THE INFLUENCE OF CONSUMER PERSONAL VALUES ON AIRLINE CHOICE WITHIN THE SOUTH AFRICAN DOMESTIC MARKET by NKULULEKO FUYANE submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF COMMERCE in the subject BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF L. VAN SCHEERS CO-SUPERVISOR: PROF M. MAKHITHA 4 September 2020 i Declaration of Originality Name: Nkululeko Fuyane Student number: 55775497 Degree: Doctor of Commerce Degree in Business Management I declare that this thesis titled The Influence of Consumer Personal Values on Airline Choice within the South African Domestic Market is my work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged using complete references. I further declare that I submitted the thesis to originality checking software and that it falls within the accepted requirements for originality. I further declare that I have not previously submitted this work, or part of it, for examination at Unisa for another qualification or at any other higher education institution. ________________________ 4 September 2020 SIGNATURE DATE ii Dedications Frequently, embarking on doctoral studies brings excitement and self-fulfilment. Little do people know it is a journey filled with up and downs. More so, that the downs are sometimes so severe that you feel quitting might be the best thing to do to save your sanity. At that point, you need a support system filled with people who will encourage you to soldier on in many different ways. I, also having gone through such phases, would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people whom I relied on for the strength to finish this journey. I would like to thank my wife Thandoe and kids (Denzel, Daryl and Kenya) for putting up with my social absence because of my studies. I owe my wife for many cold nights she found herself sleeping alone like she was not married. To my kids, after this journey, I will have time for playing games with you. My gratitude also goes to my supervisors for their guidance, especially Prof Van Scheers, for her motherly nurturing. Many times, when I wanted to quit, she would let me cool down and contact me, just to give me assurances I was not far from the point. How could I forget my critical readers; Prof Charmaine Williamson for nudging me in the right direction in my first year. Also, to Dr Ndebele and Dr Bryant, thank you for helping with academic writing. Snipers (you know yourselves), this yours too. I would not have done it with your support, especially when I was facing the uncertainty of my employment. To my friends, Dr Sikwela, Sivela, Mnelisi Xaba, Phathisa, Livaroe, and all those I could not name here, I thank you for the constant support and inspiration to stay the course. I would also like to thank Mr Collins (former ACSA Communications Manager) for helping me get permission to collect data within the environs of King Shaka International Airport. If I had to mention all those who were instrumental to this study, I would write another thesis, so let me thank you all, you know yourselves. iii Abstract Airline choice is of interest to both airline product development and marketing personnel and academics. While most of the studies airline choice/service quality only identify airlines service attributes essential to customers, this study employed personal values to extend and provide the reasons why airline service attributes are not or essential to passengers. Personal values are presented in the literature as the ultimate life goals individuals seek to attain in all aspects of their lives; hence, guide their behaviour. Based on this, the main objective of this study was to examine and identify the consumer (passenger) personal values that underpin the evaluation of airline service attributes used to choose an airline within the South African domestic passenger market. To achieve this objective, together with the secondary objectives, a quantitative descripto-explanatory research design was employed to guide data collection and analysis. A sample of 324 respondents was selected using a hybrid technique of convenience, and snowball sampling techniques and data were collected using both an online and hardcopy questionnaire. Data obtained were sorted and cleaned for analysis using the Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS 26) and the Analysis of a Moment Structures (AMOS Version 26) software. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to assess factor structures of observed variables and identify latent constructs. The factorability of portrait value questionnaire (PVQ) items was determined using the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Hypotheses were tested using the backward multiple regression analysis, Whitney-Mann test, Spearman correlation and hierarchical regression with Hayes’ Process Macro. The study identified five of Schwartz’s 19 refined values as significantly influencing the evaluation and prioritisation of airline service attributes. A state of indifference among customers was found when the impact of airline service attributes was tested, with only onboard services found to significantly influence post-purchase outcomes such as satisfaction, loyalty and repeat purchase behaviour. It was also found that passengers did not distinguish between low-cost and full-service carriers. Income only moderated the influence of stimulation and self-direction thought values on airline service attributes while marketing communications effort was found to have a direct than a moderating role. In the main, these findings bring a novel and rich way of explaining iv airline choice through personal values. The results are essential for airline market segmentation, positioning and the development of airline products or features that match passenger desired life goals (personal values) which are touted as a guide to their choice behaviour. KEY TERMS: Personal values, airline choice attributes, post-purchase outcomes, satisfaction, loyalty, repeat purchase intention, service quality, consumer behaviour, marketing communications, domestic passenger market. v Isifinqo Ukuqoka inkampani yezindiza ozoyisebenzisa kumayelana nokuthuthukisa umkhiqizo nabasebenzi bokumaketha kanye nabacwaningi. Phezu kokuba ukucwaninga ngezindiza nokuqokwa kwazo/ ikhwalithi yesevisi kukhomba kuphela izimfanelo zesevisi ezibalulekile kumakhasimende, lolu cwaningo lumbandakanye okungamagugu abantu ukunweba nokuletha izizathu zokuthi kungani izimfanelo zesevisi zenkampani yezindiza zingabalulekile noma zibalulekile kubagibeli. Okungamagugu abantu kwethulwe ngemibhalo kwaba ngamaphupho ekusasa ahlonzwayo ezimpilweni, ngakho,ebe eqondisa indlela yokuziphatha kwabo. Kuncike kulokhu, eyona nhlosongqangi yalolu cwaningo kwaku wukuhlola nokuhlonza okungamagugu omuntu ongumthengi (umgibeli) ukusekela ukuhlolwa kwezimfanelo zesevisi ezisetshenziswa ukukhetha inkampani yezindiza azoyisebenzisa ezimakethe zalezi ezihambela ngaphakathi eNingizimu Afrika. Ukufezekisa le nhlosongqangi kanye nezinye izizathu zocwaningo, idizayini yokucwaningo ye’quantitative descripto-explanatory’ isetshenziswe ukuqokelela idatha nokuhlaziya ulwazi. Isampula yababambe iqhaza abangama-324 ikhethiwe kusetshenziswa i hybrid technique of convenience, kanye nendlela yesampula yemihlathi eyazanayo (snowball sampling), kanti idatha iqoqwe ngakho kokubili, ‘online’ namaphepha anemibuzo ebuzelwa ukuthola okuthile. Idatha etholakele ihlukanisiwe yenzelwa ukuhlaziyeka kahle kusetshenziswa iStatistical Product neService Solutions (SPSS 26) kanye ne-Analysis of a Moment Structures (AMOS Version 26) software. I- Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) yenziwe ukuze kuhlolwe ukuthi izakhiwo eziyizimiso ukuqaphela okuguqukayo kwabuye kwaqashelwa ne-identify latent constructs. I- factorability yeportrait value questionnaire (PVQ) izinto zanqunywa kusetshenziswa iconfirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Umbono ube usuhlolwa kusetshenziswa ibackward multiple regression analysis, Whitney-Mann test, Spearman correlation ne hierarchical regression ene Hayes’ Process Macro. Lolu cwaningo lube nezinkomba ezinhlanu zika’Schwartz’s 19’ ezingamagugu acwengisisiwe abe nomthelela wazo ethonyeni lokuhlola nokubeka phambili kwezinkampani zezindiza izimfanelo zesevisi. Kutholwe isimo sokunganaki kubagibeli uma kuhlolwa izimfanelo zesevisi yenkampani yezindiza, kuphela nje isevisi yangaphakathi endizeni ithathwa njengebaluleke kakhulu enomthelela vi emiphumeleni yokuthenga kamuva okubalwa kukho ukwaneliseka kwabagibeli, ukwethembeka nokuphinda kuthengwe amanye ngokuzayo. Kutholakele ukuthi abagibeli abakwazanga ukwahlukanisa phakathi kosizo olusezingeni eliphansi nalolo olusezingeni eliphezulu. Inzuzo ibe nomthelela kuphela ekukhuthazeni isiqondiso ngasinye ngokwamagugu okuziphatha ezinsizeni zesevisi yenkampani yezindiza ngakolunye uhlangothi ezokuxhumana kwezezimakethe kuyimizamo etholakele kube neqondile kuneqhaza elisezingeni elilinganayo. Ngokwesidingo, lokhu okutholakele kwethula indlela entsha ecebileyokuchaza ukuqokwa kwezinkampani zezindiza ezisethenziswa abantu abawuhlobo oluthile. Imiphumela ibalulekile emakethe yezinkampani zezindiza ukuze kwahlukaniswe, kubekwe endaweni, kuthuthukiswe imikhiqizo yezinkampani zezindiza noma izinto ezithandwa abagibeli nezidingo zabo zempilo okuyizona eziwumhlahlandlela wokuqoka inkampani abazoyisebenzisa. AMAGAMA ASEMQOKA: Amagugu kayedwana, ukuqoka amagugu ezindiza, imiphumela yasemva kokuthenga, ukwaneliseka, ukwethemba, inhloso yokuphinda uthenge, ukunakekelwa kwabagibeli, ukuziphatha kwabathengi,