Abstract:
The market place is dynamic and requires that organizations pay constant attention to the needs of the customers being served. The inability by most non governmental organisations to continue providing products and services immediately following the end of a project funding seriously points towards management’s failure to implement sustainability strategies. Only organizations with plausible financial sustainability strategies have kept their operations afloat during such austere times. The study was carried out to investigate the financial sustainability of condom social marketing in southern region of Malawi specifically focusing on customers’ perception towards socially marketed condoms while exploring strategies that would ensure financial sustainability of condom social marketing. The study involved a mixed methods approach where both primary and secondary data were collected. Primary data were obtained from a sample of 59 condom customers from 10 randomly sampled clinics and 6 key informants from Banja La Mtsogolo and Population Services International Malawi, the only organizations directly engaged in social marketing of condoms in Malawi using questionnaires. BLM and PSI Malawi reports provided a source of secondary data. The results of the study revealed that customers have positive perceptions towards condom social marketing in Malawi. However, the study findings indicated that the existing strategies cannot guarantee financial sustainability of the condom social marketing as strategies that can enhance financial sustainability such as regular price reviews, full cost recovery, distributor margin enhancement, brand extension, price segmentation, credit control, building cash reserves, excess cash investments, income diversification are often overlooked.
Description:
A Thesis submitted to the Management Studies Department, Faculty of Commerce, in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration
