Artificial Intelligence Inroads Into HR

Artificial intelligence is already here in all facets of work life. Its integration into human resources is a necessary process which has far-reaching benefits. It may have its challenges, but to survive in the current Industry 4.0 environment and prepare for the future Industry 5.0, organisations must penetrate AI into their HR systems. AI can benefit all the functions of HR, starting right from talent acquisition to onboarding and till off-boarding. The importance further increases, keeping in mind the needs and career aspirations of Generation Y and Z entering the workforce. Though employees have apprehensions of privacy and loss of jobs if implemented effectively, AI is the present and future. AI will not make people lose jobs; instead, it would require the HR people to upgrade their skills and spend their time in more strategic roles. In the end, it is the HR who will make the final decisions from the information that they get from the AI tools. A proper mix of human decision-making skills and AI would give organisations the right direction to move forward.

Electronic Media

Recruitment has changed over the years. Organisations have started searching for an easy and cost effective platform for personality mining. With the explosion of social networking sites, candidates are now able to choose where they could spend their time online. This has encouraged many recruiters to start using social networking as part of a new cost-conscious approach to personality mining. Social networking websites function like an online community of internet users. Popular online sites include LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. They are growing at an exponential rate, with most of the sites being free to join and, importantly, giving organizations an effective means of attracting today's Generation Y workforce. The purpose of this article is to contribute to emerging theory about the role of social networking sites in the process of personality mining.

Managing Generational Diversity

Germany is undergoing a dramatic demographic change that requires its organizations to make workforce talent of all ages a strategic priority. Practitioners in Germany focus largely on Generation Y employees, because this young employee cohort expresses new and different work-related values. However, diverse attitudes and behaviors of employees in different age groups can potentially lead to conflict and have an overall negative impact on organizational performance. Given US labor legislation and media pressure, managing workforce diversity has been on the agenda of U.S. organizations for many years. Consequently, it can be assumed that there are areas in which German organizations can learn best practices from the U.S. experience. Although data collected from Silicon Valley organizations suggest that taking specific action for managing the multi-generational workforce is currently not a pressing issue in the tech industry, setting up innovative workplaces is an action field in which Germany can learn from its U.S. counterparts.

Online casinos: advertising and avoidance among Generation Y consumers in Sweden

Online casinos are one of Sweden’s largest gambling sectors. Increased advertising investment and advertising frequency have sought to attract Generation Y consumers to these casinos, yet it has been suggested that advertising can contribute to avoidance behaviours towards products and services, including online casinos and specific gambling brands. The various advertising aspects used in gambling advertising and their impact on behaviour have not been widely researched. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the use of creative strategies in casino advertising and how it contributes to the avoidance of online casinos, specifically among Swedish Generation Y consumers. As an exploratory study, qualitative methods were used. Initially, 13 casino advertisements were analysed to identify the strategies used in the advertisements. These were then presented to Generation Y consumers in three focus groups and six in-depth interviews. The analysis of the advertising shows the use of people and characters in presenting the casino brand. Male voice-overs were utilised in addition to music and other casino-related sounds. The advertising also used bright colours to attract attention. The impact of these advertisements is that the content, the auditory cues rather than just music, the emotional response, and the frequency of the advertising were found to contribute to the avoidance of casino brands. Furthermore, the ethics and general attitudes to the industry impact the decision to avoid these brands. The managerial implication of this research shows the impact of advertisements on the decision to avoid a brand, specifically a casino brand.

The Influence of Social Networks on the Choice of a University Brand by Generation Y

Social networks are actively penetrating into all spheres of our society. The influence of social media is strongly affected by the younger generation, who spends a lot of time in the virtual social space. The purpose of this study was to study the influence of social networks on the choice of a university brand by representatives of generation Y. The data was collected through an online survey using the Google forms service. The results obtained indicate that social media engagement has a positive effect on brand image. Firm-created and user-generated social media communication have a positive effect on brand equity in Higher Education Institutions. Brand equity positively influences Brand choice intention. The value of this study lies in the fact that it considered the influence of various factors on the formation of the intention of representatives of generation Y to choose brands of universities, taking into account the moderate effect of electronic word of mouth. The results obtained complement the scientific literature on the impact of social media on consumer behavior. The results of this study can help in understanding the choice of students of educational organizations, taking into account the influence of social networks and electronic word of mouth, which can help university marketing departments to promote brands more effectively in the social media space.

A Pilot Study of Brand Loyalty in Generation Y of Technical and Vocational Education Training Colleges

Objective - In an increasingly changing and dynamic South African higher education landscape, institutions must communicate their brand to stakeholders to perceive the institution as offering quality services,to have a loyal stakeholder. However, thereseemsto be little attention devoted to the influence of brand communication, brand satisfaction and service quality on brand loyalty in higher education, particularly in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector. Considering this view, and noting that prior research on brand loyalty in the service sector has shown a connection between brand communication, service quality, brand satisfaction and brand loyalty, it is unknown if a similar correlation is found in the South African TVET sector. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate Generation Y students' views of brand communication, brand satisfaction and service quality in the TVET sector throughout the Gauteng Province of South Africa.As a result, this paper summarises the findings of a pilot study to establish the validity and reliability of a questionnaire used to examine Generation Y students' perceptions of brand communication, brand satisfaction and service quality related to brand loyalty in Gauteng TVET colleges. Methodology/Technique - The variables for the paper were derived from previously established questionnaires. A section of the questionnaire asked students about their views of a TVET's brand communication. Additionally, there were questions concerning the quality of service, brand selection and brand loyalty. Finally, all scale items were modified to be more contextually relevant.The questionnaire used a six-point Likert scale, with 1 indicating strong disagreement and 6 indicating strong agreement. The questionnaire was piloted with a convenience sample of 50 students not included in the primary study's sampling frame. Finding - The overall number of respondents (46) was insufficient to undertake extensive statistical testing. As a result, only frequency and correlation coefficients were computed. Correlation analysis revealed a substantial association between brand loyalty and the variables that influence it. All had a strong association between brand loyalty and brand communication, service quality and brand loyalty and satisfaction. Additionally, there were substantial correlationsbetween service quality and brand satisfaction and between service quality and brand communication. Correlation coefficients between constructs ranged from 0.294 to 0.781. This demonstrates that these constructs do not correspond to the same concept. As a result, all construct items were kept for use in the main study. Novelty - The results from the pilot study provides preliminary support for the hypothesised relationship between brand loyalty and its predictors. Marketers and service organisations need to recognise that the future patronage of a service organisation depends on loyalty. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Brand Communication; Service Quality; Brand Satisfaction; Brand Loyalty; Technical and Vocational Training JEL Classification: M31, I23, I29

Generation Y students' purchase behaviour towards organic foods in South Africa

Objective - The primary objective of this study is to identify and explain the antecedents of organic food purchase behaviour of Generation Y students in the South African context. This study aimed to shed some light on Generation Ystudents' health consciousness, perceived behaviour control, convenience, attitudes, purchase intentions, and actual buying behaviourtoward organic food products. The study also attempted to determine the underlying strengths and relationships between the constructs used in the measurement scale. Lastly, gender relationships were investigated to determine if any differences existed between males and females in terms of their organic food product purchases. Methodology/Technique - This research study employed a descriptive, non-probability, convenience sampling design. The intended target population was full-time registered undergraduate Generation Y students aged between 18 and 24 years. The sample size was 200 students based across the four faculties within the chosen higher education institution, namely the Faculty of Management Sciences, the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Human Sciences. The 200 self-administered questionnaires were distributed during recess times as to not to disrupt any learning time. The questionnaire contained a cover letter explaining the purpose of the study and that participation in the study was completely voluntary. Findings - The measurement scale displayed adequate reliability and validity for all constructs. Furthermore, all constructs had statistically significant positive means, indicating that Generation Y students are health-conscious, care for the opinions of friends and family, display pro-organic attitudes, intentions, and behaviour. Results from this study indicate that there is a need for food organizations to consider implementing organic-based products in their product offerings within the South African market. Novelty - Investigation oforganic food product purchase behaviouramong South African Generation Y students (Consumer behaviour). Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Organic Foods; Purchase Behaviour; Generation Y, South Africa. JEL Classification: M31, M39.