Talent Moyo, who was awarded a Doctor of Commerce in Marketing degree during today’s SMART Graduation, says her latest achievement was a dream come true.
“I don't really know how to feel, because this is a dream come true,” says Moyo. “The only thing I can think of now is 'What next?' I need a new dream!"
She adds that making his family proud is the best feeling in the world.
Her research topic, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes on the marketing performance of professional sport organisations in South Africa. She developed a set of criteria which professional sport organisations in South Africa can use to assess the impact of their CSR programmes on their marketing performance.
“The literature suggests that CSR programmes elicit positive marketing-related outcomes for professional sport organisations. However, the impact of these outcomes on the marketing performance remained an under-investigated area."
The study identified CSR as a marketing strategy and conceptualised the relationship between CSR and marketing performance. The findings presented unique perceptions from professional sport organisations in South Africa.
A set of criteria to assess the impact of CSR programmes on their marketing performance was proposed and the study recommended that CSR be used strategically to maximise positive impact on sport organisations’ marketing performance.
Moyo was one of four graduates who were awarded doctoral degrees in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences. The other graduates were Siviwe Mditshwa who was awarded a DTech in Public Management as well as Kofi Boamah and Oscar Chakabva who both received Doctor of Commerce in Internal Auditing degrees.
Chakabva says: “I am proud of this accomplishment and my family was extremely supportive throughout the long, challenging process. Now, I am exploring my options for the future while also hoping the whole process was worth it.”
The title of his research was A holistic cost-effective model for risk management and sustainability within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) SME Industry: Cape Metropole, South Africa.
“The literature has shown that FMCG SMEs face an array of risks in their operations. Customarily, SMEs are tempted to align these risks to strategic, operations and compliance issues,” he adds. “While this has been the practice, this study found that risks in FMCG SMEs are no longer confined to traditional sources but are now expanding through the sustainability lens.”
Meanwhile, Lorna Balie and Marcina Singh were both awarded Doctor of Education degrees by the Faculty of Education.
