D.Comm. / The South African Petroleum Industry is very competitive and is vital to the economic growth of the country. It is the basis for much of the nation's productivity, from keeping national transport flowing to producing products and services. The South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA) was formed to further matters of common interest amongst competitive providers of Petroleum Industry Road Conveniences (PIRCs), and to promote good ethics, high industrial standards, competent governance and effective communications within the industry. PIRCs are distributed on most South African roads. This study emphasises and focuses on the location of PIRCs on national routes only. Various factors and theories, which influence the location of a PIRC, are analysed by means of a literature study, personal investigation and practical experience. Attention is given to the physical and legal aspects, which can influence the location of a PIRC. Thereafter, the macro, market and micro considerations are discussed. Particular attention is given to Porter's Five Forces of Competitiveness and the value chain.

This study assessed students’ satisfaction with Ramkhamhaeng University regional library services (RURLs) and the perceived quality of information retrieved from other information sources. In particular, this study investigated factors relating to regional students’ selection of information sources to meet their information needs. The researcher applied the principle of least effort and Simon’s satisficing theory for this study. The former principle governs and predicts the selection of these students’ perceived source accessibility, whereas the latter theory explains the selection and use of the information retrieved without considering whether the information is optimal. This study employed a web-based survey to collect data from 188 respondents. The researcher found that convenience and ease of use were the top two variables relating to respondent’s selection of information sources and use. The Internet had the highest mean for convenience. Results of testing a multiple linear regression model of all four RURCs showed that these four independent variables (convenience, ease of use, availability, and familiarity) were able to explain 69% of the total variance in the frequency of use of information sources. Convenience and ease of use were able to increase respondents’ perceived source accessibility and explain the variance of the frequency of use of sources more than availability and familiarity. These findings imply that respondents’ selection of information sources at the RURCs were governed by the principle of least effort. Libraries could consider the idea of one-stop services in the design of the Web portal, making it user friendly and convenient to access. Ideally, students could have one card to check out materials from any library in the resources sharing network.

With an ongoing development in technology, retailers faces new challenges in terms of higher customer expectations. To meet these expectations, retail companies can use in-store technology to enhance the shopping experience and to create more value. This study aims to provide an understanding of in-store technology and how retailers can work with these tools in order to create customer value and improve the customer experience. The purpose of this study will be to investigate the Swedish market and see how Swedish retail companies work with in-store technology.   In this context, the following research questions were formed: (1) How do retail managers use in-store technology to create value for the customers? and (2) How do in-store technology affect frontline employees within retail? In order to answer these questions, a qualitative method was used, where five different retail companies were interviewed, which all have implemented in-store technology. Before the empirical gathering, we chose to keep the companies and the respondents anonymous in order for us to reduce the risk for complications later on in the thesis. This study aims to provide theory and to get an understanding of in-store technology and how companies can use it to develop their business. A conceptual framework was made to clarify which concepts that was used in order to answer these questions. These concepts were in-store technology, customer value creation, convenience, frontline employees, customer engagement and improved customer experience.   The empirical findings generated theory in which the authors developed two models: (1) The value dynamics, which describe how in-store technology and the interplay between managers, frontline employees, and customers generate value to each other. (2) A three step model where the authors have several suggestions of what retail companies should think of when they implement new technology.  The results of this study conclude how retail companies can use in-store technology in order to create customer value to improve the customer experience. In-store technology has created more value for the customer in terms of a more convenient shopping experience, and in-store technology provides the customer with more information which makes the shopping experience more independent as well. In-store technology has also contributed, in some extent, to a better working environment for frontline employees.

This dissertation investigates how very recent, recent, and established immigrants who use e-government service platforms in Canada experience and circumvent digital inequalities. Employing a Capabilities Approach perspective, this study focuses specifically on the challenges encountered by very recent, recent, and established Nepali immigrants to Canada in using federal-, provincial-, and municipal-level e-government service platforms. To meet this objective, an explanatory sequential design mixed-methods approach involving a survey with 261 respondents and five focus group meetings with 25 Nepali immigrants to Canada was used to gather the requisite data. In contrast with dominant narratives in much digital divide literature, the findings revealed no statistically significant differences in the use of e-government service platforms by very recent, recent, and established Nepali immigrants other than very recent immigrants were found to be using the federal-level e-government service platform more frequently than their recent and established immigrant counterparts. The lack of observable differences between the two groups was found to be linked to the participants' reliance on their social support networks of family and friends who provide the material and immaterial resources needed to mitigate the effects of digital inequalities. The implications of these unexpected findings are important for understanding the evolving on-the-ground dynamics with which immigrants must contend and, specifically, how their lived experiences contrast with stereotypical perceptions and understandings of their encounters with digital inequalities. The findings also contribute to advancing the knowledge both in terms of theory and practice. At the level of theory, the findings suggest the presence of two conversion factors — social support networks, and perceptions of convenience — that up to now have not received much attention in the Capabilities Approach literature. At the level of practice, the findings suggest a need to reconsider the ways in which the ubiquity of ICT devices and the pervasiveness of Internet connections along with changing immigration criteria are contributing to a transformation in how very recent, recent, and established immigrants experience digital inequalities.

Depuis quelques années, les groupes de distribution alimentaires français ont développé de nouveaux concepts de magasins de proximité et on note une augmentation régulière de leurs parts de marché. Les raisons du succès de ces magasins peuvent s’expliquer par certains facteurs sociodémographiques (vieillissement, taille réduite des ménages) mais aussi par une modification des attentes temporelles des consommateurs. A travers cette recherche, nous nous interrogeons sur les notions de proximité et de temporalité dans la distribution et tentons de prédire l’intention des consommateurs de fréquenter ces nouveaux concepts de magasins de proximité. L’analyse de 22 entretiens qualitatifs auprès de distributeurs et de consommateurs nous a permis de proposer un modèle conceptuel qui a ensuite été testé de manière empirique auprès de deux échantillons de 250 consommateurs chacun, en se basant sur une analyse par équations structurelles de type PLS. Les résultats montrent que les libres-services alimentaires de proximité fidélisent leur clientèle essentiellement par la proximité relationnelle et fonctionnelle qu’ils apportent, ainsi que par la possibilité qu’ils offrent aux consommateurs, de mieux gérer leur temps. En effet, certaines de leurs caractéristiques (amplitude d’ouverture, faible taille du magasin et des assortiments, temps limité d’attente aux caisses) permettent, aux consommateurs, non seulement de gagner du temps (chronos), mais surtout de fréquenter ces magasins au moment voulu, et de manière immédiate (kaïros). Ces concepts de magasins semblent donc entrer en résonnance avec les attentes du consommateur post-moderne en quête de lien social et vivant de plus en plus dans le présentisme et l’immédiateté. / Since few years, French food retailers have developed new concepts of convenience stores and their market share increase regularly. The reasons for their success can be explained by socio-demographic factors (aging, smaller households) but also by a change in temporal consumer expectations. Through this research, we question the notions of proximity and temporality in retailing and try to predict the intention to patronize these new concepts of convenience stores by consumers. The analysis of 22 qualitative interviews with retailers and consumers has enabled us to propose a conceptual model which was then tested empirically with two samples of 250 consumers each, based on a PLS structural equation modeling. Results show that customers patronize convenience stores primarily through the relational and functional proximity they bring, as well as the opportunity they offer to consumers to better manage their time. Indeed, some of their characteristics (opening hours, small store size and assortment, limited waiting time at checkout) allow consumers not only to save time (chronos), but mainly frequent these stores at the right time and immediately (kaïros). This store concepts seem then to meet post-modern consumer’s expectations seeking for social links and living increasingly in presentism and immediacy.

Digital technologies are challenging the notions of integrity. This has clearly been proved by people’s use of digital services and products that constantly is increasing. This means that digital services and products continue to develop to fit in on the user’s behavior patterns, and thus meet individual demand. But what developers and users during this development have failed to take into account, is the matter of privacy where the limits of perceptual information and public information lack clear boundaries. The aim of this master thesis is to collect valuable insights into users perception of integrity and privacy in both digital and analog contexts. By using mixed methods with a reversed exploratory sequential design approach, it was possible to explore and map out users perception and prerequisites for when and under what circumstances they choose to share private data. In order to reach the purpose of this study, an online survey and an adapted Cultural probe were conducted. The results of these methods then became the base of a design process that suggests a proposal on how alternative integrity concepts can be constructed.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Children are at increased risk for harmful lead exposure due to their behavior and the increased percentage of lead absorption. While lead levels and the possible adverse health effects vary by age and level absorbed, the medical field agrees that lead is a persistent public health issue of the first order. Importantly, Hoosier children are at an increased risk for possible negative side effects because of the small percentage of children who are being tested; despite the AAP’s recommendation. The Health Belief Model (HBM) provided a strong and appropriate framework for guiding this formative research about parents’ perceptions of blood lead testing. This study aimed to answer two research questions based on HBM concepts and utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods to help answer them. Using snowball and convenience sampling, 14 Hoosier parents were recruited to participate in this study during the spring of 2020. Parents were recruitment from four counties across the state with known high rates of lead and/or low rates of blood lead testing among babies and small children. The findings from this study yield broad suggestions for future work within the field of communication research and specific suggestions for applied communication campaign research and clinical interventions within the state of Indiana. This study suggests we still have a long way to go as a state in addressing the dangers of lead toxicity and increasing regular testing among Hoosier children.

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The internet has enabled billions of online transactions with customers transacting in real-time from various geographical points, while ecommerce could make more for Quebec traders dealing in various commodities. Quebec's ecommerce is still underdeveloped. This thesis seeks to understand the factors behind an e-consumer making a purchasing decision on a Quebec ecommerce site by using the Online Purchase assessment tool (OPAT) model to pinpoint emerging e-commerce trends, a literature review, and a questionnaire to discover the reality of why consumers purchase online. It discovered that e-commerce is not well-developed in Quebec because platforms use French and leave out English-speaking shoppers, most residents prefer physical shopping, and poor pricing strategies by foreign ecommerce platforms. This study aims to uncover why the Quebec retail industry is underdeveloped when it has enormous potential to lead among Canadian provinces. It evaluates consumer purchasing behaviors from online stores based on three moments that happen during the purchasing process. Summarily, it measures the first moment a retailer visits the platform, when they decide to purchase, and loyalty when they return to purchase again. It also provides recommendations for Quebec retailers regarding factors to consider when setting up their ecommerce stores to be successful.