2011-NMMU-Research-Report - Research Management - Nelson ...

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NMMU Research and Innovation Report 2011 - Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences
The question of his main research objective is approached via the
prism of “justice” and how it is understood in distributive, cultural,
political and ecological settings.
“For ethics in economics, I work with an
international team under the auspices
of ISBEE (International Society for
Business, Ethics and Economics), and
for my theological work, I cooperate
with a network of scholars in Germany
and The Netherlands’’.
When posed the question of what his main research achievements
were in 2011, he remarks: “I was re-awarded an Alexander von
Humboldt Research Grant to work for six weeks in Germany on
issues of economic justice. My monograph, Neither calendar nor
clock, was published by a quality publishing house in the USA and
the book was awarded the Andrew Murray-Desmond Tutu prize for
academic literature in 2011.”
On the question of support, he recognises the financial and personal
support structures, from the University, plus God-blessed health to
work over weekends and holidays.
He has collaborators both nationally and internationally.
“For ethics in economics, I work with an international team under
the auspices of ISBEE (International Society for Business, Ethics
and Economics), and for my theological work, I cooperate with a
network of scholars in Germany and The Netherlands’’.
Prof Naudé plans to complete a monograph on essays in justice (to be
published by Sun Press, hopefully by the end of 2013) and to work in a
new team of international scholars on the issue of “human dignity and
culture”. The NMMU provides extraordinary good research support,
and he is thankful for opportunities to keep critical thinking alive.
Faculty Emerging
Researcher of the Year
Dr Chantal Rootman
Dr Chantal Rootman is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Business
Management. She is conducting research on the relationship marketing
and customer retention of firms, especially retail banks. Currently, the
issue of customer-firm relationships is a debated topic in the business
environment. Her research aim is to provide practical strategies and
recommendations to firms on how to create and improve customer
relationships - ultimately increasing customer satisfaction and ensure
more successful firms.
Dr Rootman has published nine
academic articles in several refereed
and accredited national and
international journals.
For example, her PhD study identified that the knowledgeability of
bank employees, and the ethical behaviour of banks, are the two most
important variables influencing the relationships banks have with their
clients. In addition, her research revealed differences in the banking
variables regarded important by clients versus those considered crucial
by bank managers. Clearly, these differences in perceptions led to
recommended strategies for implementation in banks. Her recent
research also highlighted the differences in relationship marketing
aspects between South Africa and other countries - with the purpose
of providing insight to industries in South Africa to “learn relationship
marketing lessons” from successful international firms, including banks.
She has published nine academic articles in several refereed and
accredited national and international journals and has presented
16 papers at national at international research conferences. To
date, 19 postgraduate student groups conducted their research
under her supervision, including Masters and Honours students
with research specialising in Marketing Management, Relationship
Marketing and Financial Management.