Your Last Name 1 Questions •Discuss your learnings to date about SEP Jordan and the research you’ve done so far •Relate learnings and research to the project scope your team is focused on •Expand on your annotated bibliographies •What are you interested in seeing as a result of our survey results   Summary SEP is a Jordanian social enterprise sourcing and producing high quality fashion and lifestyle accessories hand-embroidered by refugees in the Jerash and Azraq camps

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Questions

•Discuss your learnings to date about SEP Jordan and the research you’ve done so far

•Relate learnings and research to the project scope your team is focused on

•Expand on your annotated bibliographies

•What are you interested in seeing as a result of our survey results

 

Summary

SEP is a Jordanian social enterprise sourcing and producing high quality fashion and lifestyle accessories hand-embroidered by refugees in the Jerash and Azraq camps. Established in 2014 by Roberta Ventura, and working in partnership with the UNHCR, SEP is transforming the lives of over 500 Palestinian and Syrian refugee artisans living in Jordan. The SEP artists benefit from above-market rates and performance-related bonuses while producing fashion items of superior quality. The artists are at the core of SEP’s business model, providing creative input on all the company’s designs and products.

Investment thesis

Currently SEP’s products are sold throughout the Middle East and Europe, including at retailers such as Harrods and Boutique1. The brand SEP Jordan is defying stereotypes about refugees. The bigger the volumes, the more artists will benefit, financially and emotionally: SEP is building out its distribution network and brand visibility, as a means to bring positive change to the community.

Potential refugee impact

To date, SEP has worked with over 500 refugees in Jordan providing above market compensation to create luxury goods which reinterpret traditional designs and products into contemporary styles. SEP has reinvested their profits to provide wraparound services at the Jerash Refugee Camp in Jordan including training for parents, after-school programs for children, and a publicly accessible library.

Annotated Bibliography

Aksoy, Hasan, and Ceren Özsönmez. “How Millennials’ Knowledge, Trust, and Product Involvement Affect the Willingness to Pay a Premium Price for Fairtrade Products?” Asian Journal of Business Research, vol. 9, no. 2, 2019, pp. 95-112.

The research article by Aksoy and Özsönmez focuses on the discussion of consumer willingness to invest in and buy premium-quality fair trade products. The authors examine the effect of knowledge on fair trade practices, trust in them, and product involvement as primary factors in customer purchase intention. Specifically, the purchase decision-making process of the Millennials was investigated. Aksoy and Özsönmez conclude that the knowledge of the product and its characteristics have a meaningful impact on the customers’ intention to acquire it. This study of buyer behavior is valuable for SEP Jordan consumer analysis as it helps understand the behavioral patterns of one of the target markets of the social enterprise. In addition, it will help evaluate whether the product information the company provides is enough to convince potential consumers to pay for its products.

Aure, Patrick Adriel H., et al. “Determinants of Purchase Intention towards Social Enterprise Personal Care Brands: A Pls-Sem Approach.” International Journal of Entrepreneurship, vol. 24, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-18.

The article by Aure et al. examines the readiness of working Millennials to purchase personal care products from social enterprise brands. The investigation focuses on the effect of self-concept, brand credibility, communal-brand connections, and interpersonal influences on intention to purchase social enterprise products. Thus, the survey of working Millennials shows that the credibility of the specific brand, the fostered feeling of connection of consumers with other clients, and purchase self-efficacy directly impact purchase decisions. The selected article is appropriate for the consumer analysis for SEP Jordan as it helps explain what affects the consumers’ preparedness to pay for its products. In addition, the examination of consumer behavior in the Philippines will add to the discussion of the sociocultural factors affecting social enterprise product purchase intention in different countries.

Bianchi, Constanza, et al. “An Empirical Study of Consumer Purchase Intention for Responsible Enterprises in Chile.” Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2021, pp. 1-22.

The study by Bianchi et al. investigates the factors affecting consumer purchase intentions for products offered by socially responsible enterprises in Chile. The authors base their research on the theory of planned behavior to explain how the consumers’ intrinsic beliefs and motivations about being socially and environmentally responsible affect their purchasing. The investigation reveals that consumer purchase intentions in Chile are positively interrelated with consumer attitudes towards social enterprises, perceived behavioral control, and consumer involvement. Moreover, environmental consciousness is connected with the intent to buy if the social enterprise brand in question is environmentally oriented. Overall, the study helps understand consumer behavior and can illuminate the consumers’ purchase intent for SEP Jordan. In addition, the discussion of perceived behavior control is helpful in determining how to make the shopping experience easier and more available for potential buyers.

Casno, Krist?ne, et al. “Factors that Motivate Latvian Consumers to Purchase Products and Services from Social Enterprises in Latvia: The Case of Socially Responsible Consumption.” European Integration Studies, no. 13, 2019, pp. 90-99.

The quantitative research by Casno et al. discusses the motivation of consumers in Latvia to purchase products and services from social enterprises. Thus, the authors aimed to identify the factors that affect the intention to buy among different categories of Latvian consumers. The study shows that the product or service quality and the convenient location of the brand stores substantially affect willingness to purchase from social enterprises. Although the opportunity to support an important social cause plays a meaningful role, such factors as general convenience, friendly service, and an overall pleasant shopping experience should not be disregarded by social enterprise brands. Overall, the research shows that social businesses should focus on ensuring they can offer high-quality products and an excellent experience for their customers. The article can help SEP Jordan analyze whether the products and shopping experience it offers can motivate clients to purchase.

Ferdousi, Farhana. “Understanding Consumer Behavior toward Social Enterprise Products.” Consumer Behavior - Practice Oriented Perspectives, edited by Senay Sabah, Books on Demand, 2017, pp. 47-66.

Ferdousi focuses on the discussion of the impact consumers’ prior knowledge and understanding of social enterprises have on their purchase intention and behavior. The research shows that only a quarter of customers have a clear comprehension of how social business operates. In addition, most clients believe that such enterprises can and should contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals as outlined by the United Nations. Nevertheless, the author concludes that the antecedent knowledge of a social enterprise has no significant effect on the purchasing decision of the consumers. However, the information available on a specific product, pricing, and availability have a meaningful impact on purchasing intent. Overall, the article is beneficial for SEP Jordan consumer analysis as it examines factors that affect consumer decision-making. It can help the company reassess its pricing strategy and marketing to address buyer needs.

Lee, You N., et al. “Determinants of Customer Intention to Purchase Social Enterprise Products: A Structural Model Analysis.” Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 2020, pp. 1-22.

The research study by Lee et al. examines the factors affecting customer intention to purchase products and services offered by social enterprises. Specifically, the authors surveyed 360 consumers of the Malaysian social business MyPride that sells the items made by prisoners. The investigation shows that the attitude of clients towards the products and their perceived cost and benefits have a meaningful impact on the decision to purchase. Furthermore, personal feelings towards buying items from a specific social enterprise can influence potential clients' intention to acquire its products. The authors note that the subjective norm, or the approval of peers and society in general, also substantially affects buying decisions. Overall, the study is helpful for SEP Jordan to establish how their potential customers are influenced by peers, other consumers and determine how the information available on the brand impacts the decision to purchase.

Shih-Tse Wang, Edward, and Yu-Chen Chen. “Effects of Perceived Justice of Fair Trade Organizations on Consumers’ Purchase Intention toward Fair Trade Products.” Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 50, 2019, pp. 66-72.

The article by Shih-Tse Wang and Chen considers the effect of the customer’s evaluation of the social enterprise fairness on intent to purchase fair trade products. The authors focus on different types of justice in their research, including distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. The study shows that perceived distributive justice, or fair allocation of the company’s income, positively correlates with consumer trust in a fair trade organization. Meanwhile, trust and belief that a fair trade organization is reliable and operates honesty translate into the intention to buy and actual purchases. In addition, the article provides suggestions on how to improve the operation of social enterprises to better appeal to potential customers. Overall, the study is valuable as it will help SEP Jordan understand how the information it releases to the consumers affects their purchase decisions.

Sulthanah, Salma A. “Understanding the Impact of Social Empowerment Perception Toward Purchase Intention of Social Enterprise Craft Products.” Journal of International Conference Proceedings, vol. 2, no. 3, 2019, pp. 221-224.

The research study by Sulthanah focuses on the discussion of customer purchase intention towards products and services afforded by social enterprises. In particular, the author considers the main factors contributing to the clients’ decision to acquire craft items from social businesses in Java Island, Indonesia. According to the research, the notion of social empowerment is not correlated with the intent to purchase products from a socially-oriented enterprise. Nevertheless, the customers’ perception of the company and the social entrepreneur is highly related to the determination to buy its crafts. Knowledge of the brand, its purposeful stimulation of the consumers’ interest, and clear labeling also impact willingness to purchase social enterprise crafts. Thus, the article is highly valuable for SEP Jordan’s market potential and consumer analysis as it highlights the importance of marketing craft products to the target market.

Tsai, Juin-Ming, et al. “In Pursuit of Goodwill? The Cross-level Effects of Social Enterprise Consumer Behaviours.” Journal of Business Research, vol. 109, 2020, pp. 350-361.

The study by Tsai et al. considers the factors affecting the consumers when they purchase products and services offered by social businesses. Thus, the authors utilize the decomposed theory of planned behavior to examine social and commerce influences that motivate people to buy from socially-oriented enterprises. Individual- and group-level data on purchase decisions is considered to explain customer behavior. The authors conclude that consumers refer to their peer groups and their opinions when purchasing products from social enterprise brands. Furthermore, people’s attitudes towards social businesses were found to be the primary factor influencing the intent to purchase. Another contributing component is the perceived behavioral control and the person’s belief about their resources, opportunities, and barriers to performing various actions. Overall, the article helps discuss what factors impact the SEP Jordan’s potential consumers’ willingness to purchase.

Varvazovska, Pavla, and Olga Regnerova. “Social Business as a Development Factor in the Region with Global Overhead.” SHS Web of Conferences, vol. 74, 2020, pp. 1-7.

The research article by Varvazovska and Regnerova focuses on the investigation of social enterprises as an integral part of local and global economies. Furthermore, the study examines the target market of social businesses and considers the characteristics customers share. The study shows a strong relationship between the intention to purchase from socially-oriented organizations and the education level of the consumers, with people with higher levels of education are more likely to buy such items. In addition, the authors state that the lack of education and understanding of the purpose of social businesses affects both intent to buy and the general support of social entrepreneurs. Overall, the study highlights the importance of education for socially-oriented businesses and provides SEP Jordan with additional parameters for consumer analysis.

SEP Jordan Interview Questions

1. What is the current target market for SEP Jordan products?

2. What barriers exist to prevent potential customers interested in SEP Jordan items from deciding to purchase?

3. What are the demographic characteristics of the average SEP Jordan consumer?