While an increasing body of literature progressively proposes that accounting–marketing integration would yield strategic marketing synergies, another stream of literature suggests ineffective accounting–marketing integration. This paper aims to bridge the dyadic research gap in the optimal business performance arising from the integration of accounting and marketing functions. Based on a survey of 162 responses (with 75 dyads) from accounting and marketing managers in UK financial services organisations, this study identifies departmental differences and boundary fencing as core relational features in this dyad. Despite the perceptual divergences in the accounting–marketing dyad, most respondents perceived an integration of these functions to be an effective tool in their respective organisations. This study illuminates the existence and influence of cultural diversity and boundary fencing behaviour in the accounting–marketing dyad with respect to impasse, accounting–marketing integration and performance. This study explains performance driven task connectivity integration between accounting and marketing.

Researchers continue to argue that survivalist entrepreneurs remain the untapped source for improved socioeconomic development because they have the potential to create employment, and reduce poverty. Unemployment and poverty remain the biggest challenges for sub-Saharan Africa but specifically South Africa with an escalating unemployment rate. This is the basis for this study, which set out to provide an authentic insight into the lives of survivalist entrepreneurs in Cape Town, South Africa, for the purpose of revealing the reasons why they are unable to significantly grow and add substantially to the economy. A qualitative approach by way of personal interviews was followed so as to gain an in-depth understanding of the participants' stories. The findings suggest that survivalist entrepreneurs are able to assist in the socioeconomic development of an economy if appropriate support is given to them by government or through some public-private growth initiatives. This study contributes to survivalist entrepreneurship literature by specifically illuminating why, according to Statistics South Africa, survivalist entrepreneurs do not seem to create more employment opportunities, improve the economy and alleviate poverty. In acknowledgment of some of the study's limitations, we consequently advise that further study in this area may consider a combination of methods as well as other locations.

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the working relationship between accounting and marketing, exploring the nature and antecedents of their integration and consequences on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach The methodological approach in this study is twofold. First, a review of literature is used to identify core antecedents in the body of literature. Subsequently, four exploratory case studies were used in examining the antecedents of accounting–marketing integration from a frontier market perspective. Findings This study identifies information sharing and involvement as core elements of accounting–marketing integration; cultural diversity and management mechanisms (policy, structural and procedural justice) as antecedents of accounting–marketing integration; and country of origin as a mediating factor on the extent of association of some variables on their integration. Finally, this study establishes that there is a positive association between accounting–marketing integration and organisational performance. Research limitations/implications This study has two major limitations. First, it is qualitative and based on a review of literature and evidence from four case studies. Second, it explored only the less developed country context. Future research should, therefore, aim to address these gaps. Practical implications This study draws attention to the fact that accounting and marketing are culturally diverse, and strategic managerial mechanisms must be used to maintain a relevant and effective level of information sharing and involvement towards enhancing organisational performance. Originality/value Using exploratory case studies to support the development of a framework, the authors contend that organisations would optimise organisational performance if due attention is given to both information sharing and involvement dimensions of integration, as well as appropriate managerial mechanisms adopted in managing their relationship.

According to a popular adage, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. With unemployment on the constant increase in South Africa, people are becoming more relentless in seeking means to earn a living. Waste picking has become, for example, an option for individuals in responding to the economic challenge in order to provide for themselves and families. By odd, the researchers refer to foraging in bins for items that have been discarded by others, which may be sold for cash. Although this practice offers an opportunity for self-employment, there is also a concern that those who deal in waste may be exposing themselves and perhaps their families to social stigma and health problems. This article looks at both the challenges of waste picking (more specifically health) and the desperate state of unemployment in South Africa. In doing that, we aim to address three central questions: (1) why are people waste picking? (2) Is waste picking a sustainable venture? and (3) what are the challenges in waste picking? To obtain deeper insights into the themes captured in the aforementioned research questions; face to face interviews were conducted with participants. Empirically, four central factors push participants into waste picking ventures: unemployment, retrenchment, unemployability, and the need for augmented income. Also, we found that although waste pickers continue the practice to sustain themselves and their families, waste picking does not sufficiently offer sustainable income, improved livelihoods nor reduced dependency on public social and health systems. There is a need to enhance the capacity of the South African public health system to adequately cater for those who regularly need its services and as this study has shown, the continuous practice of waste picking is synonymous with ill health and pressure on public health systems. We flag directions for future research.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand marketing–sales–service (M-S-S) interface from the point of how social media marketing (SMM) platforms are prioritized and associated business-to-business (B2B) sales process influence. This study also seeks to understand whether effective triadic alignment is achieved between marketing, sales and service. Design/methodology/approach This study combines literature review and the analytical hierarchy process model. In total, 30 M-S-S managers of a multinational electronics firm situated in Africa and the Middle East participated in this study. The authors collected data from M-S-S managers during training sessions on marketing, sales, service alignment and SMM role in sales process. Findings In their drive for customer orientation and improved organizational performance, marketing, sales and service managers view understanding the customer as the most important sales process attribute. Considered second most significant sales process attribute is needs discovery, whereas approaching the customer is ranked the least important. From the ratings of sales process attributes evaluation and rankings of SMM platform alternatives, the results show a significant hierarchical influence of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter on sales process. The results also show an enabling influence of SMM activity on M-S-S interface alignment. Research limitations/implications This study has a twofold limitation. First, it explored only one major B2B firm in the electronics industry. Second, only the African and Middle East settings are considered in this study. These limitations could be addressed in future research. Practical implications This paper provides practical insights into how M-S-S managers may leverage social media to enhance customer orientation and boost organizational performance. The use of SMM can help M-S-S managers of the focal firm to predict purchase behavior of customers more accurately and as a result effectively manage and improve sales performance. In that drive of using SMM-based competitive intelligence to deliver superior customer experience and enhance sales performance, B2B marketing-oriented firms can also leverage the interdependence (information sharing and involvement) in the M-S-S interface during the SMM activity to enhance triadic alignment. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by developing a framework for modeling SMM influence on M-S-S and B2B sales process to deliver superior customer experience and drive business performance.