jostle for the attention of subscribers. However, one of the key challenges confronting these companies is how they manage their service quality, which holds a grea deal to customer satisfaction. It is against this backdrop that this research seeks to empirically measure how service qualiy/delivery impact on customer satisfaction of Mobile Telecommunication providers in Nigeria.  The data used for this study were obtained using a structured survey questionnaire. The questions were close ended and used a 5 point Likert-scale. The sample consists of 532 mobile subscribers in Nigeria, using a simple random sampling technique spread across all the six geo-political zones in the country while a proportionate sampling approach was adopted by the researcher to give a fair representation to the service providers using the proportionality formula. The data obtained from the survey were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 20. The survey was restricted to subscribers using the four major GSM mobile phone operators. The research  determined that a relationship exist between service quality/delivery and customer satisfaction, also between SERVQUAL reliability dimension and customer satisfaction and between customer satisfaction and switching intention among mobile phone users in Nigeria. The results have indicated that the two constructs ( SQ and CS ) are undeniably independent but are closely related and without a doubt, potential partners, implying that an increase in one is likely to cause a change in another. It is therefore recommended that with the ever-increasing influence of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC),and the continous complying with  is one major strategy that the companies must adopt to remain cost-effective.

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction, Mobile Telephony, Nigeria, Service Quality, Telecommunication

Unethical Marketing Practices by Petroleum Marketers in Nigeria (Published)

The study focused on unethical marketing practices by petroleum marketers in Nigeria. It was motivated by the reported cases of manipulations of prices and products by dealers of petroleum products in the market. The objectives of the study were to: examine the effect of unethical pricing by petroleum marketers on motorists in Nigeria; and determine the correlation between fuel adulteration by marketers and the rate of cars/vehicles’ engines damages in the country. Survey and desk research designs were adopted, hence, both secondary and primary data for the analysis. The area of study for the desk research was based on two geographical structures of the country as North and South, where some States were selected for the study; while Calabar the capital of Cross River State was used for the primary data. From a population of 2,500 motorists that patronize 10 selected filling stations regularly in Calabar, a sample size of 333 was determined at 5 percent margin of error and 95 percent level of confidence. The statistical tools of chi-square and correlation coefficient were used to test the hypothesis. The findings indicated that: unethical pricing of petroleum by marketers had significant negative effect on motorists in Nigeria, and fuel adulteration by marketers significantly affects the rate of cars/vehicles’ engines damages in the country. Based on this, the study recommended that relevant law enforcement agencies should improve on their monitoring and enforcement efforts geared towards checkmating unethical marketing of petroleum products in Nigeria.     

Keywords: Fuel Adulteration, Nigeria, Petroleum Marketers, Unethical Pricing

An Appraisal of Nigeria’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMES) (Published)

This paper took a critical appraisal of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. The major focus of this work was to expatiate on the growth, challenges and prospects of the MSMEs in the country. While attempting to give an appropriate definition for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises using employment strength and asset base criteria, the work revealed that SMEs contribute significantly to economic development in the provision of goods and services, creation of employment and contribute to a high standard of living. There are some setbacks facing the over 17,284,671 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria. These setbacks include; limited financing, lack of action plan to deal with eventualities, lack of managerial and marketing skill, and lack of research appreciation and technical expertise. The study concluded that entrepreneurship is regarded as the catalyst in most developing economies and that it is very crucial to the economic growth and development of Nigeria. As such, it was recommended that government policies should support the establishment, nurturing and growth of SMEs by curtailing or banning importation of certain products, training of young entrepreneurs, establishment of Centers for Entrepreneurial Development and promoting entrepreneurial spirit through the provision of conducive entrepreneurial environment, funding and empowerment programmes. This will facilitate the training and retraining of entrepreneurs and also help Nigerian youths to develop interest in entrepreneurship.

Keywords: Economic Development, Micro, Nigeria, Small and Medium Enterprises, Technical Expertise

The Impact of Colonialism on the Development of Marketing in Nigeria: A Dyadic Analysis (Published)

For about a century, the British colonial masters took full control of the political, economic and even the social life of the people called Nigerians today. This paper traces the impact of colonialism on the development of marketing in Nigeria. It takes a look at the pre-colonial marketing practices of the nation-states and kingdoms and the development or otherwise of marketing during the era of colonialism in Nigeria. It points out that what the colonialists did or failed to do to develop marketing theory and practice in Nigeria. It adopts a theoretical review of related literature and also took a position on this topic that while the colonialists had set-up some institutions, they did very little to strengthen the institutions and develop human capital in the country. The article makes far-reaching recommendations that will help enrich marketing theory and practice, strengthen marketing institutions and contribute to the general well-being of the people and the nation as a whole.

Keywords: Colonialism, Development, Indirect rule, Marketing, Nigeria, Segregation.

Social Marketing Communications for Check-Mating Sales of Fake and Adulterated Drugs in Nigeria (Published)

Keywords: Adulterated drugs, Fake drugs, Nigeria, Sales, Social Marketing

Evaluation of the Impact of Internet Marketing On Banking Services in Nigeria (Published)

This study examines the impact of internet marketing on banking services in Nigeria. The main objective is to investigate how the adoption of internet marketing enhances banking services in Nigeria. The study is a survey approach with sample of 180 respondents (employees & customers) drawn from four generation banks in the country, representing 65 percent of the total population (280). The data was analyzed using Descriptive Statistics and Chi-square to test the formulated hypotheses which revealed that the adoption of internet marketing has significantly enhanced customers’ banking services in Nigeria, particularly in the areas of improved patronage, on-time (effective) service delivery and reduced marketing costs. The study also found that internet marketing has created exciting new and cheaper ways to learn about and track customers, create products and services tailored to meet customer needs, distribute products more efficiently and communicate with potential customers effectively. Some recommendations were made; among the major recommendations is the need for all the barriers to effective internet marketing adoption such as poor connectivity, inadequate computers and ICT infrastructure, as well as cyber-crimes which constituted serious bottleneck to the overall success of banking operations in Nigeria should be addressed by managers and all stakeholders in the banking sector.

Keywords: Banking Services, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Internet Marketing, Nigeria, e-Banking