AN EXPLORATION OF WOOLWORTHS’ ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR OF MILLENNIALS IN JOHANNESBURG

Abstract

The consolidating power of modern-day consumers, particularly of millennials, is changing the way consumers interact with brands when deciding to purchase a product or service. Hence, it has become increasingly important for businesses to recognise and comprehend all of the factors that have an influence on the way these consumers decide on which brands to engage with and/or purchase from. One of the factors that could potentially influence purchasing behaviour is organisational culture. Organisational culture has largely been viewed as an internal phenomenon, whereby its impact on the attitudes and behaviours of employees influences organisational performance. Yet, the growing demand for business transparency from consumers made it necessary to explore this concept as an influential factor in consumer purchasing decisions. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate millennial consumer’s perception of organisational culture by examining the external perception of this phenomenon according to regular consumers of a South African brand, namely Woolworths, and thus determining whether it has an influence on their purchasing decisions. The study specifically aimed to establish whether South African millennials are aware of organisational culture, and if they choose to purchase from brands based on their perception of its organisational culture respectively. Data was collected by means of an online questionnaire, whereby 20 applicable responses were analysed and interpreted. The findings revealed that consumer’s perception of organisational culture was significantly associated with their overall satisfaction with the brand, however; findings regarding organisational culture as an immediate influential factor, proved to be unconvincing organisational culture. Nonetheless, the overall assumption was that organisational culture; in light of the attitudes of employees; has a positive impact on the purchasing behaviour of South African millennial consumers.