Development of Sustainable Integrated Marketing Communications (Dissertation Sample)

Development of Sustainable Integrated Marketing Communications based on the Consumer Behaviour for Renewable Energy in the Energy Industry of Nigeria.
Submitted in partial fulfilment for RDC 2
November 2020
Table of Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….5 TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc65513689 \h 4Key notes from the background PAGEREF _Toc65513690 \h 61.Research Context PAGEREF _Toc65513691 \h 101.1. Discussion on Genesis of oil companies in the (crude oil) energy sector of Nigeria PAGEREF _Toc65513692 \h 101.2. How Nigeria economy has benefited from the oil boom PAGEREF _Toc65513693 \h 111.3. Alternative to crude oil e.g. renewable energy PAGEREF _Toc65513694 \h 131.4 How Nigeria is now moving to RE and What Nigeria economy stands to benefits PAGEREF _Toc65513695 \h 171.5. Comparison of countries who have benefited from RE, types of RE they use, and benefits of RE to their economy PAGEREF _Toc65513696 \h 211.6. How Nigeria will benefit from RE PAGEREF _Toc65513697 \h 231.7. How RE products is currently being marketed in developed countries PAGEREF _Toc65513698 \h 261.8. What technologies are available and being used in developed economy and emerging economy PAGEREF _Toc65513699 \h 311.9. Discussion on whether there is a shortfall of technology in Nigeria PAGEREF _Toc65513700 \h 341.10. Discussion on the finance of RE e.g. charity funding and the issues of affordability of RE for public PAGEREF _Toc65513701 \h 363. Research Methodology PAGEREF _Toc65513702 \h 533.1 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc65513703 \h 533.2. Research Approach PAGEREF _Toc65513704 \h 543.2.1. Deductive Research Approach– The proposed method PAGEREF _Toc65513705 \h 553.2.2. Inductive Research Approach PAGEREF _Toc65513706 \h 563.3 Selection of the proper research approach PAGEREF _Toc65513707 \h 583.4 Research Design PAGEREF _Toc65513708 \h 603.4.1 Selection of the Technique for Research Design PAGEREF _Toc65513709 \h 603.5 Data Collection Methodology PAGEREF _Toc65513710 \h 613.5.1 Classification of Data Collection PAGEREF _Toc65513711 \h 623.6. Data Analysis Methodology PAGEREF _Toc65513712 \h 643.6.1 Qualitative Data Analysis Methodology – The proposed qualitative method PAGEREF _Toc65513713 \h 653.6.2 Quantitative Data Analysis Methodology PAGEREF _Toc65513714 \h 673.7 Research Philosophy PAGEREF _Toc65513715 \h 683.8 Ethical Considerations and Obligations PAGEREF _Toc65513716 \h 69References PAGEREF _Toc65513717 \h 71Ozaki, R. 2010: Adopting sustainable innovation: what makes consumers sign up to green electricity? Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10990836 (Accessed 28/2/20). PAGEREF _Toc65513718 \h 84
Introduction
Renewable energy (RE) has gained significant research attention across the globe due to its ability to reduce environmental damage (Tsai S-B, et al. 2016). However, the complete acceptance of RE with government regulations only are not enough. The willingness by consumers to use RE may be developed by enhancing consumers’ awareness and perceived value of RE through Integrated Marketing Communications. To do this, it is necessary to assess existing levels of consumers’ awareness and perceived value of RE. There are multiple indicators known to researchers influencing consumer's knowledge, commitment, and general awareness of consumers regarding RE. The present work delves into understanding the relationship between environmental concerns and consumer choice behaviour in purchasing RE in the context of the work attempts to examine the influence of consumption values on sustainable consumer behaviour. Literature on RE in has established RE as part of the significant solution to energy crisis in Nigeria and that RE is becoming one of the major drivers of sustainable social economic development (Oyedepo et al. 2018). Nigeria being one of the producers of fossil fuels, the country highly depends on the fossil fuel for the growth of her economy. Thus, if the country change to renewable energy the economy of the country may be slightly affected but the country can compensate this through producing lots of renewable energy which can be used in the country (Ite, 2013). The destruction which comes with the installation of renewable energy includes the use of large mass of land, taking for example installation of solar, lot of solar panel will the installed to produce equivalent amount of energy produced from diesel generator.
Aim: This paper aims to investigate the consumers’ willingness to use and consume RE and general awareness related to RE products, particularly solar energy, on factors which contribute to making decisions for buying RE products.
Objectives:
* To investigate factors influencing consumer decision-making while choosing RE products and whether a structural construct can be established based on data collected from consumers choice of RE in the chosen region in Nigeria?
* To determine the influencing factors that are important for the growth of renewable energy in Nigeria
* To identify factors which may affect the application of an IMC model to promote awareness and the use of renewable energy in Nigeria
Research Questions
1 Can variables such as environmental benefits, economic benefits, RE reliability, and sustainability appearance as factors influencing consumers RE consciousness and decision-making for purchasing for purchasing RE be operationalised to justify
the use of IMC as tools of spreading awareness for RE products.
2 Could IMC model be structured based on the techniques of Principal Component Analysis, Confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modelling to serve as alternative to traditional marketing that could be applied to increase awareness and widespread usage of renewable energy in Nigeria?
3 Does the dependence on the Crude oil in Nigeria affects the infrastructure in the process of adopting renewable energy and is it possible for any destructive technology of the renewable energy to mitigate environmental pollution?
Rational of the project
Conducting this project is very significant as it helps in the examination of the willingness of the consumers to use the renewable energy as well as their general awareness to the products of the renewable energy such as solar energy on factors that aids in making decision on which renewable energy products to be bought. Having sufficient knowledge about the products of renewable energy are key factors which determines how the consumers of the renewable energy will purchase and use these products of renewable energy (Zografakis, 2010). The knowledge like initial cost, operational cost and the importance of these renewable to the environment will highly determine the decision of the consumers to purchase the renewable energy products. The research also will analyse on the environmental factor on these renewable energy products for example a place having a very short solar insulation duration will not promote the purchase and use of solar panels in generation of renewable energy (Ploetz, 2016). A place with lots of moving water where dams can be constructed to attain the required pressure height will highly promote the production of hydroelectric power. Since the renewable energy do not produce carbon (IV) oxide emission to the atmosphere there are higher chances that the use of these renewable energy will lower chances of global warming. Thus, the renewable energy sources help in lowering chances of drought, diseases like some types of cancers and respiratory diseases.
General Background of the development of Renewable Energy (RE)
In the present times, there has been a massive increase in the rising effect of Renewable Energy (RE). With the rising effect of innovation, there has been a massive form of growth in the forms of renewable energy. The proliferation of renewable energy has changed the face of the energy industry for an emerging economy. Hence, there has been a major rise in the process in which there has been a democratised form of production of energy and consumption within the country (Emodi and Ebele 2016). The energy industry was entirely based on grid-connected power and fossil fuel-based companies before the sector of renewable energy had become the most significant player in the market.
In the discussion supported by Aliyu, Modu and Tan (2018), it has been discussed that in the present times, the government of different countries have been in the process of embarking for the undertaking of ambitious culture. This has further increased the market share for the proliferation of renewable energy. Different political ambitions are described to be the main driving forces for different energy companies to engage within the established projects for designing an innovative climate. The perceptions of energy companies are focused over business opportunities, which are also determined by a certain set of factors that would have a major influence over the innovation ambitions.
The supported literature in the following parts of the research would focus over the genesis of oil companies that primarily deal with the crude energy sector in Nigeria. This discussion further leads to the ways in which the Nigerian economy has been benefited from the oil boom while also focusing over the different alternatives that could be included for crude oil (Oyedepoet al. 2019). The discussion of the literature also studies the comparison of various countries, which have majorly been benefited from the rise of RE and the cert...