O e-learning, modalidade da educação à distância (EAD) que utiliza a Internet para facilitar o processo de ensino-aprendizagem, apresenta-se como uma forte contribuição para a mudança de paradigmas dos sistemas educacionais. No entanto, várias propostas de interfaces gráficas para ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem não são adequadas ao contexto de aplicação. Há vários guias voltados à construção de interfaces gráficas, mas muitas vezes, as recomendações fornecidas são conflitantes, não consideram o perfil do usuário e não contemplam aplicações de ensino. Diante deste contexto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo a construção de um protocolo para identificação de atributos gráficos que influenciam a leitura de material instrucional pela Internet junto ao público-alvo por meio da técnica estatística conjoint analysis. Para realização deste estudo, seguiram-se as etapas da pesquisa experimental propostas por Gil (2002) e as fases do planejamento de um experimento de conjoint analysis definidas por Hair Jr. et alii (1998). Com base nos resultados obtidos, houve dificuldade em identificar a melhor combinação de atributos gráficos para facilitar a leitura de material didático pela Internet. Contudo, foi possível apontar algumas diretrizes para formatação de textos para e-learning, tendo como público-alvo os alunos de graduação em Administração da FEA-RP/USP, tais como: não utilizar o tipo de fonte Garamond, não utilizar a cor de texto verde-limão, não utilizar a cor do fundo de tela azul, utilizar o tamanho de fonte 18 pontos e utilizar o alinhamento de texto à esquerda. / E-learning is a strong contribution to change the paradigms of the educational system. There are some proposals of graphical interfaces to create an appropriate virtual environment of learning, however some of them are not suitable to application context. Frequently, the guides for graphical interface building bring us conflicting suggestions. They do not consider the usuary profile, and they do not regard the teaching instructions. In this way, the aim of this work was to produce a protocol for identification of the graphical attributes connected to lecture of didactical material in the Internet by means of conjoint analysis. The experimental research steps proposed by Gil (2002) and the planning of the trial using conjoint analysis by Hair Jr. et alii (1998) were used in this dissertation. The results did not point a better combination of graphical attributes that provides an easy reading of the didactical material in Internet. The analyses indicated some lines of direction for text formatting in the e-learning for graduation students of the Business Administration at FEA-RP/USP. Some of these directions are: Garamond fount type is inadequate, fluorescent green color is not good as text color, using blue as color of the background screen is not appropriate, the usage of the text alignment on the left is suitable.

O objeto desta dissertação é a estrutura de preferência do consumidor (EPC). O objetivo geral é estudar os métodos de mensuração da EPC (MMEPC) e o tema é a mensuração desta estrutura, utilizando a técnica estatística Conjoint Analysis (CA). A CA proporciona uma maneira realista de medir o impacto de cada atributo de um produto na preferência do consumidor. Esta técnica estatística tem sido cada vez mais aplicada em problemas de Marketing. Alguns softwares têm surgido e provocado o aumento de uso desta técnica. A dissertação discute uma aplicação real desta técnica num problema de definição de um tecido de linho ótimo para um conjunto de especialistas. A ênfase está no planejamento do experimento fatorial fracionário para a estimação do modelo individual cuja variável resposta é posto e os atributos são qualitativos. Modelos lineares de célula de referência e de desvios foram construídos para a análise do experimento. Utilizou-se o modelo linear aditivo não-saturado. Alguns dos principais softwares foram analisados: SPSS, SAS, ACA, CBC e CVA. O autor define um projeto de software de planejamento de experimentos fatoriais fracionários ótimos segundo a eficiência-D. O estudo dos MMEPC pode proporcionar as seguintes contribuições à Administração: otimização de projetos de produtos/serviços/conceitos, quantificação da EPC, segmentação de mercado, determinação da probabilidade de escolha ou participação esperada do mercado de produtos/serviços/conceitos num determinado cenário e simulação (predição) de preferências individuais e agregadas. / The purpose of this dissertation is the consumer’s preference structure (CPS). The general objective is to study the methods of mensurement of CPS (MMCPS) and its main purpose is to measure that structure using the statistical technique Conjoint Analysis (CA). The CA provides a realistic way to measure the impact of the attribute of a product on the consumer’s preference. This statistical technique is being used more and more in marketing problems. Some softwares have emerged and increased the use of this technique. This dissertation discusses a real application of this technique on the problem of definition of a linen tissue for a specialist group. The emphasis is on the design of a fractional factorial experiment for estimation of a individual model in wich the response variable is rank and the attributes are qualitative. Linear models of a cell of reference and deviations were constructed for the experimental analysis. Used one a non satureded linear model. Some of the main softwares were analysed: SPSS, SAS, ACA, CBC and CVA. The author defines a software project for optimum fractional factorial experimental design and analysis, according to D-efficiency. MMCPS studies can provide the following contribution to Management: products/services/concepts optimization, CPS quantification, marketing segmentation, choice probability determination on the expected participation of the products/services/concepts market in a particular scenario and the simulation (prediction) of individual and aggregate preferences.

[pt] Este estudo identifica os atributos capazes de promover a fidelização de Clientes à operadoras de telefonia celular, com o objetivo de subsidiar profissionais do setor de telecomunicações no desenvolvimento de ofertas para seus atuais e futuros Clientes. Através da teoria da análise conjunta busca-se identificar conjuntos de atributos desejáveis e relevantes para a escolha de uma operadora de telefonia celular. A escolha dos atributos e níveis resultou de uma pesquisa qualitativa (entrevistas informais) com executivos de operadoras de telefonia celular e com cerca de 10 usuários. Em seguida, foi escolhido manualmente, a composição de estímulos (cartões) a serem aplicados aos entrevistados. Realizou-se, então, a coleta de dados por meio de questionários, os quais foram entregues pessoalmente aos entrevistados. Na última etapa, após a análise dos atributos e utilidades dos níveis propostos na pesquisa de campo, verificou-se que os atributos, design do aparelho, Qualidade de cobertura e Custo mensal apresentaram percepção e importância relativa elevada frente aos entrevistados. Propiciando que o objetivo geral de se identificarem as características relevantes para a escolha e fidelização de uma operadora de telefonia celular fosse alcançado. / [en] This research identifies the atributes to promote customer loyalty for mobile operators, in order to help them in retain its actual and future customers. It accomplishes its goal through the conjoint analysis theory. The attributes and levels choice resulted from interviews made with mobile operators executives and mobile users. The conjoint stimuli were defined following the basic principle of fractional factorial design. The partial utilities of the attributes levels show that equipment design, coverage quality and monthly cost presented a high perception and relative importance, which in turn, are recommended for customer loyalty.

This study focuses on exploring the relative importance of six influential factors in cruise customers’ decision-making process such as: cruise vacation price, cruise duration, distance from the cruise port, itineraries, environmental friendliness of cruise line and cruise online reviews. The decision on which influencing factors to select was made based on the review of literature. The complexity of cruise customers’ decision-making process for these six attributes with several levels was examined with Choice-Based Conjoint (CBC) Analysis. CBC was selected due to its realistic approach to purchase decisions, in the form of trade-offs. The online survey collected data anonymously. The survey was distributed through Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk) platform. Only 450 cruise customers, who had experienced a cruise vacation before were eligible to participate in the study. The purpose of the study was to discover the relative importance of the influencing factors to gain more insights about cruise customers. The findings of the study showed that online reviews were the most influential attribute for cruise customers in their cruise decision, followed very closely by the environmental friendliness of the cruise line. The next influential factor was the duration of the cruise vacation which was followed by distance from the cruise port, cruise itinerary and cruise vacation price. The best and the worst cruise vacation profile were generated from CBC analysis. The findings of this study provide some insights with regard to cruise customers’ importance about influencing factors when deciding on a cruise vacation.

This dissertation examines the relative importance of country of manufacturing and country-of-brand versus the functional attributes for industrial products. The study examines country of origin, country-of-brand origin, and how they affect the purchasing team, or what is referred to in this study as the decision-making unit, when purchasing commercial refrigeration compressors. The literature reveals that the international marketing community has been looking at the country-of-origin and what effect it has on the purchasing decision-making process. Even though the world seems to be becoming smaller, purchasing people may still be valuing the country or brand effect before making final purchasing decisions. A conjoint analysis experiment was performed with a group of people who have purchased commercial refrigeration compressors in the past 5 years. The QuestionPro web page was used to collect the data from global users, where they were asked to rank the 36 conjoint analysis cards and a questionnaire which was to determine the respondents' demographic characteristics.

L’approche médico-économique dans les évaluations des systèmes de surveillance en santé publiqueMots clés : évaluation des systèmes de surveillance, évaluation médico-économique, méthode des choix discretsLa surveillance en santé publique et la veille sanitaire sont en lien direct avec l’action et la décision publique en fournissant des informations précises et validées aux autorités sanitaires afin que ces dernières mettent en œuvre les mesures de contrôle et de prévention appropriées. Dans un contexte d’émergences infectieuses et d’apparition de nouvelles menaces pour la santé des populations, la surveillance en santé publique doit disposer d’une capacité d’adaptation et de priorisation. Ce besoin d’adaptation dynamique est confronté au réalisme des ressources disponibles de plus en plus limitées et à la demande sociale en matière de santé publique et de protection contre les risques sanitaires croissants. L’évaluation des systèmes de surveillance en santé publique au regard de leur utilité et de leur performance technique est préconisée depuis plusieurs décennies. La question de l’efficience de ces systèmes de surveillance est plus récente et prend une dimension particulière au regard du contexte budgétaire contraint qui touchent tous les opérateurs de l’état.Ce travail s’est attaché, à montrer l’intérêt et la valeur ajoutée d’une démarche standardisée d’évaluation des systèmes de surveillance en maladies infectieuses au sein d’une agence nationale de santé publique. Fondée sur un protocole développé selon la méthodologie préconisée par les recommandations internationales, cette démarche a enrichi la stratégie de surveillance de l’institution et a permis d’initier de nouveaux travaux portant sur la valorisation des bénéfices engendrés par la surveillance et leur prise en considération pour la priorisation des ressources. Une revue systématique de la littérature scientifique a permis de dresser un état des lieux et des connaissances sur l’évaluation des bénéfices de la surveillance en santé publique. Outre le faible nombre d’études dans le domaine, cette revue montre que les bénéfices engendrés par la surveillance sont le plus souvent estimés par le coût des cas épargnés ou des vies sauvées grâce aux actions de contrôle et de réponse. Cette approche présente plusieurs limites. Elle est difficilement applicable pour les systèmes de surveillance ne nécessitant pas des mesures de contrôle immédiates. Elle ne prend pas en compte les valeurs d’existence en lien avec les effets non monétaires induits par la surveillance en santé publique et la veille sanitaire. Afin de prendre en compte toutes les dimensions de la surveillance, nous avons mené une étude exploratoire faisant appel à la méthode des choix discrets appliquée à des systèmes de surveillance de maladies infectieuses émergentes. Cette étude inédite dans le champ de la surveillance en santé publique réalisée sur un échantillon de convenance, montre l’importance de certains critères comme la prévalence ou la létalité. Des consentements à payer marginaux pour ces critères sont estimés pour la première fois et constituent une première indication. Les résultats de cette étude apportent quelques éléments de réponse à la question des bénéfices induits par un système de surveillance ou de veille sanitaire.L’approche médico-économique dans les évaluations des systèmes de surveillance reste un domaine peu exploré. L’actualisation des recommandations internationales sur l’évaluation des systèmes de surveillance serait utile et devrait intégrer une approche médico-économique. L’intérêt potentiel de la méthode des choix discrets pour la valorisation des bénéfices induits par les systèmes de surveillance et de veille sanitaire appliquée dans une étude exploratoire dans ce travail devrait être évalué sur une plus grande échelle. / Economic evaluations approach in the public health surveillance systems evaluationsKey word: public health surveillance system evaluation, economic evaluation, discrete choice experimentsPublic health surveillance is closely linked to action as it provides accurate and validated information to health authorities in order that these same authorities can implement appropriate prevention measures and control strategies. In a context of emerging infectious diseases and of new health threats occurring, priorities for public health surveillance need to be reviewed and adapted regularly. This need of constant adaptation is facing limited resources and an increasing social demand of health security and protection against all health risks. Assessing the usefulness and the technical performance of surveillance systems are the main objectives of public health surveillance system evaluations and this has been recognized for many years through international guidelines. The efficiency of a surveillance system is a more recent question and takes a particular dimension in the context of budgetary constraints that all national agencies are facing.This work aimed to underline the interest and the added value of an external and formal evaluation process of surveillance systems in a national public health agency. Based on a generic evaluation protocol drawn up in accordance with international recommendations, this evaluation process has improved the surveillance strategy of the institution and has brought new questions up about the estimations of benefits of surveillance systems and their impact in the surveillances prioritizing process. A systematic literature review has drawn a clear picture of the state of the art and the knowledges in the field of public health surveillance system benefits estimation and evaluation this systematic review indicates that, to date, very few economic evaluations of public health surveillance systems have been performed worldwide. It also shows that the benefits of surveillance are mainly assessed by the costs of the number of cases or deaths prevented by the response and control measures. This approach has certain limits. It cannot be applied when the primary objective of the surveillance activities is not linked to immediate response. It does not take into account the existence value of a Public health surveillance system. In order to take the dimensions of a public health surveillance system, we have conducted a pilot study using discrete choice experiments applied to different emerging infectious diseases surveillance systems. This study, novel in the field of public health surveillance, was performed among a convenient sample and shows the importance of certain criteria such as the prevalence and the case fatality ratio. For the first time, marginal willingness to pay for these criteria have been estimated and these results give some insights into the question of the benefits, a public health surveillance system can bring.Economic evaluations of public health surveillance system remain an area where little has been carried out to date. Updating international recommendations for public health surveillance systems would be useful and should include an economic approach. The potential interest of the discrete choice experiments for valuing benefits of a public health system used in this pilot study need to be confirmed in a larger scale.

Thesis (Master of Marketing)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019 / This thesis sought to investigate students’ preferences regarding university accommodation. The object was to identify the aspects and elements of housing that students deemed most desirable. The research also aimed to ascertain which socio-demographic variables might serve as predictors of preference in student housing. The thesis focused on student housing at a university in Cape Town, South Africa. The researcher adopted a stated preference approach, applying direct measurement and conjoint analysis methods to answer the research questions. The study commenced with qualitative exploratory research, including a literature review and focus group interviews with students. This was followed by collection of cross-sectional quantitative data using person-administered, structured questionnaires distributed among students at the university. SPSS software was used to analyse a total of 457 completed questionnaires. The direct measurement results indicated that most students prioritised convenience, safety, cost and privacy when it came to choosing accommodation. The three most important attributes as ranked by respondents were having unlimited free WiFi, the inclusion of a 24-hour computer lab in the building, and 24-hour on-site security. In addition, respondents favoured the presence of a convenience shop/kiosk in the residence, followed by sharing showers with students of their own gender, and being within walking distance of campus. Preferences for some but not all the dimensions of accommodation appeared to be influenced by gender, age group and study level. When indicating their willingness to pay (WTP) for a variety of elements relating to accommodation, it emerged that the question of sharing the space in their room – their living and learning space – was very important to the students. The results showed that, apart from having unlimited WiFi and 24-hour on-site security, the aspects for which respondents were prepared to pay most concerned the private space of the individual, e.g. room privacy and room size, as well as having their own toilet and shower. WTP attributes also varied among students according to age group, gender and level of study. Results from the stated preference (conjoint) experiment analysis showed that students were most sensitive about the sharing of ablutions and number of roommates, strongly preferring private rooms and facilities, or sharing with fewer other students. Monthly rent is next most influential, followed by distance from campus. The model also showed significant differences in the preferences of students based on their gender. Research in this field is overdue because, owing to recent increases in the tertiary student population in South Africa, there is a growing shortage of student accommodation. Current and future student housing needs must be assessed, and any such assessment requires a thorough grasp of current student accommodation preferences. The results of this research thus contribute to the knowledge and understanding available to managers and developers of student accommodation regarding students’ requirements and preferences. The findings can serve as a set of guidelines for developers of student housing and as a foundation for formulating associated marketing strategies. Despite the existence of extensive research on student housing, few studies have focused on the preferences of students in developing countries, and even fewer in South Africa. This research seeks to fill this gap by increasing awareness and understanding of students’ preferences with regard to university accommodation.

Background: Anecdotal accounts of stereotypes and/or generalisations about perceived generational differences within the workplace have become commonplace. Generational cohort theories are often used to identify generational cohorts of employees that are argued to be different, including having differing expectations, needs, preferences and even values. In addressing and/or accommodating such individual differences organisations are increasingly adopting strategies and interventions that take such generational differences amongst employees into account (Costanza & Finkelstein, 2015). Addressing generational differences within the workplace has particularly become popular in the design and implementation of total reward or remuneration and recognition strategies, policies and practices. Understanding generational and/or demographic characteristics, specifically differences, that create distinct cohorts allow organisations to design reward and recognition packages that create distinctly unique value for their employees. Offering tailored or more focused reward strategies and practices, designed with individual differences in mind are believed to enhance attraction, employee engagement and retention and so allow an organisation to bolster its competitive advantage and contribute to sustained organisational success (Snelgar, Renard, & Venter, 2013). In support of this notion, empirical studies are showing promising results for targeted reward strategies and practices. Rationale for the Research Study Effective talent management, i.e. attracting, engaging and retaining sought-after highly skilled employees is critical for the success of any organisation. However, organisations are increasingly experiencing challenges in recruiting, motivating and retaining scarce human capital, colloquially referred to as talent (Barkhuizen, 2014). Failure on the part of organisations to understand and adapt to differences in the workforce may result in them not being able to attract the talent required; keep employees motivated and engaged; and experience unintended employee turnover which is associated with notable direct and indirect costs for them (Westerman & Yamamura, 2007). Organisations, therefore, are constantly searching for new and innovative approaches to more effectively attract, retain and engage employees (Snelgar et al., 2013). There is a growing body of research (Haynes, 2011; Snelgar, Renard, & Venter, 2013) that has shown that identifying distinct reward and recognition preferences amongst cohorts of employees and targeting reward and recognition strategies accordingly, is showing promising potential in this regard. When designing and implementing targeted approaches to reward and recognition, employee cohorts are most often identified using generational cohort theory, i.e. using various established guidelines to group employees into generational cohorts that are believed to be distinctly different to one another, while those within these groups being more similar than not. Results obtained from studies using these various employee cohorts as a framework have been used to inform the design of targeted reward and recognition practices and policies. Generational cohort theory is, however, mostly grounded on a set of historical events that took place in the United States of America (USA). Despite this, the American-based framework used to identify individuals belonging to various generations has been adopted globally, both within organisations and even used in research studies published in peer-reviewed literature. However, several authors have criticised the indiscriminate use of a popular American-based generational framework, i.e. focusing on events affecting Americans arguing that this has resulted in a somewhat narrow or even skewed view generational cohorts. These authors have gone as far as to argue that the American-based generational framework may not be appropriate or ineffective outside of the USA at all (Close, 2015). Following this reasoning, they have called for alternative frameworks that create distinct generational cohorts relevant in contexts outside of America, i.e. based on different events and criteria more applicable to those contexts. Aim of the research study The aim of the present study was to investigate the reward preferences of a broad range of employees in an effort to assess whether the popular generational model of Strauss and Howe (1991) is relevant and/or as effective in a non-American context, as well as to possibly find support for alternative perspectives or approaches to identify distinct generational cohorts in organisations that may be more appropriate and/or effective when designing reward offerings for different cohorts of employees. Given time and cost constraints, South Africa was chosen to investigate this claim given that it is a developing economy (vs the USA being a developed economy) and has a different set of notable events that have shaped its history to that which is applicable to the USA. Given the aim of the present study, an exploratory research design was considered most appropriate to investigate generational cohort theory within a non-American context as a framework to identify employee groups/cohorts that have distinctly different total reward preferences. For the purposes of the present study, it was decided that a quantitative approach would be followed as it is most useful to draw conclusions or inferences related to the total reward preferences of employee groups/cohorts. The present study followed a non–probability or convenience sampling approach with a realised sample of 169 respondents. The majority of respondents were Coloured and were further female, with majority of attaining a qualification post matric. Main results and findings A one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed no statistically significant difference between the generational groups based on the popular generational model of Strauss and Howe (1991), nor for a proposed generational cohort framework that was designed for the purposes of the present study and which was based on notable South African historical events. Following a data-driven exploratory approach, cluster analysis, on the other hand, yielded three distinct generational cohorts based on their perceived reward preferences for typical total rewards elements. Significant differences in the total reward preferences of respondents born after 1994 and those before 1994. Choice-based modelling (choice-based conjoint analysis) revealed that most respondents considered financial rewards as being the two most preferred total reward elements for them, including remuneration (guaranteed pay) followed by benefits and then non-financial rewards (work-life balance being the most preferred non-financial reward preference). Theoretical and Practical Implications Numerous research studies have made use of the popular American-based generational model to identify the reward preferences of cohort groups, without taking into account context-specific variables. There is further a dearth of empirical research that has been conducted to investigate generational cohort theory specifically, while none were found that were conducted in developing economies, such as South Africa. The present study address this gap in current literature. The use of choice-based modelling or choice-based conjoint analysis, furthermore, makes a methodological contribution given that this method is seldom found in total reward preference studies. This method was shown to identify total reward preferences that could not be determined using a field-survey or questionnaire. Choice-based modelling is different to typical survey approaches in that it is better able to replicate human decision making, i.e. assessing relative importance of attributes and levels based on combinations of choices and related sacrifices that humans deal with when making a choice-decision. In terms of the practical contribution of the present study, the results provide insights for organisations that may be incorporated when designing differentiated total reward strategies to accommodate and/or address the needs of the different generational groups.

Genetically modified food is a reality for many modern-day consumers around the world. With the introduction of GM food to the food market, consumers were faced with a number of new products and also familiar products containing new ingredients. The introduction of genetically modified food products to food markets around the world, led to a lot of controversy. In many cases consumer attitudes and perceptions of GM food products were revealed as fears, concern for, and avoidance of the new technology. Consumer attitudes, perceptions and acceptance towards the use of genetically modified foods or -food ingredients are currently highly relevant issues for role-player such as researchers, government, food companies, biotechnology companies, retailers and farmers all over the world.The importance of genetically modified food products in South Africa is increasing, even though the debate surrounding genetically modified food products lags behind many other (often more developed) parts of the world. Genetically modified white maize is among the agricultural crops approved for commercial production in South Africa. The production of genetically modified white maize in South Africa increased dramatically from its introduction in the 2001/2002-production season. White maize, especially in the form of super- and special maize meal, is an extremely important staple food source for consumers of all age groups in South Africa. The implication of the significant increase in the cultivation of genetically modified white maize is that the product is entering the South African food market at an increasing rate. In reality South African consumers are increasingly exposed to food products containing genetically modified white maize. This goes hand in hand with increasing consumer awareness regarding genetically modified food issues.The general objective of the dissertation is to develop an understanding of the perceptions, attitudes, acceptance and knowledge of South African urban consumers, regarding GM white maize as a staple food product within South Africa. The specific objectives are to identify trade-offs between selected attributes of maize meal and to determine the relative importance of selected GM characteristics within the trade-offs by means of a conjoint experiment, to construct market segments based on the outcomes of a conjoint experiment, to determine the effect of consumer perceptions on the sensory experience of white maize porridge and to determine the knowledge, perceptions and GM food acceptance of the different market segments.Quota sampling was applied to obtain a random sample of 80 urban white-maize consumers, based on the LSM (Living Standard Measures) market segmentation tool. The respondents participated in sensory evaluation of maize porridge. This was followed by a conjoint experiment designed around three selected product characteristic variables describing a 2.5kg packet of super white maize meal: “Brand variable”, “Genetic modification variable” and “Price variable”. Market segmentation was done through Ward’s hierarchical cluster analysis based on the conjoint results. The final phase of the experimental analysis involved the profiling of the identified clusters based on demographic variables, respondents’ knowledge of genetic modification and respondents perceptions, attitudes and acceptance towards genetically modified food.The limited sample size (80 respondents) could influence the ability of the results to reflect on the population of urban white maize consumers given the presence of GM food in the market. However, the experimental results should be seen in view of general trends in South Africa and available anecdotal evidence supporting the results of the study. The results of this study could go a long way in representing the results of a more representative sample of urban white maize consumers given the presence of GM food in the market.The cluster analysis revealed that the sample of urban, white maize consumers could be grouped into three meaningful and distinct market segments, based on their preferences for branded- versus non-branded white-grained maize meal, as well as their preferences for non-GM white maize meal versus GM white maize meal with various types of genetic manipulations. The “Anti-GM” segment (35% of the sample) is particularly negative towards GM food irrelevant of the type of genetic modification applied to the food. The “Pro-GM farmer sympathetic” segment (20% of the sample) is positive towards genetically modified food in cases where the farmer receives the benefit of the genetic modification. The “Pro-GM” segment (45% of the sample) is generally positive towards GM food, but especially when the consumer receives the benefit of the genetic modification. The results indicated that the differences among the cluster groups were more prominent than the differences among the LSM groups. Thus, the clusters were most effective to distinguish between sub-groups in the experimental sample.The results of the respondents’ knowledge of genetic modification indicated that there is some degree of confusion among respondents regarding the meaning of genetic modification, as well as discrepancies between perceived and actual knowledge levels of genetic modification. In general, the respondents’ knowledge of GM food is relatively low.A strong positive correlation was observed between the sample respondents’ exposure to GM food related terms and their perceived understanding of these issues, implying that the exposure caused the respondents to learn more about GM food related terms. The balanced GM food information presented to the respondents during the experimental procedure probably influenced their knowledge levels and opinions about GM food as the experiment evolved. Despite these observations the research methodology was still deemed as appropriate. The GM food knowledge gained by the respondents during the experiment could be seen as a simulation of situations where they could receive GM food information from external sources such as television, radio, magazines or newspapers. The cluster profiling revealed that urban white-grain maize consumers’ perceptions and attitudes towards GM food were the strongest distinguishing factors between the various market segments, especially the preferences of the various cluster groups for non-GM maize or maize that was genetically modified for consumer benefit or maize that was genetically modified for producer benefit. Demographic factors and GM knowledge aspects did not really contribute towards distinguishing between the clusters.The dissertation determined that there is a need for a better understanding of consumer perceptions, attitudes towards and acceptance of GM food products, which could enable producers and scientists to engage in more consumer driven product development and marketing activities. Consumer acceptance is the most critical factor for the success of GM food products within the South African food market place and could shape the future of the agricultural modern biotechnology industry and the agricultural sector in South Africa. / Dissertation (MSc (Agric) Agricultural Economics)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

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