Diss. Linköping : Univ., 2004. / Härtill 7 uppsatser.

Lic.-avh. Uppsala : Univ.

This study postulates that the current incumbents in the SA mobile telecommunications industry are still relying on old working mobile technologies even though new types are emerging within the industry. The telecommunications industry is undergoing radical changes of its own; some examples include global liberalization of trade and investment in telecommunications, as well as national deregulation and privatization. Thus, SA telecommunications businesses are facing a double dilemma: while the telecommunications technology and industry are being rapidly redefined, the markets are being opened to local and global competition.

This study postulates that the current incumbents in the SA mobile telecommunications industry are still relying on old working mobile technologies even though new types are emerging within the industry. The telecommunications industry is undergoing radical changes of its own; some examples include global liberalization of trade and investment in telecommunications, as well as national deregulation and privatization. Thus, SA telecommunications businesses are facing a double dilemma: while the telecommunications technology and industry are being rapidly redefined, the markets are being opened to local and global competition.

Providing high quality customer service that actually satisfies the needs of the customer and results in customer satisfaction is one of the biggest concerns of businesses today. Customer satisfaction determines the behavioural intentions of the customer hence the reason why companies are continuously reaching out to the customer with the aim of building strong relationships that will result in customer loyalty. Managers of companies therefore should be conscious of the role played by quality customer service in building these strong relationships. By gaining such insights into customer perceptions and expectations managers will be in a position to offer products and services that meet customer demands. This study was been based on the customer’s perspectives and their experiences with telecom providers in Kampala, Uganda. A quantitative approach and a questionnaire as data collection tool were used in the conduction of this study. The findings suggest that service quality plays a key role in customer satisfaction. In addition to this the findings also suggest that customer satisfaction plays a key role in determining customer loyalty and customer switching depending on the situation. The findings in this study are similar to those findings of studies done in other countries.

Diss. Linköping : Linköpings universitet., 2006.

Providing high quality customer service that actually satisfies the needs of the customer and results in customer satisfaction is one of the biggest concerns of businesses today. Customer satisfaction determines the behavioural intentions of the customer hence the reason why companies are continuously reaching out to the customer with the aim of building strong relationships that will result in customer loyalty. Managers of companies therefore should be conscious of the role played by quality customer service in building these strong relationships. By gaining such insights into customer perceptions and expectations managers will be in a position to offer products and services that meet customer demands. This study was been based on the customer’s perspectives and their experiences with telecom providers in Kampala, Uganda. A quantitative approach and a questionnaire as data collection tool were used in the conduction of this study. The findings suggest that service quality plays a key role in customer satisfaction. In addition to this the findings also suggest that customer satisfaction plays a key role in determining customer loyalty and customer switching depending on the situation. The findings in this study are similar to those findings of studies done in other countries.

M.Phil. (Business Management) / The purpose of the research was to explicate business competitive challenges through increasing scientific knowledge relating to the effect of Value Chain on the Customer Experience within the South African Mobile Telecommunications industry. Operators display a tendency of commoditised competition, offering little differentiation that Customers value. The qualitative and time bound study analysed the perspective of sixteen interviewees, representing the full Value Chain from respective operators. Following the aim to understand the participants’ perception of how the Value Chain impacts Customer Experience, the Content Analysis method of analysis was utilised for the gathering of insights. Findings reflect a lack of maturity in the understanding of Customer Experience and Value Chain, and a resulting incapability to maximise the effect of the Value Chain on the Customer Experience. Notwithstanding, there exists an opportunity to apply a Value Chain perspective in order to improve the Customer Experience and enhance mutual value.

Around the world, countries are moving towards a market economy in order to integrate the global marketplace. Telecommunications are among the industries concerned the most in this trend, as governments are significantly reducing their involvement in this industry through liberalization and/or partial or complete privatization of their national telecommunications corporations. For Burkina Faso it is no different, as ONATEL, the national telecommunications company in Burkina Faso, has been caught in this trend. Since December 1998, the government of Burkina Faso initiated a reform of its telecommunications sector with the overall goal to achieve the liberalization of telecommunications services, and accomplish a mixed ownership of ONATEL. The objective of this study is to review the ongoing privatization of ONATEL based on an analysis of general practices regarding economic reforms applied elsewhere, and then make recommendations for both the government of Burkina Faso and ONATEL, for a successful implementation of the process and the national telecommunication policies. We accomplish this objective through four research questions. The first one correlates privatization and economic development with the aim to see how the divesture of ONATEL can foster the telecommunications development in Burkina Faso. The second one emphasizes the government chosen strategy to privatize ONATEL, allowing for a review of alternative privatization methods and the rationale behind the government’s option. The third research questions deals with ONATEL’s strategies to sustain its development amongst an environment of increased competition. This question facilitates an assessment of the firm’s preparation for competition and allows for the formulation of some recommendations in such regard. The last research question touches on the privatization process of Chunghwa Telecom, the once, state-owned Telecommunications Company in Taiwan. This final aspect of the research helps to extract effective lessons that can be applicable for the government of Burkina Faso and ONATEL, by analyzing and understanding the privatization experience in Chunghwa Telecom’s methods and formulations of business strategies, for their own privatization.

Supplier selection plays an important role in any organisation. This study investigates and examines supplier selection criteria and the impacts on buying firm performance; specifically focusing on the telecommunications industry in Malaysia. Previous studies in this area have focussed on the criteria such as quality, price, delivery, supplier relationship management and decision making tools and techniques. However, little research has been undertaken to include government policies and business ethics as elements in the supplier selection criteria. After a literature review and interviews, the development of conceptual frameworks and a number of hypotheses were put forward. To achieve an in-depth study, four major telecommunications service provider companies in Malaysia were chosen as a case study. A questionnaire was used as the main instrument in gathering data. The questionnaire is principally concerned with the understanding of supplier selection and its criteria; based upon the variables that are used for the model and hypothesis testing. The study also investigates the relationship between supplier selection and the impact of supplier selection to the company performance. This model was tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique with the AMOS software application. Results indicated all of the criteria include quality, price, delivery, supplier relationship management, decision making tools and techniques, government policy and business ethics as valid constructs. A good model fit was also established. The findings of this research conclude that the influencing criteria to supplier selection in the telecommunications industry in Malaysia are supplier delivery performance standards and supplier relationship management even when considering the remainder of the above mentioned elements.The price factors were found to be less important due to this factor possibly leading to unhealthy competition in the market in terms of price wars among the suppliers in order to win the business. Most of the criteria are also interrelated to each other and affect the supplier selection decision. This model has added new perspectives to the study of supplier selection in the supply chain management field. As for future research it is suggested that intangible elements such as political, cultural and social influences are included in the conceptual framework; as this would offer important insight for management bodies in organisation, academia and public policy fields alike.