SWAHILI CONSUMERISM. A RACE AGAINST TIME TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

In a departure from biased conventional western narratives this study “benches the benchmarks" of western consumer behavior orientation, providing a novel outlook on emerging markets with a particular focus on the Swahili population. By employing a distinctive observation approach to scrutinize the interactions between telecommunication companies and their customers on social media platforms, this study bolstered credibility and alleviated the Hawthorne effect. In an innovative twist, the study employed the game theory to scrutinize the social media interaction scenarios, uncovering misunderstandings in how telecom companies perceive their interactions with customers in the realm of social media complaints management. Findings of the study exposes an unsuspected actor in the business ecosystem emerging as the likely culprit in hindering digitalization efforts. This study uniquely challenges the prevailing metanarratives of consumer behavior by uniquely categorizing the Swahili population as a medium context culture capable of embracing and reshaping consumerism in the digital era.