M. Tech. Information Networks / This dissertation reports on a systematic evaluation of the quality of services that are provided by clothing industry in South Africa. Textile and apparel clothing industry is an important leading segment of the world economy. Clothing retail stores are continuously striving to improve their service quality towards delivering customer satisfaction, which has surfaced as one of the foundational blocks of modern competitive business. The methodological evaluation of clothing stores follows two essential steps. The first step applies Partial Least Squares algorithm to Taiwan-, Europe- and American customer satisfaction models to identify suitable quality criteria that influence customer satisfaction of clothing store service. The second step uses the identified quality criteria in a multiple criteria decision making algorithm to evaluate a set of 17 popular clothing stores in South Africa. The results of the evaluation of the clothing stores revealed the core competence of South African clothing industry in quality service delivery. The results of this study can be used to guide clothing stores on how to better improve the quality of their services. This supplies confirmation for additional enhancement on corporate competitiveness.

M. Tech. Tourism and Hospitality Management / Events, specifically festivals, have experienced significant growth in South Africa over the past ten years in size, numbers, diversity and popularity. There is a growing need in the broader social circles to embrace various forms of art and to create the opportunity to celebrate culture. For this reason Arts festivals have become a feature in the South African cultural landscape. The long term success and sustainability of these events rely on aggressive marketing and emphasis on service quality, thereby highlighting sustainability of festivals and events through service quality. The questionnaire, based on the SERVQUAL model and an adaption of Grönroos was used to identify service perceptions and expectations of service quality at Innibos National Arts Festival in Mbombela, South Africa. This study aimed at quantifying the gap between attendee's expectations and perceptions of service quality and overall customer satisfaction. This study aims to assist the Management of Innibos and other arts festivals to improve the service quality and meet the expectations of their customers.

M. Tech. Tourism and Hospitality Management / Consumers are beginning to recognize their own footprint on the planet and are becoming both more understanding in their ability to find new travel opportunities and more conscious of the effects their travel will have on the places and people they visit. Therefore, more responsible service providers have seen an increase in this new - and fastest growing - tourism segment. Satisfying consumer demand is certainly not a nice to have; it is a need for survival of the business. So, creating a sustainable future zoo it is evident that adopting a service centric approach has the potential to enhance visitors experience and thus the long term success of the zoo. The goal of the study is to adopt a service centric approach that would enhance vision experience and thus ensure the long term success of the zoo. The finding of this study could assist Pretoria zoo to identify the trends of zoo visitors and helped the zoo to improve their facilities and service to meet the satisfaction of zoo visitors, and ensured the long term success of the zoo.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Marketing)-Dept. of Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2008. xiii, 135 leaves. / South Africa will host the Soccer World Cup in 2010. About 2.7 million local spectators and 400,000 visitors need to be transferred to and from the 10 host cities in 43 days. This is a huge challenge to the intercity bus transport industry, because the current transport system may not meet the demand for one of the world’s largest sporting event. The purpose of this study is to identify the current barriers to good service quality in the intercity bus transport industry. It focuses on the measurement of service quality and communication. In this research, the literature survey defined the service quality “gap” in this industry, identified the role of effective communication in the service delivery system, measured the variables affecting current service delivery using the SERVQUAL instrument, and prioritized the importance of the factors influencing service delivery in this industry. A questionnaire with 25 questions was designed to collect data. This study used convenience sampling to select 400 passengers as a sample, viz. 348 South Africans and 52 foreigners at the Durban bus station, since Durban is one of the ten host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The data was analysed using SPSS. The results of this research pointed to the importance of external communication in the industry. Specific recommendations are made to improve the productivity, reduce vacancy rate and maximize the benefits to this industry in 2010 and beyond.

The interest on lean production is mostly based on the empirical evidence that it improves the company’s competitiveness. However, the implementation of lean manufacturing harbours enormous difficulties due to a broad-spectrum of variables, compounded by lack of standardised mechanisms within organisations of analysis and measure of value-adding capabilities. The purpose of this study was to understand from both a management and employees’ perspective, the relative importance of key success factors, specifically training, for successful implementation of the lean principles and to understand the impact of training on employees perceptions of the lean programme. A quantitative research methodology was conducted in a packaging manufacturing company and data, collected using a questionnaire from a sample size of 54 employees, was analysed using SPSS software. Employees were found to have developed good perceptions about the impact that training had in their own jobs and also perceived that the lean program overall added value in their organisation. Employees considered training and management commitment as the most critical factors for a successful lean implementation. For lean implementation to be successful employees must be given training that is relevant to their work and senior management of the organisation must show (display) commitment towards the lean program being implemented by making necessary resources (time, funds ) available for lean activities. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administratiom, Marketing Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / The dynamic nature of modern organisations, characterised by hyper turbulence, necessitates that organisations remain receptive to the plethora of internal and external forces driving changes in strategy. One such organisation is that of Engen Petroleum Limited which operates in an everchanging, highly competitive environment. In order to remain the market leader, Engen needs to revisit its strategy to contend with market forces, bearing in mind that globalisation, as well as international ownership of competitor companies, play a role. In order to maintain a competitive advantage, the role of brands in the context of convenience is important, as brand recognition makes decision-making simpler for consumers who are in a rush. It is hence deemed expedient for forecourt retailers to understand customer satisfaction drivers, such as quality, service and convenience (Molefi, 2007). The current research focuses on the Engen Western Cape Quick Shop network, and in particular, investigates the possible reasons, namely growth rates, product offering, location, and customer service, for performance compared to the national average. A questionnaire/survey was conducted to determine the demographic characteristics of customers as well as the factors that influence their propensity to utilise Engen Quick Shops. This research was intended to provide Engen Petroleum Limited with data and information to enable the Western Cape Convenience dealer network to not only grow at the national average, but also to position itself at the forefront of the Convenience Store market.

Thesis (MTech (Marketing))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, 1997 / The quality of service that is currently being offered by restaurants in the southern suburbs of Cape Town does not consistently meet with the service expectations of consumers. This results in the formulation of a negative perception of service quality. A knowledge of customer expectations is critical in delivering quality service and largely determines the success or failure of service-oriented organisations. One of the maj or challenges facing restaurants is meeting or exceeding the everincreasing expectations of consumers as this determines whether consumers are satisfied or not. It is therefore important to assess the current state of service quality within restaurants. In this study the Servqual model, which is one of the most widely used tools in measuring service quality, was used· to assess the service quality within restaurants. The Servqual model is a questionnaire which can be modified in order to measure service quality within a specific service industry. The model consists of a set of twenty-two statements measuring the expectations of consumers and a matching set of twenty-two statements measuring the perceptions the consumers have of the service quality that they have been exposed to. The consumers then indicate their responses on a Likert-type scale, which accompanies each statement. There is no immediate solution to improving the poor perception of service quality that exists, as any service quality programme is a long-term process that needs to be systematically implemented.

M.Comm. / Customer service quality is an important aspect in the process required to make an organisation successful. Research has shown that it is very expensive to acquire new customers and that the ideal is to keep existing customers, to satisfy their needs and give them value for money to ensure that they return to the organisation. Servicing existing customers will also ensure that profitability improves over time. Seven leading organisations in South Africa were selected to investigate what they define as good quality customer service. The investigation revealed that management plays an important role in creating and maintaining a culture of quality customer service. Customer contact, listening to the customer, determining what his needs and expectations are, is required to ensure that the customer is satisfied with the organisation. It is furthermore clear that the demands of customer service change over time and that organisations need to be flexible to meet these changing needs. The quality customer service was measured in Rand Air and the SERVQUAL model of Parasuraman was used as a basis. The study gives a summary of the background of the model. The model was further adjusted to be relevant to the compressor hire industry. Rand Air (Pty) Ltd was used as the basis on which to do the study, and the industry was used for comparison purposes. Rand Air's history and present position were described, as well as what Rand Air does as far as customer service is concerned. The study was done over a two year period. Certain recommendations were made as areas for improvement.

Retail industry in South Africa is witnessing fast growth in all cities in South Africa. Attracting customers become key to success in the increased industry competition. Keeping customers satisfied has never been more important than currently. Retailers need to know what customer needs and wants are, to be able to provide and constantly satisfy their needs. Growth in the industry is largely influenced by economic conditions. A stable economic environment allows customers to spend more, thereby increasing the value of retail trade sales. In South Africa, there is strong competition between the four major dominant firms in the retail industry, which include Pick n Pay Holdings Limited (30%), Shoprite Holdings Limited (34%), Spar Holdings Limited (24%), and Woolworths Holdings Limited (11%). For the firms to grow in South Africa, they must have a clear understanding of consumers’ needs and wants. Services rendered by retailers are of utmost importance to their level of success and ability to successfully cater for the market’s needs. The main purpose of this study is to investigate customer satisfaction of two retail stores in the Nelson Mandela Bay, namely Summerstrand and Cleary Park Pick n Pay stores. Three independent variables (employee empowerment, technology and customer relations) were identified and were tested against one dependent variable (customer satisfaction). A positivistic paradigm was used to conduct the research. The approach uses the quantitative method of research to establish the causal relationships. A null (Ho) and alternative (Ha) hypotheses were formulated in order to test relationships between variables. A five-point Likert scale enabled primary data to be sourced for 294 customers’ (respondents), who shared their customer satisfaction experience at Pick n Pay stores in the Nelson Mandela Bay. A statistical analysis of quantitative data compromised of three phases. Firstly, the data was subjected to a descriptive analysis to summarise the data. Secondly, reliability (internal consistency) for the research instrument was assessed by means of the Cronbach Alpha Reliability Coefficient. Finally, multiple linear regression analysis were used to test the hypothesis. The empirical findings show that the independent variable positively correlated with the dependent variables. This implies that a positive relationship between employee empowerment, technology, customer relations and customer satisfaction at Pick n Pay stores. Therefore, recommendations given by the researcher focused on all variables that have a relationship with customer satisfaction.

Detpak South Africa is a subsidiary paper and board company of Mpact Limited, formally known as Mondi Packaging South Africa. The Mpact group of companies operates across 31 sites and employs more than 3 700 employees. Detpak South Africa specializes in three respective niche markets: international fast food packaging, industrial packaging and disposables packaging. The primary objective of this study is to propose an operational model for improving customer satisfaction levels within the disposables market for Detpak South Africa. Further, Detpak’s competitive position with respect to customer satisfaction was assessed and an empirical assessment was conducted to identify imperative attributes impacting on overall customer satisfaction. It is noted from marketing journals that providing a quality product at the right price no longer suffices as an adequate value proposition. Numerous authors have noted that there is no longer a difference between a goods market and a service market, in its purest form, and that manufacturers of goods must embrace the principles of service marketing to develop a competitive advantage within the market. A quantitative research was conducted to obtain data. The measuring instrument used to obtain data was a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 84 questionnaires were distributed nationally across South Africa. From the 84 questionnaires a total of 62 questionnaires were obtained from respondents, from which a final sample of n=59 was considered for capturing. Three questionnaires were excluded from the sample due to response error of non-completion. Correlation coefficient analysis was used to calculate the relationships between independent and dependant variables. It was found that all customer satisfaction attributes, listed below, had a positive relationship to overall customer satisfaction: Customer value; Product quality; Price; Communication; Reliability; Responsiveness; Customer service; Sales support. The hypothesized relationship between overall customer satisfaction and customer loyalty was measured and confirmed to be strongly positive. It can be concluded that a positive movement in overall customer satisfaction will be accompanied by a similarly positive movement in customer loyalty. Furthermore, through secondary review it was noted that the retention of existing customers costs much less and is more profitable than the acquisition of new business. The results presented within this study indicate a strong market position for Detpak South Africa in terms of product quality compared against competitive activity, which means a competitive advantage in the market for the company and which will assist in attaining its strategic objectives. The results also identified a number of customer satisfaction attributes which Detpak South Africa could improve to allow them to establish a firm position in the market through the overall improvement of customer satisfaction levels. Finally, an operational model integrating the important concepts identified within the literature study was proposed to assist Detpak South Africa in enhancing levels of perceived customer satisfaction. The model integrates the important business philosophies of customer relations, best practices, continuous improvement and, finally, customer satisfaction attributes.