Exploring the potential marketing value of trade performance indicators in driving the internationalisation efforts of selected industries in South Africa

Abstract

This interdisciplinary study explores the potential marketing application of trade performance indicators in the internationalisation endeavours of industries, with a specific focus on the footwear and leather industries in South Africa. The study posits that these indicators could contribute to the planning, implementing, and controlling of the international marketing management functions of industry bodies such as the South African Footwear and Leather Industries Association and the South African Footwear and Leather Export Council. An extensive search of academic bibliographies reveals that while some industries do make use of trade performance indicators in different ways, the research into the marketing usefulness of such indicators at industry level is limited. In addition, trade indicators are generally used on an ad hoc basis, oftentimes quite superficially, and mostly for macro-economic analysis. This study adopts an article-based approach and attempts to address the aforementioned shortcomings by way of three articles that make up the body of the study, supported by an introductory and concluding chapters. The first article presents a concordance exercise that strives to match industry data from Statistics South Africa, with trade data originating from Customs and Excise, the two official respective sources of this data. The reason for this concordance exercise was to add value to two sets of data (activity data versus product data) which are currently classified in very different ways, by matching them in an objective and organised manner. With the outcome of article one being the concordance of these two sets of data, it is now possible to extract more meaning from the two sets of matched data. Also, the concorded data, made it possible to calculate several of the trade performance indicators that are used later in the study and that draw on both industry-output data and trade data. The findings from this article are used in the article number three. The second article brings another dimension to the study, beyond the concordance exercise, by undertaking a scoping review of the academic literature to compile a comprehensive list of trade performance indicators at industry level. The article identified 101 trade performance indicators, considerably more than were found to be used in any one of the sources examined. This article’s outcome is the list of trade performance indicators (with supporting discussion) identified from the literature, prioritised according to their popularity in the v literature. A typology of these trade performance indicators was then compiled. The findings from this article were also used in article number three. Article number three draws on the concordance exercise in article one, together with the 13 most widely used trade performance indicators identified in article two, to calculate or compute outcomes for these indicators for the footwear and leather industries in South Africa. These computations are considered in terms of their potential marketing application in driving the internationalisation endeavours of the two industries in question, addressing the main aim of the study. It was found that all indicators had some marketing value to contribute, although some were more useful than others. These conclusions led to several recommendations of how these trade performance indicators could be adopted more pragmatically by industries in South Africa. The study’s contribution to knowledge is (a) the concorded industry and trade classifications, (b) the scoping review of trade performance indicators which identified more than 100 trade indicators used at industry level, and (c) practical recommendations for wider and more meaningful use of trade performance indicators by industries in their international marketing efforts (and possibly by their member firms). All three articles have been submitted for publishing. The dissertation presents a single study based on a multi-method research design.

Hierdie interdissiplinêre studie verken die potensiële bemarkingstoepassing van handelsprestasie-aanduiders in die internasionaliseringspogings van bedrywe, met ’n spesifieke fokus op die skoenbedryf en leerbedryf in Suid-Afrika. Die studie postuleer dat hierdie aanduiders kan bydra tot die beplanning, implementering en beheer van die internasionale bemarkingsbestuursfunksies van bedryfsliggame, soos die Suid Afrikaanse Skoen- en Leerbedryfsvereniging (South African Footwear and Leather Industries Association) en die Suid-Afrikaanse Skoen- en Leeruitvoerraad (Suid African Footwear and Leather Export Council). ’n Grootskaalse soektog na akademiese bibliografieë het getoon dat hoewel sekere bedrywe gebruik maak van handelsprestasie aanduiders op verskillende maniere, die navorsing oor die bemarkingsnut van sulke aanduiders op bedryfsvlak tog beperk is. Verder word handelsaanduiders gewoonlik op ’n ad hoc-basis gebruik; dikwels baie oppervlakkig en meestal vir makro-ekonomiese ontleding. Hierdie studie neem ’n artikelgebaseerde benadering aan en probeer om die bogenoemde tekortkomings aan te roer deur te kyk na drie artikels wat die liggaam van die studie vorm, ondersteun deur ’n inleidings- en slothoofstuk. Die eerste artikel bied ’n ooreenstemmingsoefening aan wat probeer om bedryfsdata van Statistiek Suid-Afrika te laat pas by handelsdata wat afkomstig is van Customs en Excise, die twee amptelike onderskeie bronne van hierdie data. Die rede vir hierdie ooreenstemmingsoefening was om waarde toe te voeg tot twee datastelle (aktiwiteitsdata teenoor produkdata), wat tans op baie verskillende maniere geklassifiseer word, deur hulle te laat pas op ’n objektiewe en georganiseerde wyse. Met die uitkoms van artikel een wat die ooreenstemming van hierdie twee datastelle is, was dit moontlik om meer betekenis uit die twee stelle gepaste data te kry. Die ooreengekome data het dit verder moontlik gemaak om verskeie van die handelsprestasie-aanduiders te bepaal wat later in die studie gebruik is en wat gekry is van sowel bedryfsopbrengsdata as handelsdata. Die bevindings uit hierdie artikel is toe gebruik in artikel nommer drie. Die tweede artikel voeg nog ’n dimensie by die studie buiten die ooreenstemmingsoefening deur ’n verkennende oorsig van die akademiese literatuur te onderneem om ’n omvattende lys handelsprestasie-aanduiders op bedryfsvlak saam te stel. Die artikel het 101 vii handelsprestasie-aanduiders geïdentifiseer, aansienlik meer as wat gebruik is in enige van die bronne wat genoem is. Die artikel se uitkoms is die lys handelsprestasie-aanduiders (met ondersteunende bespreking) wat uit die literatuur geïdentifiseer is, en wat geprioritiseer is volgens die gewildheid daarvan in die literatuur. ’n Tipologie van hierdie handelsprestasie-aanduiders is toe saamgestel. Die bevindings van hierdie artikel is ook in artikel nommer drie gebruik. Artikel nommer drie maak gebruik van die ooreenstemmingsoefening in artikel een, saam met die 13 mees gebruikte handelsprestasie-aanduiders wat in artikel twee geïdentifiseer is, om uitkomste vir hierdie aanduiders vir die skoen- en leerbedrywe in Suid-Afrika te bereken of te bepaal. Hierdie berekenings word oorweeg wat betref hulle potensiële bemarkingstoepassing om die internasionaliseringspogings van die twee bedrywe wat ter sprake is aan te dryf om die hoofdoelwit van die studie aan te roer. Daar is gevind dat al die aanduiders bemarkingswaarde gehad het om by te dra, hoewel sommige aanduiders van meer nut was as ander. Hierdie gevolgtrekkings het gelei tot verskeie aanbevelings oor hoe hierdie handelsprestasie-aanduiders meer pragmaties aangeneem kan word in bedrywe in Suid-Afrika. Die studie se bydrae tot kennis is (a) die ooreengekome bedryfs- en handelsklassifikasie; (b) die verkennende oorsig van handelsprestasie-aanduiders, wat meer as 100 handelsaanduiders geïdentifiseer het wat op bedryfsvlak gebruik word; en (c) praktiese aanbevelings vir ’n wyer en meer betekenisvolle gebruik van handelsprestasie aanduiders deur bedrywe in hulle internasionale bemarkingspogings (en moontlik deur hulle lidondernemings). Al drie artikels is ingedien vir publisering. Die verhandeling bied ’n enkele studie, gebaseer op ’n multimetode-navorsingsontwerp.

Lolu cwaningo lwezinhlaka ezihlukene luhlose ukuthola izindlela ezingasetshenziswa ezimakethe njengezinkomba zokusebenza kwezohwebo ukuze izimboni zisebenze ngokwamazwe ngamazwe, ngokugxila ngokukhethekile embonini yezicathulo neyesikhumba eNingizimu Afrika. Ucwaningo lubona ukuthi lezi zinkomba zingafaka isandla ekuhleleni, ukuqalisa ukusebenza, nokulawula imisebenzi yezokuphathwa kwezimakethe zamazwe ngamazwe ezinhlakeni zezimboni, njengeSouth African Footwear and Leather Industries Association kanye neSouth African Footwear and Leather Export Council. Uhlolo olunzulu lwezincwadi zezifundo luveza ukuthi, nakuba ezinye izimboni zizisebenzisa ngezindlela ezihlukile izinkomba zokusebenza kwezohwebo, kodwa kuba nemikhawulo mayelana nocwaningo ngokusebenziseka kwezimaketha ngokwalezi zinkomba ezingeni lezimboni. Ukwengeza, izinkomba zohwebo zivame ukusetshenziswa njengendlela yesikhashana; ngezikhathi ezithile, zikhe phezulu, futhi ikakhulu uma kuhlaziywa umnotho omkhulu. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise uhlelo lokuhlaziya imibhalo futhi luzama ukubhekana nokusilela okukhulunywe ngakho ngenhla ngokusebenzisa imibhalo emithathu eyakha indikimba yocwaningo, ngokwesekwa yisahluko sesingeniso nesiphetha. Umbhalo wokuqala umelele imvumelwano ekufaniseni imininingwane yemboni yabakwaStatistics South Africa, nemininingwane yohwebo yabezeCustoms and Excise, okuyimithombo emibili esemthethweni yale mininingwane. Isizathu sale mvumelwano ukwengeza ubumqoka bale mininingwane yomibili (imininingwane yomsebenzi uma iqhathaniswa neyomkhiqizo), nehlukaniswa ngezindlela ezihluke kakhulu, ngokuthi iqhathaniswe ngendlela ehlelekile futhi enenjongo ethile. Ngokwemiphumela yombhalo wokuqala omayelana nemvumelwano yalawa maqoqo amabili emininingwane, kube lula ukuphuma nencazelo ezwakalayo uma kususelwa kulawa maqoqo amabili emininingwane eqhathanisiwe. Imininingwane yemvumelwano iphinde futhi, yakwenza kwaba lula ukubala izinkomba ezimbalwa zokusebenza kohwebo nokusetshenziswe kamuva ocwaningweni nokukhishwe ngaphansi kwemininingwane yemiphumela yokusebenza neyohwebo. Imiphumela yale mibhalo isetshenziswe embhalweni wesithathu. Umbhalo wesibili uhlinzeka ngokunye okuhlukile ocwaningweni ngaphezu kwemvumelwano ngokuthi ubuyekeze imibhalo yezincwadi zezifundo ukuze kuhlanganiswe uhlu olubanzi ix lwezinkomba zokusebenza kwezohwebo ezingeni lemboni. Umbhalo uhlonze izinkomba zokusebenza kwezohweba eziyi-101, eziningi zazo kutholakale ukuthi zisetshenziswe kunanoma yimiphi imithombo ehloliwe. Umphumela walo mbhalo uwuhlu lwezinkomba zokusebenza kwezohwebo (nezingxoxo eziseka lokhu) ezihlonzwe ezincwadini, ezibekwe ngokwedumela lazo. Lapha kuye kwahlanganiswa lokho kwehlukana kwalezi zinkomba zokusebenza kwezohwebo. Imiphumela yale mibhalo nayo isetshenziswe embhalweni wesithathu. Umbhalo wesithathu ukhuluma ngemvumelwano esembhalweni wokuqala, kanye nezinkomba eziyi-13 ezisetshenziswa kakhulu kwezokuhweba ezihlonzwe embhalweni wesibili, ukuze kubalwe noma kuhlanganiswe imiphumela yalezi zinkomba embonini yezicathulo nesikhumba eNingizimu Afrika. Lezi zibalo zihlanganiswe ngokohlelo lwazo lokumaketha olungase lusebenze ekuqhubekiseni imizamo yokosebenza ngokwamazwe ngamazwe kulezi zimboni ezimbili okukhulunywa ngazo ukuze kubhekwane nenhloso enkulu yocwaningo. Kutholakale ukuthi zonke izinkomba zinokuthile okungafaka isandla kwezezimakethe, nakuba ezinye ziwusizo kakhulu kunezinye. Lezi ziphetho ziholele eziphakamisweni ezimbalwa zokuthi lezi zinkomba zokusebenza kwezohwebo zingamukelwa kanjani ngendlela enempumelelo ezimbonini zaseNingizimu Afrika. Igalelo lalolu cwaningo olwazini (a) yimboni enemvumelwano nokuhlukaniswa ngezigaba zohwebo; (b) ukubuyekezwa kwezinkomba zokusebenza kohwebo, okuhlonze izinkomba zohwebo ezingaphezu kwe-100 ezisetshenziswa ezingeni lemboni; kanye (c) nezincomo ezisebenza kakhulu futhi ngokunenjongo ngokwezinkomba zokusebenza kohwebo lwezimboni emizamweni yazo yokumaketha kumazwe ngamazwe (kanjalo futhi mhlawumbe nangamafemu okusetshenziswana nawo). Yomithathu le mibhalo ithunyelwe ukuze ishicilelwe. Inkulumo ebhaliwe echazayo yethula ucwaningo olulodwa, olususelwe ekwakhiweni kocwaningo lwezindlela eziningi.