With the rapidly increasing rate of development artificial intelligence (AI) has experienced in recent years, more and more companies have begun to recognize the benefits and possibilities of the technology. This study is a qualitative interview study that has explored and evaluated which challenges are encountered today in customer services and which driving forces and barriers exist in introducing an AI-driven solution with a focus on chatbots. Five semi-structured interviews with people who hold a role as a person responsible for customer service at Monitor ERP System have created the resulting material. According to the respondents, AI and chatbots will have a major impact on customer service, opening many development opportunities. This opens to solve the challenges identified today, which according to the respondents are the new demands from the generational shift, manual- and repetitive work, and finally the lack of time and resources. The driving forces that have been identified for introducing an AI-driven chatbot are stronger corporate branding, increased productivity, higher customer satisfaction, improved work climate, and increased time- and cost efficiency. But getting to the stage where AI and chatbots are used in a business is not entirely without its barriers. The barriers that could be identified are the continued weight of the human factor, difficulties with customer- and employee acceptance, lack of skills, and the complexity and useful data. Even though several difficulties and barriers are expected along the way, the respondents look enthusiastically and expectantly at the development and the future opportunities AI and chatbots can contribute to customer service. / Med den kraftigt ökande utvecklingstakt artificiell intelligens (AI) har upplevt de senaste åren har allt fler företag börjat inse fördelarna och möjligheterna med teknologin. Denna studie är en kvalitativ intervjustudie som har utforskat och utvärderat vilka utmaningar som möts idag inom kundtjänster och vilka drivkrafter samt hinder som finns med att införa en AI-driven lösning med fokus på chattbotar. Fem semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer som besitter en roll som huvudansvarig inom kundtjänsten hos Monitor ERP System har skapat resultatmaterialet. AI och chattbotar kommer enligt respondenterna ha en stor påverkan på kundtjänster och det öppnar upp för många olika utvecklingsmöjligheter. Detta öppnar också upp för att lösa de utmaningar som identifierats idag vilka enligt respondenterna är de nya kraven från generationsskiftet, manuellt- och repetitivt arbete och till sist bristen på tid och resurser. De drivkrafter som identifierats för att införa AI-drivna chattbotar är starkare företagsvarumärke, ökad produktivitet, höjd kundnöjdhet, förbättrat arbetsklimat och ökad tid- och kostnadseffektivitet. Men att komma till det stadie då AI och chattbotar används i verksamheten är inte helt utan hinder. De hinder som identifierats är vikten av mänskliga faktorn, svårigheter med kund- och medarbetaracceptans, kompetensbrist och komplexiteten samt användbarheten av data. Trots att flera svårigheter och hinder förväntas på vägen ser respondenterna entusiastiskt och förväntansfullt på utvecklingen och de framtida möjligheterna AI och chattbotar kan bidra med till kundtjänster.

Быстро меняющиеся условия на финансовом рынке связаны с внедрением новых технологий и вывода на рынок новых продуктов и услуг в ограниченные сроки. Это требует от современных банков высокой гибкости и адаптации к предъявляемым условиям. В частности, российские банки, находясь под усиливающимся контролем со стороны Банка России, а также под влиянием санкционных мер, обязаны не только быстро адаптироваться под новые условия игры мирового рынка, но и обеспечивать высокое качество и надежность оказания финансовых услуг. В противном случае банки рискуют потерять не только требуемую доходность, но и возможность работать на рынке. Организационная структура, являясь основообразующим элементом работы банков, призвана обеспечить высокую скорость адаптации к динамичным условиям внешней среды. Цель диссертации - совершенствование организационной структуры подразделения банка, основанное на принципах реквизитной организации. Научная новизна состоит в учете горизонта планирования, определенного для каждого структурного элемента организации. Применение модели реквизитной организации Эллиота обусловлено развитым методологическим аппаратом в проектировании структуры организации с учетом уровней задач для каждого ее элемента. / Rapidly changing circumstances in the financial market are associated with the implementation of new technologies, products and services in a limited time. This requires high flexibility and adaptation to the claimed conditions from banks. In particular, Russian banks, being under increasing control from the Bank of Russia, as well as under the influence of sanctions measures, are obliged not only to quickly adapt to the new conditions of the world market, but also to ensure the high quality and reliability of financial services. Otherwise, banks risk losing not only the required profitability, but also the opportunity to work in the market. The organizational structure, being the basic element of the banks ' work, is designed to provide a high speed of adaptation to the dynamic conditions of the external environment. The purpose of the dissertation is to improve the organizational structure of the bank's division, based on the principles of requisite organization. Scientific novelty consists in taking into account the planning horizon defined for each structural element of the organization. Applying the Elliot’s model of requisite organization is due to the developed methodological apparatus in the design of organizational structure talking into account target levels for each element.

Chatbots are computer programs that interact with users utilizing natural language. Businesses benefit from using chatbots as they can provide a better and more satisfactory customer experience. This thesis investigates differences in user satisfaction with two types of e-commerce chatbots: a keyword-based chatbot and a GPT-based chatbot. The study focuses on user interactions with IKEA's chatbot "Billie" compared to a prototype GPT-based chatbot designed for similar functionalities. Using a within-subjects experimental design, participants were tasked with typical e-commerce queries, followed by interviews to gather qualitative data about each participants experience. The research aims to determine whether a chatbot based on GPT technology can offer a more intuitive, engaging and empathetic user experience, compared to traditional keyword-based chatbots in the realm of e-commerce. Findings reveal that the GPT-based chatbot generally provided more accurate and relevant responses, enhancing user satisfaction. Participants appreciated the GPT chatbot's better comprehension and ability to handle natural language, though both systems still exhibited some unnatural interactions. The keyword-based chatbot often failed to understand user intent accurately, leading to user frustration and lower satisfaction. These results suggest that integrating advanced AI technologies like GPT-based chatbots could improve user satisfaction in e-commerce settings, highlighting the potential for more human-like and effective customer service.

Background: The increasing awareness of digitalization and specifically the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made it possible for companies to apply chatbots. With the enhanced use of chatbots in digital settings, companies have applied chatbots to their digital customer service.  Purpose: This bachelor thesis aimed to explore chatbots' influence on customer satisfaction with digital customer service.  Method: The used research method for the study was qualitative research. To collect data for the research, the methods used were two focus groups. There were 12 participants, Swedish-speaking students from Linnaeus University, in Generation Z, both males and females.  Results: The results from the focus groups indicated that the chatbots' different characteristics and performance influenced the participants in variance. Half of the participants indicated the personal chatbot with friendly interaction influenced their customer satisfaction, and the other half influenced the impersonal chatbot. The participants agreed that it also depends on what situation the digital matter considers. All the participants agreed that the chatbots performance in general of response time and availability influence customer satisfaction.  Findings: Chatbots that are personal with friendly interactions influence customer satisfaction, for customers with complex digital matters. The second finding indicates that chatbots that are impersonal with intelligent interaction influence customer satisfaction, for customers with easy digital matters. The last findings indicates that, general performance of a chatbot, in terms of time-efficiency and availability, influences customer satisfaction for all digital matters.

Abstracts in English, Southern Sotho and Zulu / The primary objective of the study was to explore customers’ perceptions of the service quality provided in the hotel industry, in Pretoria. Considering the growth of the hotel industry in Pretoria, this study revealed that customers expect to receive a high level of service quality, which will lead to customer satisfaction and produce a positive perception of hotel service. An exploratory research design was adopted in this study and qualitative data were collected through interviewing customers of a hotel. In terms of limitations, this study was conducted at one selected hotel in Pretoria. Atlas.ti software was used to analyse collected data. The analysis of the data identified a number of specific themes that were relevant to shaping the perceptions of the respondents, in terms of service quality and their satisfaction with the service quality received. The themes supported existing literature in terms of the factors influencing perceptions of service and the specific influences within those themes were elaborated on, leading to recommendations for managing service quality perceptions in the hotel industry. / Maikemišetšomagolo a dinyakišišo e bile go utolla maikutlo a badiriši mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo tše di abiwago ka intastering ya dihotele ka Pretoria. Ka ge di hlokometše kgolo ya intasteri ya dihotele ka Pretoria, dinyakišišo tše di utollotše gore ba emetše go hwetša ditirelo tša boleng, tšeo di tlago feletša ka go kgotsofala ga badiriši le go tšweletša maikutlo a makaone a tirelo ya dihotele. Tlhamo ya dinyakišišo tša go utolla e dirišitšwe ka mo dinyakišišong tše gomme tshedimošo ya boleng e kgobokeditšwe ka go botšiša badiriši ba dihotele dipotšišo. Mabapi le mellwane, dinyakišišo tše di dirilwe ka hoteleng e tee yeo e kgethilwego ka Pretoria. Softewere ya Atlas.ti e šomišitšwe go sekaseka tshedimošo ye e kgobokeditšwego. Tshekatsheko ya tshedimošo e utollotše merero ye mmalwa ye itšego yeo e bego e le maleba mabapi le go beakanya maikutlo a baarabi, mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo le go kgotsofala ga bona mabapi le boleng bja ditirelo tšeo di hweditšwego. Merero e thekgile dingwalwa tše di lego gona mabapi le mabaka ao a huetšago maikutlo ka ga ditirelo gomme dikhuetšo tše itšego ka gare ga merero yeo di hlathollotšwe, gomme se sa feletša ka ditšhišinyo tša go laola maikutlo ka ga boleng bja ditirelo ka intastering ya dihotele. / Inhloso enkulu yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuhlola imibono yamakhasimende ngekhwalithi yesevisi enikezwa embonini yamahhotela, ePitoli. Uma kubhekwa ukukhula komkhakha wamahhotela ePitoli, lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi amakhasimende alindele ukuthola izinga eliphakeme lezinsizakalo, okuzoholela ekwanelisekeni kwamakhasimende futhi kuveze umbono omuhle wensizakalo yamahhotela. Lolu cwaningo oluchazayo lwamukelwe kanti lakhelwe phezulu kwemininingwane ebhekelele ubunjalo besimo yaqoqwa ngokuxoxisana namakhasimende asehhotela. Ngokwemikhawulo, lolu cwaningo lwenziwe ehhotela elilodwa elikhethiwe ePitoli. Kusetshenziswe isofthiweye noma uhlelo lokusebenza elibizwa nge-Atlas.ti ukuhlaziya imininingwane eqoqiwe. Ukuhlaziywa kwedatha kukhombe izingqikithi ezithile ebezifanele ukwakhela imibono yabaphenduli, ngokuya ngekhwalithi yesevisi nokweneliseka kwazo ngekhwalithi yesevisi etholakele. Izindikimba zisekele imibhalo ekhona ngokwezinto ezinomthelela emibonweni yesevisi kanye nemithelela ethize kulezo zingqikithi yachazwa kabanzi, okuholela ezincomweni zokuphatha imibono yekhwalithi yesevisi embonini yamahhotela. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

This study investigates relationship marketing by estate agencies in the residential property market of South Africa. In determining the residential estate agency's knowledge of relation­ ship marketing, an extensive literature study was undertaken on the marketing environment and broader market, marketing concept, market segmentation and target marketing, the marketing mix and expansion thereof, as well as customer service and internal marketing. An empirical study was conducted to determine the residential estate agency's present knowledge and practices of the basic components of relationship marketing. In the study a structured questionnaire was mailed to all residential estate agencies which are members of the Estate Agency Affairs Board. The most significant findings are that: the majority of respondents do not have mission statements and do not know what a mission statement is; they set marketing objectives which are communicated to the agents; when appointing new agents they consider the agent's service orientation and ability to work with clients, but qualifications and previous experience are not viewed as important; they train estate agents themselves and emphasise after-sales contact and building of long-term relationships, but do not stress customer behaviour influences; a large percentage do not conduct competitor analyses and view marketing research as unimportant, but are of the opinion that they have superior market knowledge and offer the best service quality; they regard the principles of the marketing concept as important; they engage in a large number of after-sales services, although few realise that contact after occupation is important; they regard the buyer's financial means as important and engage in activities to ensure customer service, but do not have formalised feedback systems to test customer satisfaction; they engage in internal marketing activities, strive to create a positive corporate culture and try to retain good agents. In conclusion it can be said that there is evidence that the principles of relationship marketing are followed by residential estate agencies in South Africa. There are, however, concerns about the long-term commitment of estate agencies towards their clients because of the lack of feedback systems and the lack of in-depth knowledge of the market. / Business Management / D. Comm (Business Management)

Gehaltediens lei tot effektiwiteit in enige organisasie. Die meting hiervan behoort 'n prioriteit te wees, maar geskikte, gevalideerde, wetenskaplike meetinstrumente hiervoor bestaan nie. Die algemene doel van die navorsing was die validering van 'n gerekenariseerde simulasietegniek ("Business Principles Orientation") vir die meting van klientediensvaardighede. In die literatuuroorsig is klientediens gedefinieer en vyf dimensies van gehaltediens gei:dentifiseer. Deur empiriese navorsing is die gerekenariseerde simulasietegniek ("Business Principles Orientation") se meting van klientediensvaardighede bepaal, deur dit afte neem op 'n steekproef van 28 kassiere in 'n supermark. Hierdie instrument is gekorreleer met die Servqual-vraelys. Die resultate dui op 'n swak verband tussen die veranderlikes van die Servqual-vraelys en gerekenariseerde simulasietegniek. Hiervolgens is die gerekenariseerde simulasietegniek en die ontwikkelingsverslag wat dit verskaf, nie geldig in die meting van klientdiensvaardighede nie. Aanbevelings ten opsigte van die instrument se verdere verfyning en navorsing word geformuleer. / Quality service leads to effectiveness in any organisation. The measurement of effectiveness should be a priority, but suitable, valid and scientific measurement instruments for this purpose does not exist. The general aim of the research was the validation of a computerized simulation technique ("Business Principles Orientation") for the measurement of client service skills. In the literature survey, quality service was defined and five dimensions of quality service identified. In the empirical research the measurement of client service skills through the use of the computerized technique ("Business Priciples Orientation"), was determined by testing it on a sample of 28 cashiers from a supermarket. This instrument was correlated with the Servqual-questionaire. The results show little correlation between the variables of the Servqual questionaire and computerized simulation technique. In terms hereof the computerized simulation technique and development report that it provides, is not valid in the measurement of client care skills. Recommendations for further refinement and research pertaining to this instrument is formulated. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Bedryfsielkunde)

台灣是製造代工王國，在建立品牌上才剛起步。但是當競爭愈來愈激烈時，企業獲利受到壓縮，品牌即變得愈來愈重要。媒體是促進社會進步重要的一環，同時也是企業，也有必要藉由打造品牌而建立競爭優勢。媒體應如何打造品牌？為了有系統地了解媒體品牌的要素和建立的過程，我們有必要將品牌權益（brand equity）的理論和實務做些印證。 本研究採個案研究法，將品牌深受肯定的天下雜誌當作研究對象，探討如何找出最能有效解釋並引導企業建立品牌權益的理論模型，並探討品牌權益各變項中，哪些變項對媒體品牌最重要。研究發現Keller的「以顧客為基礎的品牌權益」模型(CBBE)，結構和邏輯非常清楚，探討的面向嚴密而完整，因而能有效解釋並引導企業建立品牌。 根據Keller的CBBE理論，建立一個強勢品牌需要進行四個步驟的工作：一是用品牌顯著性建立品牌認同，也就是讓消費者認識「你是誰」（Who Are You?）。二是創造品牌內涵，就是讓消費者知道「你有什麼內涵」(What Are You?)，其中分為品牌表現和品牌想像。三是引導消費者對品牌產生反應，知道「你有多優秀？」(What About You?)，分為消費者評價和感覺。四是建立合適的消費者和品牌的關係，創造品牌共鳴(Relationships: What About You and Me?)，這會表現在忠誠的行為、態度上的依賴、社群感和積極參與。 運用這個架構，可以很清楚地看出天下雜誌如何打造出強勢品牌。從清晰的品牌宗旨出發，天下雜誌以「具有人文關懷的財經雜誌」為特色，在建立品牌識別系統、創造品牌內涵上做的很紮實，不隨波逐流，堅持積極、前瞻、放眼天下的報導態度，走一條自己的路，結果順利引導消費者對品牌產生正面反應，不但消費者評價高，對品牌的感覺也很強烈，最後創造出高度品牌共鳴。 本研究也發現，品牌個性對媒體打造品牌很重要。天下雜誌具有「能力」和「真誠」的品牌個性，因而能有效吸引一群有理想性、熱愛學習的讀者和廣告客戶，形成具有歸屬感的社群，27年來持續發揮社會影響力。但面對網路2.0時代，讀者需要更多的參與，和更具創意的多元接觸，天下雜誌的品牌個性可能必須用不同的方式來詮釋和加強，例如在網站上設計更多活動，或嘗試邀請部落客進駐網站，帶動更多網友的參與和討論。甚至在網路上徵求讀者的意見，作為雜誌選擇報導議題的參考等。 / Being a kingdom of OEM for several decades, Taiwan has just begun to build its own brand. But as competition gets fierce and profits are squeezed, branding becomes more and more important for Taiwanese companies. Media industry, which is crucial in the advancement of society, has experienced severe revenue shrinkage in recent years, so branding has also become an imperative to increase its competitiveness. To find out how a media company could build up its brand, we need to consult major theories in brand equity and compare them with practices been taken in the industry. This research uses the technique of case-study analysis. Using the widely acclaimed CommonWealth Magazine as the case to be studied, it is aimed at finding out the most suitable brand equity model to explain how a strong media brand is built, and what variables are most important in this process. We found that the Customer Based Brand Equity Model (CBBE) by Kevin Keller can best explain the way to build a strong brand, because it is solid and logical in its structure, and is comprehensive in the aspects it covers. According to the CBBE model, there are four steps in building a brand: 1. Ensure identification of the brand with customers, and let customers know “Who are you?” 2. Firmly establish the totality of brand meaning in the minds of customers, and let customers know “What are you?” 3. Elicit the proper customer responses to this brand identification and brand meaning, and let customers know “What about you?” 4. Convert brand response to create an intense, active loyalty relationship between customers and the brand, and let customers know “What about you and me?” Using this model as a reference, we can see clearly how CommonWealth Magazine has developed a strong brand. Ever since its establishment, CommonWealth has strived to create a business magazine with a spirit of humanity. The name “CommonWealth” represents its mission to make a better society. It has been very mindful in building its brand identity and brand meaning, insisting on a positive, outward looking and forward looking approach, and has thus created positive brand response and high loyalty from its readers. This research also finds that brand personality plays an important role in brand building. With a perceived personality of competence and sincerity, CommonWealth has successfully attracted a large readership characteristic of being idealistic and always eager to learn. A community of loyal readers and long-time advertisement clients has thus been formed over the past 27 years, supporting CommonWealth to become one of the most influential magazines in Taiwan. But with the advent of Web 2.0, people are requiring more interaction with media and are looking for creative and diversified media contacts. Therefore CommonWealth Magazine needs to interpret its brand personality in a different way, such as providing more on-line activities, openly soliciting story ideas from readers, or inviting bloggers to write on its website, so as to involve and engage more readers.

Work process knowledge (WPK) is a concept for systems-level knowledge of the workplace and has been shown to be most important in organisations requiring multi-functional working. Most of the previous body of knowledge on WPK has focussed mainly on manufacturing industries; there has been less investigation of WPK in the service sector and none in the visitor attraction (VA) industry, an important employer in Scotland. The VA industry is extremely dynamic and many businesses are rapidly moving towards multi-functional team working, driven by an urgent need to develop quality, customer-focussed strategies to survive in an over-supplied and very competitive market. This study identifies the nature of WPK in Scottish VAs, what relationship WPK has to customer service, how WPK in this service sector differs from selected published studies in manufacturing and other service sector contexts and what factors affect the development of WPK in VAs. Following recruitment of a number of VAs using an online questionnaire and subsequent site visits, six sites were selected for case study, on the basis that they demonstrated most evidence of multi-functional working and staff with developed WPK. The research design was comparative case studies of the work processes and knowledge within these six VAs, based on a social constructivist framework, using the methods of key informant interviews and shadowing. Although these six sites represent a cross-spread of attractions in terms of types, location and size, they nonetheless show strong similarities in their basic business structure. The data show that WPK is an essential element of workers’ roles and a vital requirement in providing good customer service. Although VA managers do not use the term ‘work process knowledge’, they nonetheless recognise the importance of having staff with a wider view of their business and are actively encouraging its rapid development. Multi-functionality and job rotation are main ways of developing WPK but sites also use key workers with job roles that help develop high levels of WPK, who are then used as a staff resource. The main factor contributing to the development of WPK is communication, especially of systems-level information. Cultural information-sharing is an essential pre-condition for the development of WPK in this context. Other determining factors are flexibility, employee biographies, seasonality issues, how weddings and functions are handled on-site and the size and complexity of the site. WPK is the foundation on which good customer service is based and elements of it deliver customer service. It is the closely integrated nature of the employee-customer relationship that has such a profound effect on WPK development in this service sector industry and is essentially what differentiates it from previously published studies. The identification of the customer as a hitherto unrecognised key driver of WPK is the most important contribution to knowledge made by this work.

The purpose of the study was to identify a comprehensive measure of performance by assessing the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction on the profitability of the commercial banking industry in Ethiopia. The study adopted unidimensional path models, multivariate approach and factor analysis in predicting the dependent variable, determining the independent variables and the sample size and justifying the objectives of the sturdy. Primary data were obtained through structured questionnaires from valid sample responses of 180 employees and customers selected on convenient sampling method. Profitability (ROA & ROE) was measured based on the average data from the financial statements of 2007/8-2001/12 of the banks. Variant of empirical studies and theoretical frameworks, drawn from motivational, psychological and behavioural theories, were used to formulate the hypothesis and establish the relationship between internal service quality, employee satisfaction, customer service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and profitability. Results of the study indicated internal marketing influenced employee job satisfaction which in turn partially influenced customer service quality and customer satisfaction; customer service quality influenced customer satisfaction which then influenced customer loyalty. But, no relationship was observed between customer loyalty and profitability. However, due to the timing gap of the data on profitability and the data on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, the relationship is apparently realizable in the long run. Therefore, due emphasis is required by the management of the banks to exert the necessary strategic effort on employee satisfaction, customer service quality, and customer satisfaction because of their implicit effects on profitability. Finally, the relevance of the research to the literature on performance measurement is demonstrated by contextualizing comprehensive models in the context of commercial banking industry in Ethiopia. / Business Management / D.B.L.