The South African music industry is in crisis. Recent data suggests that the industry has declined by an average of 13.2% per year for the past 5 years. The industry seems to be unable to accept responsibility for this state of affairs and consistently blames external factors for its woes. A new look at the marketing strategies for the industry is urgently required The primary objective of this dissertation is to raise the debate around current marketing strategies, to show that these strategies are not able to facilitate growth in the industry, and need to be radically reassessed. Anticipated results were achieved during the interviews that were conducted. There is a general belief throughout the industry that the reason for the decline is beyond the control of retailers or suppliers. Blame was placed on the increasing sales of cellular phones, gambling, the national lottery and piracy. None of the interviewed stakeholders considered a change in marketing strategy to be beneficial. It is recommended that marketing strategies be reviewed. The tendency to operate on a 'product and price' advertising strategy should be removed, and a strategy put in place that responds to the wants and needs of consumers. This strategy should include a great degree of personal relevance for the consumer. Retail stores should focus on establishing brand identity for their stores rather than focusing on product and price. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

Customer satisfaction is a critical component of a business's competitive strategy. Autolab Csi, a division of the South African Sugar Association, is operating in a deregulated market environment and thus has to ensure that customers are always satisfied with the quality of service received. Poor service can threaten the viability of a business and Autolab Csi need to establish suitable and effective service delivery mechanisms and minimise the threat of competitors entering the sugar industry laboratory systems services market. Customer satisfaction is dependent on the quality of service that a service provider has to offer its customers. Autolab Csi have embarked on a programme to adopt best practice Information Technology (IT) service process as described in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) model as a means to improve customer satisfaction. The ITIL model consists of twelve service processes that are grouped into four categories namely, Service Delivery, Service Support, Service Desk and Security Management. ITIL is not recognised by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) as an international standard for IT service delivery. The British Standards Institute standard BS 15000 had been released to address the need for a recognised standard and is shortly due to be adopted by the ISO. The study hypothesises there is adoption of all twelve service processes by Autolab Csi but not all processes have been completely and/or successfully implemented. Compliance of the ITIL Service Delivery process to the BS15000 standard is reviewed concomitantly with the ITIL adoption assessment. As part of the process of implementation of the ITIL framework, Autolab Csi had faced challenges to the process yet had also benefited. The study investigates these benefits and challenges from the perspective of understanding how success can be achieved with the implementation of ITIL processes. The study shows that Autolab Csi has made measurable progress in the implementation of all twelve ITIL service processes. The service process areas of Security Management, Service Desk and some processes of Service Delivery show the highest levels of ITIL compliance. Service Support shows the lowest levels of ITIL compliance in particular, the Change and Release Management processes. The presented data allows for the development of targeted strategies to continuously improve Autolab Csi's service delivery mechanisms. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College, 2004.

The new National Gambling Bill introduces a system of voluntary and court-ordered exclusion of problem gamblers from casinos. A wide range of exclusion techniques for access control could be applied to South African casinos. However, there are no clear criteria on which to base the decision of which system is to be implemented. Various role players need to be considered to determine what can be deployable in casino applications. A framework, from a business perspective, is proposed which allows multiple role players and varied criteria to effectively evaluate a range of possible solutions. The framework is applied to the role players affected by the proposed exclusion of problem gamblers from gambling. The main role players evaluated a number of possible exclusion techniques according to a range of important criteria. The current solution of a security guard at the entrance is superior according to the casino operations department. The casino marketing division places a high emphasis on ease of use for the pUblic. Of the alternative solutions, comparison-based solutions (using an identity book) were preferred by Gambling Anonymous while card-based solutions (proximity card) was found to be preferable by the public. The casino surveillance department preferred non-contact, overt, biometric acquisition (such as iris recognition). Covert biometric acquisition (face recognition) is found to be the most acceptable to all the role players, with fingerprint recognition being the least acceptable. The application of the framework allowed multimodal exclusion techniques (face recognition linked to casino loyalty cards) to emerge as a promising way forward. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Self-service may increase customer satisfaction. But by allowing customers to be in close contact with goods before they purchase, exposes the retailer to possible shrinkage in the form of dishonest customers and staff. Suppliers contribute to the shrinkage problem by under-supplying or falsifying invoices. Errors in the capture of inventory information on the part of management and employees are further contributors to possible shrinkage. The combination of these three factors contributes to the phenomenon of 'retail shrinkage' and is directly responsible for eroding the profits of retailers. At present the South African retail market is highly competitive. It is almost saturated and retailers depend on sales volume and lower profit margins to remain in business. To increase profitability, South African retailers are pursuing re-branding and foreign market expansion strategies. This is aggravated by a higher shrinkage rate which in turn increases prices. Robust Shrinkage reduction leads to lower prices, better availability and safer shopping for consumers, greater sales and guaranteed shelf space for manufacturers and reduced losses and increased profitability for retailers. How this can be achieved is the challenging question for retailers. Bearing this in mind, this research is carried in two selected stores, from Woolworths and Checkers. The findings reveal that the above listed shrinkage problems are of great concern to the stores and they have put in place various loss reduction solutions. In this situation the list of solutions is diverse and 'prescribing' a solution is not the main concern. The challenge is how to systematically identify critical and solution seeking causes. From this research it was clear that neither of the two stores has a systematic Shrinkage related data gathering, recording and analysis tools. They are not collaborating with other firms in similar businesses. And worst of all they do not have a strategy to reduce loss because they do not seem to consider loss reduction as a core business activity. Finally, a strategic or policy deployment approach to loss reduction is recommended for the two stores. This includes shrinkage awareness, planning, shrinkage cause analysis, implementation and evaluation. Based on the strategic approach, specific solutions to the specific problems at the two stores are also provided. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

The banking industry has been characterised by changes and a turbulent operating environment. Increased competition, the entry of non traditional players in the market, and a more aware and demanding client base has made it imperative for banks to understand their customers. The need to attract and retain good customers is critical to the top and bottom line, as is the need to effectively sell and cross-sell to the customer. The recognition that it is more costly to gain new customers makes it imperative that maximum value is extracted from the existing customer base. The important trends that defined business in the nineties, such as globalisation, deregulation, and extraordinary technological advancement, made customer facing initiatives both a way for corporations to show that they cared for their customers, as well as a strategic and operating imperative. Customer relationship management (CRM) was viewed as a critical strategic process in order for banks to protect their customer base and to improve stakeholder value. CRM is as much about improving profitability by effectively tapping into the client base, as it is about managing information in a way that ensures that the customer enjoys a consistent experience with the organisation regardless of which channel he/she transacts through. The process is designed to make customers feel that their bank understands and appreciates them. The CRM process must be supported by a well thought out strategy and must contain clear goals. Technology is an essential component underpinning CRM and the supporting processes and procedures. Whilst this is an inescapable fact, CRM is not about plugging in some expensive technology that will solve the organisations problems. On the contrary, it is an initiative that requires commitment and a mindset in order for it to succeed, and an over-arching strategic customer relationship management ethos. This paper will critically examine the CRM strategy as a means of effectively servicing bank customers and leveraging the database to prevent the loss of customers to competitors and increase the value of stakeholders through effective delivery of products and services, and ensuring a consistently good customer experience at all points of contact. Whilst the focus will be on the generic principles of the CRM process as it relates to one major bank, the essentials are true for any other bank or financial institution for that matter. Issues such as the different channels that clients could use to interact with their bank, and how the bank can optimise these interactions will be aired. In addition the rationale for distinguishing between the various categories or segments of customers and how this influences CRM will be discussed. For years organisations and banks in particular have plodded on; treating each customer either the same or indifferently. Interactions were haphazard and often unplanned. The banks relationship with its customer lurched from interaction to inter-action, often without any continuity. Different areas of the bank viewed the customer differently; there was no coherent all encompassing view of the customer. This often led to frustrations for the customer and equally as often, loss of business. The need for a seamless and profitable series of interaction with the customer becomes more and more obvious as the industry becomes more competitive. The process leading up to the implementation of CRM is just as critical as the implementation of the technology itself. For Standard Bank this process started in 1999 after the failed take over bid by Nedcor. The organisation set out to reinvent itself and embarked on a strategy of growth and enhancing stakeholder (shareholders, customers and its people) value. The growth came from entry into new markets such as Africa and Europe, as well as concentrated growth in the domestic market. The company focussed on its existing customer base and sought to increase its penetration by improved cross-sell. The strategy involved an assessment of the internal and external operating environment, and its resources and capabilities. New technology was acquired and new skills were developed to ensure success of the strategy. In this paper, we shall analyse this process and the appropriateness of the strategic customer relationship management as a model for growth. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.

No abstract available. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

The problems existing at the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering may be linked to that fact that its organisational culture has not been diagnosed. Some of the issues facing the line managers at the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering are the low morale of staff; high staff turnover rates and tension within the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering. In addition, with the proposed merger between TWR, Rand Afrikaans University and Vista University, the current culture may need to change. Hence, the core focus of this study was to identify the existing organisational culture within the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering with a view to assist line managers in enhancing its effectiveness. The Competing Values Framework, together with the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), was used to diagnose the culture within the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering. It was found that within the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering at present, the dominant culture is the hierarchy type culture and the preferred dominant culture should be the market type culture. The hierarchy type culture focuses on internal maintenance with a need for stability and control whilst the market type culture has an external focus with a need for stability and control. It was recommended that the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering change its current hierarchy culture towards the market type culture. The study was concluded by providing recommendations in order to facilitate a smooth transition from a hierarchy type culture to a market type culture. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

An effective strategic management process is vital to the continued success of any organisation. As competition mounts within markets globally, the pressure on organisations to succeed continues to mount. This paper attempts to analyse the situation of a small firm in the South African market. It recognises the challenges faced by this organisation while critically assessing the strategic choices made by this firm in its attempts to continue on its current growth path. In particular, this paper assesses the strategic initiative of the development of an attendance management program to address the identified strategic gaps within Monitored Healthrisk Managers. This assessment excludes an analysis of the current market for such a product, it is presumed that such a market exists, but rather attempts to analyse the position of MHM itself to see whether it has the necessary resources to undertaken such an initiative. In particular, this paper assesses the strategic choice using an abstract of the model developed by Johnson & Scholes to analyse the strategic option using criteria supporting the suitability, acceptability and feasibility of the development of the program. This research is intended to provide a critical assessment of the program which will be used in a report to the management team of MHM serving to illustrate the viability of such an undertaking. / Thesis (MBA)- University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

This report presents the summary of findings of African Banking Corporation Zimbabwe Market segment. The overall objective of using a market segmentation strategy IS to Improve your company's competitive position and better serve the needs of your customers. Some specific objectives may include increased sales, improved market share and enhanced image. There are five major benefits of market segmentation analysis and strategy: • Designing responsive products to meet the needs of the market place • Developing effective and cost-efficient promotional tactics & campaigns • Gauging your company's market position- how your company is perceived by its customers and potential customers relative to competition • Fine tuning current marketing strategies • Carving out a market niche for your company by positioning. This may be accomplished by searching out unique marketing advantages, seeking new market segments that competitors are not cultivating, or developing new approaches to old problems. Your positioning should be based on a real (e.g. lower cost, superior quality) or intangibles (e.g. company reputation) competitive advantage. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of Natal, 2003.

No abstract available. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.