published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

Thesis (M.B.A.: Business Studies Unit)-Durban University of Technology, 2007. 127 leaves / Retailing no longer involves just growth or expansion into new product, consumer segments or geographic areas. Organisations are now learning to shift their emphasis to managing under conditions of modest, zero or for some organisations, under negative growth. This is to a large extend has been the result of changing consumer behaviour, the emergence of new competitors, global economic recession, and rapid technological advances in the retailing industries. These pressures of business today make many people think that the only thing that counts is financial success, i.e. being the investor of choice. In successful organisations everyone's energy is focused on the "Triple bottom line" as the target. That is, if the organisation has been built the right way, it will be the Provider of Choice, Employer of Choice, and Investor of Choice. The leaders of these organisations believe that people, their customers and business partners are as important as their bottom line. These companies realise that profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers and creating a motivated environment for your people. Despite its importance, this topic has been given little attention in the academic literature. In the case of retailing, services are designed more to augment the core offering or add value rather than represent the core offering itself? The limited and fragmented research on retail services focuses on specific areas such as quality issues and store image. Thus given this void in the literature, the bases of the study would be to approach retail services as a strategic perspective by focusing on the service orientation of a retailer's business strategy. If a retailer decides to strategically augment its products with services, it is essential that the retailer make this change systematically with a long-term orientation. The study would involve examining one level of service orientation, i.e. individual level. In this research stream, a service orientation is treated as a personality measure whereby certain people are more service orientated than others.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Business Studies Unit, Faculty of Management Sciences, Durban University of Technology, 2008 / Customer satisfaction is the key ingredient to the success of any business. This is the most important factor that creates loyal customers. Presently, organisations are attempting to obtain increased customer satisfaction by focusing on the quality of their products and the service provided. Students were identified as customers of HEI’s. This research focuses on the determination of customer perception of service quality at the Business Studies Unit (BSU) of the Durban University of Technology. The objectives were: to identify expectations of students of the BSU; to identify the perceptions of students of the BSU and to measure and compare the expectations and perceptions of students using the SERVQUAL score. Customer perceptions were determined by means of a quantitative survey conducted at the BSU lecture venues using the self-administered SERVQUAL questionnaire. One hundred and ninety five respondents were surveyed. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The questionnaire measured students’ expectations and perceptions in five dimensions of service that consists of tangibles, reliability, assurance, responsiveness and empathy. The results demonstrated that in each of the five SERVQUAL dimensions, there was a negative quality gap. The largest gap was in the tangibles dimension. Also, there were significant differences between perceptions and expectations of students in all of the five SERVQUAL dimensions (p<0.001) Improvements are needed across all five dimensions. Results have shown that students’ perception of service quality at the BSU falls below their expectations, presenting a great challenge to the institution. In order to improve service quality, it is recommended that the BSU regularly assesses employees, as well as customers’ experiences and provide prompt feedback.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Masters Degree in Technology (Marketing), Marketing, Retail and Public Relations Department, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / Interest in the quality of the health and fitness industry has grown considerably over the last decade. Gymnasiums are increasingly placing greater emphasis on meeting members‟ expectations and needs. As more competition enters this industry, members‟ perceptions of gymnasiums facilities and services are becoming more important. It is apparent that there is a need to measure members‟ expectations and perceptions of service quality at Virgin Active gymnasiums in the greater Durban area. The aim of this study was to investigate customer service quality at commercial health and fitness centres. The four objectives of this study were: firstly, to identify members‟ expectations in terms of the delivered services provided at Virgin Active gymnasiums; secondly, to ascertain the perceptions of members towards the services provided at Virgin Active gymnasiums; thirdly, to measure the gaps between members‟ expectations and perceptions of service quality, using a modified version of the SERVQUAL model, and fourthly, to calculate and measure the score of the SERVQUAL dimensions. The instrument used to assess the members‟ expectations and perceptions of service quality was the SERVQUAL questionnaire, measuring expectations and perceptions according to five quality dimensions. Four hundred and fifty members were surveyed using the SERVQUAL questionnaire. The respondents were selected through non-probability sampling within which convenience sampling was applied. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Conclusions and recommendations were thereafter drawn from the literature and the findings of the study. The study shows that members‟ expectations of service quality exceeded their perceptions on the five service quality dimensions used in the SERVQUAL questionnaire. The smallest dimension gap score proved to be tangibles, while the largest gap score of the study proved to be empathy followed by responsiveness. iv Therefore, it is recommended that Virgin Active gymnasiums in the greater Durban area attend to these gaps and ensure that necessary strategies are implemented so that members receive a high level of service quality in all areas of the service dimensions.

Background In recent times the insurance industry has seen rapid migration of clients among the different companies in search of better rates from the latest intermediary. Cancellation and surrenders of policies have marked this migration of clients. Clients are dependent on brokers for advice, thus making client loyalty dependent on the relationship between the intermediary and the client. In this model there is a gap in the relationship between client and company. Objectives The primary objective of this study is to elucidate the preconception that client loyalty is dependent on the relationship that an intermediary has with a client. The secondary objective of this study is to determine how clients' perceptions and attitudes lends itself to either clients remaining with, or leaving a particular insurer in favour of another. Methods Data was collected by means of a research questionnaire received from 50 respondents, made of clients from the Sanlam Broker Services database. Open ended questions and disconfirmation scales were used. One sample chi-square was used to test the hypotheses. Results Despite clients having received expected levels and better than expected levels of service from a company, clients still prefer to deal with an advisor. The factors that affect clients' decision to remain or migrate to another company are service, reputation, performance and rates. The most common factors for discontentment are poor service, misrepresentation, lack of confidentiality, and poor performance. It was also found that that there is a higher degree of awareness and membership among higher income earners than lower income earners. Conclusion It is recommended that more than demographic knowledge be accessed to keep clients loyal. Lifestyle studies need to be conducted and perhaps this information used to develop innovative marketing strategies. Partnerships with successful existing loyalty programmes also need to be explored as a client retention mechanism. Client loyalty cannot be explored in isolation. It must encompass the entire organization. There is ample evidence in the literature review to support this view. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

Food labels are imperative in consumers‟ decision-making process of packaged food products as they communicate important information such as expiry dates, nutrition information and information about allergies to the consumer. Especially during a first-time purchase, consumers rely on food labels to assist them in making their product choice easier. In the heterogeneous context of South Africa, consumers‟ product needs vary and one may assume that consumer needs in terms of food label information differ. Although food labelling is regulated in South Africa, it is still important that consumers are satisfied with labels due to their significant communicative function. However, to the knowledge of the author, little previous research exists on South African consumers‟ satisfaction with food labels. Therefore, this study aimed to explore and describe consumers‟ satisfaction with food labels based on a typical in-store encounter. The confirmation/disconfirmation paradigm had been used as theoretical foundation in this study and consumers‟ expectations and performance judgement of food labels were therefore explored and compared within the confirmation/disconfirmation paradigm. This study furthermore aimed to explore the influence of food labels on consumers‟ product choice as well as to determine the influence of demographic characteristics on consumers‟ expectations and performance judgement of food labels. Lastly, this study aimed to make recommendations to food regulators and manufacturers on how existing food labels could be improved in order to enhance consumer satisfaction. Based on the literature, satisfaction with food labels might be influenced by the information on food labels such as ingredient lists, expiry dates and nutrition information as well as attributes of food labels such as the readability, understandability, credibility and adequacy. Exploratory factor analysis used in the present study indicated that the information on food labels can be classified as either primary (ingredient list, expiry date, health and nutrition information, information about allergies and quality guarantee) or secondary (name of manufacturer, well-known logos or symbols, country of origin or geographical region, usage instructions and number of servings). A quantitative research method by means of a survey approach was used in this study over a period of three weeks. A total of 400 self-administered questionnaires were distributed at office buildings and business premises in the urban Gauteng Province in September 2010 by means of a non-probability sampling method. A total of 279 useful questionnaires were retrieved and data analysis was performed by Statistical Consultations Services of the North-West University using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Results show that respondents were only partially satisfied with food labels as they were satisfied with secondary information, but dissatisfied with primary information as well as with label attributes. The results furthermore show that primary information tended to be more likely to influence respondents‟ product choice than secondary information. In addition, results show that demographics had little influence on respondents‟ expectations and performance judgement of food labels. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations can be made to regulators and manufacturers on how consumer satisfaction with existing food labels can be improved. Recommendations include the improvement of the overall readability, understandability, credibility as well as adequacy of food labels. Especially primary information and the way it gets portrayed should be considered for improvement to increase consumer satisfaction. / Thesis (M. Consumer Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Western Australia, 2007.

Thesis (M.B.A. (Rhodes Investec Business School)) - Rhodes University, 2009. / A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: J. Joseph Cronin Jr., Florida State University, College of Business, Dept. of Marketing. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 27, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 209 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MPhil (Journalism))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / During the first five to six years of the twenty-first century, the South African magazine industry fragmented at a rapid rate and consumers had an ever-expanding choice of titles. The spawning of niche markets as a result of this fragmentation was bolstered by a period of sustained growth in the South African economy, buoyed by conditions in global economic markets. The research assignment focuses on the fragmentation of the South African magazine market and the subsequent spawning of niche markets. The decline in the market that followed the period of sustained growth is also taken into account. Qualitative research methodology was used to investigate the research question. The broad theoretical frameworks applied are postmodernism, the fragmentation that occurs as a result of postmodernism, and specifically the political economy of the media. The short-term and long-term challenges for magazines are discussed. These include increased competition, greater consolidation, decreasing adspend, diminishing marketshare, and the arrival of broadband in South Africa. Within the context of greater fragmentation and increased competition, it is found that the increase in the number of magazine titles starts to slow, and eventually show negative growth. This is a result of the global and local economic climate, as well as elements within the political economy of the media, namely consolidation and concentration of ownership within the local industry.