Section 1 (Marketing and the African Environment) concentrates on the historical, institutional and process issues which embed marketing in Africa. These impact upon theory development and/or re-conceptualisations, allowing for a systemic overview of marketing practices and strategies based upon institutional analysis of marketing systems as social systems.
Section 2 (The Role of Relationships) examines the nature of interrelationships with respect to a range of players that contribute to market dynamics. This will clearly concern consumers as well as suppliers, distributors, employees, the wider public and society at large. Understanding how relationships are formed and maintained should enable a more efficient allocation of resources; market opportunities and constraints may also stem from an analysis of market relationships.
Section 3 (Context and Strategy) explores the context-specific dimensions of the relationship between marketing and society in Africa. The context in which organisations operate is fundamental to the way in which marketing operations are instituted. The nature of the industry, market or organisation may well set certain boundaries within which marketing strategies have to be developed. As the domain of marketing has expanded, certain general approaches as to how various societal characteristics influence marketing behaviour have to be established. Investigating the contextual issues will provide a better focus for creating a relevant set of marketing activities in African situation(s).
Suggested topics
Section 1: Marketing and the African Environment
1. Institutional analysis of marketing (theory and practice),
2. Macro-marketing environments, causal textures, government policies,
3. Historiography of marketing, contextual discourses of the development of marketing thought, Market-driven transformations, re-conceptualisation and measures of market orientation
4. Marketing’s role in Sustainable consumption and issues around sustainable development
Section 2: The Role of Relationships in the African Setting
5. Marketing metaphors in transition economies
6. Globalisation and cultural movements in consumption
7. Marketing and economic development
8. Export entrepreneurship, international trade and trade relationships
9. Marketing and entrepreneurship
10. Social issues shaping marketing practice; Social marketing in relation to health poverty alleviation
11. Consumer movement; consumerism, greenism and environmentalism,
12. Culture and ethnicity,
13. Marketing issues in relation to the Diaspora, challenges in transitional economies,
Section 3: Contexts and Strategies for Marketing in Africa
14. Marketplace regulation, consumer protection, marketplace integrity measurements and welfares,
15. The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in managing the nexus between Marketing and Society in African contexts
16. Spirituality – marketing and religion
17. Marketing – science and technology trajectories
18. The Ethics of marketing in Africa
19. Marketing’s contribution to quality of life and economic well-being (e.g. freedom of choice in consumption, delivery of standard of living, mass market efficiencies, infrastructure development, international development, social/psychological benefits of marketing.
20. Sector-specific marketing and society issues (e.g. agriculture, banking and finance, education, ICT, knowledge management, etc).
21. Marketing tactics (marketing mix variables – applications and impacts).
Pedagogical Features:
In keeping with the high standards of books that also serve as texts for student and research audiences this text intends to overcome many of the weaknesses that are ascribable to many texts such as being densely conceptual. These weaknesses have often made them unsuitable for class-room usage at both undergraduate and post graduate levels. This text therefore intends to subscribe to the following pedagogical considerations:
• Consistency in structure content and general flow will be managed by editors working very closely with contributors to ensure.
• Each chapter contribution will consist of clearly specified aims/learning objectives, properly defined terms and concepts, illustrations that are of real-life/short cases, relevant end of chapter review questions, useful further readings, etc.
• The edited text will as a consequence have a clearer positioning and be more market oriented in terms of the targeted audience needs.
