Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Over the last decade, the concept of using sport for regeneration purposes has gained increasing credibility in a number of cities throughout the UK. Despite this, little is known about the economic importance of sport at the local level. Although research has been carried out on the economic activity generated through sport since the mid 1980s (Henley Centre for Forecasting, 1986), the majority of studies have been undertaken at the national and regional level. This thesis investigates the economic importance of sport at the local level, using Sheffield as a case study. It represents the first study of sport-related economic activity to be carried out at the city level, in the UK. Following a critical evaluation of the feasible methodologies for measuring the economic importance of sport at the local level, the National Income Accounting framework was found to be most appropriate for measuring sport-related economic activity in Sheffield. To satisfy the data requirements of this framework, extensive primary data collection was undertaken in the voluntary, consumer and commercial sport sectors using questionnaires and structured interviews. This was used, together with data collected from secondary sources and previous economic impact studies in the UK, to estimate the value-added and employment created from sport-related economic activity in Sheffield. The findings of the research revealed that the economic importance of sport in Sheffield in 1996/97 was approximately twice the level predicted from current national estimates. The value-added by sport-related economic activity was found to be £165.61 million, which was approximately 4.11% of GDP in Sheffield in 1996/97, compared with just 1.61% of GDP at the national level (LIRC, 1997). Whilst a number of explanations for these findings are explored within the thesis, one of the most significant findings of the research is that previous estimates, established in other studies on the economic importance of sport in the UK, have been inaccurate and have essentially underestimated the size of the sport-related economic activity. The research also evaluated the potential role for sport in economic regeneration and provided evidence to suggest that sport can perform as a basic sector activity, a function widely assumed to be fulfilled only by producer services, manufacturing and agricultural activities (Williams, 1997). The study demonstrates that sport is an industrial sector within its own right and that it has considerable potential for generating benefits, including local economic development, job creation and urban renewal. Nevertheless, the thesis suggests that the future development of the sports industry for regeneration purposes should take the form of an integrated approach with other cultural industries and tourism.

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This thesis investigates the food shopping experience of older consumers (aged 65+) in Scotland. The aim was to develop the shopping dimension of food choice research and broaden the understanding of older consumers within this context. The need for such a study is borne out of the political impetus on food choice research, with the older age segment being particularly important due to: increasing numbers of older people; their vulnerability in terms of nutrition; the changes in food shopping that they have experienced in their lifetime; and their potential for being disadvantaged consumers. The growing numbers of older people present a number of challenges within the food choice discipline. The food retail sector, which is highly competitive, is faced with meeting the needs of a growing market segment which it has previously neglected. There have been efforts by governments to integrate the food retailing sector into the policy for improving the dietary health of the nation. However, these recommendations have been limited and the specific issues for older people in terms of food shopping not fully described. This thesis provides four major findings which provide an original contribution to knowledge. The first is that the characteristics of the older consumer result in a diverse shopping activity. This is reflected in the diversity of their personal circumstances, their preferences and their shopping activity. Secondly, the disadvantage experienced by older consumers is more complex than previously recognised. Thirdly, a comprehensive framework for investigating the shopping dimension of food choice research has been developed, and specifically applied to older consumers. Finally, there is a lack of inter-dependence and integration both between sectors influencing food choice and across the disciplines investigating it, and this must be addressed. There are several implications of these findings. First, academic research in the field of food choice should seek to undertake more multidisciplinary research and the conceptual model provides a framework from which to develop future studies. Secondly, specific recommendations can be made for retailers, both at a store level and concerning their contribution to the wider shopping environment. Thirdly, the findings are a catalyst for debate on the extent to which policy-makers should seek to integrate members of a multidisciplinary team in more detailed planning of recommendations.

M.Com. (Business Management) / What really drives business success? Ten, twenty years ago, it would have been somewhat easier to answer this pertinent question. What were seen as central to business success were functional hard core derivatives i.e. operational efficiency, financial discipline and speed to market. Customers, essentially customer experience, were never part of the equation. For those very few organisations that bid to be anything different, the concepts customer experience and customer satisfaction were merely an afterthought. Today the picture is slightly different. Organisations are now applying a contemporary business approach and showing more appreciation for customers. Organisations realise that by creating an environment that is pro—consumer, an environment that achieves and maintains a fair balance between organisational process efficacies and customers’ needs, an environment that harnesses employees productivity and encourages fluid communication passage between the organisation and its customers, they will not only connect with their customers on an emotional level, but they will be able to build a sustainable brand asset and a long-lasting profitable relationships with their customers. It is for this reason that the four customer experience elements namely: process, people, channel approach and branding were selected as premise for this study. This study tries to understand and establish the influence of customer experience elements on customer satisfaction at the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). An investigation was conducted on customer experience within a process-centred approach at the IDC. The study was steered in two stages. The first stage focused on exploratory research, and the second stage focused on descriptive research. The sample consisted of 276 customers. In-depth interviews were conducted with customers to assist the researcher in developing the statements in the questionnaire. A self-administered questionnaire was designed based on theoretical literature provided within the study and information gathered through the in-depth interviews. Various statistical analysis procedures were used to achieve the objectives of the study, including factor analysis, rotated factor matrix, Cronbach’s alpha, multiple regression and comparison analysis.

Improving access and building inclusive financial systems is not just a goal but also a necessity for economies at every level of development. Unsecured lending was first introduced with the intention of addressing society's ills yet recent violence experienced at the Marikana mines in Rustenburg aroused the attention of both the general public and government. The impact of unsecured lending on the financial wellbeing of consumers has subsequently been brought under the spotlight. Unsecured lending has taken and will continue to take an increasingly central role in our social, political and economic landscape. This study intended to determine the impact of unsecured lending on the financial wellbeing of consumers and made use of three research hypotheses towards this aim. A survey was used to gather data which was statistically analysed by means of a quantitative research strategy. The findings of the research indicated that those who make use of unsecured lending as a means of accessing finance have a better subjective view of their financial well being than those who do not make use of unsecured lending, further, consumers who make use of multiple unsecured loans have an improved outlook with regard to their financial position than those who do not make use of multiple unsecured loans. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / pagibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

For years, promotional activities in South Africa have been subject to regulation by various industry-specific regulatory bodies, such as inter alia, the Advertising Standards Authority, the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa. In addition, various, legislative pieces including the Consumer Affairs (Harmful Business Practice) Act 71 of 1988, the Tobacco Products Control Act 83 of 1993, and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 have regulated important aspects pertaining to promotional activities. Following the promulgation of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (hereafter referred to as the CPA or the Act) all forms of promotional activities in South Africa are now regulated under this single piece of legislation, or are they? The potential problems that arise from the application of the provisions pertaining to promotional activities in the CPA are the threefold: namely, the possible redundancy of these pre-existing regulatory bodies; the over-regulation of promotional activities in South Africa; and the interplay between the provisions of the CPA, as well as the legislation and Codes pertaining to promotional activities, that have not been repealed by the Act. The investigation into these three major concerns will be conducted with reference to the regulation of promotional activities in terms of other South African statutes and existing Codes. In addition a comparative analysis with the regulation of promotional activities in the United Kingdom will be carried out. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Mercantile Law / unrestricted

Class of 2014 Abstract / Specific Aims: To determine what the general public understands about sunscreen and to see if specific groups need more targeted marketing and education about sunscreen. Methods: Questionnaires administered to eligible participants that rated the participants’ knowledge of general sun safety, sunscreen application, and FDA labeling on sunscreen products compared to demographic data. Demographic data were collected on age, gender, years resided in Arizona, whether participants has or known anyone with a history of skin cancer and ethnicity. Main Results: Questionnaires were completed by 62 participants. When comparing skin cancer versus no skin cancer using student’s t-test, there was no significant difference (P=0.09). When comparing gender versus total using student’s t-test, there was no significant difference (P=0.62). When comparing ethnicity versus total using ANOVA, F < Fcritical indicating there was no difference. When comparing age versus total using ANOVA, F < Fcritical indicating there was no difference. When comparing years residing in Arizona versus total using ANOVA, F < Fcritical indicating there was no difference. Conclusion: Consumer knowledge of general sun safety, sunscreen application, and FDA labeling on sunscreen products appears to have little to no difference between each demographic category.

M.Phil. (Engineering Management) / For over a decade, customer satisfaction has received increasing attention in marketing. Customer satisfaction is related to loyalty, which in tum is linked to increased profitability, market share, growth, and decreased costs.8 During the 1980s, Japanese firms won major market shares with their product quality and speed. As most leading western companies caught up with their Japanese competitors on quality, most Japanese firms were focusing on a new strategy to meet and exceed changing customer expectations in the 1990s.1 To produce loyalty to an organization became one of the most popular marketing trends of the last decade.1·32 However, customers remain loyal only as long as they are completely satisfied with the quality of the service or product provided? Research results show that it costs five to seven times more to recruit a new customer than it does to retain one." Numerous research studies have shown that the average customer who is happy with a product and a service tells at least three people of his satisfaction, while a dissatisfied customer tells 9 or 10 people about his dissatisfactionf Knowledge of customers' perceptions and attitudes about an organization's business will greatly enhance its opportunity to make better business decisions." More than 80 percent of innovations in high-performing companies come from customers' ideas.'