Background: Globalization and localization are constantly clashing, collapsing, and transforming one another, and many studies have investigated how various global companies deal with the balance in between these two opposite strategies. However, little does research reveal about how music festivals adapt and operate using globalization or localization in the global market. Further, studies have shown that the globalness of a brand adds value for customers, but this effect has not been investigated in the global music festival industry. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to deep understand a global music festival’s adaptiveness and how its adaptations are perceived by its attendees from different countries. Further, this study also aims to analyze how the globalness of a music festival affects and influences its attendees.   Method: A case study focusing on the music festival Lollapalooza and its editions in Brazil and Sweden. The study follows a deductive approach using a mixed-method by collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. An online survey, interviews, and an email questionnaire are the main primary sources of data collection. Conclusion:   The results show that adaptations are important for attendees as well as for the festival itself. Many adaptations were noticed by attendees, but it is still unsure what other ‘’invisible adaptations’’ were done in order to meet the market demands. The globalness of the festival makes customers assign additional positive attributes to the festival brand, while also local adaptations such as food, beverages, and artists were appreciated by the attendees. Thus, it appears that some aspects of a music festival should be globalized, while others should be localized, or that even glocalization should be utilized in global music festivals. To conclude, festival’s managers can use the findings to better understand that global cues can be used to raise the brand value of a festival, but more importantly, that globalization and localization should be applied in different aspects of a festival.

It has been shown that in today’s society, businesses will need to consider not only selling products or services, but also experiences in order to fulfil customers’ increasing demand for more stimuli in purchase situations. Additionally, brick and mortar retailers will need to respond to the increased use of online sales channels through finding ways of attracting customers to their stores. One way of responding to both trends can be to practise Experience Marketing and thereby offer holistic, stimulating and memorable customer experiences at every purchase situation. With this insight, this thesis will investigate which specific factors that are perceived as important when creating successful in-store experiences. From this, the aim is to create a framework based on customers’ perceptions that can be useful for brick and mortar retailers when implementing experience marketing. Five propositions of what factors to include in order to create successful experiences are presented. These are tested and further developed through both quantitative and qualitative research. The empirical investigation results in the creation of a final suggested framework including the supported propositions, one new Additional Factor and several suggested subcategories within each factor. The final framework suggests following factors as important when creating successful experience marketing: Store Environment, Employee Characteristics, Senses and Additional Factor.

Η παρούσα εργασία εκπονήθηκε στο πλαίσιο του Μεταπτυχιακού Προγράμματος Σπουδών, στην κατεύθυνση “Φαρμακευτικό Μάρκετινγκ”, του τμήματος Φαρμακευτικής του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών. Σκοπός της εργασίας ήταν να ερευνηθούν τα κριτήρια με βάση τα οποία οι καταναλωτές επιλέγουν το φαρμακείο που θα κάνουν τις αγορές τους, την εικόνα που έχουν για το ελληνικό φαρμακείο και κυρίως για το φαρμακοποιό, και το βαθμό ικανοποίησής τους από τη στάση του φαρμακοποιού και γενικά από τις υπηρεσίες που παρέχονται στο φαρμακείο. Παράλληλα, επιδίωξη της εργασίας ήταν να μελετήσει τις σχέσεις που μπορεί να υπάρχουν: • μεταξύ των διαφόρων χαρακτηριστικών του φαρμακείου, ως προς τη σημαντικότητά τους, για τους καταναλωτές κατά την επιλογή του φαρμακείου που θα πραγματοποιήσουν τις αγορές τους, • μεταξύ των χαρακτηριστικών-κριτηρίων αυτών και δημογραφικών χαρακτηριστικών, • μεταξύ της εικόνας των καταναλωτών για το φαρμακοποιό ως επιστημονικό σύμβουλο και δημογραφικών χαρακτηριστικών, • μεταξύ του βαθμού ικανοποίησης από τις παρεχόμενες φαρμακευτικές υπηρεσίες και δημογραφικών χαρακτηριστικών. Ειδικότερα στοχεύουμε στη συσχέτιση των δημογραφικών χαρακτηριστικών με: (α) το κριτήριο της τοποθεσίας του φαρμακείου, (β) το κριτήριο της εξυπηρετικότητας στο φαρμακείο, (γ) το κριτήριο του διαθέσιμου χώρου πάρκινγκ του φαρμακείου, (δ) το κριτήριο της ωραίας διακόσμησης του φαρμακείου, (ε) το κριτήριο της παρουσίας εξειδικευμένου επιστήμονα (π.χ. αισθητικός, διαιτολόγος) στο φαρμακείο, (στ) την εικόνα του φαρμακοποιού ως επιστημονικού συμβούλου, (ζ) το βαθμό ικανοποίησης των καταναλωτών από τις παρεχόμενες φαρμακευτικές υπηρεσίες. Για το σκοπό αυτό χρησιμοποιήθηκε πρωτότυπο ερωτηματολόγιο με ερωτήσεις κλειστού τύπου. Το σχήμα που εφαρμόστηκε για την επιλογή του δείγματος είναι η “στρωματοποιημένη τυχαία δειγματοληψία.” Ερωτήθηκαν 200 άτομα σε δείγμα δύο επαρχιακών πόλεων, οι οποίες επιλέχθηκαν σύμφωνα με τη “βολική δειγματοληψία.” Η συλλογή των στοιχείων έγινε τον Ιούλιο του 2008. Από την ανάλυση των δεδομένων βρέθηκε ότι η σειρά μειούμενης σημαντικότητας των κριτηρίων, που επηρεάζουν τους καταναλωτές στην επιλογή του φαρμακείου που θα κάνουν τις αγορές τους, είναι η εξής: η βολική τοποθεσία, οι χαμηλές τιμές, το επίπεδο εξυπηρέτησης, ο ευγενικός φαρμακοποιός, η μεγάλη ποικιλία των προϊόντων, η καλή φήμη του φαρμακείου, η παρουσία εξειδικευμένου επιστήμονα στο φαρμακείο, η ωραία διακόσμηση του φαρμακείου. Επίσης, βρέθηκε ότι δεν υπάρχει στατιστικά σημαντική συσχέτιση: (α) μεταξύ του φύλου και του κριτηρίου της εξυπηρετικότητας, (β) μεταξύ του επιπέδου μόρφωσης, της ηλικίας, του εισοδήματος, και του αριθμού των παιδιών των καταναλωτών, με την εικόνα που έχουν για τον φαρμακοποιό ως επιστημονικό σύμβουλο, (γ) μεταξύ του φύλου, της ηλικίας, του επιπέδου μόρφωσης, της οικογενειακής κατάστασης, και της επαγγελματικής κατάστασης των καταναλωτών, με τον βαθμό ικανοποίησης των καταναλωτών από την αξία των υπηρεσιών που παρέχουν τα φαρμακεία σήμερα. Ακόμη, βρέθηκε ότι οι άνδρες θεωρούν πιο σημαντικό το διαθέσιμο χώρο πάρκινγκ σε ένα φαρμακείο προκειμένου να το επιλέξουν για τις αγορές τους, σε σχέση με τις γυναίκες. Επιπλέον, οι γυναίκες θεωρούν σημαντικότερο κριτήριο την ωραία διακόσμηση στο φαρμακείο από τους άντρες για την επιλογή του φαρμακείου. Σημαντικό εύρημα είναι ότι οι γυναίκες συμφωνούν περισσότερο από τους άντρες στο ότι ο φαρμακοποιός είναι κυρίως επιστημονικός σύμβουλος. / This study is a survey of customers shopping in Greek pharmacies and their satisfaction from purchases, pharmaceutical services and store atmosphere. Concretely, the objective is to study the following: i) the factors that affect patients to choose a pharmacy for their shopping (aesthetical, designing, personnel), ii) patients’ view for the role of pharmacists (consulters, businessman, doctor’s assistant), iii) patients’ satisfaction from pharmaceutical services. The data collected from a sample of 200 patients-customers, in two small Greek cities. The sampling method was convenient sampling and the sampling plan was stratified random sampling. Age was used as layer sampling. SPSS (statistical package for the social sciences) statistical program was used for the inductive data analysis. From the statistical analysis, we found the importance of some factors that affect patients in choosing pharmacy for their shopping. When choosing a pharmacy, its location was considered the most important factor. Less important factors were prices, service, personnel’s attitude, wide choice, specialized scientist in pharmacy (dietician) and pharmacy decoration. It was also found that for men is very important the available parking in order to choose pharmacy. Women consider more important beautiful pharmacy decoration in order to choose it. Relation was not found between sex and pharmacy personnel service, and, location and age. The role of the pharmacy personnel was viewed in three different ways, as: counselor, doctor’s assistant and businessman. It was also believed that sometimes the pharmacy personnel might play a double role-both as doctor and pharmacist. Women, married, separated thought that pharmacist is basically counselor. It is very important that women think of pharmacist as mainly scientific advisor, more than men. It is important that patients believe that pharmacists need more scientific education. Relation was not found between education, age, income, number of children and pharmacy’s view as scientific advisor. Customers were satisfied from their pharmacist’s: behavior-kindness, secrecy, help choosing the right medicine, professional consultation. A percentage of 37% of patients are very satisfied from their pharmacist’s advice. 50% of patients are very satisfied from the existing schedule of pharmacies. Important relation was found between patients’ income, children number and satisfaction. Patients having income above 3000 were more satisfied from pharmaceutical services, than customers with lower income, maybe because they do not experience health system with the same way. Customers with one or two kids feel more satisfaction from pharmaceutical services, maybe because they are new parents and this feeling is unknown. Relation was not found between sex, age, education, professional situation and satisfaction from pharmaceutical services. Customers are more satisfied: i) when their pharmacist helps them to select the correct medicine, despite when their pharmacist provides them some advice with regard to their medication treatment, ii) when their pharmacist is secretive concerning their health problems despite when their pharmacist has polite behavior. The results of research can be the reason for same or similar researches in the future in Greece, as health products are a very important part of economy.

Customer satisfaction, from the service quality perspective, has emerged as a new modus operandi for assessing customers’ perceptions and/or expectations of services in order to re-orient and regulate existing services. University library administrators in Sri Lanka, realising the necessity of complying with customer perception of high quality service, have begun to search for alternative ways to satisfy their clientele on the basis of service quality. This study therefore aims to meet this need by developing a model to assess the extent to which service quality indicators and other explanatory attributes may be used to predict customer satisfaction, from a service quality perspective. The research process used in the study was the “onion model,” which involved a combination of positivist and phenomenological inquiries that led to the use of qualitative and quantitative approaches in line with the purpose of the study, which was exploratory in nature and searched for causality. The design of the study involved two main stages: the exploratory stage and the main stage. In the exploratory stage, attributes and domain identification of service quality was carried out with a sample of 262 subjects. Based upon the exploratory study, four provisional models were constructed and tested in the main study, using a sample of 1840 subjects. The model based on the performance-only paradigm and the linearity assumption between the constructs was found to be the best parsimony model that provided for enhanced predictive performance, calibration and potential insight into attributes and domain relevance. Regarding overall satisfaction, responsiveness, supportiveness, building environment, collection and access, furniture and facilities, technology and service delivery as quality domains, involvement with the service, and knowledge of the customers as situational attributes and age, member category, university and gender as socio-demographic attributes were found to be significant. The final model may be used to design a simple measurement or monitoring process of library performance, and it may also be a useful tool for diagnosing service quality locally. This research further provides a keystone for other studies and may also stimulate the momentum of current research on service quality and/or customer satisfaction / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Background: Swedish healthcare is frequently claimed to be top class. A view not only communicated by politicians and the media, but also shared by an average citizen - for decades. Certain statistical indicators seem to support this: Sweden historically scores very high in life expectancy, stroke and cancer survival and infant mortality. At the same time, it is being reported that Swedish healthcare is suffering from a number of problems. While statistics looks reassuring, it focuses on results rather than processes, and does not take patient perceptions into account. Patient perspective seems to be somewhat overlooked in general in favour of more operations-focused research.   Purpose: The purpose of this study is to address the shortage of relevant literature and describe patient experience surrounding service failure in the fairly unique institutional context of Swedish public healthcare. Patient experience will include patient perceptions on service failure and recovery, as well as patient expectations and post-failure responses.   Method: The study employed a qualitative approach with 13 semi-structured interviews.   Conclusion: The study located reasons for service failure, which are fairly consistent with both previous research on this matter and the reported struggles of Swedish healthcare. It was also found that service recovery is not a common occurrence. Determinants for patient expectations and variability in patient post-failure responses were also uncovered.

Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The apparel retail environment is highly competitive. Products and services that are easily replicated, together with informed and demanding consumer markets, add to the complexity of this dynamic, fast changing retail and manufacturing industry. One avenue that companies explore to differentiate themselves from the competition is by the development of their corporate identity. A fundamental element of marketing communication and corporate identity representation is store image, as it is a vehicle that affects the customers’ perception of the store and the store’s identity. To be able to invest in store image optimally, retailers should take cognisance of the need to manage store image in order to increase potential sales. The purpose of the current study was to expand the existing body of knowledge on retail store image and the female apparel consumer in the Western Cape with special reference to the perceived importance of retail store image dimensions. The research question directing the current study was formulated as follows: How do consumers perceive the various store image dimensions in apparel retail and how congruent are customers’ and management’s perceptions of these store image dimensions? The literature review focuses on the importance of store image for retail differentiation purposes as well as independent (demographics, lifestyle, shopping orientation) and dependent variables (patronage behaviour, store loyalty, customer satisfaction) in store image research. Congruity as well as gap analysis are also discussed as these are the focus of the research analysis. The Store Image Scale (SIS) was used as measuring instrument. Management (n -= 14) and customer (n = 200) samples from a leading apparel retailer were used to measure the importance of the various store image dimensions. The questionnaire was adapted for the purpose of reaching all the set empirical objectives. The customer questionnaire included five sections to measure the ideal and the actual store image and the management questionnaire included two sections to measure management’s perception of the importance of store image dimensions for customers. Data was subjected to reliability analysis, descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. Results indicated that Atmosphere, Merchandise and Service were rated as most important dimensions according to customer perceptions of the ideal, while Atmosphere, Promotion and Service were the most important dimensions according to management. Atmosphere, Convenience and Merchandise were rated as most acceptable by customers. Due to the nature of the research design congruency analysis was used. The congruency analysis yielded 29 of the 55 attributes as congruent. The analysis of congruency between acceptability and importance ratings of customers indicated that the dimensions Convenience, Institutional and Sales Personnel showed no significant differences. It therefore was concluded that management’s perception and customers’ perceptions of the importance of ideal store image are closely related for these dimensions. However, closer consideration has to be given to the specific attribute design. Significant differences between management’s and customers’ perceptions were found for the Promotion, Merchandise and Service dimensions. Based on the results, recommendations were made to management from which they could infer possible adjustments to the strategic management of store image dimensions. This is one of the first academic studies to attempt to provide management with feedback on the performance of their retail strategy and is therefore exploratory in nature. The recommendations from the current study could help retailers meet consumer needs, and thereby create a competitive advantage and unique market position for the store. This could contribute to building brand equity, store patronage and, consequently, sales, as well as support the possibility of benchmarking the importance of specific store image dimensions as retail practices in the chain store apparel sector. This could contribute to this retailer’s ability to project a store image that meets customers’ expectations while enforcing the strategic corporate identity.

Customer satisfaction, from the service quality perspective, has emerged as a new modus operandi for assessing customers’ perceptions and/or expectations of services in order to re-orient and regulate existing services. University library administrators in Sri Lanka, realising the necessity of complying with customer perception of high quality service, have begun to search for alternative ways to satisfy their clientele on the basis of service quality. This study therefore aims to meet this need by developing a model to assess the extent to which service quality indicators and other explanatory attributes may be used to predict customer satisfaction, from a service quality perspective. The research process used in the study was the “onion model,” which involved a combination of positivist and phenomenological inquiries that led to the use of qualitative and quantitative approaches in line with the purpose of the study, which was exploratory in nature and searched for causality. The design of the study involved two main stages: the exploratory stage and the main stage. In the exploratory stage, attributes and domain identification of service quality was carried out with a sample of 262 subjects. Based upon the exploratory study, four provisional models were constructed and tested in the main study, using a sample of 1840 subjects. The model based on the performance-only paradigm and the linearity assumption between the constructs was found to be the best parsimony model that provided for enhanced predictive performance, calibration and potential insight into attributes and domain relevance. Regarding overall satisfaction, responsiveness, supportiveness, building environment, collection and access, furniture and facilities, technology and service delivery as quality domains, involvement with the service, and knowledge of the customers as situational attributes and age, member category, university and gender as socio-demographic attributes were found to be significant. The final model may be used to design a simple measurement or monitoring process of library performance, and it may also be a useful tool for diagnosing service quality locally. This research further provides a keystone for other studies and may also stimulate the momentum of current research on service quality and/or customer satisfaction / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

M. Tech. (Department of Marketing and Sport Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The rapid advancement in technology-based systems, especially those related to the Internet, has led to fundamental changes in how banks interact with customers. This study provides a framework for understanding customer perceptions of the quality of technology-based banking service and the relationship of this service to customer satisfaction and loyalty. The conceptual framework of this study was based on extensive study of relevant literature and examination of previously developed measuring instruments of service quality in general and e-service quality and online banking in particular. A modified and fully structured questionnaire was developed to suit the South African setting. Given the nature of this study, a quantitative research approach was applied. Customers from Southern Gauteng, South Africa, who made use of online banking facilities from commercial banks, constituted the population for the study. The sampling procedure (snowball sampling technique) resulted in a sample of 180 online banking consumers. Seven factors were extracted as dimensions that influence customer perception of online banking service quality, using a factor analysis and rotated factor loadings procedure. These were: factor 1 (assurance, trust and appeal), factor 2 (responsiveness), factor 3 (ease of use), factor 4 (accessibility), factor 5 (fulfilment), factor 6 (speed and accuracy) and factor 7 (contact). The percentage of variance explained, eigenvalues and scree plot were used in the process of determining the number of factors to extract for the study. With mean values above four on a scale of one (minimum) to five (maximum), all the factors were found to be critical for improvement of online banking service quality. The overall level of customer satisfaction with online banking service quality was very high, with an overall mean score of 4.22. A mean score of 4.10 for customer loyalty predicts that respondents are likely to commit to patronising their current bank in the foreseeable future. Thus, the overall customer satisfaction and loyalty levels were skewed to the right, suggesting that respondents were generally satisfied with the quality of service rendered by the banks. These high levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty should encourage the marketing practitioners of the banks to enhance online banking service quality and ensure its improvement in order to achieve delighted customers. The relationship among the constructs of online banking service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty was established by using correlations and regression analysis. From the findings, it was established that there is evidence that the seven factors positively influence customer satisfaction and loyalty. The results also highlighted a strong positive influence of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty. Customer satisfaction has become a ‘must achieve’ objective for any bank that wishes to remain profitable and relevant in this competitive business environment. Acquiring loyal customers who will patronise and associate themselves with the bank is of particular importance for the potential market share growth and success of any bank. The relationship among the constructs of online banking service quality dimensions, customer satisfaction and loyalty focus must, however, be based on the individual building blocks of service quality, i.e. the factors (service attributes) that influence online banking service quality. Periodic measurement of the levels of online banking service quality should become an integral part of any bank`s effort and strategy in improving service quality levels. The study, which focused on users of Internet banking in South Africa, was not organisation/bank-specific. For more practical purposes, future endeavours could be focused on organisation/bank-specific studies. It must be emphasised that more research is needed before any final conclusions can be reached on the dimensionality and validity of online banking service quality.