Thesis (D. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2008

Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the Masters Degree in Technology: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / The aim of this study was to investigate customer service quality at DUT. The objectives were: to identify students’ expectations of service quality in sport at the DUT; to determine students’ perceptions of the service quality in sport at DUT; to determine the gap between expectations and perceptions; and to analyse the relationship between selected biographical characteristics and expectations and perceptions of students, using a questionnaire developed from the SERVQUAL instrument. A total of 400 students have completed the survey during the period May 2010 to June 2010. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Several service quality dimensions were identified and as expected, students’ experiences of service delivery fell short of their expectations particularly for the dimension. All the service quality dimensions in the students’ surveys of sport at the DUT contain negative mean gap scores. From these findings the Sports department at the DUT can identify more specifically the failures in its service quality and seek to improve upon them. Service quality dimensions that are deemed to be good predictors of service quality for students of the DUT sport offering have been related to factors such as the “Tangibility”, Reliability”, “Responsiveness”, “Assurance” and “Empathy. It can be observed that all these dimensions have highly negative mean gap scores. Consequently, the Durban University of Technology will have to address these dimensions more precisely in its attempt to improve its service quality, especially the “Reliability” Dimension, which has emerged as the most important service quality predictor.

M. Tech. Business Administration / The purpose of this study is to improve service quality at Nedbank by using a modified version of the SERVQUAL model to identify the service quality gaps at Centurion Mall branch and highlight the areas that need to be improved so as to deliver superior quality service. To access the customer's expectation on service quality, a SERVQUAL questionnaire was used to measure expectation and perception according to five quality dimensions.

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. / M

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, partly for the fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg 2016 / This dissertation aims to identify whether or not there is clear and tangible evidence to suggest a relationship between the presence of total quality management (TQM) practices and service quality in the restaurant industry. It attempts to investigate if restaurants that show higher levels of service quality do so because they implement quality management practices in some form or another. The study considers four restaurants in Johannesburg. A research method was devised purely for this dissertation to measure the presence of quality management practices within the restaurant and the level of service quality experienced by the customer. Three research instruments were designed for the study by using various frameworks, specifically TQM (a type of quality management practice), the SERVQUAL instrument (a tool used to measure service quality) and qualitative research interviewing. Quality management practices at the restaurants were assessed using the first research instrument: The TQM Questionnaire, which was conducted as an interview between researcher and restaurant employees. The level of service quality was assessed using the second research instrument: The Customer Survey, which was dispensed to the restaurant customers. The third instrument, an observations table was used to corroborate the results obtained by the first two instruments and was designed by the researcher. The results of the TQM Questionnaire were analysed using content analysis, and each restaurant was assigned a total TQM score, which signified the degree to which they implement TQM practices. These scores were compared to the results obtained from the customer surveys, which assigned each restaurant with a SERVQUAL score that measured the degree of customer satisfaction. The TQM results were compared to the SERVQUAL results for each restaurant in order to identify a relationship between the two aspects. The research identified that 3 of the 4 restaurants showed a clear relationship between the presence of TQM practices in their operations and the level of service quality experienced by the customer. It was identified that restaurants that achieved high TQM scores also achieved the highest SERVQUAL scores. This finding recognises that there is a relationship between TQM and service quality, however the study does not go forward to investigate the nature of this relationship. / MT2016

A RESEARCH REPORT PRESENTED TO: THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WiTWATERSRAND BUSINESS SCHOOL. IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTERS OF MANAGEMENT DEGREE IN HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND. / This study attempts to establish what bank treasury dealers are measured and rewarded on in general, and more specifically whether customer orientation factors are included as criteria of measurement and reward in the performance management process, Furthermore, this study attempts to establish the !evel of customer orientation in bank treasuries by utilising the Narver and Slater Marketing Orientation Scale (1990) and then makes a comparison between that level and the degree to which it is managed by the pertormance management process in terms of both recognition and reward. To achieve this, a study was undertaken in two commercial banks and one merchant bank with a sample size of 70. A trIangulated study was undertaken with the initial qualitative phase consisting of pilot interviews with three senior treasury managers, one from each bank, as well as an independent treasury consultant. Thereafter the quantitative study was undertaken utilising questionnaires distributed to each bank. The median, range and mean were utilised to determine whether or not customer orientation is included as a criteria of firstly, measurement and secondly reward in the performance management process. Thereafter, the ANOVA technique was used to determine the significance of the differences in the means. Sheffe's test of Multiple Palrwise Comparison of Means was then used to determine which means were different. The Spearman rank-order correlation was used to analyse the relationship between the level of customer orientation as per the Narver and Slater Market Orientation Scale (1990), against firstly what the respondents are measured on in their performance management process and secondly, what they are rewarded on. The findings generally indicate that some (but not all) of the customer orientation factors, are included in the performance rnanaqement process in South African bank treasuries to varying degrees. / Andrew Chakane 2019

M. Tech. Business Administration / Technology has become an integral part of the marketplace and customers are increasingly given the option or are being driven to access services by themselves through the use of Self-Service Terminal. The purposes of this study is to investigate factors that influences customer perceptions and associated value of self-service terminals machines within the South African banking context and particular within the province of Gauteng, as well as understand the influences of demographic variables that lead to acceptance and usage of self-service terminals in Gauteng.

M. Tech. Office Management and Technology / Although most students are not aware of all the administrative tasks involved in the processes during the period from choosing a university to graduation, they become aware of the administrative processes as soon as problems arise. They are often confronted with administrative problems that result in poor customer service. By the time students reach the graduation office and are confronted with administrative problems concerning their graduation, they become very disappointed. The problem therefore focuses on whether a graduation office can work proactively and improve customer service to such an extent that the customers: namely, the students and their guardians, have a satisfying experience. In general there is a feeling among staff at administrative departments of universities that they wait constantly for other departments to complete their outputs which serve as their inputs. This process of departments not transferring their work in time and also sending incomplete or incorrect qualifications is the main reason for students not graduating. This could be one of the reasons for students then complaining that they have had to wait too long for an answer after applying to graduate, or received their communication too late.

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.

Tourism has been an important economic activity in the Western Cape as it creates employment for local citizens and generates income for the province. In order for tourism to be a constant income generator, services that are offered at various accommodation establishments, attractions, restaurants and visitor information bureaus should be outstanding, as service excellence and effective word-of-mouth advertising will generate repeat business.