Culture and consumer neuroscience in South Africa: Insights for organisational behaviour and human resource management

Abstract

This paper investigated the impact of culture on consumer neuroscience reactions among African Blacks and Whites in South Africa, as well as the implications for human resource management (HRM) and organisational behaviour. Despite the country's vast cultural diversity, little research has been done to investigate how cultural differences affect neurological and emotional responses to marketing stimuli, limiting organisations' understanding of customer and staff behaviour. The paper employed bibliometric analysis to identify dominant trends, patterns, and gaps in the literature, demonstrating that culture has a significant impact on consumer decision-making, emotional engagement, and cognitive reactions. Importantly, these findings went beyond marketing, indicating key applications for OB and HRM, including culturally informed leadership, employee engagement methods, and talent development programs. This paper offers a fresh interdisciplinary viewpoint by clearly connecting culture, neuroscience, and organisational management. It showed that comprehending the emotional and neurological effects of culture could improve HRM procedures, promote inclusive workplace environments, and strengthen customer-focused tactics. To help businesses effectively utilise cultural diversity, this paper recommends incorporating cultural insights into leadership development, training initiatives, and organisational policy. This method will offer a framework for evidence-based, culturally sensitive practices by positioning culture not just as a contextual aspect but as a strategic driver that connects consumer neuroscience insights with human capital management and organisational efficiency.

Keywords: {'name': 'Culture, Human Resource Management, Consumer Neuroscience, Organisational Behaviour, African Blacks and Whites,'}

Authors & affiliations

Monument Thulani Bongani Makhanya
University of Zululand

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