Dissertation submitted in compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Business Administration, 2008. / The aim of the study was to identify causes of churning, to find ways of managing it and to diagnose customers‟ communication needs. Furthermore the research tested the impact of messaging services on customer retention and whether these services could compensate for the declining revenue or become new cash cows for service providers. The units of analyses were young people of ages ranging from 15 to 24. This group was chosen because it was found, during the study, that they used new services more often than any other age group. The initial plan, however, was to interview the entire population of cellphone users. Stratified random sampling was used to randomly select the units of analysis. Interviews were conducted at the homes of respondents, in the streets and at a shopping centre. Causes of customer churning were found to be billing by service providers that confused customers and „better phone deals offered by the competitors‟ resulting in some of the respondents switching providers. Other aspects about which respondents complained and which therefore could cause churning are „poor network quality‟, „confusing pricing structure‟ and „long waiting on customer care line‟. The respondents indicated that their communication needs could be satisfied by services that are easy to use, a helpful customer care agent and being able to retain a number when switching a service provider. Therefore churning could be managed by removing or reducing the causes of it and attracting the customers by meeting their communications needs, which are, improving customer care service and designing services that are easy to use. The research was inconclusive on the messaging services. Of the three new messaging services that were studied, only one was extremely popular, while the other two were hardly used. Instant messaging was the second most used service to voice and SMS and it was also ranked second, in order of importance. The other two messaging services, mobile email and MMS, received low rankings from the respondents. In addition more than a quarter (27%) of the respondents had never used mobile email. The implications of these findings are that service providers should improve their customer care service and design services that are easy to use.

Telefonrådgivning till föräldrar med sjuka barn är en stor del av arbetet inom primärvård och sjukvårdsrådgivning. Telefonsjuksköterskor ställs inför många utmaningar i samtalen med föräldrar. Syftet med den här studien var att belysa telefonsjuksköterskors erfarenheter av telefonrådgivning till föräldrar med sjuka barn. Datainsamlingen gjordes genom kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer och analyserades med innehållsanalys. I resultatet framkom tre kategorier; att skapa ett samtal, att bedöma och prioritera barn samt att möta vårdsökande föräldrar. Telefonsjuksköterskor hade erfarenhet av olika svårigheter med att göra en bedömning av barnets hälsotillstånd via telefonen. En stor del av samtalen ägnades åt att bemöta oro och skapa trygghet. Till hjälp i bedömningen fanns ett datoriserat bedömningsstöd men också ett kollegialt stöd. Telefonsjuksköterskans uppgift handlade till stor del om att förmedla kunskap till föräldrarna och det upplevdes viktigt att i samtalen uppnå samförstånd. Telefonsjuksköterskor hade erfarenhet av att möta föräldrar i olika sammanhang såsom föräldrar med annan kulturell bakgrund och särboende för-äldrar. Föräldrar sökte gärna information på internet. Telefonsjuksköterskor ställdes inför många ut-maningar men upplevde ändå sitt arbete som tillfredsställande. Det behövs handledning och fördjupad utbildning med inriktning på telefonrådgivning då det är nödvändigt med en bred och god kompetens för att på ett bra sätt utföra uppdraget som telefonsjuksköterska. / Telephone consulting for parents with sick children is a large part of health consulting. Telephone nurses faces many challenges in the calls with parents. The purpose of this study was to illustrate the experiences of telephone consulting to parents with sick children. Qualitative research interviews were made and analyzed through content analysis. The result is presented in three categories; to create a conversation, to assess and prioritize children and to meet care-seeking parents. Telephone nurses experienced many difficulties in the assessment of a sick child’s state of health. A large part of the conversations were spent addressing concerns and provide security. A digital appraisal system was available as well as collegial support. A major part of the conversation was to conveying knowledge and achieving consensus was perceived as vital. Telephone nurses met parents in various situations such as parents with a different cultural and ethnic background as well as parents who were living apart. Parents today are seeking information on the internet. Telephone nurses are facing many difficult challenges but are still perceiving their work as satisfying. There is a need for further education focusing on telephone consulting as wide and deep competence is essential in order to be able to perform telephone consulting.

No description available.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Communication in a global context is seriously hampered by language barriers. These barriers pose special challenges to service delivery, particularly in the healthcare sector. Onsite interpreting is considered most conducive to enable effective communication. In South Africa, however, it is not practical and financially viable to employ onsite interpreters for all the possible language combinations. Telephone interpreting is proposed as an alternative to onsite interpreting and Folio Online’s InterTel service offers telephone interpreting in the Western Cape healthcare sector. This study gauges whether the InterTel service has the potential to contribute in any way to effective communication in the Western Cape healthcare sector. In South Africa, language barriers do not only exist in communication with tourists or immigrants, but also among the country’s own inhabitants. Furthermore, effective communication in the healthcare sector is particularly crucial. Miscommunication may lead to misdiagnosis and/or incorrect usage of medication, which in turn may result in death. The possible loss of life renders the issue of overcoming language barriers in the healthcare sector an important one. The aim of the study is to argue descriptively about InterTel telephone interpreting service as a viable solution to the communication difficulties between healthcare practitioners and patients in the Western Cape healthcare sector. The research had to be narrowed down and instead the study descriptively argues whether InterTel service contributes to communication in the Western Cape healthcare sector. The researcher conducted an interview with the Folio InterTel project manager and sent out questionnaires to the Folio telephone interpreters. Five transcribed recordings of conversations between healthcare practitioners, patients and Folio telephone interpreters were analysed. The findings of this study echo the findings of related studies reported in literature on telephone interpreting. The conclusion is that the Folio InterTel service makes a valuable contribution to more effective communication in Western Cape healthcare facilities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kommunikasie in ’n globale konteks word ernstig gekortwiek deur taalverskille. Hierdie verskille bied groot uitdagings vir die diensleweringsektor; meer spesifiek die gesondheidsorgsektor. Ter-plaatse tolking word beskou as mees bevorderlik vir betekenisvolle kommunikasie. In Suid Afrika is dit egter nie prakties en bekostigbaar om ter-plaatse tolke in diens te stel vir die groot verskeidenheid taalkombinasies nie en telefoontolking word as alternatief oorweeg. Folio Online bied die InterTel-telefoontolkingsdiens aan in die Weskaapse Gesondheidsektor. Hierdie ondersoek sal bepaal of die InterTel-diens die potensiaal het om effektiewe kommunikasie binne die Wes-Kaapse Gesondheidsektor te bevorder. Taalgapings in Suid Afrika kom nie soseer voor in kommunikasie met toeriste of immigrante nie, maar eerder tussen die land se inwoners. Voldoende kommunikasie in die gesondheidsektor is van kardinale belang. Misverstande kan tot verkeerde diagnoses en/of die verkeerde gebruik van medisyne lei, wat in uiterste gevalle aanleiding mag gee tot die dood van ’n pasiënt. Hierdie moontlike noodlottige gevolge plaas taalgapings in die gesondheidsektor onder die soeklig. Hierdie studie is ’n beskrywende argument wat ten doel het om te bepaal of Folio Online se InterTel-diens ’n lewensvatbare oplossing bied vir die kommunikasie-probleme tussen gesondheidspraktisyns en pasiënte in die Wes-Kaapse gesondheidsektor. Die navorsingsondersoek is gebaseer op ’n onderhoud met die Folio InterTel-projekbestuurder en vraelyste aan die onderskeie telefoontolke. Analises van vyf getranskribeerde opnames van gesprekke tussen gesondheidspraktisyns, pasiënte en Folio InterTel-telefoontolke vorm ook deel van die ondersoek. Die bevindings van hierdie studie toon ooreenkomste met die bevindings van ander relevante studies soos opgeteken in die literatuur oor telefoontolking. Daar is bevind dat die InterTel-diens, soos gelewer aan die Wes-Kaapse Gesondheidsektor, wel ’n waardevolle bydra maak tot die bevordering van kommunikasie.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Telecommunication operators are faced with the challenges of rising upward pressure by the competition; this is mainly due to the saturation of subscribers and the aggressive battle for a share of the customer wallet. This has forced mobile network operators to look for new opportunities to drive growth and to cut costs in business operations. The battleground rules are mainly defined by the speed with which new technologies are introduced, customer perception of the quality of the network, and site planning. The purpose of this study is to identify a framework to help the company identify activities which, due to their level and quality of performance, either help or hinder the performance of critical success factors. The starting point for this process is defining the critical success factors based on the company‟s high level priorities. Thereafter, activities that are critical or non-critical, based on their influence on each critical success factor, are identified. Finally, Vodacom‟s operations group activities in a value chain are analysed. The framework is applied to analyse Vodacom‟s operations group activities in a value chain with a view to improve sustainable execution of critical success factors. The report concludes with a decision to outsource activities that are non-critical and are being performed poorly, and the strategic outsourcing of those critical activities which require specialised skills easily sourced outside the company instead of Vodacom spending huge amounts of money in attracting and retaining such specialised skills. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Telekommunikasie-ondernemings staan voor die uitdaging om toenemende opwaartse druk van hul mededingers doeltreffend aan te spreek, hoofsaaklik as gevolg van die oorversadigde intekenaarmark en die agressiewe stryd om 'n aandeel van die kliënt se beursie. Dit noop selfoonnetwerkondernemings om te soek na nuwe geleenthede om groei te dryf en om die bedryfskostes van die onderneming te besnoei. Die reëls op die gevegsfront word neergelê deur onder andere die tempo waarteen nuwe tegnologie bekend gestel word, die kliënt se persepsie van die netwerkkwaliteit, en terreinbeplanning. Hierdie studie het ten doel om 'n raamwerk te identifiseer wat die onderneming kan gebruik om te help met die identifisering van aktiwiteite wat as gevolg van hul vlak en gehalte van prestasie die kritiese suksesfaktore óf positief óf negatief beïnvloed. Die vertrekpunt in hierdie proses is die bepaling van kritiese suksesfaktore gegrond op die maatskappy se hoë-vlak prioriteite, en daarna moet aktiwiteite wat kritiek of nie-kritiek is op grond van hul invloed op elk van die kritiese suksesfaktore, geïdentifiseer word. Daarna word Vodacom se operasionele groepsaktiwiteie in 'n waarde-ketting ontleed. Die raamwerk word gebruik om Vodacom se operasionele groepsaktiwiteie in 'n waarde-ketting te ontleed met die oog op die verbetering van die volhoubare uitvoering van die kritiese suksesfaktore. Die verslag sluit af met 'n aanbeveling dat nie-kritiese aktiwiteite wat swak verrig word, uitgekontrakteer moet word; en dat ook daardie kritiese aktiwiteite wat gespesialiseerde vaardighede vereis en waarvan daar 'n oorvloed buite die onderneming bestaan, uitgekontrakteer moet word eerder as wat Vodacom groot bedrae geld spandeer aan die werwing en instandhouding van sulke gespesialiseerde vaardighede.

Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The work presented in this Thesis relates to the increased capabilities of the mobile Internet and the possible use of cellphones as an enhancement to video surveillance systems. The focus of the Thesis is on the delivery of live video content to Java enabled cellphones. The various characteristics, capabilities and limitations of the mobile networks- and phones are investigated. Various options for streaming video content to cellphones are also explored. The design and implementation of a digital surveillance system with the ability to stream live video to a cellphone is presented. Two versions of the streaming protocol are developed and implemented in cellphone applications, with which the video stream can be viewed. An evaluation and real-life testing of the applications are presented. Recommendations regarding further enhancements are provided.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration