Current issues in the regulation of deceptive advertising: Some consequences for South Africa

The dramatic political changes that have recently taken place in South Africa have focussed attention on the adequacy of the existing controls on deceptive advertising. On the one hand, there is a recognition that, due to the limited access to educational opportunities in the past, the majority of South African consumers might be particularly susceptible to deceptive advertising and thus existing controls might need to be tightened. On the other hand, the new interim Constitution has elevated freedom of speech and access to the media to the status of fundamental rights to which other controls are subject. These rights are likely to provide a basis to challenge both the existing controls and any attempt to tighten the control of advertising content. This article outlines the controls on deceptive advertising that currently exist in South Africa. It then examines the current debate surrounding the need for and the efficacy of such controls.</jats:p

Humour effects in South African advertising: "Not so funny"

This paper develops the idea of humour as a multidimensional construct and attemptsto examine its effects when used as a strategy of advertising. A conceptualisation ofhumour based on previous research is presented. The humour taxonomy is used tocategorise a sample of advertisements appearing on South African television between1994 and 1996. The content analysis is measured for its advertising effects by correlatingthe types with the noting and liking scores of South African audiences. The resultsconfirm that different types of humour generate different advertising effects. Theimplications for practitioners and for researchers are explored

Impact of corporate social responsibility on employee engagement: A case of Eskom in South Africa

The emergence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a business management concept in the fifties ushered in a new error in the way business view its various stakeholders. Chief among the stakeholders are the employees by virtue of being the brains behind the organization. This study assesses the impact of CSR programmes on Employee Engagement (EE) in the South African State Owned Power Company, Eskom. In particular, the study interrogates the impact of the three CSR dimensions of awareness, involvement and environmental awareness vis-a-vis the two dimensions of EE, namely, Job Engagement (JE) and Organizational Engagement (OE). A total of 380 Eskom employees were used as participants. The major findings were that organizational leaders are eager to implement CSR strategies. The study further revealed realistic and practical practises to broaden understanding of the current status of the organization, understanding EE and understanding the role CSR could play as a potential Human Resources (HR) tool to engage employees for Eskom and other organizations in general. The study concludes by recommending further research across industries to address the relationship between CSR initiatives and EE